Talk:Mikhail Kalashnikov

Untitled
What does Sicilian defence have to do with Kalashnikov ? It's the Sveshnikov variant that leads to confusion I guess I removed the part, Popular Culture, which states it gave a name to Sicilian defence.

Sokrateskerem 21.05.06

Regret?
I'm going to remove this line.

"The legacy of Kalashnikov's rifles as the most popular assault weapons has prompted him to state his regret that they are now used by terrorists ."

The article it links to says, and I quote.

Yet "the positive has outweighed the negative," he insists, "because many countries use it to defend themselves. The negative side is that sometimes it is beyond control. Terrorists also want to use simple and reliable arms. But I sleep soundly. The fact that people die because of an AK-47 is not because of the designer, but because of politics."

That doesn't sound like regret to me. He doesn't like terrorists useing his gun (or probably just doesn't like terrorists period) but that's hardly regret.

If the line should say anything it would be more appropiate to say something like "He doesn't approve of the way terrorists use his gun, but has no regrets about designing the rifle since it's politics that lead to the killings" --Reyals 21:58, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

Izhevsk vs. Kurya
The article says: "Born in ... the village of Kurya, Altai region," and later "Since 1949 Mikhail Kalashnikov has been living and working in his native town of Izhevsk."

It's a contradiction. I'm changing it to simply Izhevsk, unless someone can make more sense of it. --Amir E. Aharoni 07:38, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

Rifle? Machine Gun
The AK-47 and his other guns are submachine guns, not rifles. This is because although they have a rifles long barrel it does not spin the bullet.

Whoa. The AK-47 DOES have have a rifled barrel. All modern submachine guns also have rifled barrels that spin their bullets, as do many pistols. In fact, the only small arms that don't feature rifling are some muskets and shotguns, among certain special purpose weapons. I think the vast majority of mordern infantry arms feature rifling, regardless of barrel length. In short, what are you talking about?

The Ak-47 is an assault rifle, not a submachinegun.CHSGHSF 01:07, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

son named S.I.Koksharov??
An earlier version of this page claimed that M.Kalashnikov has a son named Sergey I. Koksharov. This appears to be plainly false:

1) even if the son changed his surname, there's still the patronymic discrepancy ("Ivanovich" vs. "Mikhailovich", which is what it would have been if the statement were true).

2) A web search turned up no pages confirming the father-son relation between the two men.

3) A biography (linked to by this article), in Russian, claims that his children are two daughters and a son named Victor (no mention of a son named Sergey)

I took the liberty of removing the highly dubious statement. If anyone still believes it was true, please provide a source. 74.100.144.76 07:17, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one article was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 23:59, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Vodka Kalashnikov
He has given his name to a brand of vodka. I would like to learn a bit more about it if any one has any info. I found the website here but I was actually looking for prices. Thanks, --A. 138.88.213.55 02:44, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Confusing
Uh, guys, it states at the very top under his picture that he was born aged 88 either his mother had a freakish gestation period or that's incorrect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.0.61.147 (talk) 17:02, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

WikiProject Military history/Assessment/Tag & Assess 2008
Article reassessed and graded as start class. --dashiellx (talk) 11:55, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

100 million produced?
The article states that 100 million AK-47 has been produced. That might be true if one also includes AKM (the by far most common variant) and AK-74, but these, while descendants of the AK-47, are different weapons. This should be clarified.88.131.91.2 (talk) 14:59, 16 December 2008 (UTC)

Lt. General?
I don't understand when he became a Lt. General, as he is referred to in the article, but it sounds like he left the service as a Tank commander. —Preceding unsigned comment added by NoahMoth (talk • contribs) 17:54, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Major General - in 1994 year; Lieutenant General - in 1998 year (80th anniversary). --Averaver (talk) 08:00, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

Russian poet
He is not a Russian poet. He is Russian writer. Please, change categories. --Averaver (talk) 08:07, 5 December 2010 (UTC)
 * I changed the category. Now it is the "Russian writers". --Averaver (talk) 21:23, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

List of inventions?
Can somone add a link of all the weapns he made? 69.132.79.61 (talk) 03:54, 28 December 2010 (UTC)

Poet claims totally misleading
Nothing in the cited sources confirms that there was anytime ever a realistic prospect or expectation that he would be a poet by profession - this needs a more realistic perspective. From Russian wp, at school he was interested in physics, geometry and literature. His career started in a depot of the turkestan-siberian railway in Kazakhstan. He started constructing weapons as an autodidact. Richiez (talk) 10:42, 13 February 2011 (UTC)
 * I changed the category. Now it is "Russian writers". --Averaver (talk) 21:22, 17 February 2011 (UTC)
 * What, exactly, has he authored? Faceless Enemy (talk) 04:23, 18 February 2011 (UTC)
 * The list from the Russian page:
 * Калашников М.Т. Записки конструктора-оружейника. — М.: Воениздат, 1992. — 304 с. — ISBN 5-203-01290-3
 * Калашников М.Т. От чужого порога до Спасских ворот / авт. литератур. Записи Немченко Г. Л.; общ. ред. Неделин А. В.. — М.: Военный Парад, 1997. — 496 с.
 * Калашников М.Т. Я с Вами шел одной дорогой: Мемуары. / ред. совет: И. Красновский [и др.]. — М.: Дом «Вся Россия», 1999. — 239 с.
 * Калашников М.Т. Калашников: траектория судьбы / сост., подгот. Текстов, ил. Н. Шкляева. — М.: Дом «Вся Россия», 2004. — С. 639.
 * Калашников М.Т. В вихре моей жизни. — 2008.
 * Калашников М.Т. Все нужное — просто. — 2009.
 * Seems like 2 mostly technical publications, 2 autobiographic the rest could be prose but can not tell for sure from the title. Richiez (talk) 00:27, 19 February 2011 (UTC)

German engineers were involved in AK-47 development
The Russian language link in note-17 addresses the claim that Hugo Schmeisser's team was involved in the development of the AK-47 and refers to an internal note of the Soviet Ministry of Defense. The development and the mass-production of ak-47 rifles was a secret undertaking, and the involvement of foreigners in this process was a headache for the management of the Izhevsk plant. When assessing the work of the Germans on the one hand, it states that "excluding them [the team of Germans] from the task is impossible, despite the secrecy around the work of the department." It then assesses highly negatively the work of Hugo Schmeisser, pointing out his absence of formal specialist training. Despite this, Schmeisser's role cannot be so easily dismissed. His stay in Izhevsk was extended for 6 months beyond that of his colleagues he returned to East Germany on June 9th 1952. Schemisser's team's contribution to the ak-47's development is a matter of conjecture, but one can point out notable similarities between it and Schmeisser's StG-44, with the German rifle preceding the Russian one. This link gives a more positive assessment of Schmeisser's contribution to the ak-47, when it says that "[the StG-44] was among the first weapons to be manufactured with die cast parts, metal stamping, and a complete machine-assembly. This method revolutionized weapon production, allowing manufacture at an unprecedented speed. They became internationally known as "Schmeisser MP"s, mainly due to the use of the straight magazine he had patented."

Interestingly, the Russian note tries to undermine exactly "when it comes to stamping, according to documents, Germans were helping to develop the production for civilian products, namely motorcycles." and that "Hugo Schmeisser was not a professional in this area(metal stamping), and during the development of sturmgewehr he had to use the services of a company called 'Mertz' from Frankfurt." So he wasn't even responsible for the stamping technology for his own STG rifle. So much for your stamping hero. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.168.0.20 (talk) 11:30, 03 January 2018 (UTC)

IS HE DEAD?
DEAD OR ALIVE? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.44.120.222 (talk) 01:52, 27 April 2013 (UTC)

He is fine, chill — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.61.170.152 (talk) 19:44, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * His death was confirmed on 23 December - http://rt.com/news/kalashnikov-dies-inventor-ak-47-887/ Ghmyrtle (talk) 16:24, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

Most famous for?
Currently the article states that Kalashnikov was most famous for developing AKM and AK-74. I think that most people really only recognize him as the developer of AK-47, on which these subsequent models are based. JJohannes (talk) 21:41, 23 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Agree. AK-47 should be regarded in another class altogether; rather than be being one of three equally famous weapons.Arildnordby (talk) 23:39, 23 December 2013 (UTC)
 * In an issue of the Kalashnikov magazine I've seen a mention that he thought of the PK as his greatest achievement. Also very well known weapon in the field. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 00:39, 24 December 2013 (UTC)
 * What Kalshnikov thought as his greatest achievement is irrelevant in determining his "most famous". The last characteristic is determined neither by what kalashnikov himself would be his lasting achievement, nor by what weapon experts would point to, but it is determined by what the general public typically associates with kalashnikov. and that is, undoubtedly, the ak-47Arildnordby (talk) 01:54, 24 December 2013 (UTC)
 * So what's you point - he is famous for the PK among everyone who served in many of the world's militaries. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 03:58, 24 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Precisely. "Those who have served in the militaries" do not constitute the general public, but there is no reason not to include PK along with the AKM and ak-74, as long as you add a reference. The AK-47 is in a different category of fame, it has reached iconic level.Arildnordby (talk) 09:42, 24 December 2013 (UTC)
 * In that case we can't ignore the fact that the general public does not distinguish between AK-47 and AKM. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 02:15, 25 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Rather than just repeating your unconstructive comments, please be specific about the following sentence in the lead, and why you find it objectionable " most famous for developing the AK-47 assault rifle, as well as the AKM and AK-74 assault rifles". If you don't find it objectionable, you don't have a point.Arildnordby (talk) 12:17, 25 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Please calm down and offer a solution. I've pointed at two problems with it. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 21:40, 25 December 2013 (UTC)
 * What exactly? That you want to clutter the lead section with every single invention an extremely inventive person was responsible for the last 50 years? Or, that the lead section should include your bemoanings that many of the general public calls the AKM an AK-47??Arildnordby (talk) 22:08, 25 December 2013 (UTC)
 * You sound sick in the head. My solution is simple - it shouldn't include AKM but should include PK. If you thought of a better one - offer it. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 23:16, 25 December 2013 (UTC)
 * No THAT is eally puzzling indeed! Remove the AKM, the most widely distributed version of the Kalashnikovs?? "Introduced into service with the Soviet Army in 1959, the AKM is the most ubiquitous variant of the entire AK series of firearms and it has found widespread use with most member states of the former Warsaw Pact and its many African and Asian allies as well as being widely exported and produced in many other countries."

That would be a REALLY weird decisionArildnordby (talk) 00:10, 26 December 2013 (UTC)
 * .As for the better solution, I've already, with my sicko brain offered that in the above: but there is no reason not to include PK along with the AKM and ak-74, as long as you add a reference.Arildnordby (talk) 00:21, 26 December 2013 (UTC)
 * AKM is an AK-47. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 00:34, 26 December 2013 (UTC)
 * I have made an addition of the PK machine gun in the lead; Hopefully, Krutoi dezigner may add a reference for this as a particularly noteworthy achievement of Kalashnikov.Arildnordby (talk) 15:25, 29 December 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't feel like it. Take care. Krutoi dezigner (talk) 20:39, 29 December 2013 (UTC)

Links
>> Kalashnikov felt guilty for AK-47 victims(Lihaas (talk) 18:04, 13 January 2014 (UTC)).

Recent letter in Russian press
For anyone familiar with the letter that Kalashnikov wrote to the head of his church and was released to the press recently, anyone doubt its authenticity or have reason to? --Scalhotrod - Just your average banjo playing, drag racing, cowboy... (talk) 15:20, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

Death date in infobox
The death date in the infobox gives an unrecognized character of "}" message, even though there's no extra curly brackets in the template - does anybody know why it might be doing that? -Fim atic  (talk &#124; contribs) 16:28, 30 November 2014 (UTC)

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Deadlink citation 23
What does an editor do in this situation? Benjamin.blouin (talk) 10:23, 5 August 2019 (UTC)