Mikhail Kalashnikov

Mikhail Kalashnikov

Biography

Mikhail Kalashnikov was a renowned Russian weapons designer, engineer, war hero, and general. He is historically known for developing the AK-47, the most commonly distributed assault rifle in the world. According to Kalashnikov, he was a self-tinkerer who combined innate mechanical skills with the study of weaponry to design arms that achieved battlefield ubiquity. Though Kalashnikov felt guilty later in life for observing how his AK-47 would be used for aggression rather then defense, his weapon became a staple of the Russian military, and he himself became a national figure.

Kalashnikov was born November 10th, 1919 in Kurya, Russia. His family was a group of peasant that belonged to the Kulak class, which inevitably led to their deportation by the Stalin regime in 1930. During the process his family lost all their property, and were forced to move to a village where his father often went hunting. Thus, even from an early age Kalashnikov was familiar with weapons, as he observed and participated in his father's sport. However, at the age of six Kalashnikov fell seriously ill, almost to the point of death. He was able to recover though, and after recovering he attended school with the intent on studying writing and poetry.

Upon finishing the 9th grade in 1936, with his father's permission, Kalashnikov went to work as a technical clerk in a political department of the 3rd branch of the Turkestan-Siberian Railroad. However, this did not last long; due to the rising war efforts, in 1938 Kalashnikov was called upon for military service. He served in the Kiev Special Military District, Tank Division, where he completed tank drivers training to serve as a tank commander. His Division was soon to be deployed in Striy town.

While serving the military, Kalashnikov designed a tank gun shots counter and the running time meter for tank engines. The devices demonstrated stable and accurate performance; the higher Commanders noticed and were impressed, eventually deciding to start a series of productions. Eventually he went on into battle as a tank commander on the T-34s of the 24th Tank Regiment, the 108th Tank Division stationed in Stryi before the regiment retreated after the Battle of Brody in June 1941. He was wounded in combat in 1941 at the battle of Bryansk in October of 1941 and remained hospitalized until April of 1942.

During this time at the hospital, he noticed thru various conversations with fellow soldiers that they were displeased with the personal sub machine guns they were using in combat. Thus, Kalashnikov developed the idea of creating a new rifle for the military. While staying in the hospital he developed an early design for a sub machine rifle. It was initially rejected, but got the attention of higher ranked military officials that saw him as a talented designer.

Thus, from 1942 and onward Kalashnikov was assigned to the Central Scientific-development Firing Range for Rifle Firearms as the Chief Artillery Directorate of the Red Army. Following his promotion into the position, in 1944 he went on to design a gas-operated carbine for the new 7.62x39 mm cartridge to compete in a machine-gun design competition; the weapon went on to influence the M1 Garand rifle, but lost out to the new Simonov carbine which would eventually be adopted as the SKS. His winning entry in another category, named the "Mikhtim", became the precursor for the development of a family of prototype rifles. The process accumulated in 1947, when he designed the AK-47 from components of his previous works.

After winning the competition, the AK-47 was recommended to the Soviet Army as a possible addition to the military's arsenal. In 1948, a designer was sent to Izhevskiy Motozavod, a plant that was designed to produce a pilot batch of guns for military testing. In September of 1949 the AK-47 went into a series of productions, officially becoming the standard rifle in the Soviet Military.

Over the course of his career in developing the AK-47, Kalashnikov went on to evolve the basic design of the rifle into a weapons family. He improved the AK-47's design with the release of the AKM in 1963, a lighter and cheaper to manufacture model owing to the use of a stamped steel receiver. He also developed the general-purpose PK machine gun, using a belt-fed cartridge and intended to provide heavy sustained fire from a tripod mount. The common characteristics of all these weapons were their simple design, ruggedness, and ease of maintenance.

Today, the AK-47 remains one of Russia's most iconic weapons, and is made in Russia by its licensees abroad. Roughly 100 million AK-47's have been produced since the weapons release; its reliability a favorite with armed groups that vary in purpose. Kalashnikov later expressed regret over how his weapon was being used, stating that "It is painful for me to see when criminal elements of all kinds fire form my weapon." Due to a health crisis in late 2013, he passed away on the 23rd of December at the age of 93. Before his death however, he was noted for being heavily religious due to his regrets. In further expressions, he had contacted a Father at a Russian Orthodox Church claiming he was feeling guilty that his invention led to the deaths of many. The Father reassured him that his invention was for the defense of his country, and the blame should lie on those who abuse the power.

Regardless of his guilt, it is undeniable to say that the AK-47 was and still is a remarkable feet of engineering. It serves as a staple of modern day combat; its use practical and effective even in today's military. Though the development of the AK has supported multiple criminal organization, his weapon did effectively add to the strengthening of Russia and the Soviet Union. In his accomplishments and success as an engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov will continue to serve as a icon of Russian nationalism and ingenuity.