pt. 1. Origins

The birth of machine guns

Machine guns in action

Hiram Maxim changes war

Slaughter made industrial : the great war

pt. 2. Invention and distribution

Stalin's contest : the invention of the AK-47

The breakout : the mass production, distribution, and early use of the AK-47

pt. 3. Aftermath : the consequences of the AK-47's global spread

The accidental rifle

Everyman's gun

Epilogue

Appendices.