Mikhail Kalashnikov
Mikhail
Kalashnikov, an honored resident of Izhevsk, Russia,
is a small arms designer famous for creating the AK-47 assault rifle.
Improving on his early design, later versions
including the AKM (Automatic Kalashinikov
Modernized) and the AK-74 shared the ingenious
design that has made the Kalashnikov the world's
most popular assault rifle. Thanks to the AK's durability,
low production cost and ease of use, there are an
estimated 100 million Kalashnikov assault rifles in
circulation today. The assault rifle of choice for
many national armies, revolutionaries, terrorists,
criminals and collectors, the AK also has the
distinction of taking more human lives than any
other weapon. When asked if he is proud to
have invented a weapon that has killed millions of
people, Mikhail Kalashnikov says he is. While "it is
painful for me to see when criminal elements of all kinds fire from my weapon...
I created this weapon primarily to safeguard our motherland"
(Reuters 2009).
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Mikhail Kalashnikov Facts
Russian Name: Михаил Калашников Famous for: Designer of the AK-47 Date of Birth: November 10, 1919 Place of Birth: Kurya, USSR Residence: Izhevsk, Russia Awards
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