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» Introduction » 2: Kalashnikov's family » 6: AK-74 / AK-100 / Saiga » 10: A study of Kalashnikov Vodka
» 1a: About The Kalashnikov Museum » 3: Kalashnikov: years 1933 - 1942 » 7: The Hall of Fame: Part I » 11: What's coming in the next version
» 1b: Izhevsk, Kalashnikov's homecity » 4: Kalashnikov's design career begins » 8: The Hall of Fame: Part II » Copyright
» 1c: Entering the Kalashnikov Museum » 5: The AK-47 is born » 9: The 2nd hall of the exhibition    Back to main page of ak47-guide.com

The Kalashnikov Museum Virtual Tour: Part 5 - The AK-47 is born

All these years, up to 1947, Mikhail Kalashnikov had been developing and testing his designs - submachinegun, automatic rifle, light machinegun, and all this time he'd been traveling back and forth: to Kazakhstan, where he was working on his desings, and to the proving ground at Shurovskoy, where he was submitting the guns for consideration.

In 1944 he was given some M1943 7.62x39mm cartridges to examine, and decided to work on a 7.62mm automatic rifle - along with other 8 small arms designers working on their own versions of a gun for M1943 7.62x39mm cartridge. By 1947 Artillery Commission picked up 4 most promising designs.

Follow me to this information kiosk. The four designers left out of nine entering the contest were Kalashnikov, Sudayev, Dementiev and Boulkin. All four designs are somewhat look alike - all 4 were designed for the same cartridge, hence the similarity, both in look and in principle of operation.

A series of trials was held in 1947, and Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov won the competition with his AK-47.

A pilot batch of 1500 AK-47 was required for field trials, and Ministry for Defense Industries issued an order to develop first 1500 pieces of AK-47 in Izhevsk, at Izhesvsky Motozavod factory which produced small arms during WWII.


 Museum of Kalashnikov. Motozavod Factory shops where pilot batch of first 1500 AK-47 were developed
Pic.5-4 Motozavod Factory shops where pilot batch of first 1500 AK-47 were developed


 Museum of Kalashnikov. Izhevsky Motozavod Factory, eastern elevation. 1940.
Pic.5-5 Izhevsky Motozavod Factory, eastern elevation. 1940.


 Museum of Kalashnikov. Izhevsky Motozavod Factory, eastern and southern elevation. 2005
Pic.5-6 Izhevsky Motozavod Factory, eastern and southern elevation. 2005


Military Museum of Kalashnikov. The four designs left out of nine entering the AK-47 contest were of Kalashnikov, Sudayev, 
Dementiev and Boulkin.
 Pic.5-1 The four designs left out of nine entering the contest were of Kalashnikov, Sudayev,
Dementiev and Boulkin.



Military Museum of Kalashnikov. Documentary about Shurovskoy probing ground
 Pic.5-2 Documentary about Shurovskoy probing ground


Museum of Kalashnikov.  Top secret document: the order to develop first 1500 AK-47 in Izhevsk, at Izhesvski Motozavod factory
 Pic.5-3 Top secret: the order to develop first 1500 AK-47 in Izhevsk, at Izhesvski Motozavod factory

 

Pic.5-7


Museum of Kalashnikov. In early 1948 young Kalashnikov arrived to Izhevsk (the isolated and secret center of the Soviet weapons industry) and brought to Motozavod factory complete AK-47 documentation.


Kalashnikov Weapons Museum. Pic.5-8 The order of USSR Ministry for Defense to establish design bureau centered on technological aspects of AK-47 mass production. April 30th 1949.

 
Kalashnikov Weapons Museum. Pic.5-9 Top secret document: Plan of AK-47 mass production arrangements

Pic.5-8 The order of USSR Ministry for Defense to establish design bureau centered on technological aspects of AK-47 mass production. April 30th 1949.

Pic.5-9 Top secret: Plan of AK-47 mass production arrangements (Nov. 1948)

In early 1948 the young designer arrived to Izhevsk (the isolated and secret center of the Soviet weapons industry) and brought to Motozavod factory complete AK-47 documentation.

By Summer of 1948 the pilot batch of AK-47 is manufactured and by the end of 1948 AK-47 successfully went through the field trials. In 1949 the assault rifle, designated "Kalashnikov 7.62mm assault rifle, make 1947 (AK)" was adopted by the Soviet Army and Kalashnikov (turning merely 30) has been honored with the Stalin Prize for Industrial Work.

For your information: USSR just has began to produce first "Pobeda" (Victory) cars - exorbitantly priced and nearly impossible to get in possession by an average citizen.

Stalin Prize lump sum was sufficient to buy 10 (ten) Pobedas - and Kalashnikov got one for himself. Much of what was left of the sum he distributed among his relatives (as Kalashnikov nephew Victor Ovchinnikov recalls). Mikhail Kalashnikov once wrote: "There were hardly 3 Pobedas in Izhevsk by that time, and a very few cars of other makes. One could park his Pobeda anyplace - just right in a middle of a street if you wish to, traffic was inexistent".

 


 Kalashnikov's Stalin Prize certificate. In 1949 the assault rifle, designated Kalashnikov 7.62mm assault rifle, make 1947 (AK), was adopted by the Soviet Army and Kalashnikov (turning merely 30) has been honored with the Stalin Prize for Industrial Work.
Pic.5-10 Kalashnikov's Stalin Prize
certificate



 Museum of Kalashnikov. Close-up of the showcase: Kalashnikov with his colleagues at a party
Pic.5-11 Close-up of the showcase:
Kalashnikov with his colleagues at
a party



 Museum of Kalashnikov. Close-up of the showcase: Kalashnikov photos, artifacts of the epoch
Pic.5-12 Close-up of the showcase:
artifacts of the epoch


 

Pic.5-13


Museum of Kalashnikov.  the cover of Sovetski Voin (The Soviet Soldier) magazine featuring Mikhail Kalashnikov - it was the very first - and the very last for following 15 years in open mass media - photo of the designer published.

Pic.5-14 Sovetski Voin (The Soviet Soldier) magazine featuring Mikhail Kalashnikov

Down here you can see the cover of "Sovetski Voin" (The Soviet Soldier) magazine featuring Mikhail Kalashnikov - it was the very first - and the very last for following 15 years in open mass media - photo of the designer published.

The reason is, the assault rifle and the designer himself had been classified as top secret since 1949. First ever appearance of AK-47 in movie theaters (in documentaries usually demonstrated to audience prior to main movie) happened only in 1955.

More to this - personnel at shooting-grounds was instructed to gather and stock to warehouse exactly as many spent AK-47 cartridge cases as many rounds were given to each soldier before shooting.

However, adoption of AK-47 by Soviet Army did not stop development activities at Kalashnikov's group of designers (which later developed into Kalashnikov Design Bureau).

Pic.5-15


Museum of Kalashnikov. adoption of AK-47 by Soviet Army did not stop development activities at Kalashnikov's group of designers (which later developed into Kalashnikov Design Bureau). 


Pic.5-16. Close-up: Experimental AK-47 with balanced automatics

 
Museum of Kalashnikov. Pic.5-17. Kalashnikov's permit









Kalashnikov Weapons Museum. Pic.5-18. This wooden box contains gauge set meant to measure AK-47parts produced in shops.

Pic.5-16 Close-up: Experimental AK with balanced automatics
Pic.5-17 Kalashnikov's permit
Pic.5-18 This wooden box contains gauge set meant to measure gun parts produced in shops.

Take a look on this experimental gun with balanced automatics - it was designed to decrease butt kickback and increase accuracy of hits. It never made its way into the Army though.

 

Pic.5-19 Kalashnikov's own desk table and drawing board


Museum of Kalashnikov. Kalashnikov's own desk table and drawing board

Here you can see reconstruction of Mikhail Kalashnikov working place - featured are his own desk table and drawing board of him, same what were captured on this old photo.

Having finished merely 9 grades of formal education, he developed drawing skills only by late 50s - early 60s. Prior to this, he'd been helped out by engineers and technologist of the factories he happened to work at (in particular, by his wife Ekaterina).

Also, featured here is metalworker's workbench - frankly speaking, it doesn't differ dramatically from what's left in our factories currently.


 Museum of Kalashnikov.  Young Kalashnikov by his
Kuhlmann (drawing board)
Pic.5-20 Young Kalashnikov by his
Kuhlmann (drawing board)



 Museum of Kalashnikov.  Close-up of the metalworker's workbench
Pic.5-21 Close-up of the
metalworker's workbench



 Museum of Kalashnikov. Close-up of the metalworker's workbench
Pic.5-22 Close-up of the
metalworker's workbench


 

Pic.5-23


Museum of Kalashnikov. In 1959 the Soviet Army adopted AKM - a revised, lower-cost version of the AK-47, and Kalashnikov was honored with a Hero of Socialist Labor award.

In 1959 the Soviet Army adopted AKM - a revised, lower-cost version of the AK-47, and Kalashnikov was honored with a "Hero of Socialist Labor" award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Pic.5-24 Top secret document: Plan of AKM development arrangements. February 5th 1952. Stamp reads: draft document destroyed. Feb. 18th 1952. Kalashnikov mentioned as responsible for...
Pic.5-24 Top secret document: Plan of AKM development arrangements. February 5th 1952. Stamp reads: "draft document destroyed. Feb. 18th 1952". Kalashnikov mentioned as responsible for 1)development of a master drawing 2)submitting the drawings for approval of Main Artillery Administration and 4)supervising of assembly blueprints


Kalashnikov Weapons Museum. Pic.5-25 Top secret: Page 2 of the document signed by Kalashnikov (signature clearly visible down the page). Kalashnikov mentioned at point 6 through 9 as a person responsible for: 6. making of specimen for in-factory testing, 7. in-factory testing and 8. blueprints correction upon obtaining testing results.
Pic.5-25 Top secret: Page 2 of the document signed by Kalashnikov (signature clearly visible down the page). Kalashnikov mentioned at point 6 through 9 as a person "responsible for: 6. making of specimen for in-factory testing, 7. in-factory testing and 8. blueprints correction upon obtaining testing results".


Museum of Kalashnikov. Pic.5-26 original AKM make, 1959
Pic.5-26 original AKM make, 1959


Museum of Kalashnikov. Pic.5-27 Kalashnikov with two virtuoso tool-makers of his design bureau: P.N.Bukharin (left) and E.V.Bogdanov (right). Both have been awarded with The Order of Lenin.
Pic.5-27 Kalashnikov with two virtuoso tool-makers of his design bureau: P.N.Bukharin (left) and E.V.Bogdanov (right). Both have been awarded with The Order of Lenin.


 Museum of Kalashnikov. Pic.5-28 Kalashnikov tells soldiers about AKM
Pic.5-28 Kalashnikov tells soldiers about AKM





Kalashnikov Weapons Museum. Pic.5-29 Kalashnikov's Certificate of Hero of Socialist Labor award
Pic.5-29 Certificate of "Hero of Socialist Labor" award

 

Pic.5-30


Museum of Kalashnikov. This showcase features AKM versions: upper model - with folding butt-stock, next one - with wooden stock and different kind of bayonet, and the gun with the silencer.

This showcase features AKM versions: upper model - with folding butt-stock, next one - with wooden stock and different kind of bayonet, and the gun with the silencer.

Down here is a limited edition version: the butt, hand grip, fore grip, hand-guard and magazine are made from glass filled polyamide material of green color.

This modification was produced on special order - the best USSR frontier guard soldiers were awarded with individual AKMs of green color and individually labeled. Mikhail Kalashnikov would often visit frontier posts and personally hand this special AK as an award to the best guard. The soldier wouldn't take it home though then his draft was over - the gun would be kept at the frontier post's own museum. The label on this modification of AKM reads: "To the Winner of Socialist Labor Contest".


Museum of Kalashnikov. Pic.5-31 Close-up of colored AKM and bayonets
Pic.5-31 Close-up of colored AKM and bayonets


Museum of Kalashnikov. Pic.5-32 Another close-up of colored AKM
Pic.5-32 Another close-up of colored AKM


Kalashnikov Weaposn Museum. Pic.5-33 Kalashnikov shakes hands with the best frontier guard (marine).
Pic.5-33 Kalashnikov shakes hands with the best frontier guard (marine).