Made in America: author Fortier respects a good Kalashnikov rifle, and the man behind its design. We learn a little about both in this report

Guns Magazine, July, 2002 by David M. Fortier, Emily K. Fortier

As the van pounded down the bumpy road, Vladimir and I argued back and forth. My friend Mark was caught in the middle as he translated for us from Russian to English and back again. It was almost comical. Eight of us were packed into a small 4x4 van bumping along in Izhevsk, Russia and we were arguing about M-1 Garands and the SKS. Shooting enthusiasts are the same no matter where you go! Our Russian friend Vladimir seemed to have a very poor opinion of the M-1 Garand. Listening to him for a bit I found out that it's true -- you're never more patriotic than when you're abroad.

I started to educate this former MVD sniper on what a "real man's" rifle was. He took it right in stride. Soon we were bantering back and forth in a lively and heated, although good natured, exchange. Then in the midst of making a point the van bounced to a stop and the door opened. Suddenly reality set in. We were there.

Stepping out of the van Mark Vorobiev, Marc Krebs, and I kinda' looked at each other. Vladimir smiled, and then he and the rest of our group headed up the walk towards the dacha, or summer home, of Mikhail Kalashnikov. We had arrived and were now about to meet the grand ol' man himself -- Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russian weapons designer and father to the AK-47 assault rifle. In Russia he is a legend, a hero of the people known to every school child. A man who devoted his entire life to his country.

Meeting A Legend

The door opened and he met us on his porch. Dressed in reed-pattern camouflage pants and a light shirt, the Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Kalashnikov warmly welcomed us into his home.

Our hosts introduced us and we followed him inside. His summer home sits in the midst of well kept flowers, bushes and plants. The rustic cottage, constructed with pine slats, was the home of a man who loved the outdoors.

We removed our shoes and Kalashnikov invited us into his living room. We settled around him and presented gifts. Kalashnikov is a serious knife collector, so we felt presentation-grade Ka-Bars would be appropriate.

In Russian tradition, Kalashnikov reached into his pocket and removed a coin, which he gave to Mark Vorobiev. Along with the knives, we gave Kalashnikov letters from American firearms enthusiasts. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, this enthused Kalashnikov. He exhorted us to keep the anti-gunners at bay.

Vorobiev emotionally thanked him for designing the rifle that saved his life in Afghanistan, which greatly moved the old man.

"My intentions were to build a rifle to protect and defend my motherland," Kalashnikov said. "A simple and utterly reliable rifle that our young soldiers could trust and depend on."

"Today some people accuse me of making a weapon of war," he added. "A weapon used by terrorists. That was never my intention. I designed my rifle only to defend my country."

Over the next few hours we had a chance to get to know and dine with the man behind the legend.

A gifted story teller, he made us feel right at home with colorful tales from his past. As we sat talking, I was impressed by his down to earth manner. Originally I'd been unsure of what to expect, but in the end my expectations didn't matter. He far exceeded them with his friendly, open attitude and fatherly demeanor. While our time together was over too soon, I came away with the impression that he is one of the few legends who actually lives up to his reputation.

Most who knew Kalashnikov as a young man thought he'd become famous for his writing. However, the German invasion and the Great Patriotic War soon changed all that. A tank commander, he was severely wounded when his vehicle was put out of action during fierce fighting early in the war. As he lay in the hospital he began designing a sub-machinegun. While this first project of his was never adopted, he continued on and in 1946 submitted the prototype of what would become the best known assault rifle of all time, the AK-47.

Worthy Of The Name

Over the last few months I have been testing an interesting new semiautomatic version of Kalashnikov's rifle, the SA M7. While semi-auto AKs are nothing new to the American market, the SA M-7 offers a twist. It's American made. Built on a forged steel and CNC machined receiver, the SA M-7 represents an interesting step in the life and manufacture of this venerable rifle series. Produced by Arsenal, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nev., it's the first time that full-scale licensed production of the AK-47 has been undertaken outside the Eastern Block.

In the past, stamped AKM and milled AK-47 receivers have indeed been manufactured in the U.S. So what's the difference, you may be asking. In one word? Quality. Arsenal, Inc. is not some fly by night operation stamping out junk. Instead they are licensed by Arsenal Co. Ltd. of Bulgaria.

Arsenal Co. Ltd.'s history goes back to 1878 when Artillery Arsenal of Rousse was first founded. This factory was tasked with supplying the newly formed Bulgarian Army. In 1891, the factory was transferred to Sofia and became the Sofia Artillery Arsenal.