As firearm enthusiasts around the world mourn the death of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the designer of the now iconic Kalashnikov (think AK-47) rifles, let us pause for a moment to consider the sheer diversity of firearms that are currently in existence. While some of them are extremely specialised and are used by elites, there are those that have trickled into the hands of militia and even common citizens. While each gun owner has his/her personal favourite, some of the guns in the latter category have become iconic over time, and continue to enjoy great popularity. Below, we have brought together the 8 most popular firearms today.

#1 – The AK47

Made famous by the AK-47, the AK series of rifles were designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and have been used in theaters of war as diverse as China, Vietnam and Russia. Designed by the Kalashnikov as part of a competition to match the venom of the Nazi sub-machine guns on the Eastern Front, the AK-47 became an iconic weapon since it was first used during the Chinese Communist Revolution. Since then, the extremely durable rifle, along with other AK series rifles (notably the AK-56), have proliferated into the hands of forces the world over, and though hardly any armies (outside Africa) use the weapon, it remains in production and used across the globe amongst militias, paramilitary forces and most visibly, terrorists.