View Full Version : Over 2 billion AK-47's made?
Does anyone else disagree with this number in the forum headline? Not that I know the exact number but I'd say 250 million max.
CanadianGlockFan
05-02-2004, 19:36
I'd think that the Chinese themselves made more than 250 million; when you add in all of the different manufacturers in all of the different countries that have produced the AK and its variants, I'd say it would have to be getting close to 2 billion.
TomSplasky
05-02-2004, 21:14
I added the number with a little bit of overexxageration, although I'd have to say it is no more than a billon off.
;e
1stMarDiv
05-03-2004, 11:24
McKalashnikov's!
I have heard several times that the AK is the most produced machine ever.
TomSplasky
05-03-2004, 13:35
Originally posted by 1stMarDiv
McKalashnikov's!
One McKalshnikov with JHPs, FMJs, and Gun oil please.
Oh, and supersize that.
;f
J.R. Bob Dobbs
05-03-2004, 15:53
Originally posted by Eric R
I have heard several times that the AK is the most produced machine ever.
I also heard this, specifically on the History Channel. I have trouble believing it though.
Glockdude1
05-03-2004, 20:05
History channel? Try CNN, they are shown everyday. I feel the production worldwide is good 2 billion. Hell, all I want is at least 1 real one!!!!
;N
as much as i would want to believe 250 million, the number i have heard was 60+ million from the history channel, on more than one show.
John
DaleGribble
05-04-2004, 02:01
Originally posted by 1stMarDiv
McKalashnikov's!
Over 2 billion customers served!
KinderGlocken
05-04-2004, 10:06
I wonder how many bullets have been sprayed by AKs?
Glockdude1
05-04-2004, 10:54
From just my AK's, I have "sprayed" several thousand rds alone......I enjoyed every shot!!!!
;N
pellertpale
05-04-2004, 10:59
Th Kalishnakov story, show, or report on the H said "90 Million made worldwide making it the most produced firearm ever." That could have been an older show, but still less than a .25 billion I would think.
i believe that there have been easily 2 billion rds of 762x39 made.
prolly over 1 trillion rds. im not just throwing that number out there either. my ak is only 5 yrs old and has eaten several thousands of rounds. if you figure 60-90 mil rifles, at 10K rds each thats 600-900 Billion rds. i can guarantee that some of those rifles in the middle east and africa have seen plenty more than 10k rounds.
dang, a trillion is a lot!!
John
According to Kalashnikov's latest book, he estimates world wide production of his "submachinegun" in the 70 million range. I would think most scholars would put actual production of licensed and unlicensed copies in the 50 million range. That's a lot of rifles no matter how you look at it.
Production of the AK has slowed quite a bit in the last 20 years. Numerous Com-Bloc nations are still producing them, but in 5.56 to meet NATO requirements. I don't think M16 production numbers will ever come close to the AK, but the M16 is now extremely popular in regions that were onced populated solely by AK's. Anyone know how many M16's were produced? I would guess at about 20 million, but that's purely conjecture.
Glockdude1
05-04-2004, 16:05
AK's have been made in various calibers. 7.62x39, .223, and russian .223 (5.45x39)................
;N
From "Legends and Reality of the AK: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the History, Design, and Impact of the Kalashnikov Family of Weapons," by Val Shilin and Charlie Cutshaw (Paladin Press, 2000). Page 53:
"So we return to our original question... how may AK's were manufactured by Izhmash? As we said, nobody is really sure, but our best estimate is approximately four million. This does not include AK's that were manufactured in other countries. If these are included, the total runs to approximately 50 million AK's of all types - AK47, AKM, and AK74. Once again, this does not include rifles that were derived from the Kalashnikov design, such as the Israeli Galil, Finnish Valmet, South African R4, and others."
Val Shilin was a close associate of Mikhail Kalashnikov at the Izhmash Arms Factory, so I'd tend to take his word for it.
Big Bird
05-04-2004, 19:36
Four million seems a tad light. We produced over 5 million M1 Garands from 1938 to 1955. I can't believe we built more Garands in 17 years than they did AKs in over 30 years. Didn't Tula Arsenal also produce AKs?
Like everything in the old USSR production capacity was a state secret. So who knows. But I know that at the height of the cold war the Russians had more than 2 million men in the Red Army...
After thinking about my original question, I almost think it maybe 100 million max. I'd say well more than half are Russian and Chinese. I'd guess an average of 5000 rds shot out of each ever made. Do you think the AK-47 has killed the most people in the world of any gun ever made. I think the AK-47 will never be beat in number of produced, this is ofcourse because it's the best rifle ever!
GunZnWomen
05-04-2004, 23:12
If you think just Russia, China, and the Eastern Block alone, without even considering other sources of manufacture, 100 to 150 million AKs made to date would not suprise me in the least.
308shooter
05-05-2004, 17:01
supposed to be 50-100 million
hell theres only 500-600 million estimated firearms of all types
Originally posted by JMF
Do you think the AK-47 has killed the most people in the world of any gun ever made.
im guessing something like the makarov or nagant revolver has killed as many or more than the ak-47.
a quote from another website put it like this: "Pistolet Makarova, tested on the backs of more dissidents heads than any other weapon."
we know that mao and stalin killed millions of their own people, and they preferred using the ole bullet to the back of the head.
John
Glockdude1
05-06-2004, 16:18
I believe the little ole .22 has killed far more varmints, (4 legged & 2 legged) than any other rd out there.............
;N
The .22 rimfire would definitely hold the title for most rounds produced.
As for the weapon that has killed the most people, that record is soundly held by the Maxim machinegun.
stiletto raggio
05-06-2004, 19:26
I would not doubt a figure of 250 million. The Russians made several generations of them, the Chinese have made millions, and every country in the mid-east and eastern europe made their own, too.
I went through and calculated all of the AK and AK variants produced around the world. I only came up with 50 million rifles. Russian production numbers were a lot less than I had thought.
Russian production:
Milled AK's: 5 million
AKM's: 10 million (Half given away as military aid)
AK-74's: 5 million
All other variants: less than 5 million.
China: 15 million AK's of all variants. Perhaps 5 million more produced in secret and given away as military aid.
All others: less than 5 million.
The old man says the number is 70 million, but that is probably a tad over optimistic on his part. Most of the smaller nations received considerable amounts of AKM's as military aid. Production numbers from sattelite countries is considerably less than you would think. Maybe 40,000 rifles here, 75,000 there. Nothing to come close to 100 million rifles. Even Galil and Valmet production was rather limited.
I think the figure is about 90 million. I don't know if this includes the civilian models or not.
Glockdude1
05-08-2004, 16:00
Do we include all the Mak-90's that have been legaly/illegaly converted to "pre ban" style????
;N
Glockusmaximus
05-14-2004, 06:05
I agree with Decguns;
2 Billion sounds a bit high. 20 years ago Smith and Smith of Small Arms of the World quoted 50+ million. Have heard recently on the History Channel the 60+ million. Realistically I doubt it has yet reached a billion even considering all the producers for all the years. Just guessing I would say somewhere between 75 million and 100 million. That the AK is the most widely produced machine ever...I can agree with that even with the above numbers.
Cheers!
vBulletin® v3.7.3, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.