Mikhail kalashnikov was born on november 10, 1919, in the village of kurya, altai territory, in a large peasant family. He was an employee of armalitefairchild and was paid a salary. Mikhail kalashnikov is the author of the gun that changed the world 3. Ak47 designer mikhail kalashnikov wrote repentant letter. When the average news consumer reads the word kalashnikov, what is the first thing that comes to mind. The ak47 assault rifle is perhaps the most famous weapon in the world. From an april 7, 2012, letter by mikhail kalashnikov, the designer of the ak47 assault rifle, to patriarch kirill, head of the russian orthodox church. Each man had a reputation for tinkering and each began designing firearms. Eugene stoner and mikhail kalashnikov gun and game the. Mikhail kalashnikov inventor of the ak47 and eugene stoner. Actually, kalashnikov saw combat and was wounded on the eastern front before he designed the original ak47, and stoner served with u.
Russia unveils monument to mikhail kalashnikov, designer. Manufactured by the millions since its creation by mikhail kalashnikov in 1949, it. Moscow on tuesday unveiled a statue of mikhail kalashnikov, inventor of the ak47 assault rifle that became by some estimates the most lethal weapon ever made and the best known russian brand abroad. His role in the development of the m16 was similar to that of mikhail kalashnikov in. Mikhail kalashnikov, inventor of the ak47, died at age 94 monday after a decorated career in the russian military.
Mikhail kalashnikov, the father of the worlds most popular assault rifle, is handed an. When i met eugene stoner, the famous designer of the 16 rifle, and teased him. Mikhail kalashnikovs autobiography is an intriguing look into the life and mind of a selftaught weapons designer who believed in what he did and for whom he did it. Colt really improved revolvers and their manufacture, but stuck with revolvers for the most part. While stoner might be wealthier, kalashnikov will be remembered in history. The colt 1902 military model was a more popular pistol than some folks might expect, and remained in production well after the introduction of the various. In the last years of his life, mikhail kalashnikov, the famous russian weapon designer, anguished over his responsibility for the millions of deaths his inventions caused, his published letter to the head of the russian church reveals. Eugene stoner and mikhail kalashnikov met in washington d. It contains significant autobiographical writing as well. A man uses an angle grinder as he removes a sketch allegedly featuring german stg44 rifle from a fragment of the newly unveiled monument to mikhail kalashnikov, the inventor of the ak47 assault. Eugene morrison stoner november 22, 1922 april 24, 1997 was an american firearms designer who is most associated with the development of the armalite ar15 rifle that was modified by the us military as the m16 rifle. It would only be in 1990, the year before the collapse of the soviet union and the end of the cold war, that their respective creators would meet. The man behind the gun, the eugene stoner stories presented by.
They would spend the next few days talking, sharing stories, shopping, going out to dinner and touring washington d. And so mikhail kalashnikov invented what was to become the worlds most prolific killing machine. Giant monument to kalashnikov, creator of ak47, is. And according to kalashnikov, the rifles users were quick to say so. Kalashnikovs simple, durable and easily maintained gun became the worlds most popular rifle, with more than 100. Both stoner and kalashnikov had design parameters that were dictated by military ordnance boards, just as with any other military weapon. Mikhail kalashnikov, designer of ak47, 191920 financial times. If memory serves, kalashnikov also designed the pk family of lmgs, one of the best ever fielded. Stoner designed airplane components for fairchild, prior to devoting himself to arms design. According to kalashnikov, he was a selftinkerer who combined innate mechanical skills with the study of weaponry to design arms that achieved battlefield. In 1990, under the goodwill of glasnost, mikhail kalashnikov, aging and. Kalashnikov, designer of the ak47, the soviet rifle that has become the worlds most widespread assault weapon, was unveiled on tuesday in. The book is organized chronologically and includes notes about kalashnikovs military service, combat injury, and subsequent involvement in the design and production of the ak47 and other weapons. People who know nothing about guns have heard the name kalashnikov.
This is an amazing biography of kalashnikov and his rifles, written by his daughter. Interview with ak47 rifle inventor mikhail kalashnikov indian. Mikhail kalashnikov was a renowned russian weapons designer, engineer, war hero, and general. They were the standard issue rifles for the armed forces of the usa and ussr. Also in the collection were tapes of eugene stoner, inventor of the m16, the aks rival. Mikhail kalashnikov and his gun had become the stuff of legend. Eugene stoner first met his russian opposite number, the arms designer mikhail kalashnikov, in 1990 at dulles international airport, washington dc. Hillary clinton once hit secret service agent in the head with a bible. Eugene m stoner, who developed m16 assault rifle and other. Over the following years, ezell mailed kalashnikov several books he had.
Kalashnikov inventor haunted by unbearable pain of dead. The rifles were created by archenemies the ak47 by the soviets and the m16 by the americans. Mikhail kalashnikov author of the gun that changed the world. Gary byrne was a uniformed agent stationed right outside the. Reprinted with permission of the national post and fr. Kalashnikov was a tank mechanic, while stoner served in the united states marines corps. Eugene stoner designer of the m16 rifle and mikhail. Weapons are just inanimate objects, the intent of the person wielding is what really matters when were figuring out whose fault is what. Probably less than 5% of gun owners even know who stoner is. In 1930 his family was dispossessed and deported to nizhnaja mokhovaya village, tomsk region. Mikhail kalashnikov biography famous people biographies. He is maist famous for developin the ak47 assault rifle an its impruivements, akm an ak74, as well as the pk machine gun. From start to finish, the life of mikhail kalashnikov is the stuff of soviet peasantbringsgloryto. A news item involving mikhail kalashnikov was featured on wikipedia s main page in the in the news section on 23 december 20.
He met his wife yekaterina at an army testing range near moscow. Mikhail kalashnikov, the inventor of one of the worlds deadliest guns, is honoured with a statue in moscow. Kalashnikov, maker of ak47, looks to rebrand in gorky park in moscow on the victory day holiday, kalashnikov showed off the companys weapons and its new logos. Ak47 creator mikhail kalashnikov wrote of regrets over.
Mikhail kalashnikov, designer of the ak47, and eugene stoner, designer of the ar15, first met at washington dulles airport on may 15, 1990. Eugene stoner first met his russian opposite number, the arms designer mikhail kalashnikov, in 1990 at dulles international airport. Kalashnikov is shown holding his iconic assault rifle, the ak47, which is believed to be worlds mostproduced firearm. The statue, commissioned by the russian military historical society, is thirty feet tall and includes a larger than life mikhail kalashnikov holding his creation, the ak47. Produced in 1919, mikhail kalashnikov grew up in a big peasant family.
Lieutenantgeneral mikhail timofeyevich kalashnikov roushie. From his hospital bed, he began work on an automatic rifle layout. The ak47 was the creation of mikhail kalashnikov 191920, while the ar15 was the brainchild of eugene morrison stoner 19221997. Moscow ap mikhail kalashnikov, whose work as a weapons designer for the soviet union is immortalized in the name of the worlds most popular firearm, died. He was a russian general and also an inventor, military. Kalashnikov statue included a monumental mistake nbc news. Kalashnikov hold the rifles they designed, taken may 1990. Kalashnikov won a weapon layout competition, which resulted in the creation of his ak47 rifle. Kalashnikov, who died last month aged 94, told patriarch kirill he felt responsible for the millions of deaths caused by his revolutionary submachine gun. Mikhail kalashnikov engineering and technology history wiki. Mikhail kalashnikov was known for developing guns such as ak47 assault rifle, ak74 and akm. The ak 47 automatic kalashnikov model 47 was designed by mikhail kalashnikov.
Mikhail timofeevich kalashnikov meets eugene stoner jeans blog. The guys that armed the worlds two greatest super powers are hanging out. Kalashnikov and stoner mikhail kalashnikov, designer of the ak47, and eugene stoner, designer of the ar15, first met at washington dulles airport on may 15, 1990. The biggest things stoner did were the ar and the stoner 63. Picture of two of the most famous rifles in the world, with the designers. His signature invention has been reproduced more than 100 million times since. Read about their stories, how they met, and their legacies.
Today would have been eugene stoner s 95th birthday. That would, of course, be an image of the ak47 one of the worlds most famous combat weapons, used in countless wars and, yes, acts of terrorism. Kalashnikov, maker of ak47, looks to rebrand the new. In 1990, mikhail kalashnikov, during a visit to the united states by the invitation of edward izzel, a weapons historian at the smithsonian institution, met with eugene stoner, the creator of aks main competitor, the m16 assault rifle. The inventor has also published several books and is a member of the. Father timofei alexandrovich kalashnikov 18831930 mother alexandra frolovna kalashnikova 18841957. Lieutenant general mikhail timofeyevich kalashnikov was the man who invented the ak47. Does anyone know if eugene stoner became wealthy before he. Tribute to mikhail kalashnikov and the ak47 duration. Shamed by his parents exile, he was determined to do his bit for the soviet cause.
It was regret that i opened an email today announcing the death of mikhail timonfeyevich kalashnikov on. Mikhail kalashnikov with an l85a1 forgotten weapons. Mikhail kalashnikov meets eugene stoner on this day. The twoway the inventor of the ak47 was memorialized with a 30foottall bronze statue in moscow, but not everyone in russias capital city. Kalashnikov came to the united states by invitation from the smithsonian institution, which was administered by edward ed ezell, author and former curator for the. When i met the mozambique minister of defense, he presented me with his countrys national banner, which carries the image of a kalashnikov submachine gun, kalashnikov said in a 2001 interview. He is known for developing the ak47, the most commonly distributed assault rifle in the world. Mikhail kalashnikov has been listed as a level5 vital article in people, inventors. Mikhail kalashnikov, who designed the assault rifle that has killed more people than any other firearm in the world, died monday at the age of 94 kalashnikov, who was in his 20s when he created the ak47 just after world war ii, died in his home city of izhevsk, near the ural mountains, where his gun is still made, a spokesman for the provinces president said. He is most famous for developing the ak47 assault rifle and its improvements, the akm and ak74, as well as the pk machine gun. Moscow mikhail kalashnikov, the designer of the ak47 assault rifle, reportedly wrote a regretful letter several months before his death.
As his surname would imply, his invention was the kalashnikov assault rifle, the ak47. Some russians fired up over new kalashnikov monument. In plain language, this simple man straightforwardly tells of the adversity he surmounted as a youth to achieve the pinnacle of success as an adult. Eugene stoner, 74, designer of m16 rifle and other arms the. Moscowin a regretful letter penned a few months before his death, mikhail kalashnikov, the designer of the ak47 assault rifle, asked the head of the russian orthodox church if he was to blame. Inventors thoughts although by some estimates there are 100 million ak47style assault rifles in circulation around the world, the guns inventor, mikhail kalashnikov, did not become rich unlike eugene stoner, the inventor of the american m16 assault rifle, who died a. Mikhail kalashnikov, inventor of the ak47, dead at 94.
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