I designed AK-47s to defend USSR - it's not my fault terrorists use them

[Desertdog]

IT WAS the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union that motivated Mikhail Kalashnikov to design the assault rifle that bears his name.

For those who are ticked at Kalashnikov for whatever reason need to study the Nazi invasion of Russia to realize what the nation was facing when the AK-47 was developed. The Nazis had over run most of the nation. The Russians were almost doomed when the AK-47 and the winter weather turned things around.

 

[Marnoot]

The Russians were almost doomed when the AK-47 and the winter weather turned things around.

While I agree with your point about conditions when the AK-47 started being developed, the AK-47 had absolutely nothing to do with turning around the war as it wasn't even finished until 2 years after the war was over.

 

[beerslurpy]

The AK played no part in WWII at all. To be honest it didnt even play a role in Korea or the early parts of Vietnam. It was invented after WWII and only pressed into real significant production during the 50s. Before that the PPSH was the commie weapon du jour. I think the AK only made real worldwide strides during the 70s and 80s.

I personally dont think too much of the AK in terms of a design accomplishment. It was basically a combination of a bunch of preexisting weapons, with extra reliability and cheapness worked into the design. The end result was a good weapon that anyone could afford, which really is the genius of it IMO. Though honestly something like the Sten would have filled the same role just as effectively for even less cost if the AK hadnt been invented.

 

[Art Eatman]

Why would anybody blame Kalshnikov? Why blame Browning? Why blame FoMoCo or GM is one of their cars is used for a getaway vehicle after a bank robbery?

Blaming the inventor of anything for the way it's used or misused is dumber'n dirt...

Art

 

[taz-2005]

I thought the design for the AK came from the German Sturmgewehr 44 which was captured by the Red Army and taken back to to Russia were MK modifed the design.

 

[Dr.Rob]

The Ak has a lot more effective range than a STEN, and a lot more power.

Russian engineering is a thing to behold... it's razor sharp where it needs to be, crude as a rock where it doesn't. It's some of teh purest form follows function engineering ever.

The STG 44 & The AK look similar but internally they are very different.

The 7.92mm Kurz round looks an awful lot like the 7.62x39 though.

Kalashnikov designed several weapons before the AK to fire 7.62 Tok.

 

[default]

True enough about the different internals of the AK and Sturmgewehr 44. The resemblance is really only in concept and physical appearance. However, Hugo Schmeisser, the primary designer of the StG44, was relocated after capture to Izhevsk to work for the Red Army on firearms design. I've sometimes wondered if he had any input to the design of the AK. There appears to be very little hard information about his time in the USSR, but whether that is just general Soviet secretiveness or an attempt to obscure his contributions to Soviet small arms design, whether great or small, I don't know.

As for the reliability of the AK, I believe that can be traced to its bolt overtravel, oversized gas system, and loose clearances (not tolerances) in the various internal mechanisms, all deliberately designed into the AK, by someone who knew that the quality of materials and manufacturing would not be the highest, the training of the users not the best, and conditions under which it was fielded (both environmental and logistic) not the most favorable. A pretty well-engineered firearm, I'd say.

 

[el44vaquero]

I saw a program on the history channel about him and his rifle. Really a good program.

 

[gezzer]

My job as a dealer is to arm the other 9 people.

God made man, Kalashnikov made them equal!!!!

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[offthepaper]

Quote from Koobah:
"As he himself has stated many times, he designed the AK-47 to protect his motherland from aggression, a very honorable goal no matter what country one may hail from"
-------------
Gotta agree with that.
When you get right down to it, the same critisism could be made for the US developing atomic weapons during WWII, along with a host of other US developed refinments of military materials.
I certainly don't think critical of those inventors/ developers of materials or technology that has found it's way into some wacko's hands half a century later.
In MK's instance it was a design born from the need to protect the Homeland. An act of patriotism by a countryman seeing a need. An act of character to see it through. The same charges could easily be made against Stoner or Browning, or hell maybe Sam Colt too.
Whether you agree with the politics or not, the fact is that the AK design did make the country of it's origin more secure by upgrading it's small arms within it's army.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The AK played no part in WWII at all. To be honest it didnt even play a role in Korea or the early parts of Vietnam. It was invented after WWII and only pressed into real significant production during the 50s. Before that the PPSH was the commie weapon du jour. I think the AK only made real worldwide strides during the 70s and 80s.

What do you consider the "early" parts of Vietnam? I was there in 1968, and the NVA and VC had boatloads of AK-47s by then. I have always thought of '68 as being toward the early part -- at least the early part when we had large numbers of troops there, as opposed to the very early 60's when we just had a few advisors placed with ARVN units

 

[Carl N. Brown]

My impression is that the AK47 did not go into wide distributiion until 1952 when the PPSh41 started to be phased out.

I designed AK-47s to defend USSR - it's not my fault terrorists use them.

John T. Thompson said basically the same thing about designing the Tommy Gun for the side of law and order, only to see it identified with bootleggers.

I thought the design for the AK came from the German Sturmgewehr 44 ....

I saw an interview with Mikhail K where someone said that .... DUCK! MK exploded. The only thing in common between the StG44 and the AK47 is 1. Select fire and 2. Intermediate cartridge.
Roy Dunlap in Ordnance Went Up Front wrote that a friend had an StG44 that fell over and was rendered inoperable because the sheet metal bent. That would not happen to an AK.
AK and StG are similar idea, totally different execution, like a VW "Thing" and a Jeep (AK being the jeep).

 

[Mongo the Mutterer]

The AK 47 went into production in ..... 1947! (whoops, my bad... 1949)

The AK 74 went into production in .... Guess...