The AK-47 was invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov, a Soviet soldier and tank mechanic. He designed the rifle in the late 1940s, and it was first issued to the Soviet Army in 1949. The AK-47 is a gas-operated, assault rifle that fires 7.62x39mm ammunition. It is known for its reliability, simplicity, and low cost. The AK-47 is the most widely used firearm in the world, with an estimated 100 million rifles in circulation. It has been used in numerous wars and conflicts, including the Vietnam War, the Soviet-Afghan War, and the Syrian Civil War. The AK-47 has also been used in a number of mass shootings, including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Las Vegas shooting. The AK-47 is manufactured by a number of companies around the world, including Izhmash in Russia, Norinco in China, and Arsenal in Bulgaria. The rifle is also produced by a number of smaller companies in developing countries. The AK-47 has been blamed for a number of mass shootings, including: - Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut (20 children and 6 adults killed) - Las Vegas shooting (58 people killed and 851 injured) - Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida (17 people killed and 17 injured) - Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida (17 people killed and 17 injured) - Sutherland Springs church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas (26 people killed and 20 injured) - Route 91 Harvest music festival shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada (58 people killed and 851 injured) - Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida (49 people killed and 53 injured) AK-47's are also manufactured in the United States. Kalashnikov USA (KUSA), a privately-owned American company, designs, manufactures and markets Kalashnikov-styled firearms for law enforcement, military and commercial markets. They are located in Pompano Beach, Florida. Russian-made Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons cannot be imported to the US due to sanctions. KUSA was formed to create these weapons locally after the United States imposed sanctions on the Russian defense sector in 2014 in response to Russia's intervention in Ukraine. On June 30, 2015, Thomas McCrossin, CEO of Kalashnikov USA, announced that Kalashnikov USA would begin selling United States manufactured weapons. In May 2017, Kalashnikov USA started selling its KS-12 semi-automatic shotgun. The Kalashnikov USA plant in Pompano Beach cannot sell directly to the customer, only to Federal Firearms Licensed retailers. There have been efforts to ban the AK-47 in the United States. In the wake of several mass shootings, many people have called for a ban on the sale and possession of assault weapons, including the AK-47. In 1994, the United States passed a federal assault weapons ban, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transfer of certain semi-automatic firearms, including the AK-47. The ban expired in 2004, and it has not been renewed. Since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban, This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.