Mikhail Kalashnikov
Mikhail Kalashnikov is best known as the inventor of the AK-47 assault rifle, a weapon used by armies and police forces throughout the world as well as by countless criminals and terrorists. This weapon of war has been responsible for deaths of untold legions. Yet Kalashnikov himself has always maintained a strong sense of remorse at the role his invention plays in the world.
With a design of simplicity and efficiency, the AK-47 was meant to provide the military and police forces a lighter, more efficient weapon. With the ability to fire thirty rounds per minute for up to four hundred meters, the AK-47 went on to become the world’s most popular weapon, and is still in use today. Visible everywhere from Chechnya and Somalia, to Myanmar and Afghanistan, the AK-47 has become a symbol of violence and conflict throughout the world.
Mikhail Kalashnikov’s life story is remarkably different from what one might expect from the creator of such a devastating machine. Born in a small village in Siberia, he had dreams of a career in aviation. But his plans came to a sudden halt when he was conscripted into the Red Army during World War 2. Hence began the early influences of weapons making on Kalashnikov’s career.
While housed in a medical facility during the war, he began tinkering with weapons, and in 1947 his final design was adopted by the Soviet Union as the Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947, or simply AK-47. This began a long career devoted to creating firearms and other weapons, lasting until his death in 2013.
When asked about his greatest fear in life, Kalashnikov said he feared people using his invention for the wrong reasons and that it would be used more for crime than for the defense of his native country.
Indeed, there have been numerous incidents throughout the world where his invention has been used for criminal activity, such as in the recent London riots of 2011. Also, at least 65% of the arms used in conflicts around the world are Kalashnikovs, which have caused countless civilian casualties as well.
Despite this, Kalashnikov himself remained proud of his invention and spent the last years of his life teaching others about firearms and weapons design. He wrote numerous books about the AK-47, and even penned an autobiography, “The Machine Gunner”.
In one of his last statements in life, he said “I invented a weapon to defend my country, but it is being used by terrorists and dictators to kill innocent people. This makes me sad.” Such regret and sadness over his invention, coupled with his large humanitarian efforts, largely make up Kalashnikov’s legacy.
Today, the name Kalashnikov is all but synonymous with the assault rifle bearing his name. It is a sign of the times that such a devastating weapon of war can be both lauded and resented at the same time. Mikhail Kalashnikov’s inventions of the AK-47, and the many firearms he designed afterwards, will remain an enduring part of the story of firearms throughout history.
