Mikhail Kalachnikov (sp?) has passed

[Trailrider]

Regardless of how you feel about how his invention was utilized, you have to admit that the inventor of the AK-series arms created a highly reliable, and ubiquitous design. Ironically, the Military Channel is running a story on the AK-47. (Don't know whether they learned of his death, or if it is just a coincidence. Anyhow, Kalachnikov probably belongs in the weapons' designer's Hall of Fame.

[Bat 2919]

He was no John Browning but from time to time you simply have to give the Devil his due.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kalashnikov-assault-rifle-ak-47-designer-dead-at-94/

[Tascosa Joe]

I have a bottle of his Vodka!

[Mogorilla]

my knowledge of modern guns is real limited, still not sure this cartridge fad will catch on.   But wasn't the AK-47 a Russian redesign of a way over designed (go figure) German assault rifle?   I seem to recall the German Troops loved them, but Hitler and his high command not liking them, but captured versions ended up in the russian hands.  (sturmgevaur?)
Either way, he did make a successful arm.

[Drydock]

Thats a common misconception.  The concept of an intermediate power select fire weapon did indeed originate with the Germans, but the design of the weapons have little to do with each other absent of that.  Even the cartridge itself was largely independent of its german predecessor, the 7.62x39 first being fielded in 1944, in field trials of Simonovs SKS design.

[Delmonico]

I heard he will be buried in the mud for a week, washed off and greased with axle grease and then put back to work.

LOL, saw this and thought it was fitting.

Heck, to a point that idea goes back to WWI and the Americans tried the Pederson device for the Springfield.

[Stu Kettle]

I heard him say in an interview that he never saw a sturmgewehr until many years after the AK47 was in production.

[Pitspitr]

He was no John Browning but from time to time you simply have to give the Devil his due.

Nor even Sam Colt, but his name fits up there with John C. Garand, and Gene Stoner

[cpt dan blodgett]

And no doubt well above Johnson