• SUBSCRIBE
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
ENTER TO WIN: FREE GUN FRIDAY ft. Browning, Caldwell & Black Hills!

The AK Architect: Mikhail Kalashnikov

ShareTweetPin
Mikhail Tomofeyevich Kalashnikov Mikhail Kalashnikov lead

Mikhail Tomofeyevich Kalashnikov was easily one of the most influential small arms designers in history, and his loss was felt around the world.

Maxim PopenkerbyMaxim Popenker
March 5, 2015
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Mikhail Tomofeyevich Kalashnikov was easily one of the most influential small arms designers in history, and his loss was felt around the world.
Mikhail Kalashnikov tank
Kalashnikov’s signature creation, the AK, spawned an entire family of Soviet small arms that served during the Cold War and beyond.

I was born in the Soviet Union in 1973, a year before the adoption of the AK-74. I cannot remember when or where I first heard the name Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov, but by age 14 I was already quite familiar with his most famous creation, the “Avtomat Kalashnikova,” (AK for short) courtesy of the Soviet Union’s education system.

  • RELATED: Birth of the AK: A History of the Avtomat Kalashnikova
  • RELATED: AK Upgrades: 14 Top Optics, Sights & Lasers

When I heard of his unfortunate passing at age 94 on December 23, 2013, I began to reflect upon the influence both he and his signature weapon have had on the world.

During Soviet times, every schoolboy in 9th or 10th (final) grade in high school had to attend mandatory “beginners military training” lessons two hours a week. These lessons included basics of military insignia and uniforms, regulations, marching drills, small unit tactics and, last but not least, small arms training with a standard military rifle.

I still can remember the heft of the well-worn, demilled “training” AK that was used during our lessons to explain the function and use of the gun, as well as its disassembly, reassembly and, finally, shooting positions. Like every other boy in my grade, I first shot an AKM in 1988 (during my 9th grade) and an AK-74 the next year. For the skinny, 120-pound schoolboy that I was at the time, I found the AKM’s 7.62mm recoil almost punishing (especially when firing in a prone position). The AK-74 was almost a pleasure to fire when compared to its predecessor. It was even more pleasing to see perforated bullseyes on a standard military “chest target,” which were much easier to achieve with 5.45mm AK-74.

By this time I already had an interest in firearms, but my knowledge about Mikhail Kalashnikov was limited to his name and the designation of the famous weapons that bear his name—AK rifles, RPK squad automatics and PK universal machine guns. Only much later did I learn about the life and works of this unique man, who eventually achieved fame and a kind of cult of personality well beyond any other Soviet small arms designer.

Was this fame and reputation deserved? Undeniably. Despite the fact that most of the weapons that bear Kalashnikov’s name were synergetic products of many different people and organizations, it was Mikhail Timofeyevich who was the intellect and the driving force behind these creations. According to Soviet practice, some design bureaus and their products were allowed to bear the name of their first (founding) chief designers, and some not. For example, all aviation design bureaus were named after their founding fathers (Tupolev, Antonov, Sukhoi, Mikoyan and Gurevich, etc.), but automotive and tank design bureaus, for example, usually had some generic, non-descriptive names. General issue small arms followed the aviation pattern, however, in being named after their chief designer or designers. And despite the fact that the AK rifle is infinitely simpler and cheaper than Tupolev’s strategic bomber or Sukhoi’s supersonic interceptor, it ultimately played a more important role than those big, sleek and super-expensive jets.

Soviet Icon

The AK became the weapon of the people; first of the people of the Soviet Union, and later from the Soviet perspective of almost any people who fought for freedom and independence. Of course, sooner or later, AKs fell into the wrong hands or became weapons of oppression (like in Hungary in 1956). Nonetheless, it soon became the most popular and widespread weapon for use around the world.

So, what was the role of the Mikhail Kalashnikov in the grand scheme of things? Kalashnikov became a symbol of a self-made man in the collectivistic Soviet Union, one rising from the status of a humble sergeant with a backcountry peasant background to a rank of lieutenant general, doctor of sciences and an honorable member of many organizations and societies. He had drive and engineering talent, and he learned on the go. He always strived to find perfection in simplicity, to incorporate the best ideas and to produce the most reliable weapons possible under existing circumstances. In a way, he also was an ideal Soviet citizen—hardworking, humble and forgiving of the state for the hardships it placed on its citizens through mistakes or bad policies.

Finally, Kalashnikov was responsible for some of the most successful weapon designs of the 20th century.All Kalashnikov creations are simple, robust and, most important of all, work anywhere, everywhere and every time. His most famous design, the AK, is as iconic as a gun can be, but his other designs were no less successful.

For example, Kalashnikov’s PK machine gun is one of the lightest and most reliable weapons in its class, despite serious limitations that come from the obsolete, rimmed 7.62x54R round. In terms of simplicity and reliability, in my opinion it beat American designs such as the M60 universal and M73 tank machine guns. It is a rarely known fact that during the 1970s, the U.S. Army studied the Kalashnikov PKT tank machine gun as an inspiration for a possible replacement for the ill-fated M73 tank machine gun of U.S. design. In a report dated 1975, experts from the Rock Island Arsenal concluded that the “PKT machine gun is essentially a rugged, reliable weapon” and that it can be used as a basis for an improved U.S.-made tank machine gun.

In another report, dated 1974 and issued by the U.S Army Foreign Science And Technology Center, the Kalashnikov PKM machine gun was described as “fundamentally reliable, easily maintained and dependable under adverse environmental conditions,” and “accuracy of the PKM machine gun is consistent with that of most contemporary automatic weapons of its class.” This is a very high praise from people who could hardly be described as fans of anything Soviet, and the same basic description can be applied to most military small arms that bear Kalashnikov’s name.

Shaping The Future

The genius of Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was in seeing the exact balance of existing ideas, parts and technologies that would produce the necessary result with a minimum of parts. His main motto, reflected in the title of his last memoir, was “Everything necessary is simple” (the full version of this phrase, which he often shared, was “Everything complicated is unnecessary, everything necessary is simple.”). He set the mark for following generations of small arms designers in terms of simplicity, reliability and in the effectiveness of his weapons. His influence will be felt well beyond his years here on earth. Rest in peace, Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov.         

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

bond arms, bond arms derringer, bond arms derringers, Bond Arms snake slayer

10 of the Best Backcountry Pocket Pistols for Hunting, Self-Defense

13 Best Snub-Nose Revolvers for Concealed Carry [2023]

13 Best Snub-Nose Revolvers for Concealed Carry [2023]

300 Blackout vs 308, rifles, ammunition

300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s?

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

TRENDING

Galco KingTuk for Springfield XD-S

Galco KingTuk for Springfield XD-S Holster Review

DIY Silicon Carbide Coating Grip Step 5

8 Steps For DIY Silicon Carbide Coating Your Grip

Austin Proulx, wilson combat, bill wilson, Austin Proulx pro shooter, Austin Proulx idpa, idpa

Austin Proulx Interviews Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat

Daniel Defense SSP review lead

Daniel Defense SSP 5.56mm Rifle | Gun Review

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle in American Sniper.

Reel Shooters: The Best Movie Snipers & a Few of the Worst

Fans of action and war movies would be forgiven for thinking that trained snipers carry their rifles disassembled in an...

RELATED POSTS

The Swampfox Warhorse 1-6x FFP LPVO.

The Swampfox Warhorse 1-6x FFP LPVO Riflescope

...

The September/October 2023 Issue of Tactical Life Magazine.

Tactical Life September/October 2023: Tactical Reload

...

The limited edition RISE Armament Topo Watchman rifle.

UPDATED: New RISE Armament Topo Watchman Limited-Edition

...

Load More

TRENDING

MeoTac 3-12x50 RD riflescope

MeoTac 3-12×50 RD: Meopta’s Newest Tactical Riflescope

Meopta's 34mm MeoTac 3-12x50 RD will meet the needs of armed forces, security details and tactical shooters.

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

The home defense revolver just got swole. The new Taurus Judge Home Defender brings a beefed up new version...

10 .22 Pocket Pistols for Last-Ditch Self-Defense.

Best .22 Pistols for Self-Defense [2023]

When it comes to concealed carry, the clear defensive options are typically .380 ACP, 9mm, .45 ACP, 10mm, etc. However,...

13 Best Snub-Nose Revolvers for Concealed Carry [2023]

13 Best Snub-Nose Revolvers for Concealed Carry [2023]

Compact, ultra-reliable and ever-ready for close-range self-defense!

MOST POPULAR

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

A thick veil of fog stood forever in front of me as I cruised down the highway at 6:30 in...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Law enforcement in the United States is in constant evolution and that includes various police sidearms. These days, law enforcement...

U.S. Secret Service adopts Glock G47

FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol

Tuesday afternoon we broke news that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected three Glock 9mm pistols as its new standard...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

VIDEO SERIES: AT THE READY | SEASON 2

MORE VIDEOS

The Streamlight SpeedLocker.

The Streamlight SpeedLocker Portable Locking Storage Container

The Swampfox Warhorse 1-6x FFP LPVO.

The Swampfox Warhorse 1-6x FFP LPVO Riflescope

HANDGUNS

The SK Customs Morelos.

SK Customs Morelos 1911 Heralds Generalissimo Jose Morelos

The Tisas Model 1911A1 Aviator

Tisas 1911A1 Aviator: Bringing Back the ‘Feel’ of the Original

The Sig Sauer P226 Zev.

The Sig Sauer P226 Zev Reviewed: Is It the Best P226 Ever?

The Girsan High Power Negotiator.

The Girsan Negotiator Series Gets a High Power Addition in 9mm

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

holster, holsters, full-size pistol, full-size handgun, handgun, handguns, pistol, pistols

Practical Concealed Carry: How to Carry A Full-Size Pistol

RIFLES - click to see all

The limited edition RISE Armament Topo Watchman rifle.

UPDATED: New RISE Armament Topo Watchman Limited-Edition

The MDC “Trench Art” Classic AK-47 Rifle.

MDC “Trench Art” Classic AK-47 is Back with Limited Availability

Davidson's Ruger American Predator

Ready to Pounce: Ruger American Predator From Davidson’s

The Exclusive HKMR762A1 from Davidson's.

Davidson’s HK MR762A1 in 7.62mm Brings Exclusive Battle Rifle

AMMO - click to see all

Ammo Storage, Survival Ammo, long term ammo storage, Prepper

Best Methods for Long-Term Ammo Storage

6 .410 Ammo Options for Home and Personal Defense.

.410 Ammo for Home Defense [2023]

.44 Magnum dirty harry

Your Guide to the .44 Magnum Cartridge

The Escort PS Youth 20-gauge shotgun.

The Escort PS Youth Shotgun is Now Available in .410 Bore

The 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event.

Rendezvous Roundup: Guns & Gear at Athlon’s Signature Event

fbi ammo testing protocol

Understanding FBI Ammo Testing Standards

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .