Thursday, December 3, 2009

Izhevsky armament plant


The largest firearms producer in Russia joint-stock company "IZHMASH" was founded by the order of the Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1807. It is hard to overestimate the significance of the plant in Russian history. Almost all types of firearms were produced here. About 11.3 million rifles and carbines were manufactured during the WWII. This number exceeds the quantity of firearms produced by all German firearm plants taken together (10.3 million). Besides, IZMASH mastered the mass production of antitank weapons, aircraft automatic guns, pistols and revolvers. Every day and night IZHMASH used to arm 1 infantry and airborne divisions. The postwar period of almost two century history of the plant is connected with production of the Kalashnikov assault rifle AK-47, which is still adopted in Armed and Special Forces of 106 countries all over the world. On attached pictures you can see a main office building of the plant, Russian President Mikhail Medvedev visiting the plant, and Kalashnikov’s museum.
Presently the company produces:
- military firearms;
- sporting-hunting weapons;
- aircraft automatic guns;
- guided artillery gunning complexes;
- test vehicles for maintenance and repair of tank armaments;
- new models of bikes;
- cars;