Legendary Russian AK Manufacturer Now Officially Bankrupt

[Randy M]

In some upsetting news for AK enthusiasts, Izhmash, the company that controls the “original” AK rifle factory in Izhevsk, Russia, has officially declared bankruptcy. Steve over on The Firearm Blog broke a story about it earlier today, linking to a Russian news website that covered the details.
For those of us that follow the international firearms industry and its major happenings, this is no shocker. Izhmash has led a financially-troubled life since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the company’s rough transition to existing in a free market economy. Like many other weapons manufacturers throughout the former Warsaw Pact, the small arms industry of Russia was powered by the vast amount of state-apportioned resources assigned to it. Decades of the Soviet Union’s policies of freely sharing technical specifications, industrial tooling and simply large amounts of guns with friendly – or potentially friendly – states and groups throughout the Cold War has severely hampered Izhmash’s ability to exercise control over and financially benefit from intellectual property (read: the AK design) and products that it theoretically owns. (For anyone interested in learning about the nature and implications of Soviet-style arms manufacturing and stockpiling, I highly recommend C.J. Chivers’ The Gun.)

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/legen...ally-bankrupt/

[AKS]

It seems that sales were not bad. Some areas even had good growth but it was not enough to cover the amount owed to the creditors.

Smells like a case of bad previous management. Hopefully after the reorganization they will continue producing their quality products.

[Mark Sman]

Hard to believe. They sell things that people want and they do it at a price many can afford.

Some of their sporting items are actually pretty nice.

This just has to be mismanagement.

[Flamming_Python]

Oh noes! :L

Seriously, this is like the 3rd time in a row now. Hopefully, no biggie

[[RNZE]Sapper]

AK-103

A sad day indeed. This is the best assault rifle in the world. Now, before you fanbois lynch me. This is taken into account cost, reliability, accuracy, training, maintenance, service records and most importantly cost. If there is an alien invasion of earth, this is the rifle you will be issued to fight them.

I will be cradling mine to sleep tonight.

[sepheronx]

The company will be bailed out again. Like Python said, not the first time.

Maybe this time, the government will just stop bailing them out and let the corp do what it needs to do to survive. If they get bailed out, then no one will care to make the company profitable. At that, I thought the AK-100 series where selling very well?

[Flamming_Python]

The company will be bailed out again. Like Python said, not the first time.

Maybe this time, the government will just stop bailing them out and let the corp do what it needs to do to survive. If they get bailed out, then no one will care to make the company profitable. At that, I thought the AK-100 series where selling very well?

Oh the AK is sold very well indeed. Just not by Izhmash

[sepheronx]

Oh the AK is sold very well indeed. Just not by Izhmash

But the 100 series is only made by Izhmash...?

How is tula weapons company doing (KBP) these days?

[KillerBD]

Are you sure this story isn't more foo-pie? Seems like quite a few of these have been surfacing recently, then it just turns out to be nothing really. Just new management taking over... Hence the cancellation of the "AK-200" then the subsequent "AK-12" comes out... Which I'm not all to impressed with picatinny-rails anyway, but it can be a useful upgrade if you are looking to tack-on some extra stuff (which I'm not, hence me no care).

On another note: Screw the BATF and their stupid pointless importation/922(r) laws, open up the full-line of the AK-100 series rifles for sale on the US civilian market

[Maximmmm]

Seph, they replaced the management and restructured the company
Wages are up, sales are up, the company ran a healthy profit last year. In fact wages are now being paid on time, as opposed to month long delays back under former management.
It's all about dropping the burned left from the previous management which ran it in to the ground pretty much.

[Raden5]

In some upsetting news for AK enthusiasts, Izhmash, the company that controls the “original” AK rifle factory in Izhevsk, Russia, has officially declared bankruptcy. Steve over on The Firearm Blog broke a story about it earlier today, linking to a Russian news website that covered the details. ....

This is called (in russian terminology) "bayan" (button accordion).
"Legendary Russian AK Manufacturer", at present - OJSC NPO Izhmash http://npo.izhmash.ru/ , which is not going to declare himself bankrupt.

[GuNZales]

[QUOTE=sepheronx;6143255]But the 100 series is only made by Izhmash...?

.............QUOTE]

Bulgarian Arsenal selling 100 series too, especially exproring it to US market by name SLR100s. I've herd IzhMash even tried to file a law suit against Arsenal. Do not know how it all came out