Victor Kalashnikov

For the journalist and ex-KGB officer, see Viktor Kalashnikov. For other people, see Kalashnikov.

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Mikhailovich and the family name is Kalashnikov.

Victor Mikhailovich Kalashnikov (Russian: Ви́ктор Миха́йлович Кала́шников; 16 July 1942 – 27 March 2018) was a Russian small arms designer known for developing the PP-19 Bizon submachine gun.

Victor Kalashnikov
Kalashnikov at his father Mikhail's funeral, December 2013
Born	Victor Mikhailovich Kalashnikov (1942-07-16)16 July 1942[1] Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Died	27 March 2018(2018-03-27) (aged 75) Izhevsk, Russia[1]
Nationality	Russian
Occupation	Small arms designer
Known for	Designer of the PP-19 Bizon
Children	Mikhail and Aleksandr[2]
Parent(s)	Mikhail Timofevich Kalashnikov, Ekaterina Viktorovna Kalashnikova[3]
Awards	Order of the Badge of Honour[4]

Early life and education

Kalashnikov was born 16 July 1942 in Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union, the son of small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, creator of the AK-47,^[5] and Ekaterina Viktorovna Kalashnikova.^[3][4]

Victor graduated in 1966 from a mechanical institute in Izhevsk in the Soviet Union.^[1]

Career

Kalashnikov began his weapon designing career in 1966 by conducting a series of tests of the AK-47 and summarizing the factors that affect its stability, durability, and reliability.^[1] He was then involved in the development of self-loading hunting rifles.^[6]

He designed a number of parts and components and participated in developing self-loading hunting rifles and Kalashnikov machine guns. He led a group which designed the Bizon and Vityaz-SN submachine guns.^[1]

Personal life

Kalashnikov had two sons, Mikhail and Aleksandr.^[2] He died 27 March 2018 at age 75^[5] in Izhevsk, Russia.^[1]