How to make a Kalashnikov
“How could you go to Izhevsk and not say anything about Kalashnikov?” You ask me. Kalashnikov is probably one of the most famous automata in the world and a symbol with which Russia is associated on a par with vodka, a bear and a balalaika. Kalashnikov is on the flags and emblems of some countries, he constantly flashes in cinema and computer games. Do Kalashnikov dozens of factories around the world. But the birthplace of the famous machine gun remains Izhevsk.
I went to the Izhmash plant and looked at how the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle is being made. Not so long ago, "Izhmash" experienced difficult times, but now things have gotten better. In 2014, the Kalashnikov Concern, now called NPO Izhmash, for the first time in 7 years received a net profit from production activities in the amount of 94 million rubles, and this happened despite the sanctions imposed on the enterprise.
It turns out that before the “Kalashnikov” sanctions almost 80% of its products were supplied to the US market, it was civil weapon. The shipments of Saiga carbines and other types of civilian weapons to the United States were indeed impressive. Here is the 2012 article of the year, which states that US citizens buy as many “Kalashnikov-type” weapons as the Russian army and police. For example, former United States marines are buying Saiga, for example, when in war, they sometimes prefer captured Kalashnikov assault rifles to their M-16.
Migration of carbine "Saiga" in the United States was stopped precisely by sanctions. By the way, this measure provoked a boom in sales of Russian weapons in the Americas. Moreover, in January, 2015, the head of the American importer of arms RWC, Thomas McCrossin, announced that the company intends to begin production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in the USA under the AK-47 brand. Concern "Kalashnikov", it seems, did not object, considering this step in terms of sanctions quite logical. RWC is going to buy a license from a Bulgarian manufacturer, who in Soviet times received it from the USSR.
The general director of the Kalashnikov concern, Alexei Krivoruchko, says that just a year ago, 80 percent of the weapons produced by the Izhevsk plant were civilians. But after the largest "civilian" was banned, the concern increased the production of military weapons. The main consumers were Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America. As a result, last year Kalashnikov increased the production of small arms from 70 thousand (2013) to 120 thousand units and reoriented production: now 80% of weapons produced here is military. Now "Kalashnikov" is developing more 40 types of small arms of various calibers, and some of them are going to present this year.
Let's walk through the legendary Izhevsk plant and see how and what kind of weapons are produced here.
The production of weapons is nothing unusual. First, make the individual elements, then all this is collected in a machine or, for example, a cannon. That's how they make molds for casting some parts. These models are made from model composition (paraffin, stearin and something else). Then the models are assembled in blocks.
Suspension is applied to the block, sprinkled with sand and dried, this ceramic shape is obtained. Then a model is smelted from it and steel is poured.
Already finished parts then need to manually clean. Everything is nice, at home.
In furnaces, parts are heated to a certain temperature, as a result of which the structure of the material and its hardness change.
And this is a heat bath "on salt". In the hot salt details fall.
Pickling line. When the parts of the weapon are heat treated, a glow appears on them. This heat is removed by chemical means. The pickling line is already new.
Old shops look like this.
Handsomely )
See how everything was mentally at the factory. Flowers, posters, tea with sweets.
Now the plant is being modernized. New workshops appear, a large central warehouse is being built. New machine tools appeared here in December 2014. Now there will be no cacti.
With machine tools, too, there was a nuisance. Due to the sanctions, the number of countries that can supply us with equipment has greatly decreased. "Kalashnikov" is going to reorient to domestic and Asian manufacturers.
By the way, pay attention to the charming coat hanger and the strawberry bag!
Investment Kalashnikov was originally going to spend 5 billion rubles, but due to the weakening of the ruble in the modernization will have to invest at least 6 billion rubles. The investment program must be completed in the 2017 year.
By 2020, Kalashnikov is going to increase its output and gross revenues 3 times and at the same time reduce the cost of products by half.
Now the plant looks like a big construction site. Moreover, the repair and modernization goes in parallel with the production. In some workshops, the floors and walls are being repaired at the same time, somewhere a new roof is being laid and new ceilings are being made.
Behind the screen repair, and next to continue to do some parts.
Old machines are gradually replaced by new ones.
This whole die plot will replace ...
One laser machine, where all parts will now be cut.
Go to the assembly! Pressing the box with the barrel is called a "wedding".
There are several production streams: mass products - military products and civilian weapons based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle, sniper rifles and Tiger rifles based on a sniper rifle. By the way, the weapons that receive the name in honor of animals are called by our factory "menagerie".
The streams are organized differently: in the first case it is a conveyor belt, in the second - a multiseries assembly, that is, each product is assembled by one person.
In the production process, a machine gun or other weapon passes a number of control points. Three - on launch, seven - on release, plus after each operation. In the case of military products, for example, the interchangeability of parts is checked.
In one area, a sporting and hunting weapon is produced (carbine "Elk", "Leopard", etc.) and a sniper rifle CB-98.
Despite the modernization of the equipment, the assembly principle will remain the same, with a considerable amount of manual labor.
After the "wedding" product is sent "to cover", and from there - to the final assembly. A cover, butt, forearm, handle, etc. are attached to the trunk and box.
Plot with aviation guns. This type of weapon is produced only here at the Izhevsk plant. The rate of guns that are installed on Russian helicopters and aircraft is up to 1800 rounds per minute.
The plant produces about 120 thousand units of small arms per year, in the stream - about 500 units per day. This is not a full download. Initially, the plant was designed for the production of 600 thousand weapons. In the coming years, the plant is going to master the production of new lines and increase production to 300 thousand units per year.
This year the company intends to produce on 20-25% more weapons than in the past (120 thousand for 2014 year).
The most popular type of weapon among the buyers produced at the plant is still the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Of civilian products, the biggest demand is for Tigers and other representatives of the so-called "menagerie" - Barsov, Elks, Izyubrey, etc.
In 10 minutes from the factory there is a center where weapons are tested.
The classic Kalashnikov assault rifle is obsolete long ago. Weapons are constantly being upgraded. This is due, among other things, to the fact that 70% of clashes occur in the dark. Therefore, a modern machine should be convenient for night combat.
Thus, a Picattini bar appeared on the Kalashnikov machine, on which a collimator sight can be mounted, which allows shooting at night, as well as a tactical flashlight and target designator. In addition, the gun was supplied with a flame arrester, which would not give out the location of the fighter when fired.
The "body kit" for the machine, that is, a set of upgrades, the plant did only this year. Appeared pistol grip. Butt - folding and telescopic. Such an automaton any shooter can customize.
But there is a completely new machine - AK-12. He no longer requires modernization, it is easier and more accurate than the old version of Kalashnikov. All the necessary elements on it already have. A pistol grip, a quick-release device for the magazine and a new fuse allow you to fire with one hand, with the other by performing the necessary manipulations with the weapon.
Now AK-12 finishes state tests and, most likely, this year it will be accepted for service. In January, the Ministry of Defense 2015 selected the AK-12 submachine gun as the main small arms, which will become part of the outfit of the “Warrior” soldier. Already this year, the Russian army can receive up to 70 thousand samples of the “Warrior”.
Submachine gun 19-01 "Vityaz-SN"
Saiga 12 isp.340
The carbine "Saiga" MK isp. 107 is a fundamentally new balanced automation system. As I was told, this weapon has no recoil at all. Usually, the frame of the machine pushes the shooter into the shoulder, but on this carbine a balance bar is installed, which instantly goes to meet it. When they collide, recoil compensation occurs. "It would seem that there are springs, two planochka, but no one else in the world has created such weapons. We now want to place special emphasis on these weapons. In the world of small arms, this is not just a novelty, but, one might say, a sensation."
While this is an experimental model, designers are now working on weapons. Next week, the plant will receive two new models and go with them to Hungary for the European practical shooting championship, and then, perhaps, will make some other changes to the design. Already this year, the Kalashnikov wants to launch a serial release of this carbine.
You can shoot even with one hand. When firing, the carbine barrel remains motionless, which naturally increases the accuracy of shooting.
Well? Be proud of Russia?
Information