Its full name is the Avtomat Kalashnikova, 1947. It means the automatic weapon developed by the famed Kalashnikov gun works in 1947, at the dawn of the Cold War. The world knows it by its initials the AK47.

TALES OF THE GUN tells the explosive story of the instantly-recognizable and internationally respected firearm with the distinctive curved magazine. From Southeast Asia to the Middle East and Central America, the AK-47 came to symbolize armed struggle and national liberation, or, seen from the other side, insurrection and political violence. In a rare interview, inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov tells what it was like to work within the secret world of the Soviet military during the Cold War. And see footage of the AK-47 in action in conflicts around the world and through the decades.

Simple to use and deadly efficient, the AK-47 is one of the most influential guns of the 20th century.

See a rare interview with the inventor of one of the world's deadliest and most coveted guns.
A&E / The History Channel
AK47 DVD