Mikhail Kalashnikov has passed away...
 

Kalashnikov's passing
 

One genius of a tank mechanic! KW

Was he the father of the STG44 or the guy who copied it?

Here a good history of the man. He outlived all their leaders...http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/wo...e-94.html?_r=0 Thank You John~

He was the father of the AK-47, which he says he was 'inspired by' the STG-44... :)

Rip
 

From one Tanker to another; Rest in Peace, Mikhail. You were a hero to your country in a time of need.

Gunny John

I was also a tanker. Kalishnikov's rifle has put and continues to put a lot of American soldiers in their graves. F---k him!

Curiously, is STG44's structure as simple as AK47? Never had a chance to look inside a STG44...

Former 19K here too. Like George Luger, his weapon will live for ever in infamy.

Hi,

Being of German design, I would doubt it. The Germans have a saying about Russian machines..."It's all one part!!!"...

Sieger

The MP44's bolt body/head and the gas piston are two seperate components, while the AK's bolt body/gas piston are one unit. Only the bolt head can be removed from the assembly.

The return spring is also not captured, but retained via the buttstock on the MP44, while the AK has the entire return spring within its receiver.

The first production AKs had a machined receiver, (although the truly first examples where stamped, just like the MP44) versus the MP44s stamped components.

Although Kalashnikov always denied a direct influence, (and would get upset when folks implied it), anybody with any brains can see a direct influence from one design to the other.

Yes. And so did/do Springfields, Garands, Colts, M1 carbines, M-14s, M-16s, M-4s, etc.

I feel strangely sad responding to your post, George. You're absolutely right...and I, like you, knew some of those soldiers/Marines; and yet, Kalishnikov was a patriot who deeply loved his country just as we do ours. And that's how I'm judging him.

To feel otherwise is to deny the honor of patriotism in others, or else then we will have to paint Eli Remington, Samuel Colt, Horace B. Smith, Daniel Wesson, Oliver Winchester, Paul Mauser, George Luger, John Garand, "Carbine" Williams, Eugine Stoner, etc. (You get the idea) with the same brush.

Or maybe there's another agenda in your response that I'm too...fill in the blank...to understand.


Anyway, Merry Christmas to all, and someday, God willing (are you listening, Lord?) may we please have World Peace.

Gunny John

While I still feel that the true designer behind the AK 47 was probably Hugo Schmeisser. It was Kalashnikov who put it all together. We cannot fault the man for trying to give his own country the best rifle possible.

One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrrorist.
dju

amen

Read an article today in the local paper, that claims that the AK47 was responsible for more deaths than any other rifle.
In Africa this was the available weapon for the "terrorists / freedom fighters" Surely the weapon could fire under severe situations and was usually severely neglected and misused. Some of the captured weapons was damaged to the extend that one could not believe it could still fire.
With the South African Defence Force using the R1 (FN 7.62mm) in the savannah bushveld where shots of 80 to 150 meters were possible, one did feel much more comfortable with the heavy but accurate R1. Small trees or bushes were no threat for the heavy bullet just ripped through it.

Piet, I feel allot safer with yours!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_FAL ~~Eric