| Everybody knows about the AK-47, but not | | | | Kalashnikov didn’t stop with the AK-47; he |
| much about its technical information or the man | | | | became General Designer of small arms for the |
| behind it. I’ll start off talking about the man; | | | | Soviet Army, and developed several other |
| Mikhail Kalashnikov (born November 10, 1919). | | | | machine guns, which were used but never |
| Kalashnikov should be a familiar name, because | | | | became as famous as the AK-47. Despite his |
| the AK-47 is sometimes referred to it as that. | | | | success, he has lived in the same place since |
| Anyways, Kalashnikov was born to a poor | | | | 1949, and has pursued other interests. For |
| peasant family in a small village located in Altai | | | | example, he has his own brand of vodka, which is |
| Krai, a part of Russia. He was an engineer for a | | | | sold worldwide. |
| train depot for awhile, and that is where he picked | | | | What Kalashnikov is somewhat upset about is the |
| up his knowledge of mechanics. After being | | | | widespread use of his weapon by terrorists. |
| drafted and serving in the Red Army for three | | | | Because of their durability yet high power, they |
| years, he was sent home because he was badly | | | | are terrorists’ weapon of choice, and have |
| wounded. As he recovered in the hospital, he | | | | been used to kill hundreds of innocent people. |
| started working on gun designs, and after he | | | | However, he does not regret making the weapon, |
| healed he went to work for a Russian Institute. | | | | as he feels that the positive effects it has had |
| There, he designed many innovations for tanks, | | | | outweigh the negative. Ironically, he has become |
| and his accomplishments earned him a promotion | | | | deaf from firing the AK-47 so many times, and |
| and more resources. He made use of those | | | | even more ironic, he does not get any money |
| resources to design his most famous creation, the | | | | from the huge sales of the weapon. Kalashnikov |
| “Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947″ | | | | survives on the money he made years ago and a |
| (English translation). Two years later, the weapon | | | | small state pension paid to him periodically. |
| was already implemented into the Red Army. | | | | |