10 Facts About the AK-47 You Never Knew

If you go anywhere overseas and ask somebody what is the first image that pops into their mind when you say the word ‘gun,’ there is a good chance they are going to respond with “AK-47.”

This iconic rifle has found its way throughout the entire world, and for good reason. It’s incredibly durable, requires minimal maintenance, has few moving parts, and can prove very effective in combat.

But with a weapon so steeped in history, there are bound to be interesting facts attached to its past that most Americans are unfamiliar with. So today, we are covering ten facts about the AK-47 you never!

10 Facts About the AK-47

1. It’s Likely the Deadliest Weapon in Human History 

By deadliest weapon, I mean that it’s killed more people than any other weapon we know of.

We really have no way of calculating the number of deaths that have occurred via spears and arrows over the last few millennia. But within modern history, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any weapon that’s killed more people than the AK-47.

The estimated death count by those armed with AK-47s is somewhere in the millions since the weapon’s introduction in the late 1940s. In comparison, the atomic bombs dropped in World War 2 killed an estimated 200,000 people.

It’s even been claimed that the AK-47 likely has killed more people than all of the artillery shells, airstrikes, and rocket attacks in the world combined.

2. Saddam Hussein Had a Gold-Plated AK-47

After the 2003 Iraq War, American soldiers found Saddam Hussein’s treasure hoard.

Being worth 1.2 billion pounds, Hussein had quite the treasure trove tucked away. Gold toilets, gold toothbrushes, fancy cars – Saddam had it all.

But his taste for gold and diamonds wasn’t just relegated to his bathroom habits. He had several gold-plated guns in his collection as well.

Among them? Several gold AK-47 rifles. Likely a gift to him from his son Uday, it’s believed that Saddam used his gold-plated firearms for ceremonial purposes.

3. One Was Buried for 18 Years and Still Worked

In Mozambique, government men found a cache of arms that had been buried for 18 years. Among these weapons were several AK-47s.

Curiosity got the better of the men, and they decided to test whether or not the weapons would still function.

Grabbing a particularly rusty AK-47, one of the men poured a bit of motor oil over it. The AK was able to put rounds down range without any problem whatsoever, proving its reputation as one of the most rugged firearms ever built.

4. An AK-47 Has a Range of About 6 Feet When Fired Underwater

Yes, it still will shoot when completely submerged. It’s not the gun that’s typically the limiting factor here, but rather the ammunition.

The AK-47 seems to have a max range of around 6 feet when fired underwater. Is it an effective weapon at this range? Not unless the barrel is inches away from the target.

5. Several Nation’s Flags and Coat of Arms Feature the AK-47

At the risk of sounding like an episode of Sheldon Cooper’s “Fun with Flags,” there are a few nations (and terrorist groups) who use the AK-47 on their flag.

While sporting a weapon on a flag is nothing new (Kenya’s spears, Saudi Arabia’s sword, Angola’s machete, Virginia’s spear), a modern weapon is a unique concept in the modern world.

Mozambique features a bayonet-prepped AK-47 on its flag, and the Zimbabwe coat of arms has one hidden in the background.

6. Kalashnikov Had No Intentions of Being a Weapons Designer

The AK-47 was created by a poor farmer’s son who simply wanted to develop agricultural equipment. But that all changed with the collectivization of Russian farmers and World War II.

After being drafted into the army as part of a tank crew in 1938, Kalashnikov suffered a shoulder injury during the Battle of Bryansk after his tank was struck by a Nazi shell in 1941.

As Kalashnikov spent six months recovering in a Soviet hospital, he heard repeated murmurings from other injured Red soldiers of how their current rifles were subpar compared to enemy troops.

Turning his mind to the problem, Kalashnikov ended up creating the most well-known firearm of all time: the AK-47.

7. In 2012, American Civilians Bought More AK-47s Than the Russian Military and Police Combined

Gun sales in the US spiked pretty heavily in 2012, and a large number of these sales were AK-47s.

Part of the reason Americans bought more than Russians is because the Russians have been developing new weaponry to replace the aging platform.

While the rest of the world usually seeks out American weapons technology, it is something of an ironic twist that more AK-47s are finding their way into American gun cabinets.

8. There Is One AK-47 Rifle For Every 70 People On the Planet

This helps to explain why this is the most famous rifle the planet has ever seen; these things are everywhere.

This is largely due to the cheap production cost of this rifle. As of 2010, it was said that in many parts of Africa, a military-grade AK-47 sells for around $30.

During times of conflict (something that is always happening somewhere), that cheap price combined with the minimal amount of upkeep this rifle requires makes the AK-47 a very attractive weapon.

9. American Soldiers in Vietnam Often Chose AK-47s Over M-16s

American GIs faced brutal field conditions during the Vietnam War. The rainy season leads to everything becoming drenched and clogged with mud — conditions the M-16 is not fond of.

In this hostile environment, the AK-47 proved to be superior. It could be dropped in the mud, banged up, or not maintained, and it would still shoot.

These reasons led to many American soldiers picking up enemy AK-47s when they could and relying on them instead.

However, a side effect of this reared its head during night fighting. An AK-47 sounds different than an M-16, and American troops firing them often attracted friendly fire.

10. The AK-47 First Saw Widespread Use During the 1956 Hungarian Revolution

After a protestor was shot by police during a student protest against communism, the spirit of revolution spread like wildfire throughout Soviet-controlled Hungary.

Not wanting Hungary to fall outside of their control, the Soviet Union sent in the military, armed with their then relatively new AK-47s.

Within three weeks, the revolution was suppressed. But the world witnessed the abilities of this rifle for the first time during this conflict.

Even the Hungarian People’s Army used AK-47s scrounged from fallen Soviets to fight back during this war.

After proving itself in combat, the AK-47 quickly spread throughout the rest of the world.

Final Thoughts

The AK-47 is a time-tested design that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Aside from being one of the most reliable small arms of all time, its relatively inexpensive price tag combined with the sheer number of these rifles means that they will be in circulation for quite some time.

What are your thoughts on the AK-47? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below! Love AKs? Be sure to check out our article on the 8 Best AK-47 Rifles of 2023!