The AK47 is easily both the most famous and infamous firearm in all of the world’s history. With over 100 million made, its appearance in over half a century of cinema, and its place within the hands of players in hundreds of video games, the Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947 is undeniably the most recognisable weapon ever made.

With the help of Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, we chart the AK47’s journey, from its postWW2 creation through to its huge pop culture footprint as the quintessential Hollywood “bad guy gun”.

0:00 Intro
01:02 Origins of the AK47
02:30 Misnaming the AK
04:02 Different Variants
06:11 AK47 In Pop Culture
09:18 AK47 In Gaming
16:04 Ending

In this episode of Loadout, Dave Jewitt visits the Royal Armouries to talk to Keeper of Firearms & Artillery Jonathan Ferguson to chat about the legendary AK47 rifle, its history and production, and its mammoth pop culture footprint.

You can check out more episodes of Loadout right here.    • How Games Are Lying To Us About Silen...  

You can check out our Firearms Expert Reacts series here.    • Firearms Expert Reacts To Fallout 4’s...  

If you're interested in seeing more of Jonathan's work, you can check out more from the Royal Armouries right here.    / royalarmouries  

If you would like to support the Royal Armouries, you can make a charitable donation to the museum here. https://royalarmouries.org/supportus...