Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, and small arms designer. He’s most famous for developing the AK-47 assault riffle and it’s improvements. He was born on 10 November 1919 in kurya, Russia.
The name AK-47 means, Avtomat (automatic) Kalashnikov, production beginning in ’47 Mikhail Kalashnikov came up with the idea when he was a soldier fighting in world war ii. He was injured in 1941 and sent to hospital to recover. Another soldier in the bed next to him posed a question, to Mikhail; “why do we have one riffle between several soldiers, yet the Germans have automatic riffles”?
Mikhail decided to design one, drawing inspiration from what existed already. He Said later, “before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have an appreciation for everything that already exists in the field.
This weapon changed the face of war fare when it was released. It’s ease of operation in harsh environments, low cost and availability meant that, even in 2004, of the 500 million firearms worldwide,100 million were KALASHNIKOV’S.
Kalashnikov’s invention has gone round the world that, there’s hardly any country’s military that doesn’t make do of Kalashnikov’s AK-47.
Kalashnikov is also responsible for the development of AK-74, and RPK.
He won a couple of awards , including….USSR state prize (1949), Hero of socialist Labour (1958), Stalin prize (1949), hero of Russian federation, order of St. Andrew, and a host of others…..
Kalashnikov died in 2013 at 94 from a brief illness, and he’s survived by 4 children.
