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Thread: Interesting Article in Popular Mechanics on Kalashnikovs

  1. #1
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    Interesting Article in Popular Mechanics on Kalashnikovs

    The person being interviewed is C.J. Chivers, a former US Marine and currently a journalist with the NY Times.

    He's written a book on the development and impact on the world of the Kalashnikov rifle.

    http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...-ever?click=pp

    In that interview with Popular Mechanics, he makes reference to a German weapons designer that might have had a lot to do with the weapon that ultimately became the AK-47. That would be Hugo Schmeisser, the father of the Sturmgewehr. I personally think he's probably right.

    He's also got a blog where he's posted pics and commentary of his travels researching the weapon.

    http://cjchivers.com/

    I listened to an interview he gave, he's pretty switched on and I'm going to pick up the book and take a look.
    Employee of colonialshooting.com

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    I will look forward to your review of the book.

    Thanks for the link, the article is interesting.

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    amazing article and history. I maybe interested in his book

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    In that interview with Popular Mechanics, he makes reference to a German weapons designer that might have had a lot to do with the weapon that ultimately became the AK-47. That would be Hugo Schmeisser, the father of the Sturmgewehr. I personally think he's probably right.
    Interesting to note, The original AK46 (forty six) had a left side non-reciprocating CH, two selector switches on the left side (one for fire selection and other for fire/safe), and also what appears to be a straight insertion mag well.

    Also one of the experimental AK47's had a typical AK style selector switch that had a tab closer to to the center, possibly to be operated with your trigger finger like a blackjack swift lever.

    Instead, we get the AK47/AKM that we know today. Dumbass soviets.

    http://world.guns.ru/assault/as01-e.htm

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    Templar,

    I know Mikhail wants to deny that the MP43/44 had an impact on his design, but I have to ask myself how it's possible that the designs are so similar (out least in outward appearance).

    To the best of my knowledge MP43's were airdropped to Wehrmacht troops in Russia before he actually began working on his actual design, is that not correct?

    Quote Originally Posted by Templar View Post
    The person being interviewed is C.J. Chivers, a former US Marine and currently a journalist with the NY Times.

    He's written a book on the development and impact on the world of the Kalashnikov rifle.

    http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...-ever?click=pp

    In that interview with Popular Mechanics, he makes reference to a German weapons designer that might have had a lot to do with the weapon that ultimately became the AK-47. That would be Hugo Schmeisser, the father of the Sturmgewehr. I personally think he's probably right.

    He's also got a blog where he's posted pics and commentary of his travels researching the weapon.

    http://cjchivers.com/

    I listened to an interview he gave, he's pretty switched on and I'm going to pick up the book and take a look.



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    Quote Originally Posted by Iraqgunz View Post
    Templar,

    I know Mikhail wants to deny that the MP43/44 had an impact on his design, but I have to ask myself how it's possible that the designs are so similar (out least in outward appearance).

    To the best of my knowledge MP43's were airdropped to Wehrmacht troops in Russia before he actually began working on his actual design, is that not correct?

    Actually, there were some Haenal MKb-42's airdropped into a German unit that had been encircled on the Eastern Front in very early '43. They fought their way through. Something like 9,000 or 10,000 of the MKb-42(H)'s were made before they switched over to the improved MP-43/MP-44/StG-44 series.

    The MKb-42 fired from an open bolt. It was the only one of the series to have a bayonet lug.

    I took this pic when I was at Aberdeen's museum a few years ago.

    Employee of colonialshooting.com

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    You're right. I should have mentioned the Haenel MKb-42's.

    Quote Originally Posted by Templar View Post
    Actually, there were some Haenal MKb-42's airdropped into a German unit that had been encircled on the Eastern Front in very early '43. They fought their way through. Something like 9,000 or 10,000 of the MKb-42(H)'s were made before they switched over to the improved MP-43/MP-44/StG-44 series.

    The MKb-42 fired from an open bolt. It was the only one of the series to have a bayonet lug.

    I took this pic when I was at Aberdeen's museum a few years ago.




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    Makes you wonder how Stalingrad would have turned out if the Germans could have fielded them in mass.

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    Hans-Dieter Handrich tried to find out if Kampfgruppe Scherer had MKb42s at Cholm for his book Sturmgewehr! (pp168-171). What he ended up with was a 'maybe, but probably not'. The Cholm breakthrough came in early May 1942, at which point only 50 production Haenel MKb-42s had been manufactured. 25 of those went to the Infanterieschule in April, 1942. The other 25 are not accounted for, nor are 250,000 rounds of 7.92x33mm ammo. It's therefore possible that the other 25 guns were dropped to Kampfgruppe Scherer at Cholm. The captured MKb-42(H) in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, however, has serial # 503, which (according to Handrich) indicates it was part of a batch of 2,000 MKbs shipped to HGr Nord in April, 1943.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas M-4 View Post
    Makes you wonder how Stalingrad would have turned out if the Germans could have fielded them in mass.
    Hell makes you wonder how the entire war would have gone were they mass produced and fielded.

    Great article, I might have to buy that book.
    Last edited by LJNoobicon; 10-13-10 at 22:18.

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