Ak-47
The AK-47
The AK-47 is not just simply another gun, it is much, much more. It is an ongoing legacy of one mans innovation to the small arms market and a national symbol. In a time of changing warfare, a weapon was needed to work efficiently at and within a range of 300 meters. This weapon needed the accuracy and control of the longer barreled rifles but also the power and automatic fire of a sub machine gun. This lead to a hybrid being created, in the form of the assault rifle (Poyer, Joe 2004).
In the years around 1944 a handful of assault rifles were created, such as the Sturmgewehr 44 or StG44 (German), The M1 Grand (American) and The SKS (Russian). But the most memorable and arguably the best is the AK-47 or Kalashnikov. The AK-47 was different from the rest because of its raw simplicity. (The History of the Assault Rifle, 2006). Its designer Mikhail Kalashnikov said he created his gun the same what he lived life buy saying; “Anything that is complex is not useful and anything that is useful is simple”. (The Gurdian 2002) It is for this reason that at AK-47 is so successful.
The AK-47 wasn’t on the most accurate or light weapon of its class nor was it the most sophisticated. But it was powerful and simple. So simple that with only ten minutes instruction most people could use one. It doesn’t jam, it can be used after being submerged in water, works after being covered in sand and temperature has little affect on it weather this is hot or cold.
Mikhail Kalashnikov made this innovation possible. He is a Russian born brother of nineteen siblings, born in Kurya, Altai Krai, Russia. He was conscripted into the Russian army in 1938 became a tank driver and mechanic (Kalashnikov, Fox News 2006). He rose swiftly through the ranks and by 1944 was a senior sergeant tank commander. But in 1944 he was injured and while in hospital he was discussing with his comrades the current soviet standard issued rifle. He discovered the obvious floors and problems with the
The AK-47 is not just simply another gun, it is much, much more. It is an ongoing legacy of one mans innovation to the small arms market and a national symbol. In a time of changing warfare, a weapon was needed to work efficiently at and within a range of 300 meters. This weapon needed the accuracy and control of the longer barreled rifles but also the power and automatic fire of a sub machine gun. This lead to a hybrid being created, in the form of the assault rifle (Poyer, Joe 2004).
In the years around 1944 a handful of assault rifles were created, such as the Sturmgewehr 44 or StG44 (German), The M1 Grand (American) and The SKS (Russian). But the most memorable and arguably the best is the AK-47 or Kalashnikov. The AK-47 was different from the rest because of its raw simplicity. (The History of the Assault Rifle, 2006). Its designer Mikhail Kalashnikov said he created his gun the same what he lived life buy saying; “Anything that is complex is not useful and anything that is useful is simple”. (The Gurdian 2002) It is for this reason that at AK-47 is so successful.
The AK-47 wasn’t on the most accurate or light weapon of its class nor was it the most sophisticated. But it was powerful and simple. So simple that with only ten minutes instruction most people could use one. It doesn’t jam, it can be used after being submerged in water, works after being covered in sand and temperature has little affect on it weather this is hot or cold.
Mikhail Kalashnikov made this innovation possible. He is a Russian born brother of nineteen siblings, born in Kurya, Altai Krai, Russia. He was conscripted into the Russian army in 1938 became a tank driver and mechanic (Kalashnikov, Fox News 2006). He rose swiftly through the ranks and by 1944 was a senior sergeant tank commander. But in 1944 he was injured and while in hospital he was discussing with his comrades the current soviet standard issued rifle. He discovered the obvious floors and problems with the
Bibliography: Alderman, N. (2011). Workshop 1. Newcastle. BBC. (2005, December 6). AK-47: the Sierra Leone child soldier. Retrieved Febuary 27, 2012, from BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4500358.stm BBC Henderson, R. &. (1990). Architectual Innovation: The Reconfiguration of Existing Product Technologies and the Failure of Established Firms. Administrative Science Quaterly(35), 9-60. O 'Connor, T. (2011, September). Development of intellectual property laws for the Russian Federation. Journal of Business Research, 64(9), 1011-1016. 1. Poyer, Joe. The AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations. North Cape Publications. 2004 2. The History of the Assault Rifle Dec 6, 2008 5. Poyer, Joe. The AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations. North Cape Publications. 2004.