Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov

Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov (; 15 May [ O.S. 3 May] 1874 – 19 September 1966) was a Russian and Soviet scientist, weapons designer, professor, lieutenant general of the Soviet technical-engineering service and a founder of the Soviet school of automatic small arms.

In 1900, Vladimir Fyodorov graduated from Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy and was transferred to the artillery committee of the Chief Artillery Directorate (Главное артиллерийское управление). He designed several automatic rifles: one chambered in 7.62 mm (1912), another in 6.5 mm for a cartridge of his own design (1913), and one of the first prototype assault rifles in the world: the Avtomat Fyodorova (1916), which was originally designed to fire a shortened Arisaka 6.5mm rifle cartridge, but saw service firing the full-sized 6.5 mm Arisaka rifle cartridge due to reliability issues in testing and foresight of logistical problems. Automatic weapons designed by Fyodorov were used during World War I and the Russian Civil War. Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class Order of the Red Star