С Днем Рождения Кала́шников

If you've never heard of it, you've probably lived under a rock all your life. The brand everyone likes, from soldiers to Afghans to FARC militia, celebrates 62 years of existence, and its inventor 90 years. It has had many names, from Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947, to Kalashnikov, to AK-47 to simply AK. But why is it so popular?

In response to the German Sturmgewehr 44, the world's first mass produced assault rifle, the Russians decided to make their own model. After all, if their weapons could resist in the Siberian tundra, they could do anything! This is how Kalashnikov enters the picture, a humble soldier with a talent for inventions. In '47, his invention was accepted by the Russian bureau and soon became the standard assault rifle of the Mother Country.

What I find interesting is Mikhail's history. His father was deported by Stalin when he was a toddler, he wrote six poetry books in his life and was conscripted in the Red Army in 1938. He served as a tank driver and mechanic till he was hurt in October 1941 during a failed counter-assault. That's when he decided to build a new infantry weapon due to his bad experiences with the weapons at that time. While healing, he designed a sub-machine gun. Although his first submachine gun design was not accepted to service, his talent as a designer was noticed. From 1942 onwards Kalashnikov was assigned to the Central Scientific-developmental Firing Range for Rifle Firearms of the Chief Artillery Directorate of RKKA. In 1944, he designed a gas-operated carbine for the new 7.62 x 39 mm cartridge; this weapon, influenced by the Garand self-loading rifle, lost out to the new Simonov carbine which would be eventually adopted as the SKS; but it became a basis for his entry in an assault rifle competition in 1946. His winning entry, the "Mikhtim" (so named by taking the first letters of his name Mikhail Timofeyevich) became the prototype for the development of a family of prototype rifles.

It is cheaper, lighter and more reliable than the American M14. It can resist sand, cold, heat, dirt and anything else that is dangerous for other weapons. It is currently used by mostly every type of soldier, from Romanians to Cubans to Russians to Afghans and militia men. It has several new designs such as the AKM or AK-74, plus grenade launchers and there are currently 100 million of all types being used worldwide. So... happy birthday Kalashnikov!