Blood Work Machines Infernal: The History of the AK-47, Part 1
Feb 24, 2026
A dense history of how rapid-fire weapons reshaped warfare, from early volley guns to Gatling and Maxim innovations. Close looks at colonial uses and massed-fire slaughter. Traces the shift to lighter automatic rifles and the development path that leads toward the AK-47’s origins.
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Soviet Weapons Drive After Hiroshima
- The atomic bombings in 1945 reframed Soviet strategy, pushing the USSR to rapidly develop both nuclear and conventional defenses.
- Gregory Foley links RDS-1 and concurrent Soviet small-arms efforts as dual responses to existential threats after World War II.
How The Metallic Cartridge Made Automatics Possible
- Modern cartridges unify bullet, casing, propellant, and primer, enabling reliable rapid fire and industrial standardization.
- Foley argues this metallic cartridge was a tipping point that made automatic and repeat-fire weapons practical at scale.
Fiesci's Infernal Machine Attack In Paris
- Giuseppe Fiesci built an apartment-mounted volley of 25 rifles that fired ~400 bullets at King Louis-Philippe's procession in 1835.
- The device malfunctioned, exploded, and Fiesci was captured, wounded, then executed by guillotine.
