AK-47 inventor pleads for more gun control

BERLIN, June 28 (UPI) -- AK-47 inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov is calling for strict international regulation of the small arms trade.

"Because of the lack of international control over arms sales, small arms easily find their way to anywhere in the world to be used not only for national defense but by aggressors, terrorists and all kinds of criminals," Kalashnikov said in a report published by the Control Arms Campaign.

Deutsche Welle said arms control campaigners call the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle "the world's favorite killing machine."

A report published by the Control Arms Campaign on Monday said up to 100 million AK-47s and variations of its design are in circulation around the world.

The report said the AK-47, which can fire 600 rounds per minute, can be bought for as little as $30 in parts of Africa.

The Control Arms Campaign -- a joint initiative by Amnesty International, Oxfam International and the International Action Network on Small Arms -- urges governments to adopt tough global standards on transfers of small arms and light weapons, control license production and secure existing stockpiles, the report said.