“Based on the decision by Rostech [the state-run holding corporation that has been restructuring Izhmash following their bankruptcy], Izhmash has been renamed the Kalashnikov Concern. A relevant entry was made in the single state registry of corporate entities,” announced the brand-new Kalashnikov company.

Izhevsk makes Baikal shotguns and Makarov and Grach pistols, and was the largest manufacturer of Mosin-Nagant rifes, which is without a doubt the longest-serving, most widely-used bolt-action combat rifle of all time.

Merging the two companies will allow production to continue while the Izhmash plant is refitted and modernized. The armory is specialized in churning out huge numbers of rifles, and needs to re-tool to cost-effectively produce for current market realities.

The first project on the horizon for the new Kalashnikov company is a big one, the AK-12. The AK-12 is the next generation of AK rifle, and if all goes well, it will enter state acceptance trials for use by the Russian military, although in limited service as the Russian military is already well-equipped with AK-74 rifles.

Despite the fact that the AK-12 isn’t soon going to take over as the primary service rifle for the Russian military, the company expects to sell about 1 million of them per year once it goes into full production. It’s highly-anticipated on both the military and commercial markets.

Still, not everyone’s happy about the merger. While the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant may be well-established at 60 years old, Izhmash is a historical institution, founded in 1809 at the behest of Tsar Alexander I.

“We knew it was going to happen, but that does not mean it hurts any less,” laments Steve Johnson at the Firearm Blog. Still, renaming it after their most famous gun designer is a good move. The Kalashnikov name must be one of the most well known names throughout the world.”

Nevertheless, we can’t wait to shoot some Kalashnikov-brand Kalashnikovs, even if it’s just in the name.