Mikhail Kalashnikov - AK47 assault rifle designer Kalashnikov dies at 94

[The Basket]

Honour guard at his funeral had SKS.
He served his nation. Fought in war. A soldier who designed a weapon for soldiers.

 

[derek45]

The story is.... Kalashnikov was a wounded T-34 tanker tinkered and designed the AK-47 while on convalescent leave.




Successful German Arms designer Hugo Schmeisser was captured and forced to work on Kalashnikov's design team

Schmeisser designed the Stg-44, which has a different bolt locking design, but is very similar to the AK-47 concept

Some say this is because Kalashnikov encountered Stg-44's on the battlefield, but I wonder how much of the design work was actually done by Hugo Schmeisser.

If Schmeisser designed it, I can imagine the Soviets creating this wonderful patriotic story of a wounded tanker designing it for his country.

Propaganda ???

Here is the Stg-44
It uses an intermediate cartridge, smaller than the K98 rifle but larger than the 9mm subguns
30 round magazine and select fire

The worlds first successful Assault Rifle....