Mikhail Kalashnikov dies in WWII

[BigWillyG]

What would the 60 years after the war look like if Kalashnikov had died on the Eastern Front before he could invent the AK-47? He developed his earliest designs well recovering from wounds recieved on the front so its not a stretch for him to be killed.
Given Soviet contact with the Sturmgewehr would some other designer have developed an assault rifle or would Simonovs SKS have become THE weapon of the Eastern Bloc rather then having the "also run" status it gained in OTL?
What would warfare, particularly in the 3rd world look like without millions of cheap AKs?

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Kalashnikov was one of six finalists in the assault rifle competition. All six weapons fired the same ammunition, used the same magazine, and had roughly similar layout.

 

[Markus]

The Czechs introduced an assualt rifle that looks almost the same as an AK, plus western nations worked on such weapons too.

edit: Czech assault rifle

 

[Novosibrisk]

The AK would probably be replaced by this, which was apparently lighter, cheaper and more accurate than the AK. Pehaps Korobov would replace Kalashnikov in common parlance.

 

[BigWillyG]

I see, even looks a bit like an AK. Was assuming the result would be that some other weapon would fill its place and little would change. Any idea on how well the Korobov design worked in terms of maintence or lack there of? If whatever filled its place wasen't as incredably reliable as the AK, I wonder if that would effect its use, especially post-Cold War when the Russian stopped giving them away?

 

[Novosibrisk]

To be honest i don't know much more about the weapon than it says in the article, it did best the AK in trials, with the Soviets being very conscious of realiablity this indicates it wasn't an unrealiable weapon. Whether it comes up to the leagendary standards of the AK i don't know, its delayed blowback action sounds more complex than the gas operated AK. It would also be available later, in the mid 50's rather than the late 40's which would probably affect western rifle development. We may see more of the SKS too.

 

[Landshark]

It would also be available later, in the mid 50's rather than the late 40's which would probably affect western rifle development.

Except the Kalashnikov was only one of about a dozen assault rifles tested by the Red Army in 1946/47. Even if the Korobov's adopted in the late fifties it's probable that one of those weapons will be introduced into service ten years earlier.

 

[Stonewall's Lightning]

I will say that with out the development of the actual AK-47, a cloned or very closely model version of the Sturmgewehr is produced at the onset of it coming into contact with Soviet designers. Then the Soviet Assault Rifle 1948 (SAR 48) is refined further by Soviet engineers as their industry gets back on it feet. In any case, the Soviets will get an assault rifle of some kind then mass produce it, then export it to its various clients.

The Soviets had a history of incorporating foreign designs into their own industry. Like the Panzerfaust 150 being used to develop the Soviet RPG 2 which later developed into the RPG 7. Similiar to when the Soviets needed an engine to power the first Mig generation , they went to Rolls Royce, got the license to produce the Rolls Royce Nene jet engine, then copied it into the Soviet RD-45..

Soviets will get an assault rifle on their own or with help, one way or the other..

 

[Mr.Wigglemunch]

The only major difference in history will be that there won't be such a cool name for an assault rifle. I meen there will obviously be alot of butterflies though because of the sheer ammount of people who have shot and been shot by the gun though.

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Some of the finalists in the assault rifle competition.

From left to right: Kalashnikov, Sudayev(died in 1946), Dementiev and Boulkin.

Avtomat Sudaeva

Avtomat Demeteva

Avtomat Bulkina

Not making the cut:

Avtomat Tokarova

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Sudayev (famed PPS-43 designer) came up with the original assault rifle design. It was well liked but a bit heavy. Unfortunately before he could improve it, he died an untimely death in his mid 30s.

Kalashnikov's original design had a German type two piece receiver. It was rejected, but he totally redesigned it borrowing from Sudayev and especially Boulkin. The end result was the most reliable entry of the competition, but also the least accurate. It was adopted because they felt reliability was more important.

The rejected AK-46.