The AK-47 was designed by Soviet/Russian small-arms engineer Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov in the mid-1940s, with the finalized version completed in 1947.

Designer

Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Soviet tank sergeant and later a weapons designer who began working on new rifle concepts after being wounded in World War II. His design, officially adopted by the Soviet Army in 1949, became known as the AK-47, short for “Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947.”

Development context

The AK-47 was created as a response to the need for a durable, easy-to-use automatic rifle for Soviet infantry at the end of World War II. Its simplicity and reliability in harsh conditions helped it spread worldwide and become one of the most widely used rifles in history.