This Chart Shows How The AK-47 Became The Most Popular Assault Rifle

As Mikhail Kalashnikov died yesterday, the AK-47 that he designed in 1947 remains the most popular assault rifle in the world, used from Russia to South Sudan (above).

Its competition includes the U.S.-designed M-16 and AR-15, as well as the new AK-12.

While these rifles offer various innovations, they have struggled to match the durability and reliability of the AK-47. Moreover, the best thing about the AK-47 is that it is cheap and available, which isn't surprising considering that 75 million have been produced. Check it out: