The inventor of what has been described as the world's most important and widespread weapon says he has one wish before he dies, to live in a society without war.

"What I want is to live to see that moment when there is peace and happiness on the planet," Mikhail Kalashnikov, who created the assault rifle that bears his name, told Reuters.

"I want my legacy to be the spread of peace in the world; that the murders stop, that the wars stop and that politicians learn to settle their problems in a peaceful way."

Kalashnikov, 84, says that despite its proliferation in war zones around the world, he has never really viewed his invention as a killing machine, but as an instrument of peace.

Nearly six decades of test-firing have left the sprightly Kalashnikov now a decorated general, hard of hearing. But he speaks clearly and passionately of what led him to create the AK-47, literally the "Automatic Kalashnikov, 1947".

Kalashnikov says he envisioned the gun in the early years of World War Two while recovering from combat wounds as his country reeled from the Nazi onslaught in a conflict that would claim the lives of more than 25 million Soviet citizens.

"I created this weapon because of Germany and the war. I was a soldier then. Soldiers need a simple and reliable weapon," Kalashnikov, the rows of medals on his chest sparkling in the light, said in an interview.

In the Dutch city of Delft for an exhibition on the AK-47, the former tank commander rejected suggestions that he or his rifle were in any way responsible for the conflicts in which it has been used.

"No single gun starts a war," he said. "All kinds of weapons are used in modern warfare. Therefore you can't say there is any relationship between this weapon and any war."

SYMBOL OF PERFECTION?

To enthusiasts, the Kalashnikov is a symbol of perfection.

Sleek, light and simple, the gun has changed little since it was first manufactured and most professional soldiers who use it see no reason why it should have.

The Kalashnikov is nearly impervious to sand, water and mud unlike many analogues. It is cheap to produce and its compact size makes it easier to smuggle than many others, all of which has added to its appeal in certain circles.

Jane's Infantry Weapons describes the Kalashnikov as the most important and widespread weapon in the world and estimates that well in excess of 50 million have been sold.

Kalashnikov, who lives on a pension worth less than 500 euros ($593) a month, has not earned a penny from the weapon because Soviet citizens were forbidden from patenting their inventions.

He does not complain, saying instead that the Soviet, and later the Russian state have given him ample rewards, including a modest summer cottage in the Russian countryside and a four-room apartment.

"Why is everyone so concerned with all that green stuff... There is much more to life than money," he said. "How many people can tell you they've had a bronze bust dedicated to them during their lifetime?"

Despite such sentiment, Kalashnikov earlier this year sealed an unlikely alliance with a German firm to which wants to use his name to produce goods such as watches, razors and umbrellas.

They will all be as reliable as the guns, he says.

MORE COMMON THAN INDOOR PLUMBING

The same simplicity and reliability of the Kalashnikov that helped a poorly-supplied Soviet army fend off the Nazi invasion makes it readily usable by child soldiers in Africa and Asia.

It is a mainstay virtually, and quite often on both sides, every time war erupts in the developing world.

In some parts of the globe, Kalashnikovs are more common than refrigerators, cell phones or even indoor plumbing.

Kalashnikov is angered by questions about child soldiers, estimated by the United Nations at 300,000 in government armies, rebel forces and guerrilla groups in more than 30 countries.

"I know they exist but I have never seen one," he said, adding, "I am not the one who puts the gun in their hands. And perhaps that is a good thing."

Kalashnikov says he sometimes wishes he had invented something more useful and less obviously linked to violence, "such as a lawn mower".

But he is unapologetic and insists that his rifle has brought good into the world."

"Why do people always ask me about the damage it has brought? Many countries who have used the weapon have won themselves freedom. Look at Mozambique. On their flag they have the AK-47," Kalashnikov said.

"Once, when I met the defence minister there, he told me that...soldiers returning home started naming their children 'Kalash'. Come and see, he said, in every village you will find 10 kids named Kalash. That is not an insignificant thing."

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