[quote]MOSCOW — Legendary Russian rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov has been hospitalized in intensive care after complaining of general weakness, his assistant was quoted by news agencies as saying Dec. 25.The 93-year-old father of the AK-47 has been having heart problems and feeling poorly since March, when he stopped showing up for work, his aide told the RIA Novosti news agency.
“When I visited him at home last week, he told me that nothing seemed to hurt, but that he simply had no strength left,” his assistant, Nikolai Shklyayev, was quoted as saying.
“It seems that this is just his age showing,” Shklyayev said.
The assistant said Kalashnikov was sent to intensive care on Dec. 20 after complaining of swelling.
“I last got in touch with (Kalashnikov’s) driver. He said that everything was fine,” Shklyayev told the Interfax news agency.
Kalashnikov designed his iconic rifles — staples of armies across the world for the past half century — at the Izmash factory in the central city of Izhevsk.
Originally formed in 1807, Izmash remains one of the main producers of Russian weapons.
But like several other specialized industrial firms, it has been hit by dwindling post-Soviet demand and its failure to make up for this with foreign orders.
Kalashnikov and 16 colleagues raised the alarm about the situation at Izhmash in an open letter to President Vladimir Putin last month, saying production had fallen to an all-time low and the factory needed to be saved.
According to popular legend, Kalashnikov began designing weapons after having trouble with the rifles the Soviet Red Army was using during World War II.[/quote]
[URL="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121226/DEFREG01/312260004/Russia-8217-s-Kalashnikov-Intensive-Care-Report?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE"]Defense News[/URL]
I thought the title was a joke because old Dubya senior is in intensive care too :v:
please no :(
[quote]The 93-year-old father of the AK-47 has been having heart problems and feeling poorly since March, when he stopped showing up for work, his aide told the RIA Novosti news agency.[/quote]
He stills works? (or well, did until March) Wow.
[QUOTE=asteroidrules;38987701]He stills works? (or well, did until March) Wow.[/QUOTE]
Most gunsmiths in history will usually continue working till the day they die.
John Browning had a heart failure, and died at his work station, while he was working on an early version of the Hi-Power handguns.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;38987763]Most gunsmiths in history will usually continue working till the day they die.
John Browning had a heart failure, and died at his work station, while he was working on an early version of the [b]Hi-Power[/b] handguns.[/QUOTE]
Slight mistake there, I'll admit an easy one (the bolded part originally said "Hi-Point"). But yeah I know he died working on a gun, but he was still about 20 years younger than Kalashnikov is.
I think this guy affected the future of the world as much so than any politician of his time did.
[QUOTE=asteroidrules;38987701]He stills works? (or well, did until March) Wow.[/QUOTE]
There is a rare breed of people that have the desire to work up until the day they die.
I knew three such people that all worked until the day they were incapacitated or died, and all three were in their late 80s or 90s. The first was the Mayor of Uhland, TX. He was the defacto Mayor for over 20 years (ran unopposed.) He retired just as he discovered he had lung cancer and died within 3 months. The second was my deceased grandmas landlord. He managed around 50 properties plus several large cattle leases until Alzheimer disease caught up with him. The last was a local farmer in the area who was still driving around a tractor plow in his 90s in 100+ degree heat (despite the beckoning of his son to stop.) He eventually had a heart attack and passed.
They were such great men, I miss talking to them and listening to their stories.
[QUOTE=asteroidrules;38987785]Slight mistake there, I'll admit an easy one. But yeah I know he died working on a gun, but he was still about 20 years younger than Kalashnikov is.[/QUOTE]
Fixed that, but yeah... I hope Kalashnikov gets to see the AK-12 become adopted by the Russian Military as well as hunter/gun-owners around the world.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;38987836]Fixed that, but yeah... I hope Kalashnikov gets to see the AK-12 become adopted by the Russian Military as well as hunter/gun-owners around the world.[/QUOTE]
Agreed, he was one of the most influential men of the 20th century, and quite possibly the 21st century as well, be nice if he lives to see the next step of his legacy.
I wish I could own one of his guns.
I wonder how many deaths he's responsible for :v:
Nonetheless, he's designed what I would say is the single most iconic rifle ever, so shit
I wish you well man
you influenced the world
[QUOTE=Sardonus;38991489]I wonder how many deaths he's responsible for :v:
Nonetheless, he's designed what I would say is the single most iconic rifle ever, so shit
I wish you well man
you influenced the world[/QUOTE]
Zero?
But he changed modern history :(
To be fair if he is this old he might not survive.
[QUOTE=Sardonus;38991489]I wonder how many deaths he's responsible for :v:
Nonetheless, he's designed what I would say is the single most iconic rifle ever, so shit
I wish you well man
you influenced the world[/QUOTE]
He's not exactly responsible for any deaths though
[QUOTE=EcksDee;38991537]He's not exactly responsible for any deaths though[/QUOTE]
Still, designing a device solely to kill is not in the least bit commendable in my book.
[QUOTE=brawl;38991557]Still, designing a device solely to kill is not in the least bit commendable in my book.[/QUOTE]
Even if those guns were also used to save thousands of lives?
[QUOTE=brawl;38991557]Still, designing a device solely to kill is not in the least bit commendable in my book.[/QUOTE]
Get upset at the people that shoot each other with them, not the creator, you should admire his handiwork and intelligence, not judge it because of other people.
Whoa I didn't actually know Kalashnikov was still alive.
[QUOTE=Wiggles;38991580]Even if those guns were also used to save thousands of lives?[/QUOTE]
They've also been used to massacre thousands as well. It goes both ways.
If it wasn't him, it would have been someone else.
People are still going to kill eachother, assault rifles or not.
What's with all these threads of famous people somehow getting into the hospital?
[QUOTE=TehAgentGuy;38991797]What's with all these threads of famous people somehow getting into the hospital?[/QUOTE]
Well.. They all have to pass away sooner or later... Right?
It's one of the few types of guns I know that's not only a firearm but a symbol, it is iconic. I mean it's on a national flag!
[t]http://harmar68.home.xs4all.nl/schieten/ar10/stoner%20kalashnikov.jpg[/t]
Mikhail and Eugene at a press conference, holding each-other's designs.
[QUOTE=Sardonus;38991489]I wonder how many deaths he's responsible for :v:
Nonetheless, he's designed what I would say is the single most iconic rifle ever, so shit
I wish you well man
you influenced the world[/QUOTE]
[quote]I invented [the AK-47] for the protection of the Motherland. I have no regrets and bear no responsibility for how politicians have used it.[/quote]
[editline]27th December 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;38992369][t]http://harmar68.home.xs4all.nl/schieten/ar10/stoner%20kalashnikov.jpg[/t]
Mikhail and Eugene at a press conference, holding each-other's designs.[/QUOTE]
I always imagine them getting in a slap fight after the picture was taken :v:
"Look at this barely fit together commie piece of crap"
"Look at this unreliable hunk of capitalist garbage"
"Yeah? At least I can hit the broad side of a barn past 100 meters"
"I dont see any medals pinned on your chest [I]Stoner[/I]"
"You son of a-"
If he's going at least he knows that he changed the way rifles are designed until a better design pops in
hell even the akm is a fair competitor for more "modern" rifles such as the ar-15
he is a ww2 veteran too
Should pin one last medal on him for working so long.
I hope he makes it.
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