http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25497013

Many loved him, some hated him, but in the end he wanted to protect his homeland with what he did best.

RIP

I just read about that. His eponymous rifle is variously famous or infamous depending on the context, but he himself was a fairly understated chap from what I understand.

Invented the best assault rifle in the world.

RIP

Well he invented the rifle I use often (or altered the design of the STG 44 in any case). May he rest well in whatever the soviets have instead of an afterlife.

Great Tank operator and even better weapons designer/redesigner. He will be missed. The world lost a legend.

He was a good dude.

Would love to own an AK. Amazing weapon. Brings fear.

RIP Kalashnikov.

I just spent 15 minutes looking for a book I have called "Merchants of Death - A Study of the International Armament Industry" sure that he was mentioned in it. Then I saw the copyright date 1934.

Oh well.

if still around, i wager the soviets would've embalmed him and had him on display next to lenin.

his rifle is the iconic weapon of the last half of the 20th century.

Great weapon designer. The AK-47 is one of if not the most reliable assault rifle ever made. Very adaptive and pretty much unbreakable too.

Rest in peace Mikhail Kalashnikov.

Perhaps one of Russia's greatest minds in engineering. He has my respect.

The AK-47 is probably the most iconic (both good and evil pending on your point of view) assault rifle in the world.

Created a weapon that many militaries design their own small arms families around.

Its a blast to shoot.

I would say, imho, he's probably in the same category as Winchester. The sad thing is he didn't get paid anything as I understand it. One thing I read quoted him as saying he would have been better of making a lawnmower.

Not every man creates something that pretty much everyone in the world recognizes.