Mikhail Kalashnikov,AK-47 Inventor Dies Monday Dec 23,2013

Mikhail Kalashnikov, whose work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalised in the name of the world’s most popular firearm, died on Monday Dec 23,2013 at the age of 94

Mikhail Kalashnikov died in a hospital in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic where he lived

The AK-47 “Avtomat Kalashnikov” and the year it went into production is the world’s most popular firearm, favoured by guerrillas, terrorists and the soldiers of many armies

Mikhail Kalashnikov, born into a peasant family in Siberia, began his working life as a railroad clerk. After he joined the Red Army in 1938, he began to show mechanical flair by inventing several modifications for Soviet tanks.

Over his career, he was decorated with numerous honours, including the Hero of Socialist Labour and Order of Lenin and Stalin Prize

Russian soldiers stand guard near the coffin during the funeral ceremony in Mytishchi outside Moscow

Mikhail Kalashnikov, chief designer of AK-47, was today laid to rest with full state honours in Mytischi outside Moscow

Mikhail Kalashnikov was buried at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery (FVMK) in Mytishchi outside Moscow

10 things you never knew about AK47 Kalashnikov

1. It in one of the few weapons that can be totally submerged in water and then still fire straight away.
2. Due to its simplicity and easy of manufacture it is the most copied gun in the world.
3. The inventor of the AK-47 did not profit from the gun. Communist states had no patents, and until its collapse in 1991, Kalashnikov was simply an employee of the Soviet Union.
4. The AK-47 can be stripped in under a minute and cleaned quickly in almost any climatic condition. Even if it isn’t cleaned, an AK-47 is still more likely to fire than any of its rivals as it has wide mechanical tollerances.
5. With only eight moving parts the AK-47 is cheap to manufacture and easy to use — so easy in fact that users can be taught how to properly handle this weapon in a single hour.
6. The cost of one machine on the “black market” range from just £6 to Afghanistan to £3,000 in India.
7. The Kalashnikov rifle is in the “Guinness Book of Records” as the most common weapon in the world. Currently, there are about 100 million AK. This means that 60 adult inhabitants of our planet have on one machine.
8. It is in service with the armies and special units of 106 countries of the world.
9. The Kalashnikov rifle is shown in the arms of some states. Currently, it is present in the coat of arms of the African country of Zimbabwe (since 1980), the coat of arms and the flag of Mozambique (since 1975), emblem of the Asian state of East Timor. From 1984 to 1997, AK was depicted on the emblem of the African state of Burkina Faso.
10. In some African countries, a newborn is given a name Kalash - in honor of the Kalashnikov assault rifle