Kalashnikov asks Putin to save factory

[turbo89]

MOSCOW, Wednesday

Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian who designed the AK-47 assault rifle, has called on President Vladimir Putin to halt the decline at the legendary factory where he invented the weapon.

Mr Kalashnikov, 92, and 16 colleagues said in an open letter addressed to Putin that production had fallen to a record low at the Izmash motor and weaponry factory in Izhevsk, the main city in the central Russian region of Udmurtia.

“Respected Vladimir Vladimirmovich, we are forced to turn to you because of the catastrophic situation at what was once a manufacturing giant,” the letter said.

“It is bitter and shameful to see how something built by more than one generation is being destroyed. Today the level of production is lower than ever.”

“In the name of the veterans who have spent most of their lives working at Izmash, we ask you to save our factory,” it said.

The letter said that qualified personnel were quitting the company as their salary was no more than 10,000 roubles (320 dollars) a month, a problem that had already sparked protests at the plant.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/world/Kalashnikov+asks+Putin+to+save+factory/-/1068/1608458/-/vupj4c/-/index.html

 

[MtRiverCharlie]

Not surprised. Russia stopped buying AK-74's because they have enough to arm Russia for like a billion years at this point... with replacement parts.

 

[schnips]

Time to ramp up production for export and flood the US market. I'd love to see Saiga rifles selling for $199.

 

[dnepro-mike]

if workers get their way we might see saigas selling for $500 and up.

 

[flintoid]

Anything besides war or innovation won't save them. They've been working off of food rations for nearly the last decade.

Izhevsk has always been the "best" factory for AKs. It's evident in their castings, secondary machining processes, finish work, and part fit.

If anything, he should be petitioning Obama to loosen import laws. That'd help them more than anything. In effect, Putin is the closest thing he's got to that.

This would be like Colt shutting shop and then Del-ton making your AR parts from here on out.

 

[cekim]

This would be like Colt shutting shop and then Del-ton making your AR parts from here on out.

Replace "Colt" with "Del-ton" and "Del-ton" with "Stag."

 

[atilla]

If anything, he should be petitioning Obama to loosen import laws. That'd help them more than anything. In effect, Putin is the closest thing he's got to that.

that would. be. awesome. i can dream too, right?

Replace "Colt" with "Del-ton" and "Del-ton" with "Stag."

that would be incredibly un-awesome.

 

[Boris]

Tell the Russians t stop buying so many ARs.

they already got highest per capita of baseball bats for a country with not a single baseball team.

Izhevsk is in the middle of no-where. It's like 5h flight from Moscow toward nothing. If the workers are leaving to work somewhere else at higher wages, that's sad, especially since many of the workers have entire families working at the factory for generations.

They have literally been dumping AKs by plane load to Afganistan to arm every goat ****er and all of his goats. Every industry goes through cycles, they are SOL for now.

 

[hminsky]

Why don't they start making things that people want, like AR15's or M14's?

 

[winter]

Not surprised. Russia stopped buying AK-74's because they have enough to arm Russia for like a billion years at this point... with replacement parts.

And that is the price you pay for creating the greatest weapon the world has ever seen...

Time to ramp up production for export and flood the US market. I'd love to see Saiga rifles selling for $199.

+1

Why don't they start making things that people want, like AR15's or M14's?

How do you go from making THE AK to making ARs???

 

[atilla]

Why don't they start making things that people want, like AR15's or M14's?

heretic!

 

[cekim]

Why don't they start making things that people want, like AR15's or M14's?

Because they can't be made with rocks in a sandy floored hut.