Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant
A Russian machine-building enterprise known for military firearms, civilian sporting and hunting weapons, and products marketed under the Molot and VEPR names.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant, also known as the Vyatskiye Polyany Molot Machine-Building Plant, is a Russian industrial enterprise headquartered in Vyatskiye Polyany in Kirov Oblast. The plant is best known for producing firearms and related defense products under the Molot-Oruzhiye and VEPR brands. It has been described as one of the largest companies in Kirov Oblast and as a subsidiary of the Rostec state industrial group, although the available reference material also records bankruptcy proceedings and control by a bankruptcy-management company during the 2010s. Its current operating and ownership status requires verification. The enterprise was established in 1940 in Zagorsk, Moscow Oblast. During the Second World War, the plant was evacuated to Vyatskiye Polyany together with its workforce and equipment. Among the personnel associated with the relocation were firearms designers Georgy Shpagin and Nikolay Makarov. In its wartime role, the factory became a principal manufacturer of the PPSh-41 submachine gun, one of the Soviet Union’s most widely produced submachine guns. The move made Vyatskiye Polyany a lasting center of arms production and industrial employment in the Kirov region. After the war, the plant’s production portfolio expanded beyond military firearms. In the 1950s it manufactured the Vyatka motor scooter, illustrating an effort to apply its production capabilities to consumer mechanical goods. Later, the enterprise returned to a stronger focus on weapons and defense-related manufacturing. During the 1990s, it diversified into sporting and hunting firearms, developing civilian products alongside military designs. The company’s civilian rifle and shotgun production became associated with the VEPR name, while Molot-Oruzhiye served as another important weapons brand. The plant’s product history includes Kalashnikov-pattern light machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank guided missile systems, rocket-propelled grenade systems, semi-automatic rifles, carbines, and shotguns. Several military products were manufactured for Russian defense applications, including variants of the RPK family and AGS-17-derived grenade launchers. Civilian products included the VEPR-12 semi-automatic shotgun and a range of VPO-designated rifles and carbines. Rifles from the plant were exported to the United States under the VEPR brand, making the company visible in the international sporting and firearms market. The enterprise entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2012. Reference material states that by 2017 it was being controlled by a bankruptcy managing company. The same material identifies Rostec as the company’s parent or controlling industrial group, but does not establish the precise current legal structure, ownership arrangements, or whether all listed product lines remain active. Accordingly, the plant is best documented as a historically significant Russian arms and machine-building enterprise whose present status needs confirmation from current corporate or regulatory sources.
History
Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant was established in 1940, initially in Zagorsk in Moscow Oblast. Its early history was shaped by the Soviet Union’s wartime industrial mobilization. In 1941, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the plant was evacuated to Vyatskiye Polyany. The evacuation included workers and technical personnel, among them Georgy Shpagin and Nikolay Makarov, designers associated with major Soviet small-arms developments. At its new location, the plant became a major producer of the PPSh-41 submachine gun. The PPSh-41 was one of the Soviet military’s principal submachine guns during the Second World War, and the plant’s wartime production established the industrial importance of Vyatskiye Polyany. The enterprise retained a connection with arms manufacturing after the war, but its product range was not limited to weapons. During the 1950s it manufactured the Vyatka motor scooter, demonstrating a period of diversification into civilian mechanical products. The company later concentrated more heavily on military, sporting, and hunting weapons. During the 1990s, it launched or expanded a line of civilian firearms intended for sports shooters and hunters. The VEPR name became particularly associated with rifles and shotguns derived from the plant’s firearms manufacturing capabilities. These products were exported to the United States under the VEPR brand, giving the enterprise an international civilian-market presence in addition to its domestic defense role. The plant’s military portfolio included RPK-series light machine guns, AGS-17 and related automatic grenade launchers, and other defense products. The referenced product list also includes the Metis-M anti-tank guided missile system and RPG-29 rocket-propelled grenade system. Its civilian range included the VEPR-12 semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun and several VPO-designated rifles and carbines. The enterprise entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2012. Reference material states that it was controlled by a bankruptcy-management company by 2017. It is also identified as a subsidiary of Rostec, Russia’s state industrial conglomerate. The supplied sources do not resolve how the bankruptcy process affected the company’s legal identity, assets, brands, production facilities, or relationship with Rostec. They also do not establish whether the plant remains active at the time of this dossier. The company’s current status, executive leadership, and ownership structure therefore require review against up-to-date Russian corporate, insolvency, and defense-industry records.
- 2017
Bankruptcy-management control reported
[1]Reference material reported that the enterprise was being controlled by a bankruptcy managing company.
- 2012
Bankruptcy proceedings begin
[1]The company entered bankruptcy proceedings.
- 1990
Expansion into sporting and hunting firearms
[1]During the 1990s, the plant diversified into sports and hunting weapons, including products associated with the VEPR brand.
- 1950
Vyatka motor scooter production
[1]During the 1950s, the enterprise manufactured the Vyatka motor scooter as part of its non-firearms production.
- 1941
Evacuation to Vyatskiye Polyany
[1]The plant and its workforce were relocated to Vyatskiye Polyany during the Second World War.
- 1941
PPSh-41 production
[1]Following its relocation, the plant became a principal manufacturer of the PPSh-41 submachine gun.
- 1940
Plant established
[1]The machine-building enterprise was founded in Zagorsk, Moscow Oblast.
Products and positioning
A historically important Russian defense and machine-building enterprise combining military production with civilian sporting and hunting firearms. Its commercial weapons identity is associated particularly with the Molot-Oruzhiye and VEPR brands.
Civilian sporting and hunting shotgun
VEPR-12
The VEPR-12 is a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun associated with the plant’s civilian sporting and hunting range. It is marketed under the VEPR name, which became the company’s best-known international civilian firearms identity.
Civilian semi-automatic carbine
VPO-165
The VPO-165 is a semi-automatic carbine based on the AKSU pattern and chambered for 5.56×45 mm ammunition. It represents the plant’s adaptation of military-derived designs for civilian firearms applications.
Civilian semi-automatic rifle
VPO-123
The VPO-123 is a semi-automatic rifle chambered for 7.62×54 mmR. It belongs to the plant’s VPO line of civilian sporting and hunting firearms.
Civilian semi-automatic rifle
VPO-128
The VPO-128 is a semi-automatic rifle chambered for 6.5 mm Grendel. It is listed among the plant’s civilian rifle products, although the supplied sources do not confirm its current production status.
Military firearm
RPK-series light machine guns
The plant manufactured multiple RPK-family light machine guns, including the 7.62×39 mm RPK, the 5.45×39 mm RPK-74 and RPK-74M, and later variants such as the RPK-201 and RPK-203. These products formed part of its military small-arms portfolio.
Automatic grenade launcher
AGS-17 family
The AGS-17 Plamya and related AG-17A, AG-17M, and AG-17D models are 30 mm automatic grenade-launcher systems listed among the plant’s military products. The variants include ground, aircraft, modernized, and remotely operated configurations.
Anti-tank guided missile system
Metis-M
Metis-M is an anti-tank guided missile system included in the plant’s referenced military product portfolio. The supplied material does not specify the plant’s precise production role or the relevant production period.
Rocket-propelled grenade system
RPG-29
The RPG-29 is a rocket-propelled grenade system listed among the plant’s defense products. No additional manufacturing dates or production-volume information is established by the supplied sources.
Motor scooter · 1950
Vyatka motor scooter
The Vyatka motor scooter was manufactured by the enterprise during the 1950s. It is an example of the plant’s postwar diversification beyond military and industrial weapons production.
Brand decisions
2012
Entry into bankruptcy proceedingsOtherBackground
The enterprise faced financial and corporate distress during the post-Soviet period.
Action taken
Bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against the company.
Aftermath
By 2017, the plant was reported to be under the control of a bankruptcy managing company. The supplied sources do not establish the final outcome.
1990
Diversification into civilian firearmsStrategyBackground
During the 1990s, the plant broadened its business beyond military production by developing sporting and hunting weapons.
Action taken
It introduced a civilian firearms range associated with the Molot-Oruzhiye and VEPR brands.
Aftermath
The move created a civilian and export-oriented product segment, including VEPR firearms sold in the United States.
Recent events
- 2017
Bankruptcy-management company controls the plant[1]
Bankruptcy · Leadership change
Reference material reports that the plant was under the control of a bankruptcy managing company by 2017. Its subsequent status is not established by the supplied sources.
- 2012
Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant enters bankruptcy proceedings[1]
Bankruptcy
The enterprise entered formal bankruptcy proceedings, marking a major disruption in its corporate and operational history.
Sources1 sources
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