6 th July1947: The AK-47, one of the world’s first operational assault rifles and probably the most durable and enduring small-arms weapons ever made, goes into production in the Soviet Union. More than 60 years later, it remains the standard infantry weapon in numerous armies, and a mainstay in the arsenals of rebels, drug traffickers and terrorists worldwide The AK-47 was the brainchild of self-taught inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, the son of peasants. He was inspired to become a weapons maker during World War II, after listening to wounded Russian soldiers complaining about the poor quality of Soviet-made small arms. Kalashnikov’s career as a weapons designer began in 1941, after he was wounded during the Red Army’s crushing defeat at the Battle of Bryansk.
The AK-47 was the culmination of an evolutionary process and represents the crowning achievement of Kalashnikov’s distinguished career, which has seen him twice named a Hero of Socialist Labor, among a slew of other honors. The Red Army adopted the AK-47 as its standard infantry weapon in 1949.
Characteristic of all assault rifles, a selector level allows the shooter to choose between automatic (continuous firing) and semi-automatic (single-shot firing). The weapon is gas-operated, chambering a 7.62mm round. Like the aforementioned T-34 tank, the genius of the AK-47 lies in its sheer simplicity, which makes it cheap to manufacture, reliable to use, and durable in the field.
. Kalashnikov, now 92, has expressed regret that his AK-47 has become the weapon of choice in the terrorist world, but he suffers no pangs of guilt. “If someone asks me how I can sleep at night knowing that my arms have killed millions of people, I respond that I have no problem sleeping,” he said. “My conscience is clean. I constructed arms to defend my country.”
The AK-47 was the culmination of an evolutionary process and represents the crowning achievement of Kalashnikov’s distinguished career, which has seen him twice named a Hero of Socialist Labor, among a slew of other honors. The Red Army adopted the AK-47 as its standard infantry weapon in 1949.
Characteristic of all assault rifles, a selector level allows the shooter to choose between automatic (continuous firing) and semi-automatic (single-shot firing). The weapon is gas-operated, chambering a 7.62mm round. Like the aforementioned T-34 tank, the genius of the AK-47 lies in its sheer simplicity, which makes it cheap to manufacture, reliable to use, and durable in the field.
. Kalashnikov, now 92, has expressed regret that his AK-47 has become the weapon of choice in the terrorist world, but he suffers no pangs of guilt. “If someone asks me how I can sleep at night knowing that my arms have killed millions of people, I respond that I have no problem sleeping,” he said. “My conscience is clean. I constructed arms to defend my country.”
