Russia · founded in 1807
Kalashnikov Concern (Izhmash)
The Russian company heir to the imperial Izhevsk factory, home of the AK.
History
Founded in 1807 as the Izhevsk Imperial Arms Plant, the facility traversed the Russian Empire, the USSR and the Russian Federation, adapting to every political transition. In the 1940s it hosted the development of Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47, destined to become the most-produced firearm in history.
In 2013, with the restructuring of the Russian defense sector, Izhmash merged into the Kalashnikov Concern, which today also includes Baikal and Izhmekh. The portfolio covers the full AK family (AKM, AK-74, AK-12), the SVD sniper rifle, the PKM and a civilian line of sporting and hunting carbines.
Iconic products
- →AK-47, AKM, AK-74, AK-12 — the most widespread rifle family in the world.
- →SVD Dragunov — iconic Soviet DMR.
- →PKM — 7.62×54R general-purpose machine gun.