The Russian Army has the kind of problem most of us wish we had: too many AK-74 rifles. Russia’s Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov said that they were not going to purchase any more AKs until 2014 because “its supply exceeds demand by a factor of 10.”

This is going to hit Izhmash hard. The company has been having financial problems since 2009.

DefesneNews also reports that Gen. Kalashnikov is not being told about the decision because he is in poor health …

It added that the decision is not being disclosed to the rifle’s world-renowned designer, who is 91, out of fears for his health.

“We do not want to tell him and then have it on our conscience. He might not recover,” the paper quoted an unnamed friend of Kalashnikov as saying.

Kalashnikov is well known to take threats to his former employer to heart, at 91 he does not need the stress.

[ Many thanks to Lance for emailing me the link. ]