The following countries use one or more AK-74 variants:All former USSR countries use it as their primary service rifle, with the exception of Estonia, which uses the AK 4 and IMI Galil as its primary rifles, though the AK-74 remains in service as an alternate rifle.National militaries: Afghanistan (left over from Soviet occupation), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Chad (captured from Libyan forces during Chadian-Libyan conflict), Cuba, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon (confiscated from captured terrorists/left over from Syrian occupation forces), Libya, Lithuania, Moldova, North Korea (as Type 88 from state factories), Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam (but so far, only by Vietnam People's Army naval infantry).Non-government forces: Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, various other guerrilla, rebel, and terrorist groups.
“The AK-47 (shortened from Russian: Ðвтомат Калашникова образца 1947 года, Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947; English: Kalashnikov's machine gun, model of the year 1947) is a gasoperated assault rifle that was used in many Eastern bloc nations during the Cold War. Adopted and standardized in 1947, it was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and produced by Russian manufacturer Izhevsk Mechanical Works. Compared with the autoloading rifles used in World War II (the StG-44 aside), the AK-47 was generally more compact, with a shorter range, a smaller 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge, and was capable of selective fire. It was one of the first true assault rifles and remains the most widely used and known. More AK-47 rifles have been produced than any other assault rifle; production continues to this day.“During the Second World War, Germany had developed the concept of the assault rifle. This concept was based on the knowledge that most military engagements in modern warfare were happening at fairly close range with the majority happening within 100 meters (110 yd). The power and range of contemporary rifle cartridges was simply overly powerful for a vast majority of engagements with small arms. As a result, a cartridge and firearm were sought combining the features of a submachine gun (high-capacity magazine and fullyautomatic fire capability) with an intermediate-power cartridge that would be effective to a range of 300 meters (330 yd). For the sake of reduced manufacturing costs, this was done by shortening the 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser cartridge case and substituting a lighter bullet to create the 7.92 x 33 mm Kurz.“The resulting Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44 or MP44) was not the first rifle to use these features; it was preceded by earlier Italian Cei-Rigotti and Russian Fedorov Avtomat designs. The Germans, however, were the first to produce and field a sufficient number of the type to properly evaluate its utility. They fielded the weapon in large numbers against the Russians towards the end of the war and this experience deeply influenced Russian doctrine in the years following the war. “Mikhail Kalashnikov began imagining his weapon while still in the hospital, after being wounded in the battle of Bryansk. He had been informed that a new weapon was required for the 7.62 × 41 mm cartridge developed by Elisarov and Semin in 1943. Sudayev's PPS43 submachine gun was preferred to Kalashnikov's design. “Despite circumstantial evidence, Mikhail Kalashnikov denies that his rifle was based on the German assault rifle. It is best described as a hybrid of several previous innovations. To support his position, the AK-47 owes more to the M1 Garand Rifle than any German design. The double locking lugs, unlocking raceway, and trigger mechanism are clearly derived from the earlier American design. This is not surprising as millions of Garand rifles had operated reliably in combat around the globe. The safety is surprisingly similar to the Browningdesigned Remington Model 8 rifle.“The genius in the design of the Kalashnikov rifle is in the simplification of those contributing designs and adaptation to mass production. The AK-47 can be seen as a fusion of the best that the M1 Garand offered combined with the best aspects of the StG44 made by the best processes available in the Soviet Union at the time.†(Wikipedia)