Mikhail Kalashnikov Dies

[mbailey]

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020704579276314199448756

94 years old...not to shabby

[DaveBB]

He was inspired to create the AK-47 after seeing all of his fellow soldiers horribly wounded in a hospital.  He wanted to give them an edge (or at least put them on a level playing field) with the Germans.  Ironically the weapon came too late for the war, and the Germans created a very similar looking weapon, the STG-44.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

He was inspired to create the AK-47 after seeing all of his fellow soldiers horribly wounded in a hospital.  He wanted to give them an edge (or at least put them on a level playing field) with the Germans.  Ironically the weapon came too late for the war, and the Germans created a very similar looking weapon, the STG-44.

The Germans had it in the last battles already. The AK was made post war.

[DaveBB]

That is exactly what I just said.

[Butcher]

That is exactly what I just said.

You have it reversed, the Germans created the STG-44 first, he took ideas from the M-1 Garand and the STG-44 and built his own rifle - after the war I think in late 1946 it got redesigned as the earlier version wasn't very reliable.

I feel bad for the guy, you would think of the millions made he would be rich, I think he lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on barely any money in the past 15 years. Secondly he was haunted because the weapons "ease" of manufacture and sell, terrorist and everyone else uses it. One point he blamed politicians for this and they cut his retirement money, putting much leaving him poor.

[Karnak]

You have it reversed, the Germans created the STG-44 first, he took ideas from the M-1 Garand and the STG-44 and built his own rifle - after the war I think in late 1946 it got redesigned as the earlier version wasn't very reliable.

I feel bad for the guy, you would think of the millions made he would be rich, I think he lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on barely any money in the past 15 years. Secondly he was haunted because the weapons "ease" of manufacture and sell, terrorist and everyone else uses it. One point he blamed politicians for this and they cut his retirement money, putting much leaving him poor.

He didn't feel bad for himself.

[Kenne]

You have it reversed, the Germans created the STG-44 first, he took ideas from the M-1 Garand and the STG-44 and built his own rifle - after the war I think in late 1946 it got redesigned as the earlier version wasn't very reliable.

I feel bad for the guy, you would think of the millions made he would be rich, I think he lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on barely any money in the past 15 years. Secondly he was haunted because the weapons "ease" of manufacture and sell, terrorist and everyone else uses it. One point he blamed politicians for this and they cut his retirement money, putting much leaving him poor.

I believe the Germans were the 'copiests'

The Russians were to first to basically develop all that the Germans had..albeit not literally.

case in point. FG42 which is similar to the BAR..but too heavy and with much recoil..just like the BAR.
after that you have the G43...design very much like the Russian SVT40 ie: full size cartridge and a 10rnd box mag.

but recoil in the SVT and the G43 was TREMENDOUS. and with a full size rifle..kinda unwieldy.

so with the introduction of the 7.92x33 Kurz M43 round in Germany, AND the 7.62x39 M43 in Russia, you
have the basis for development of 'intermediate' weapons to use.

So the Germans took the action from the SVT40 and put it in their MP43..yes people I typed 'MP' 43.

Hitler wasn't interested in nu rifles and anything with 'Gewehr' (means rifle) in it would rouse his ire.
but Adolf's radar was not aroused by MP weapons..so the CO that made the SG44, billed it as a MP (Machine Pistol) in its
development stages.

The Russian engineer, Siminov was hard at work before Kalashnikov and he developed the SKS45 rifle for the nu 7.62x39.
Kalashnikov had nothing but probs with the AK hence its adaption was delayed till 1947.

so Kalashnikov AK was not inspired by the SG.
considering the SVT, StG44 and SKS 'drop bolt', the AKs 'rotating bolt may have borrowed from the M1.

but then, since all 'bolts' rotate in rifles, (M1903, MosinNagant, K98, et al) it would not be a strench to keep that idea in mind
when developing a nu rifle.

[smoe]

The AK also was a leap in stamped metal pieces parts which reduced manufacturing costs.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

If you believe Russian reports they have invented pretty much everything on this planet. They have their own versions of history books and by the looks of it they're dusting off the old Soviet doctrines and history books again after a short venture into western thinking.

[Plawranc]

The problem is Ripley, both US and Russian versions of history are incredibly biased. You just need to look at whats taught in school and the shows the history channel runs to see that.

"History is written by the victors"

It is common for superpowers to alter their own history to subjugate the populace. Ex: Britain said that it was liberating the India's and the America's from savagery. Or another ex: Germany is the center of the world in both culture and racial superiority and all throughout history this has been proven!. And again "When we crush the western capitalist pigs, the proletariat of the west will RISE AND HAIL THEIR LIBERATORS". And now, the phrase "Murica" seems to be more and more apparent.

Anyway, that is a thread Hijack and a completely different topic.

RIP to a truly great man. 

[phatzo]

 

http://www.duffelblog.com/2013/12/mikhail-kalashnikov-dead/

“Comrade Kalashnikov will be buried in a pit of mud with full military honors,” said General-Major Saiga Molot, a spokesman for the Russian army. “After a week, we will exhume his body, clean it off, and put him back to work. We expect that there shall be no issue with his functions.”

Read more: http://www.duffelblog.com/2013/12/mikhail-kalashnikov-dead/#ixzz2oNTdTI3l

[mechanic]

Am I the only one who sees the extreme irony in the creator of the weapon that is responsible for more human death and suffering than any other single weapon in existence lived to such a ripe old age?

[ReVo]

Am I the only one who sees the extreme irony in the creator of the weapon that is responsible for more human death and suffering than any other single weapon in existence lived to such a ripe old age?

If they hadn't used his design, they would have used something else. I see no reason to blame him for what we all do to each other.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Am I the only one who sees the extreme irony in the creator of the weapon that is responsible for more human death and suffering than any other single weapon in existence lived to such a ripe old age?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The inventor of nukes thought he would end all wars in doing so. Instead he just brought global fear and enormous suffering to a few hundred thousand people.

[Butcher]

If they hadn't used his design, they would have used something else. I see no reason to blame him for what we all do to each other.

+1 humans are the cause of so many deaths, we can blame religion or politics but in the end, humans pull the trigger.