Mikhail Kalashnikov : NPR

Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Kalashnikov

Mikhail Kalashnikov

Letter: Kalashnikov Suffered Remorse Over Rifle He Invented

Russian President Vladimir Putin pauses by a portrait of Mikhail Kalashnikov at the arms designer's funeral in December. Sergei Chirikov/EPA/Landov hide caption

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Sergei Chirikov/EPA/Landov

The Two-Way

Letter: Kalashnikov Suffered Remorse Over Rifle He Invented

January 13, 2014 • The designer of the AK-47, who died last month, reportedly wrote a 2012 letter to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church expressing "spiritual pain" over deaths caused by the weapon.

Reports: Mikhail Kalashnikov, Inventor Of AK-47, Dies

Mikhail Kalashnikov, with his AK-47, in 2002. Jens Meyer/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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Jens Meyer/ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Two-Way

Reports: Mikhail Kalashnikov, Inventor Of AK-47, Dies

December 23, 2013 • The Russian creator of the world's most popular weapon died Monday at the age of 94, officials tell Russian news outlets. More than 100 million of the weapons, including knockoffs, have been produced. While proud of his invention, Kalashnikov said it saddened him to see them used by terrorists.