LEGENDARY MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV DIES

I am saddened to learn that Mikhail Kalashnikov, who had designed AK 47 Rifle, has died on 23 Dec 2013 (Mon), aged 94 in Udmurtia Region of Russia. Mikhail was the 17^th child of his parents and was born in a Siberian village on 10 Nov 1919. 

Kalashnikov was a tank driver and during World War II was wounded and hospitalized. He had seen Russian Army suffer heavy losses at the hands of Germans and one of the main reasons for their superiority was the small arms issued to foot soldiers. German soldiers had better weapons. Russian rifles were slow to fire, prone to stoppages, especially in harsh, winter conditions and were less accurate. Lying on his hospital bed while recuperating, Kalashnikov thought and drew a basic design of a rifle. Gradually he built up on that drawing and was convinced that it was a working model, worth producing. By the time he was discharged and he made a prototype of Avtomat Kalashnikov 47 (year 1947), the war was over. But the rifle he made has been the single most successful small arm ever made in the world!  Total number of AK variants made and sold around the world exceeds 100 million – a mind boggling figure. And the production continues not only in Russia but many other countries. He was awarded many coveted awards, the most important being Hero of Russia.

He always maintained that it was never his intention to commercialize his product. Neither did he ever earn from any kind of royalty. He lived a very simple life post retirement and stayed loyal to his roots.
As we all know, AK 47 has been and is being used by scores of armies around the world as well as by terrorists and other militant groups. This remains the most favoured weapon of terrorists. It is an amazing weapon, USSR’s “modest, little gun”. I used it for many years in J & K and Assam and found that it was as smooth as ever in sub zero temperatures and heavy rains and slush in Assam. My AK never stopped, never let me down. Even when it was filled with mud and slush, it fired as effectively as I wanted it to.

AK was originally manufactured at Izhmash Factory in Udmurt Republic in Russia. The largest firearms producer in Russia OJSC Izhmash was founded by the order of the Russian Tzar Alexander I 1807. Almost all types of arms were produced here. Just consider these facts to estimate the size and importance of Izhmash: as many as 11.3 million rifles and carbines were made for the period of the Second World War, which is more than all German firearm plants taken together (10.3 million). Besides, they mastered the mass production of anti tank weapons, aircraft automatic guns, pistols and revolvers. Every day and night Izhmash used to arm one infantry and one airborne division. A soldier would know, it is a colossal work for a day.
 
AK 47 is still adopted in armed and special forces of 106 countries all over the world! The best weapon ever made.

Just imagine, the Izhmash Factory itself has been renamed as “Kalashnikov Concern”.
We salute you, Mikhail. Rest In Peace. You have earned it.