Inventor of the AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov, Dead at 94

[chunkymonster]

Mikhail Kalashnikov Dead: Inventor Of World's Most Popular Firearm Dies At 94

The inventor of the world's most popular firearm has passed away. Military history and firearms enthusiasts alike can not deny the contribution Kalashnikov made with the AK-47's simplicity, ruggedness, and performance.

Kalashnikov, born into a peasant family in Siberia, began his working life as a railroad clerk. After he joined the Red Army in 1938, he began to show mechanical flair by inventing several modifications for Soviet tanks.

Though it isn’t especially accurate, its ruggedness and simplicity are exemplary: it performs in sandy or wet conditions that jam more sophisticated weapons such as the U.S. M-16.

"During the Vietnam war, American soldiers would throw away their M-16s to grab AK-47s and bullets for it from dead Vietnamese soldiers,” Kalashnikov said in July 2007 at a ceremony marking the rifle’s 60th anniversary.

The weapon’s suitability for jungle and desert fighting made it nearly ideal for the Third World insurgents backed by the Soviet Union, and Moscow not only distributed the AK-47 widely but also licensed its production in some 30 other countries.

 

[musical marv]

Mikhail Kalashnikov Dead: Inventor Of World's Most Popular Firearm Dies At 94

The inventor of the world's most popular firearm has passed away. Military history and firearms enthusiasts alike can not deny the contribution Kalashnikov made with the AK-47's simplicity, ruggedness, and performance.

Kalashnikov, born into a peasant family in Siberia, began his working life as a railroad clerk. After he joined the Red Army in 1938, he began to show mechanical flair by inventing several modifications for Soviet tanks.

Though it isn’t especially accurate, its ruggedness and simplicity are exemplary: it performs in sandy or wet conditions that jam more sophisticated weapons such as the U.S. M-16.

"During the Vietnam war, American soldiers would throw away their M-16s to grab AK-47s and bullets for it from dead Vietnamese soldiers,” Kalashnikov said in July 2007 at a ceremony marking the rifle’s 60th anniversary.

The weapon’s suitability for jungle and desert fighting made it nearly ideal for the Third World insurgents backed by the Soviet Union, and Moscow not only distributed the AK-47 widely but also licensed its production in some 30 other countries.

His name will always be remembered with this famous weapon he introduced and used in many wars.

 

[4Ryan6]

He did design one fine weapon, when M16s would jam from a little dust, you could pick an AK out of the mud and fire it, as long as the barrel was clear of obstructions that is.

A remarkable piece of weaponry!