In Vietnam Ak or M16

[Ughh]

This is what Kalashnikov had to say about the 5.45x39mm Cartridge:

"It is you Americans that are to be blamed for our switch to 5.45x39mm cartridge. The soviet "experts" saw you using 5.56mm in Vietnam and didn't want to miss on something.
I was all for modernizing the 7.62mm cartridge."

<Snark removed by Art>

Next to Kalashnikov, history has shown us that the Germans are the only other great arms maker. EVERYONE COPIED GERMAN MAUSER IN EARLIER WARS. ALL GUNS DERIVE FROM GERMAN DESIGNS. Even our infamous M1 Garand and England's Lee-Enfield was based on the German Mauser. And then there's also Germany's sturmgewehr.... Sturmgewehr paved the way to sub machine guns used in combat. Now we have MP5s, MP7s, Kriss Vectors, Knight's PDW, P90s, etc...

 

[Art Eatman]

And this old guy sez this thread has wandered around more than enough...