The Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 weapon or, as it popularly known, the AK47 Kalashikov, is a model signed by none less than the now legendary designer Mikhail Kalashnikov.

As sergeant and tank commander he was injured at the battle of Kursk in 1941. However, this hero refused to remain idle during his convalescents and, while hospitalized, began work on a problem he had identified earlier: that the Soviet soldier lacked a modern automatic carbine- a concept then that was totally revolutionary! Until then only one such model existed; the Stg 43/44, Sthurm Gewähr. This product was invented by german technicians during the nazis´ terrible rule. Mikhail Kalashnikov saw the potential of the hated enemy´s new weapon at once. In his own design he developed the concept and the Ak 47 was born – a weapon that with time became an icon, a strongly charged symbol. A symbol for revolution and freedom for some and a undenialble threat for others. These opinions differ radically but strong feelings apply for all. Only the profile of the weapon in itself is a stronger trademark than most others, perhaps the stongest in modern times.

In its basic form the Ak 47 caliber 7,62 x39 is found in the following types:

• AK-47
• AKS-47 (Equiped with folding stock)
• AKM (Differs technically from its predecessor through a different manufacturing process. The weapon´s receiver is not drilled out of a piece of steel like its predecessor, but beaten from a steel plate.)
• AKMS (Folding Stock)
• AKMSU (Short sub machinegun)
• The AKM is also the base for the lighter machinegun RPK.

The weapon began to find its way out to the units around 1947/48. It became rapidly known for its simplicity, robustness and reliability. Sergant Mikhail Kalashnikov recieved several awards for his work and his design, in the end he was honoured with the meaningful titel ”Hero of Socialist Labour”. Already then his labour had borne fruit and Mikhail Kalashnikov´s name became immortal.

During the sixties and seventies the winds of change blew over the world. Eugene Stoners design lay at the base of a weapon that came to be called M-16A1 and the american technicians finally succeeded through this to give their soldiers an automatic carbine. A new calibre, witch later became NATOstandard, brought to this weapon; 5,56x45mm. In the Soviet union this did not go unnoticed and they decided immediatly to invent a new weapon that could give the same advantages. This they did through an upgrading of the Ak-47, with radically better material and a new calibre; 5,45x39mm. This new weapon, the Ak-74, was now ready to be introduced to the world. The new calibre was remarklably faster and each soldier could carry with him more ammunition. Nevertheless, the disadvantage with this was that it had a worse stopeffect than the old 7,62x39mm-ammunition. This drew attention in later times and the calibre has found it´s way back even within the american M-16 system.

The Ak-74 became a great success. The weapon was accepted by the soviet war authorities from 1974. When the eighties stood at the door all units where equiped with the new Ak-74. The fact is that by 1985 the experts estimated that the total production number was 50 million kalshnikovs and today by the same counting a total of 70 million weapons produced!

The Ak-47 in its basic form had a both fixed and folding stock. Naturally this design came to spreed itself in different verieties, many of which are still made today. According to the same design its predecessor, the ak-74 is the base for the light support weapon RPK-74 and for a sub machinegun; AKSU-74.

Worth while to mention is that Mikhail Kalashnikov´s genial design from the AK-program has given inspiration to the design of other weapons such as the PKM and SVD. Even if these weapons to a certan part are far from its ancestral design technically, there is a designable relationship throughout. Of course the PKM and the SVD came to be as revolutionary and effective as its ancestor; the AK-47. These weapons have naturally their own constructors and their work with these weapons is another story, but that we will come back to later.

Among these countries which licence manufacture the Ak-47 and their succesors are Finland, Serbia, Poland, Egypt, Romania, China, USA, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukrania, Vietnam with others.

Worth mentioning too is that Israel and South Africa, those countries where the designs were developed further to be amongst the absolute best types. It should not be forgotten that the best of all is the Finnish versions from Sako and Valmet.

With the celebration of fifty years of Mikhail Kalashnikovs design he himself said ”I have long been waiting to see a man who makes a better wapon. And I will be the first to shake his hand!” One thing for certain: this hero earned practically nothing from his design. Besides his meagre pension Mikhail Kalashnikov in later years was granted a special extra pension by Boris Jeltsin for his contribution. According to himself he live pretty good with his family in his simple house by the Ural mountains close to Izhevsk.

In conclusion: the Ak-47 is not only our times most widely spread weapon but also the most effective, in not only trained specialist hands but also in the hands of untrained revolutionaries all over the world. Ammunition and spare parts are easily availible all over the world. Anywhere a conflict needs an armed solution against suppression, you will see the now much feared Mikhail Kalashnikov´s eternal design.

Even today the weapon of Mikhail Kalashnikov´s design is produced. In todays Russia the recently revised models in the Ak-100 program is produced. These productions were made in a number of calibres even in NATO´s 5,56x45mm. The most interesting is especially the Ak-103, chambered for 7,62x39mm –Kalashnikov´s original calibre. Could one say the circle is closed? No! Several new radical designs based on Mikhail Kalashnikov´s engenious Ak-47 is already in starting-stages and ready for someone to take up the baton. The Ak-47´s story is a legend which still has yet to see its end.