Fail-safe, simple to use and cheap to
produce – the world’s most popular
weapon, AK-47, will long remain a
monument to its late ‘father,’ Mikhail
Kalashnikov, who died in Russia aged 94 in 2013.
1. Mikhail Kalashnikov,
who was a tank
commander during World
War II, began his career
as a weapons designer
after a shoulder injury during the Battle of
Bryansk. While in hospital in 1942, he
overheard wounded soldiers complaining
about Soviet rifles and decided to change
that.
2. The first Kalashnikov
rifle was produced in
1947, bringing its
creator the Stalin Prize
and the Order of the
Red Star. The AK-47 has
been the standard
issue assault rifle of the
Soviet and then Russian
army since 1949.
3. Durability, low
production cost, availability and ease of
use are the features, which assured AK-47
global success. Kalashnikov’s creation
performs in sandy or wet conditions that
jam more sophisticated weapons. The
designer called it a “symbol of the creative
genius” of the Russian people.
4. The AK-47 has made it into the Guinness
Book of Records as the most widely spread
weapon in the world, with 100 million
Kalashnikov rifles currently in use.
5. Military and special forces in 106
countries around the globe from
Afghanistan to Zimbabwe are now armed
with AK-47s.
6. Russia not only distributes the
Kalashnikov rifles all over the world, but
also licensed its production in over 30
other countries, including China, Israel,
India, Egypt and Nigeria.
7. It is believed that AK-47s have caused
more deaths than artillery fire, airstrikes
and rocket attacks combined. An estimated
quarter of a million people are gunned
down by bullets from Kalashnikovs every
year.
8. But Mikhail Kalashnikov himself never
experienced self-reproach about the blood
spilled with the help of his invention as he
created AK-47 for protection. “I sleep well.
It’s the politicians, who are to blame for
failing to come to an agreement and
resorting to violence,” he said in 2007.
9. Relative cheapness has always been one
of the most important advantages of
AK-47. The average global price of the
assault rifle was estimated at $534 in
2005, according to Oxford University
economist Phillip Killicoat. Though in
African countries the price of AK-47 is on
average $200 cheaper.
10. Osama bin Laden always had a
Kalashnikov rifle with him during his video
appearances. According to some reports, it
was the US, which gave the Al Qaeda
founder his first AK-47 to fight the Soviets
in Afghanistan.
11. During the
Vietnam War, many
American soldiers
gave up their M16s
for the more reliable
Kalashnikov rifles,
which they picked up
from dead enemies.
Even now, the US
marines carry AK-47
magazines with them
because of how
common the weapon is.
12. The image of AK-47 appears on the flag
of Mozambique as well as coats of arms of
Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso (1984-97) and
East Timor. The Kalashnikov rifle is also
present on the flag of Lebanese militant
organization, Hezbollah.
13. The parents in some African states
name their babies ‘Kalash,’ which is
another nickname for the Kalashnikov
assault rifle, according to a documentary
by Russia’s Channel One.
14. Russia’s top basketball player, Andrey
Kirilenko, born in the city of Izhevsk, which
hosts the Kalashnikov rifle factory, has
played under No.47 in the NBA and was
nicknamed ‘AK-47.’
15. Egypt has immortalized the AK-47 by
erecting a giant monument, portraying a
barrel and bayonet of a Kalashnikov rifle at
the Sinai Peninsula.
16. A gold coated Kalashnikov assault rifle
was recovered by US troops from the
weapon collection of former Iraqi leader,
Saddam Hussein.
17. Coins dedicated to Mikhail Kalashnikov
and his creation were issued not only in
Russia, but also in such a peaceful place as
New Zealand, which marked the rifle’s 60th
birthday with special two-dollar pieces.
They came in cases shaped after the AK-47
magazine.
18. French newspaper, Liberation, has
named AK-47 the most important
invention of the XX century, with the
Russian rifle leaving the atomic bomb and
space flight behind.
19. Mixing vodka, absinth, lemon,
cinnamon and sugar is the recipe for the
Kalashnikov shot drink. There’s also a
Kalashnikov vodka brand, which has been
sold in bottles resembling the shape of an
AK-47 since 2004.
20. Colombian artist, Cesar Lopez, has
transformed a dozen of AK-47s into
guitars, with then UN General Secretary,
Kofi Annan, getting one of the musical
instruments as a gift in 2007.
#RIP Mikhail Kalashnikov...


https://www.rt.com/news/kalashnikov-rifle-ak47-facts-691/

Hmm

That's not an A. K beside ur picture of saddam hussein. It's a semi-automatic mini uzi.

slayer of all things living

and some peeps will be insulting our security agencies for using ak47

most if not all terrorists groups use ak47

Ok