Mikhail Kalashnikov killed in 1941

[robertp6165]

Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the famous AK-47 assault rifle which equipped Soviet and other communist forces during the Cold War...and which equips revolutionary and terrorist groups worldwide even today...was severely wounded during the defense of Bryansk in October 1941. At this time he was a tank commander in the Soviet Army. What if his wounds had been a bit more severe, and Kalashnikov died in hospital in late 1941?

What would Soviet and Russian small arms look like in the 1950s-present? Would they have stuck with the SKS, or was there another design waiting in the wings which could have assume the same position in world history which the AK-47 carved out for itself?

 

[BlairWitch749]

Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the famous AK-47 assault rifle which equipped Soviet and other communist forces during the Cold War...and which equips revolutionary and terrorist groups worldwide even today...was severely wounded during the defense of Bryansk in October 1941. At this time he was a tank commander in the Soviet Army. What if his wounds had been a bit more severe, and Kalashnikov died in hospital in late 1941?

What would Soviet and Russian small arms look like in the 1950s-present? Would they have stuck with the SKS, or was there another design waiting in the wings which could have assume the same position in world history which the AK-47 carved out for itself?

His was a number of competing SIMILAR designs at the time. The assault rifle in his pattern was not unique in Soviet small arms invention circles. If you butterfly away the entire concept... its possible they stick it out with the ppsh/sks for a bit longer but eventually they move on to a modern assault rifle, even if they sovietize the stg 44

 

[Landshark]

Even if none of the dozen of so other assault rifles in the trials of 1946 and 47 get chosen and the Soviets stick with the SKS the Korobov will come along in the mid fifties.