The United States and the Kalashnikovs

In parts of the Western world especially the United States, The Avtomat Kalashnikova Model or AK-47 machine gun and semi-automatic weapon is associated with their enemies; both Cold War era and present-day. In the cold war era the AK-47 assault rifle, first developed in the USSR by Mikhail Kalashnikova for the Russian army in 1947 was the primary infantry weapon of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Vietcong (VC) in Vietnam War, a war in which America lost 58000 soldiers and a war which America lost. These assault rifles which were used in the war and mostly made in the People's Republic of China, the chief supplier of armaments to NVA and VC forces is been said to be one of the factors that made America lost the Vietnam war.
 

Most armaments analysts judge the AK-47, which normally holds thirty bullets, to be superior to the U.S. M-16, which became the standard weapon of American, Korean, and South Vietnamese troops in the Vietnam War. It was more durable and less adversely affected by the climate and conditions of Vietnam. M-16 which is better in accuracy and long range targets was a high maintenance weapon while AK-47 which is inexpensive and less expensive to manufacture, required little maintenance and was perfect for inexperienced troops. Dust, dirt and grime build-up would fail the M-16 while the AK-47 still functioned exceptionally well. The AK-47 wins hands down when it came to firepower. For example a single shot from an AK-47 would break a cinder block. An M-16 bullet would just create a bullet hole on a similar cinder block. This powerful firepower and the rapid-fire capability (600 rounds/min) of AK-47 alone could have turned the tide of war against the Americans in Vietnam. There are a number of accounts of cases in which American troops preferred to use the AK-47 and in fact did use it when combat conditions permitted. The continuing popularity of this weapon is illustrated by its use in many military hostilities since the Vietnam War.

 

During the 1980s, Russia became the principal arms dealer to countries embargoed by Western nations, including Middle Eastern nations such as Syria, Libya and Iran, who welcomed Soviet Union backing against Israel. After the fall of the Soviet Union, AK-47s were sold both openly and on the black market to any group with cash, including drug cartels and dictatorial states, and more recently they have been seen in the hands of violent Islamic terrorist groups such as the Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria, Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq, FARC, Ejército de Liberación Nacional guerrillas in Colombia. Western movies often portray criminals, gang members and terrorists using AK-47s. For these reasons, in the U.S. and Western Europe the AK-47 is stereotypically regarded as the weapon of murder and a weapon of choice of insurgents, gangsters and terrorists. Conversely, throughout the developing world, the AK-47 can be positively attributed with revolutionaries or "freedom fighters" against foreign occupation, imperialism or colonialism. In Mexico, the AK-47 is known as "Cuerno de Chivo" (Ram's Horn) and is one of the weapons of choice of Mexican drug cartels. In the United States its considered counterculture, which is always something that citizens in Mexico kind of like ... It's kind of sticking a finger in the eye of the man, if you will.