He became a Communist Party of the Soviet Union member in 1941. Vasily Degtyaryov headed the first Soviet firearms design bureau. He created several types of machine guns, submachine guns and anti-tank guns.
He was also awarded three Orders of Lenin, four other orders and different medals.
Stalin Prizes; 1942 - 1st class and 2nd class 1946 - 2nd class 1949 - 1st class (posthumous) Hero of Socialist Labour (1940) Three Orders of Lenin Order of Suvorov, 1st and 2nd classes Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of the Red Star Medal "Foreign the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945".
