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He was a helluva inventor. A Different Article HereQuote:
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the man credited as being the inventor of the world’s most famous assault rifle, has died at the age of 94. Here are 10 facts about the inventor and his invention: Read More
I remember back when the M16 was coming out. There were lots of articles about the difference in philosophies for the two guns. What I remember was that the M16 was a lot more finicky about being clean in order to function properly but the AK could be buried in the mud, rinsed off in a stream, and shoot just fine. Accuracy was crap after 100 yards due to large tolerances in production. The M16 offered fine accuracy at increased distances but the tradeoff was a gun that needed to be cleaned a lot.
I always thought the AK had a better take on a battle rifle but that was from an outsider's perspective. Never shot one.
I read an article the other day that contained an interview with him. An interesting man and a very reliable weapon.
Apparently, a man deeply troubled by the lives taken by his invention:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25709371Quote:
My spiritual pain is unbearable.
"I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle claimed people's lives, then can it be that I... a Christian and an Orthodox believer, was to blame for their deaths?" he asked.
"The longer I live," he continued, "the more this question drills itself into my brain and the more I wonder why the Lord allowed man to have the devilish desires of envy, greed and aggression".
Is the maker to blame for the actions of his creation?
An interesting ethical and spiritual question, touching on the nature of Creation itself.