We had grain but no mills, so I designed a special mill of wood so we could make flour. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
I tried a dozen different modifications that were rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
I was trying to perform as best as possible. I was a boy at the time, but worked well with the sickle. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
Life is composed of different inventions. I have continued to work at different things and rebuilt my home all by myself. I did it for the sake of satisfaction at doing something. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
Any designer believes his gun is the best, and when its test performance is a bit less impressive compared to others, he feels bitterness and envy. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a holiday at the Golden Sands resort, but I could not mention my real name. I was allowed to travel abroad only in the early 1990s. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
I wanted to invent an engine that could run for ever. I could have developed a new train, had I stayed in the railway. It would have looked like the AK-47 though. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
People often ask me how I feel about my invention being used to kill people every day and the AK being a common weapon of ethnic conflicts. I want to make it clear that I created my assault rifle to protect my country. You can blame politicians for its spreading out of control on a global scale. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
I have continued to work at different things, and rebuilt my home all by myself. I did it for the sake of satisfaction at doing something. I did it because I happened to be where I was. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
The fact that people die because of an AK-47 is not because of the designer, but because of politics. – Mikhail Kalashnikov
