AK-47 inventor: I don't lose sleep

AP ^ | June 6th, 2007 | By MANSUR MIROVALEV, Associated Press Writer

[Nucluside]

It does make a distinct “Clack”, but that is not near as detectable if the shooter places a left hand over the safety lever while disengaging it. I taught that trick to my youngest son while on a turkey hunt. He cocked the hammer on a single shot shotgun and the turkey alerted immediately.

[Nucluside]

No battle for me. I’ve used both extensively and the arguments have been made well in today’s thread. If it’s point and shoot, give me the AK; if aim and shoot, the ‘16.

[El Gato]

Kalashnikov, frail but sharp at age 87. "I always wanted to construct agriculture machinery."

Too bad he didn't. The Soviets might have been able to feed their own people.

A heck of designer though.

[El Gato]

7.62x39mm originally. There are newer AK variants that use 5.45x39mm.

Yep. M. Kalashnikov never approved of the switch in calibers. He was probably correct.

[ozzymandus]

Why should he lose sleep? He just copied a successful German design.

[ozzymandus]

The Sturmgewehr design dates from the 30’s, and the first prototypes were field tested in 1942. The gun was issued under the names Mkb 42, MP43, MP44, StG44, and Stg45. The Garand also dates from the 30’s. Read a book.

[Buffalo Head]

If you want to be very precise, the nominal bullet diameter is 0,224 inches, not 0.223 inches, irrespective of the commercial designation.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Should John C Garand or John Browning have lost sleep over inventing very fine weapons that have been used for good and bad? A gun is just a tool. The evil is in the heart of the person who weilds it.

[Travis McGee]

That’s about it. Past 200 yards, an AR will eat an AK’s lunch all day long.

[Charles Martel]

I’m no expert but they were sending Brits Lend Lease M-1 Garands starting in 1941. About 38,000 were delievered in 41-42. I don’t think it is a far stretch to assume that the Brits sent a few over for the gunsmiths of the Soviet Union to look at via the Murmansk run.

archy, you know Garand lore. Didn't one or two see action in Finland prior to the lend-lease deliveries?

[Cuttnhorse]

One of my favorite Clint Eastwood movies...LOL!!

[blackbart.223]

"Nope not from me John Browning was the Jedi master of firearms."

The 1911 A1 is perhaps the best self defense sidearm ever made. And the 50. caliber heavy machine gun in all it's forms are still in use today.

No one can beat that reputation.

[Hoodat]

AK-47. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively got to kill every m*****f***** in the room, accept no substitutes.

[blackbart.223]

"AK-47. The very best there is."

According to whom?

[Ciexyz]

Most interesting.

[mamelukesabre]

I had a weird dream once that I convinced an arms manufacturer to build a modified version of the AK in 30 carbine and supply it to villagers in africa. This version had no buttstock and no forestock, no sights and a very very short barrel. It was full auto only, lacked a safety or a dust cover on top or the top heat shield over the gas tube. Cycling rate was very fast, like an american 180. It sounded like a chain saw when firing. The magazines somewhat resembled grease gun mags, except sized for 30 carbine rounds of course and were longer for greater capacity. The magazine doubled as a forward pistol grip for the left hand. In my dream I went to africa to try to sell it and discovered it shot horribly, but it sold well anyway because people liked the sound it made. The company lost money on every one it sold and went bankrupt and I came home penniless. But there was suddenly a huge demand for 30 carbine ammo and american ammo manufacturers made money hand over fist. Then pakistan started making illegal copies of the gun to satisfy demand and they made money at it somehow. I remember it all well because I wrote it all down when I woke up.

[Charles Martel]

Stop sniffing the Hoppes No. 9 right before bedtime!

[Tallguy]

Thanks, Pal. If you read my other posts you’ll see my reference to a German espionage ring that got busted by the FBI in the ‘30’s trying to steal the M1 Garand. Why don’t you try reading the thread?

[Tallguy]

Didn’t know that! Another poster referenced a few M1’s making it to Finland. If that’s the case, that’s probably how Kalashnikov got his models. Though they may have eventually gotten some via Lend-Lease — they attempted to buy a B29 that way. What’s Russian for chutzpah?

[tophat9000]

they attempted to buy a B29 that way.

They got B29 via the USAAF when several B29's on mission over Japan diverted to Russia when they could not make in back to base... Stalin order his aircraft industry to make an exact rivet for rivet copy of the B29... this became the TU4 "Bull"