I think it's safe to say that 100 years from now no firearm

>>31048848

The AK47 has sheer numbers of non-state actors and third world militaries using it. I think the M16 will be remembered in a fonder light though.

>>31048848
how many national flags is it on?

>>31048882
The weapons used by the greatest nation in the world holds a bit more significance then [insert shithole here].

Kinda like how the M1 Garand is one of the more significant rifles from WWII but surely not the most widespread during the war.

>>31048848
>not even sixty years of service as of this moment
Too soon to tell. It has quite a few large contenders to stand up to

>>31048893
None that matter.

>>31048848
Gotta agree with the thread. AK variants will live forever as symbols of revolution and insurgency.

>>31049765
Pretty irrelevant past the 80s.

>>31048967
Na. The AK family have fought in all the wars the M4 has and then some more on top. It is the main weapon of the post war period and isn't losing its position yet.

I think one that won't get its dues outside of a certain circle is the Mosin Nagant. That thing has been in every 3rd world conflict since WW2, and even today people are still buying them left and right and there is plenty of food for it everywhere.

>>31048967
Yes but not only does every dindu know the name, but almost every citizen of every nation can recognize an AK-47.

The M16 and Armalite AR series rifles are also extremely common, and very significant;

But the sheer number of AKs produced makes it of insane historical significance as THE most produced rifle in the world.

100 million guns, essentially sky-rocketing semi automatic rifles with detachable magazines into the limelight, leading to the development of hundreds of other rifles that simply would not exist without the AKs widespread production.

Not saying the AK was the first, the StG and/or Federov hold that title, but it was the first to really catch on with militaries the world over.

>>31050012
>The most produced gun ever by 10 fold over the second most
>Irrelevant ever

Nerd, that gun has been in almost every conflict since it's inception, I doubt it'll ever be simply "irrelevant".

>>31048967
The M1 was different because it was the most successful Semi Automatic rifle designs during an era where everyone was using Bolt action rifles.

>>31050119
And that makes it historically significant how? Maybe if you're talking solely about firearm history.

>>31048848
I like that setup a lot a lot.

File: hqdefault (1).jpg (8KB, 480x360px) Image search: [Google]

8KB, 480x360px

>>31050064
AK is literally the wrong side every time. I mean yeah its won wars but guarantee the side with the AKs is faggots. Real fucking NATO, you cunt.

>>31050620
hol' up

how is the AK47 not historically significant

what in the world makes the M16 more historically significant than the AK47

what fucking metric could you possibly use

>>31050620
Look at the Brown Bess. 170 years after its 100 year reign over half the world and it's still famous.

>>31050888
The Troubles.

>>31050012
Literally used in nearly every cold war proxy war and civil war in third world nations.

>>31048882
AK47 will be incorrectly attributed to the AKMs legacy, 47 is a pile of shit

>>31051005
youre so knowledgeable

>>31051005
>M16 will be incorrectly attributed to the M4s/AR-15s legacy, Armalites were pieces of shit

Could be said about almost any modern gun, nerdo.

>>31048848
noone outside of Burgerland going to remember M16, just like noone remembers the rifle they used before it

>>31050888
>AK is literally the wrong side every time.
So you're telling me that the Hungarians, Romanians and revolting comblock states against Soviet aggression were in the wrong side? How about those African tribes and nations that fought against the Soviet puppet governments and the Cuban troops. What about Chad, Mali and Niger fighting Al Qaeda African terror groups before the French coming to aid them in Operation Barhkane? Did I forgot to mention the Rwandan Defense Forces?

>>31050888
It doesn't have to be on the, "right," side of history to be historically significant

File: 1450840_10151753424917479_1355902182_n.jpg (30KB, 720x540px) Image search: [Google]

30KB, 720x540px

>laughing kalashnikovs.cccp

>>31051041
47 was rapidly replaced by the AKM for good reasons

AKs are more famous, Ar-15 comes obviously in 2nd position though