1.) The market is yet not saturated, and there is still a heavy demand. (Hence the ‘instability’ index is ‘high’).

2.) Some people are indeed quite desperate for a middling quality basic piece of equipment just because, ‘They don’t know about the future, and remain insecure’.

3.) The price of a ticket to the EU or nearby countries where you can get smuggled into the EU is quickly approaching the cost of equipping one family member for war.

4.) Ergo, there will continue to be a massive exodus of war refugees From Lebanon to ‘other places’, emptying the country of it’s talented young & educated, exactly at the time when they had just returned from the turmoil of the Last civil war.

5.) This is a cost of war no nation can long afford to endure, over 2 generations now. The PA & now Hamas are ‘propped’ up in their quixotic quest to ‘push Israel into the sea’ by massive infusions of cash from the Saudi’s & the Iranians. That situation can not last forever, and they can little afford to have yet another ‘failed state’ to baby sit. This broke the Soviets, it will break many of these worthless Arab despots as well.

6.) If Israel plays it’s cards right, and actually seeks diplomatic approaches that are favorable to them, it can and should be able to not only survive, but thrive. They are the only democratic unified state in region. This is not their weakness, but their strength. They may not be able to impose solutions to or for surrounding failed states, but they can and will be able to outlast them & their troubles. Just one man’s opinions. Cheers, ‘VJ’

Oh and I forgot to mention that the M1 was designed by Browning. That and the Model 8 are both American rifles, duh.

How much Kalashnikov borrowed from the StG44 or MP44 is up for debate. Kalashnikov denies that the AK-47 was based on the German rifle – which itself was preceded by Italian Cei-Rigotti and Russian Fedorov Avtomat designs. In fact, the AK-47 owes more to the M1 Garand Rifle and the Remington Model 8 rifle than any German design.

Uh… “made an improved version of” is somewhat of an oversimplification.