In his book “The Gun” CJ Chiver asserts that
(1)Schmeisser was part of the team where the AK was first mass produced, Page 152.
(2) Kalashnikov’s design team tinkered with variations of Schmeisser’s trigger Page 192
(3) Schmeisser was in Izhevsk after the war, was familiar with the difficult path from prototype to production, having gone through many redesigns with his Stg-44.Page 207
(4) “The original AK-47 did not lend itself to available Soviet manufacturing processes” page 208.
(5) “What is uncontested is that Kalashnikov’s original design was phased out.” Page 209
(6) Note 16, personal contact from a biographer of Schmeisser in Germany, notes that what Schmeisser did in Izhevsk is still kept secret by Russia. P. 433
(1)Schmeisser was part of the team where the AK was first mass produced, Page 152.
(3) Schmeisser was in Izhevsk after the war, was familiar with the difficult path from prototype to production, having gone through many redesigns with his Stg-44.Page 207
Kalashnikov supposedly designed the AK in Kovrov.
(2) Kalashnikov’s design team tinkered with variations of Schmeisser’s trigger Page 192
The AK’s trigger is similar to that of the Garand, Chivers’ admitted it. The late Pete T. Kekkonen stated that it was derived from that of the Browning Auto-5 shotgun.
(5) “What is uncontested is that Kalashnikov’s original design was phased out.” Page 209
Many people believe that much of the AK-47 borrowed from a rival design by BUlkin.
(6) Note 16, personal contact from a biographer of Schmeisser in Germany, notes that what Schmeisser did in Izhevsk is still kept secret by Russia. P. 433
Still, nothing I’m aware of indicates that Hugo Schmeisser had anything to do with the AK. It’s development history is easily traceable. It starts with Kalashnikov’s own semi-auto carbine prototype of 1944, then there are two AK-46s, being derived from it. Then there is AK-47, which was combination of Kalashnikov’s bolt - bolt carrier cooperation (clearly inspired by the Garand and M1 Carbine) and main features taken from Bulkin’s AB-46 assault rifle, including some virtually identical parts, like mainspring guide and receiver cover (Kalashnikov had support of influential group in military-industrial complex and had access to competitiors work...). On of three AK-48 subvariants was what was adopted as AK and AK-49 was prototype of later AK with milled receiver.
I have heard that Herr Schmeisser was actually sick much of the time, so i don’t know how much he could have contributed in general.
(5) “What is uncontested is that Kalashnikov’s original design was phased out.” Page 209
I think they were talking about the AK-47 Type 1-the version with the stamped receiver.