What would you say is the most distinctive feature of the AK-47 and its clones?

Loose tolerance reliability. Easy to manufacture; thus ubiquitous and compatible.

The AK-47 is the Willys Jeep of guns. Just an instant hit. Cheap and easy to produce.

Aesthetically it resonates.

I’m tempted to think that from an American standpoint, the AK-47 stands out distinctly simply for being a non-American dominant weapon. Glock became the same thing. It’s like Japanese beholding a pair of Levi’s or a custom 1911. <Golden light shining in from above – hall of boys singing – Nhaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.>

Visually, the AKs most recognizable features are the curved magazine and gas tube. They became a cultural icon due to their association with post-colonial wars of liberation; the revolutionary groups being liberally supplied with AK-47 or Chinese Type 56 clones. Kalashnikov’s design of simplicity and loose tolerances allowed the weapon to function with little cleaning or maintenance, important to insurgent groups with fragile logistics and little technological training at the squad level. Any combat soldier instantly recognizes the sound of the 7.62×39 mm round, usually meaning “trouble ahead”.

Jesus carries the AK-47.

A good weapon for him; it needs a miracle to hit anything beyond 200m.

My understanding of the AK is it’s reliability is unmatched in a field combat weapon. You supposedly can bury it the sand, dig it up and fire it without jamming. The 7.62×39mm cartridge is also known for it’s stopping power and the damage it can cause to those unfortunate to get hit by it.

AK-47’s were designed and built for only one purpose…....to kill humans.

The sound.

“AK-47’s were designed and built for only one purpose…....to kill humans.”
Or wild pigs. :-)

@ChazMaz In Missouri, you are permitted to kill wild pigs by any means available to you. If that means rocket launchers from a helicopter, so be it. :D

Same here in Florida.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land
You need to sight it in properly. Sight it in at 100 yards by sliding the elevation marker to 1 and adjusting the front sight with a $9 tool avaiable from Cheaperthadirt . com.

@worriedguy I can do that in my sleep. Most AKs picked up in the field are so worn and badly maintained that they’re barely dangerous beyond 50m. Kalashnikov designed the sights to be adjustable that way (tool only) so that some illiterate militiaman couldn’t mess them up. The vast majority of people issued these weapons have little or no marksmanship training anyway. Its field tactical use is the same as an SMG, surpress enemy fire by spraying fire at them, advance by alternating sections until within grenade range. There are some decently accurate weapons based on the AK design, such as the Dragunov rifle.