In the shadow of Kalashnikov. Five little-known machine guns of the Russian army

For many years now there have been debates about what a promising machine gun should be like. Russian army. How many copies have already been broken in battles on specialized websites and on television! Every year we are presented with a “newest model” that has no analogues in the world. And nothing has changed. The army is still armed with the old and reliable AK-74 of various modifications, which dates back to the legendary AK mod. 47. Who now remembers the “unparalleled” AN-94, the “newest” AK-200 with a hinged receiver cover, or the family chambered for 6x49 mm. Nowadays everyone knows only about the AK-12 and A-545 assault rifles, which are being tested for the right to become the main small arms for the coming decades. So let's figure out which of the two candidates is better, and whether a new machine is needed at all.

Let's start with a competition for a new machine. Even during the war in Afghanistan, it became clear that the family of weapons based on the AK-74 was the end of the AK family. And no design tricks will radically improve the performance characteristics of the machine. It was decided to hold the competition under the code "Abakan". Leading designers presented their developments. The main innovations were automatic rifles with balanced automatics and a shifted recoil impulse. The AEK-971 balanced automatic machine did not make it to the finals due to problems with the service life of the balancer mechanism. The development of Gennady Nikonov (automatic ASN) and the development of Igor Stechkin (TKB-0146) reached the finals. Both machine guns were automatic with a shifted recoil impulse and had two rates of fire. According to the results of the competition, the Nikonov model (ASN) won, which, after modifications, was adopted by the Russian Army under the name AN-94. But in the difficult 90s for the country, the army had no time for a new machine gun...

The machine is notable for the fact that it has two rates of fire - 1800/600 rpm. When shooting, standard 5.45x39 mm cartridges are used. The machine gun consists of two parts: a firing block with a barrel and bolt group, as well as an external “casing” with guides. At the first shot, the firing block begins to move back, the spent cartridge case is ejected, the hammer is cocked, and a new cartridge is sent into the chamber. The secret of the rate of fire (1800 rpm) is that the second cartridge is delivered much faster due to the shorter distance between the magazine and the firing block extending back. The second shot occurs while the firing block is moving backwards, and the recoil impulse from the two shots is summed up at the end. This is how the first two shots occur when firing in automatic mode, subsequent shots are fired at a rate of 600 rpm. The first two bullets fly very closely and provide a high probability of hitting the target; the remaining bullets in the burst are dispersed slightly less than the AK-74 due to a more effective compensator and recoil buffers. I would not call the machine “unparalleled”. During these same years, a competition was held in Germany for a new assault rifle. It involved the HK G11 rifle with a similar principle of automatic operation, but firing caseless cartridges of 4.73 mm caliber. The rifle had a rotating chamber and a plastic body, and was cocked by rotating the handle on the butt. From the point of view of prospects, the German model was more interesting than the Soviet one, but the problems with the service life of the barrel, the unique cartridge and the likelihood of self-ignition of the cartridge were not solved. The project was soon closed due to the collapse of the Department of Internal Affairs and the reunification of Germany. The Russian assault rifle was produced in a very limited series and was never able to replace the AK-74 in the army. The machine was distinguished by its rather high cost and complexity of design, although it was quite reliable.

The next example is the A-545 assault rifle. Its direct ancestor is AEK-971. This is a balanced automatic. In design, it differs from the usual AK family by the presence of a moving countermass, equal in mass to the bolt group. When fired, the counterweight and bolt group move in opposite directions and cancel each other's momentum. Compared to the AK-74, the accuracy of automatic fire has increased many times, but the accuracy of the first two bullets is inferior to the AN-94 assault rifle. The machine gun turned out to be somewhat heavier than the AK-74, but lighter than the AN-94, the rate of fire increased from 650 rpm to 900-1000 rpm, and has a cut-off mode of 3 shots. Judging by the nomination for the competition, the problem of survivability of the gear connecting the bolt group and the countermass has been solved or removed to a large extent. In my opinion, the A-545 is the most progressive model when eliminating survivability problems.

The last and least interesting example is the AK-12. It differs from the AK-74 in more comfortable ergonomics, the presence of a 3-shot fire mode, a rigid receiver cover and increased accuracy of fire. There was no radical increase in the characteristics of the weapon. In terms of accuracy of automatic fire, it is still much inferior to the A-545 and AN-94, the ergonomic problem is partially solved by installing a good body kit, the side rail for the sight can be installed on existing AK-74s, a trained shooter can cut off a burst of two rounds in AB mode . Nothing fundamentally new (multi-caliber, modular design) was demonstrated. In the case of mass production, the army will receive a weapon that is not much better than the AK-74, and this is with proper quality control in production.

The AN-94 and A-545 seem much promising to me. They do not need to be churned out in tens of millions of pieces, and, in addition, they can be exported. It is enough to equip the regular army and the National Guard with them. The AK-74 should remain the main weapon of the Russian Army in case great war. What seems more interesting to me is the idea of ​​modernizing millions of warehouse AK-74/AK-74M by installing a high-quality body kit at a cost of 300-400 USD. At the same time, the machine gun’s qualities will be close to the AK-12 at a significantly lower cost.

Over the past centuries, weapons and military equipment continuously evolved. Military necessity led to further technical breakthroughs, all-destructive types of offensive weapons were born, making it possible to strike from distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. However, today individual small arms are by no means an anachronism. After all, remote methods of warfare are effective only if the goal of the operation is to destroy the enemy’s industrial and military infrastructure.

Over the past centuries, weapons and military equipment have continuously evolved. Military necessity led to further technical breakthroughs; all-destructive types of offensive weapons appeared, allowing strikes from distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. However, today individual small arms are by no means an anachronism. After all, remote methods of warfare are effective only if the goal of the operation is to destroy the enemy’s industrial and military infrastructure.

For the final defeat of the enemy, control of its territory, access to raw materials and industrial resources, and the implementation of humanitarian and other tasks, it is necessary to use infantry and special units that come into direct contact with the enemy. And this is where the main thing is actor war becomes a figure in camouflage with an assault rifle in his hands.

Screenshot from the game Battlefield

History of the issue: how it all began

To begin with, let's define the term “assault rifle” (in Russian terminology - machine gun). So, an assault rifle (in the original assault rifle) - a firearm designed for automatic fire with ammunition that occupies an intermediate position in power between rifle-machine-gun and pistol ammunition. Those. assault rifles do not include models capable of automatic fire, but designed to use pistol ammunition (i.e. submachine guns), as well as automatic weapons using rifle cartridges (automatic rifles).

For the first time, weapons, which, with some stretches, can be classified as assault rifles, were created in Russia by the talented gunsmith V.G. Fedorov. In 1916, mass production of a model began, which the author called an automatic machine. In fact, it was an automatic rifle, but with a sector magazine and chambered for Japanese rifle cartridges of 6.5 mm caliber, which had less power and less power compared to the Russian 7.62x54R cartridge.
recoil impulse. One of the Russian units was armed with this weapon. Imperial Army, who took part in the battles of the First World War.

Fedorov assault rifle: photo from Wikipedia

The pioneers in creating a full-fledged model of an assault rifle, which was the ancestor of this class of weapons, were the Germans. In the light combat experience On the Eastern Front, the German command became aware of the excess power and range of traditional repeating and self-loading rifles in conditions of, as a rule, short ranges of fire contact. Submachine guns, being almost ideal weapons
for short combat, say, in a forest or when clearing trenches and buildings, when firing at a distance of over two hundred meters, they had insufficient power and efficiency.

As a result of the implementation of the technical specifications of the German Arms Directorate for a new automatic carbine, the MP 43/44 was created, later renamed SturmGewehr 44, which literally means “Assault Rifle” in German. Thus, the new German model gave the name to the new class small arms. The Sturmgever was created for the cartridge developed before the war - in 1938 - by the Polte factory, which, although it retained the standard 7.92 caliber for the Wehrmacht, had a sleeve shortened to 33 mm and a lighter bullet and, in terms of power, occupied an intermediate position between the pistol and rifle cartridges. As a result, the Germans received a fairly successful model, allowing accurate fire with single shots at distances of up to 600 m and providing high density of fire while maintaining acceptable accuracy when firing in bursts at distances of up to 300 m.

In addition, the new assault rifle was intended for mass and cheap production using stamping and casting. The disadvantages of the machine include its not very comfortable grip when shooting prone. In total, before the end of the war, more than 400,000 assault rifles were produced in various configurations, including samples equipped with optical and infrared sights and even such exotic devices as the Krummlauf Vorsatz J curved-barrel device for shooting from around the corners of buildings and in the dead zones of tanks and fortifications. structures.

The appearance on the Eastern Front of new German weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge immediately caused a response Soviet gunsmiths. In 1943, designers N.M. Elizarov and B.V. Semin created the 7.62x39 intermediate cartridge, which went down in history as the M1943 and became the most common intermediate cartridge in the world. It was for this cartridge that it was first created self-loading carbine Simonov - SKS, and then the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle.

There is a legend that wanders from one online publication to another that the Kalashnikov assault rifle was copied from the Stg-44 and that German gunsmiths, including Hugo Schmeisser himself, while in Soviet captivity, took part in its development. It is quite obvious that the Kalashnikov assault rifle, not being a direct copy of the Sturmgever, and having a fundamentally different design of many components, was created under the strong influence of German design. By the way, in the memoirs of the Kovrov gunsmiths, published in one of the Russian specialized magazines, there is a mention of one interesting fact. It turns out that the first production samples of the AK-47 were significantly inferior in accuracy in automatic fire mode German machine gun and the plant management assigned a large cash bonus to the employee who, when shooting AKs at the shooting range, could significantly improve the previously achieved results. The prize remained unclaimed.

So, it is impossible not to notice that the development and successful use of the Stg-44 assault rifle by Nazi Germany had a strong and direct impact on the development of small arms, because armies of all countries of the world have made weapons of this class the main individual weapon of the infantryman.

The development and successful use of the Stg-44 assault rifle by Nazi Germany had a strong and direct impact on the development of small arms

To date, samples of modern assault rifles are classified as third-generation assault rifles (zero includes German MP-43 and Stg-44 assault rifles, first - AK-47, AKM and Czech Vz-58, M-14 (USA) G-3 ( Germany), FAL (Belgium). The main feature of the second generation (which includes the AK-74, American M-16, French Famas, Austrian AUG, etc.) was the transition to smaller caliber cartridges - 5.56x45 and 5.45x39) .

Common features of third-generation assault rifles are the widespread use of plastics and light alloys, which makes it possible to significantly lighten the weapon and reduce the cost of its production; the use of a modular design, the use of optical and collimator (red dot) sights as the main ones, the possibility of installing a large range of additional equipment, laid down at the design stage: under-barrel and muzzle grenade launchers, tactical flashlights, laser target designators, silencers.

What are they fighting with today?

Let's try to look at the most interesting examples of third-generation assault rifles, both mass-produced and under development.

The Italian rifle-grenade launcher system ARX-160 developed by Beretta includes a 5.56 mm assault rifle and a 40 * 46 mm under-barrel grenade launcher, which can also be used autonomously. The firing range of the grenade launcher is 400m. In addition to the assault rifle and grenade launcher itself, the complex includes the Aspis small arms fire control device and the Scorpio grenade launcher fire control device. The modular design of the complex allows, after replacing a number of parts, to use cartridges of 5.56x45 mm, 5.45x39 mm, 7.62x39 mm, 6.8x43 mm, i.e. in fact, the entire range of intermediate cartridges produced today. The machine is equipped with quick-change barrels of 406 and 305 mm, the replacement of which takes no more than five seconds, the cocking handle can be reinstalled on both sides, it is possible to quickly change the direction of reflection spent cartridges. The automation operates on the principle of a gas outlet with a short stroke of the gas piston.

The folding butt of the machine gun has 5 length adjustment positions. There are 4 Picatinny mounting rails for installing additional equipment, 6 belt attachment points. The front and rear sights fold down. Standard coating colors are black and olive. An assault rifle with a short barrel weighs no more than 3 kg and is an ideal combat transformer with the ability to fine-tune it to the needs of a particular shooter.
The complex is the basis for the promising Italian set of combat equipment “Soldato Futuro”. The machine gun has been entering service with the Italian army since 2012 and is offered for export. In particular, the machine version for Soviet cartridge 7.62x39 (AKM magazines are used), adopted by the forces special operations Republic of Kazakhstan.

The HK-416 assault rifle from Heckler-Koch owes its appearance to the desire of this company to enter the American market of military and police weapons. The idea was to create a model that combines the ergonomics and appearance of the M-16, beloved by all Americans, with significantly increased reliability. To achieve this, the direct gas outlet of the M-16 was replaced by a much more contamination-resistant system with a short stroke of the gas piston, the same as on the G-36 rifle.

Heckler & Koch HK-416

The bolt and return mechanism were also improved and a barrel with increased survivability was used. It is curious that at first the HK-416 was developed as a kit of parts for upgrading machine guns of the M-16/M-4 type. At the same time, the barrel with the gas engine, the forend, the receiver and the bolt group were replaced, and replacement of the return spring and buffer was also recommended. In this case, the stock, magazine, trigger mechanism housing with handle and magazine receiver can be used from the old model.

Otherwise, the HK-416 has much in common with its “classmates” - a telescopic stock of adjustable length, quick-change barrels, four Picatinny rails for attaching various sighting devices, laser target designators, tactical flashlights, under-barrel grenade launchers, etc.
The machine gun was adopted by some special units US Army, including the legendary counter-terrorism unit Delta Force, corps Marine Corps USA, special units of a number of countries and private military companies, where it has proven itself well. It is also known that in the operation to destroy Osama Bin Laden, a team of 6 US Navy SEALs used HK-416 assault rifles. The weapon has high accuracy and accuracy of fire, which, combined with soft and smooth recoil, makes it an ideal tool in the hands of a professional.

in the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden, a team of 6 US Navy SEALs used HK-416 assault rifles

As a result of summarizing the tactical experience gained by the troops of the international coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, it turned out that standard NATO 5.56 caliber cartridges under certain conditions have insufficient range and penetration. In addition, a light bullet of the SS 109 cartridge at a distance of 400 m with a side wind of 17 km/h has a drift twice as large as that of a bullet of the 7.62x51 cartridge. In light of these findings, the Heckler-Koch company, based on the HK-416 assault rifle, developed the NK-417 automatic rifle chambered for 7.62x51 NATO. The new rifle is available with 4 barrel options of different lengths, and when using “sniper” barrels 40 and 50 cm long and corresponding ammunition, when firing single shots, the rifle demonstrates accuracy in the region of one minute of arc, which allows us to classify this version of the NK-417 as a tactical sniper rifle .

Heckler & Koch HK-417

When talking about third-generation assault rifles, it is impossible to ignore the SCAR complex. FN SCAR Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) - a combat assault rifle for special operations forces) - was developed by FN-Herstal USA to participate in the competition for a new assault rifle for US SOCOM soldiers, announced in 2003 by the US Special Operations Command. According to the requirements of the competition, the rifle had to, firstly, make maximum use of the principle of modularity, i.e., be easily adaptable for specific tactical conditions, and secondly, be superior in reliability to the standard M-4 carbine. Also technical task assumed that promising samples would have retrofit kits for 7.62x39, 6.8 Rem, etc. ammunition.

In 2004, it was announced that the winner of the competition was FN-Herstal USA with rifle-grenade launcher systems, which were later standardized as the Mark 16 / Mk.16 SCAR-L and Mark 17 / Mk.17 SCAR-H.
The head of the US SOCOM weapons program, Troy Smith, emphasized that the design of the SCAR rifles was carried out with the active assistance of the special forces themselves, and the peculiarity of the SCAR rifles is that they are special forces weapons that embody many years of combat experience. After signing the contract for the initial stage of production, military tests in different climatic zones, in which Navi Seals operators, US Marine Special Forces soldiers and Army Rangers took part.

Fn SCAR Mk 17

The SCAR family of rifles, in addition to two “basic” options - the “light” rifle Mk.16 SCAR-L (Light) chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO caliber and the “heavy” rifle Mk.17 SCAR-H (Heavy) chambered for more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition , includes the Mk 13 Mod 0 or FN40GL - a 40mm grenade launcher that can be used as an under-barrel grenade launcher for either variant, or used independently.

Fn SCAR Mk 13

Both basic configurations offer the possibility of installing barrels of various lengths, which determine their tactical purpose. There are three standard options - "S" (Standard), "CQC" (Close Quarters Combat) - a shortened machine gun for close combat, and "SV" (Sniper Variant) - a sniper weapon. The manufacturer emphasizes the principle of modularity of its design - 82% of the parts, of which there are only 175, can be used in weapons of both calibers.

Varieties of Fn SCAR Mk 16

The steel magazine for the MK-16 is interchangeable with the magazine for the M-4 carbine, although, according to the developer, it is of better quality. The chrome-plated barrel and overall quality of workmanship guarantee a long service life of the assault rifle. The automatic weapon with a short stroke of the gas piston, in addition to low sensitivity to contamination, guarantees the machine increased stability when firing. The principle of double-sidedness is fully implemented: the safety tab and the magazine release button can be activated on both sides, the cocking handle can be installed on both the right and left sides. The stock, folding to the right, is adjustable in length with locking in six positions. A slightly lower rate of fire compared to other rifles contributes to greater stability of the weapon when firing.

Fn SCAR System

The rifles are currently being mass-produced and have entered service with the 75th US Ranger Regiment. However, for a number of reasons, US SOCOM abandoned the use of the Mark 16 / Mk.16 SCAR-L, purchasing instead 7.62 mm SCAR-H assault rifles with upgrade kits for 5.56x45 ammunition. However, the high combat and operational qualities of the SCAR family of rifles have contributed to their widespread use in the armed forces of countries around the world.

What is Russia fighting with?

The much-advertised AN-94 "Abakan", although it demonstrated record accuracy in the fire mode in bursts of two rounds, otherwise has no advantages over the AK-74, moreover, being an extremely complex and expensive design to manufacture, unsuitable for arming soldiers - conscripts.

AN-94 "Abakan"

AK 100 series assault rifles, the development of which began at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant in the early 1990s, were initially created as commercial weapons designed for foreign markets. The weapon, created on the basis of the AK-74, is its variant for the most common intermediate cartridges in the world: 5.56x45 NATO, 7.62x39 and 5.56x45.

AK-101

• The AK-101 is an assault rifle for the widely used NATO 5.56x45 ammunition and, according to the developer, demonstrates better accuracy in burst mode than the M-16 A2.
• The AK-103 uses the well-deserved 7.62x39 (M1943) cartridge, is compatible with the magazines of old AK/AKM assault rifles and is intended to replace them.
• AK-102, 104 and 105 are small-sized assault rifles, built on the basis of their full-size versions and are somewhat superior in their combat and operational characteristics AKS-74u. They are distinguished from the “basic” models by a shortened barrel with a special muzzle flash suppressor and a modified sighting bar, which has markings only up to 500 m.

AK-105

All AK 100 series are equipped with a side rail for mounting optics. Black polyamide is used to make the stock, fore-end, pistol grip and magazine body, which is why AKs of the 100th series abroad received the commercial name “Black Kalashnikov”. The largest buyer of the 100th series AK to date is Venezuela, with which a contract was concluded for the supply and licensed assembly of 100,000 AK-103 units. A batch of AK-102s was also acquired by Indonesia.

AK-102

AK series 100, although they are commercial successful project, represent only a cosmetic modernization of the AK-74 and are not without its shortcomings. The most significant drawback of the AK family of assault rifles is the difficulty of placing optical sights on them. The problem is primarily due to the fact that at the top of the weapon, where the optics should be installed, there is a detachable receiver cover and gas tube. The side rail with a dovetail mount, which is found on all AK-74m assault rifles, does not solve the problem, since in case of incomplete disassembly, the sight must be removed to clean the assault rifle or eliminate delays when firing. After installing it, naturally, the weapon must be brought back into normal combat. In addition, the sight installed on the AK-74m does not allow the stock to be folded. The sector safety-translator of fire modes on AK family assault rifles is inconvenient, “loud” and causes a lot of complaints.

The 100th series AKs, although a commercially successful project, are only a cosmetic upgrade of the AK-74 and are not without its shortcomings

To eliminate these and other shortcomings and generally “modernize” the design, the Izhmash concern developed the AK-12, which means “Kalashnikov Automatic 2012.” Although the weapon uses classic automatics with a long stroke gas piston, its design has undergone major changes. The trigger mechanism was redesigned, the bolt group and receiver were updated. The receiver cover, which now has increased rigidity, is mounted on hinges and can be tilted up and forward to disassemble and clean the machine gun. These measures made it possible to achieve a constant position of the cover relative to the barrel, which makes it possible to install optical, collimator and night sights on the Picatinny rail located on the cover.
The cocking handle has been moved forward and can, at the shooter’s request, be moved to the left or right side. The fire switch safety now has a different design - it is placed on both sides of the weapon and has four positions - “safety”, “single shooting”, “fixed bursts of 3 shots”, “automatic fire”.

A bolt delay has been added to the design of the weapon, which allows for faster reloading. The folding telescopic stock has a height-adjustable pad and butt plate, which allows you to customize the machine gun to the anthropometric data of a particular shooter. Other innovations of the machine include an abundance of picatinny rails, located, in addition to the receiver cover, also on the upper pad of the forend and on its side surfaces, rifling and bullet entry of the barrel modified to improve accuracy; a new muzzle brake-compensator that allows firing foreign-made muzzle grenades. The manufacturer promises versions of the AK-12 for different ammunition - from 5.56x45 and 7.62x39 to 7.62x51 NATO. The machine gun can be used both with standard magazines of the appropriate caliber, and with a new four-row magazine with a capacity of 60 rounds.

What does Ukraine produce?

As a result research work to modernize the Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle, the Scientific and Technical Center for Precision Engineering introduced the Vepr assault rifle in 2003. The machine gun is configured according to the "bullpup" scheme (with mechanics in the butt) and retains the reliable automatic functioning scheme of the AK-74. The developer states that the Vepr is “a quarter shorter than the AK, 200 g lighter and has twice the accuracy.” Cocking handle
and the safety can be moved to either side, while the cocking handle, made as a separate unit, is motionless when firing. It is proposed to standardly equip the assault rifle with a Ukrainian-developed collimator sight. Instead of the forend, it is possible to install a GP-25 under-barrel grenade launcher. The weapon's disadvantages include the inconvenience of changing the magazine (which is typical for all models arranged according to the "bulpup" scheme) and the inconvenient location of the fire mode translator far behind the pistol grip fire control. The Vepr was addressed primarily to special forces soldiers and Ukrainian peacekeepers, but never entered service.

In 2010, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was presented with a new assault rifle "Malyuk" (aka Vulkan-M) developed by KB " Artillery weapons", Kiev. The product is also a bullpup weapon, generally repeating the general concept of the "Vepr", but with some improvements in terms of ergonomics. The machine is equipped with a Picatinny rail and can be equipped with various sighting devices. Upon request The customer can have Ukrainian-made silencers installed.The machine did not arouse interest either from the Ukrainian defense department or from foreign customers.

In 2008, the Ukrainian scientific and production association of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine "Fort" (Vinnitsa) entered into an agreement on the licensed production of the Tavor series of small arms developed by the state-owned Israeli company IMI (Israel Military Industries). The Tavor Tar-21 family of weapons is modular and consists of several samples built on the basis of one main design. The system includes: a standard assault rifle Tar-21 with a barrel length of 465 mm (in Ukraine standardized as “Fort 222”), STAR-21 (CTAR - Commando Tavor Assault Rifle) - a modification with a barrel shortened to 375 mm, intended for special forces (“Fort-221”) and a compact machine gun used as a self-defense weapon for crews Vehicle- “Micro Tavor” MTAR-21 with a 330 mm barrel, as well as the “Sniper” version - STAR-21 (STAR ​​- Sharp Shooting Tavor Assault Rifle) - an assault rifle equipped with a bipod and an optical sight (standardly equipped with a 4x ACOG sight).

The body of the weapon is made of high-strength polymers in combination with light alloys, and in some places reinforced with steel inserts. Tavor barrels chambered for the NATO 5.56*45 cartridge, produced in Ukraine, are supplied from Israel, where they are made by cold forging. Barrels for "Fort 221" assault rifles chambered for 5.45x39 are produced at the industrial base of NPO "Fort" in Vinnitsa using our own technology. The trigger mechanism provides firing in two modes - single fire and a burst of arbitrary length. Sights normally consist of a collimator sight with an integrated laser designator. The sight illumination turns on automatically when the bolt is cocked and turns off when the machine gun is unloaded. During testing, Tavor assault rifles demonstrated good maneuverability, which is especially important when fighting in urban conditions, increased impact resistance and reliability when used in emergency conditions. The weapon is comfortable when shooting offhand and demonstrates good accuracy.

Fort-221

On December 23, 2009, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution on the adoption of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Directorate state protection, state border service and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine assault rifle "Fort-221", "Fort-222" and submachine guns "Fort223/224". These samples did not arouse interest in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, because NATO 5.56x45 ammunition, for which Tavor/Fort was originally designed, is not produced in Ukraine. In this regard, the management of NPO Fort announced the start of preparations for its own production of 5.56x45 cartridges. Somewhat later, a version of the Tavor / “Fort-221” was created chambered for the 5.45x39 cartridge, which is produced in Ukraine at the Lugansk Cartridge Plant.

Fort-224

What are they fighting in the ATO zone?

So what are the Ukrainian military and their opponents armed with in the ATO zone in the South-East of Ukraine? Most mass weapons is still a Kalashnikov assault rifle of various modifications. In the hands of our soldiers and national guardsmen are both AK-74 and older assault rifles of the AK/AKM/AKMS family, which are believed to provide some advantages when conducting combat operations in the forest zone due to the lesser tendency for the 7.62x39 cartridge bullet to ricochet at shooting through branches.

The separatists are armed even more variegatedly - in addition to Kalashnikovs of various modifications, they have a variety of exotic weapons, probably brought into the conflict zone from Russian long-term storage warehouses. These are pistols PPSh machine guns and even PPD (!), SKS carbines and DP light machine guns. The GRU Spetsnaz groups of the General Staff of the Russian Army operating on the territory of our country, for the most part, use standard AK-74m assault rifles. So, despite the abundance of technically advanced third-generation models on the world market, our soldiers still clutch in their hands the well-deserved Kalashnikov assault rifle, nicknamed by the troops Kalash and, sometimes, a little familiarly, Kalashyan.

This section contains information about slot machines. This is one of the most common types of small arms, which appeared almost immediately after the end of World War II. A combat machine gun is an individual weapon capable of creating a significant density of fire. This weapon is designed for an intermediate cartridge, has a large-capacity magazine, a high rate of fire and can conduct both single fire and automatic fire. In this section you can learn about the history of the development of these weapons, as well as about new machine guns in the world.

The term “machine gun” is common in Russia and the former republics of the USSR; in the West, such weapons are called differently. If we talk about US assault rifles, then their M16 is designated as an automatic rifle. In other countries, such weapons are often called automatic carbines. Currently, machine guns or automatic rifles are the main weapon of most armies in the world.

In the same way, in Russian literature, submachine guns from the Second World War are often called machine guns. Although, of course, this is wrong.

It should be said that the history of the creation of automatic weapons began at the end of the 19th century. However, successful samples suitable for mass production were never created at that time. The issue of rapid-fire individual weapons arose especially acutely during the First World War: the military wanted to increase the firepower of infantry units in the attack.

If we talk about Russian assault rifles, one of the first examples of this weapon to be mass-produced was the Fedorov assault rifle. Although, it would be more correct to call this weapon an automatic rifle. It was serially produced under the 6.5×50 mm rifle cartridge. In total, several thousand Fedorov assault rifles were produced.

After the end of the World War, active work began on the creation of submachine guns that used a pistol cartridge. However, this weapon had a lot of disadvantages and limitations. During the next war, the Germans created an intermediate cartridge and developed the Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle for it. This was fundamentally the new kind weapons, which combined a significant firing range and high rate of fire. Gradually, submachine guns lost their importance; today they are mostly used as police weapons.

Already in 1943, Soviet designers began developing a domestic analogue of an assault rifle. In 1949, this work ended with the adoption of the AK-47 assault rifle; today it is the most famous example of small arms. The image of this weapon is even on the state emblems of some states.

After its creation, the AK-47 was modernized more than once. Creation of new models based on legendary weapons continues today.

Currently, various modifications of the AK are the main assault rifles of the Russian army.

Today, designers are working more on improving ammunition and various attachments for such weapons. No fundamental changes in the design of automatic rifles have been observed. The design of the AK and M16 has remained virtually unchanged over the past few decades. This also applies to other most famous examples of such weapons. Today, these weapons are simply made more convenient for the fighter, improving its ergonomics, reducing weight and using new sights.

So designers and manufacturers are trying to combine two concepts: an assault rifle as a mass-produced inexpensive weapon and an effective modern instrument of war.

AK-74M

The AK-74 was created in the wake of the global race to reduce caliber and increase firing range. They haven't come up with a simpler machine yet. Partial disassembly is done on average in 10-15 seconds, assembly in 20. And all this in field conditions without special tools. Even the average Russian schoolchild can cope with this. However, in 2011, Izhmash began developing the fifth generation of Kalashnikov assault rifles - the AK-12. New representative family is as durable and reliable as its ancestor. But it’s too early to talk about rearming the army with new rifles. And the AK-74 is the most popular weapon in the world and one of the symbols of Russia. It is most often found in computer shooters, an incredible number of songs and poems have been written about it, there is even a monument to an assault rifle in Kamchatka, and in 2008 the Central Bank of the Russian Federation issued coins with the image of a Kalash. The old joke suggests itself: “What a pity that Kalashnikov was not born a car designer.”

M16 A4

The M16, designed by designer Eugene Stoner, failed its first battle test in the 1960s in Vietnam. The “Black Rifle” turned out to be of little use for military operations. Due to the use of low-quality gunpowder, carbon deposits quickly appeared in the chamber, and the lubricant did not withstand the test of a humid tropical climate. The machine constantly jammed, which led to disastrous consequences. A humorous comparative description of the M16 and AK-47, which participated in one of the largest conflicts of the Cold War, is still circulating on the Internet. Here, for example, is one of the “indicators”: M16, once in the river, stops working; An AK-47, once in the river, continues to work - it can be used as an oar. True, the developers eliminated all the shortcomings of the first version of the M16, and in 1966 the Colt company received a government order for the production of 850,000 rifles. And for almost half a century, the M16 has been in service with the US Army. Today it is the second most common rifle on Earth. After AK, of course. But operators still periodically point out the capriciousness of American weapons.

HK G36

The idea of ​​replacing the legendary G3 assault rifle, existing since 1959, with a more advanced model arose in the minds of the Bundeswehr command back in the 1970s. G3 could no longer cope with the functions assigned to it: it worked poorly, for example, in deserts during peacekeeping operations. In addition, it was extremely heavy for long trips (more than four kilograms). For more than twenty years, not a single proposal from gunsmiths satisfied the picky German military, until the G36 rifle appeared in 1996. New model Heckler & Koch company satisfied the generals. Relative lightness (there is a lot of plastic in the structure), optical sight, the ability to use a double-drum Beta-C magazine with 100 rounds of ammunition made this machine popular not only in Germany, but throughout the world. Over the past 15 years, it has been used in many conflicts: from fighting in Kosovo to the Five-Day War in South Ossetia.

Steyr AUG A3

This is a complex of small arms, arranged according to the bullpup scheme, in which the magazine and bolt group are located behind the trigger. This design allows you to significantly reduce the length of the weapon without changing the size of the barrel, while maintaining shooting accuracy, which is very valuable for fighting in urban environments. The designers of the Steyr Daimler Puch company combined all types of weapons of an infantry platoon in one army universal rifle (Armee Universal Gewehr, AUG). When developing the machine gun, Austrian specialists applied the principle of modular assembly. AUG resembles a Lego set. With a slight movement of the hand, the machine gun turns... into sniper rifle, just change the barrel and sight. There is an AUG variant in the form of a light machine gun. The A3 modification with Picatinny rails (rail system of guides) allows you to simultaneously equip the machine gun with a sight, underbarrel grenade launcher, flashlight and laser designator.

Beretta ARX-160

In 2008, the world saw the invention of the Beretta arms company - the Italian ARX-160 assault rifle. It was created as part of the “Soldier of the Future” (Soldato Futuro) program. The Americans came up with a similar program in the late 1990s to conduct military operations using high technology. The Italians decided to even get ahead of the times a little: the ARX-160 is a futuristic weapon both in appearance and in its “filling”. Along with a lightweight rifle made of impact-resistant polymer with a single-shot grenade launcher, the equipment of the “soldier of the future” includes thermal imaging cameras that transmit to the network what every soldier sees on the battlefield, as well as the latest body armor. Today there are three variations of kits: “commander”, “gunner” and “gunner-grenade launcher”. Italian media sometimes report that Russia has expressed a desire to acquire Italian equipment.

Rare specimen
Daewoo XK8

The XK8 rifle, also known as the DAR-21, was developed by Daewoo “unauthorized” without being asked by the Korean Army. It’s just that gunsmiths decided that it was time to replace the outdated K2 with high-tech rifles. They made the machine gun from polymers, like their competitors, and attached a laser sight to the Picatinny rail. Even the trigger is wider here to make it easier to shoot with gloves. Despite all the advantages of the new product, Korean military leaders are in no hurry to adopt the machine gun for service. And now Daewoo is trying to sell its invention to foreign buyers.

By the end of the year, the Russian military can choose an assault rifle that will become part of the new “Ratnik” equipment set. Currently, models from two manufacturers are undergoing military tests - (AK-12, AK-15) and Kovrovsky (A545, A762). It is possible that both machines will eventually enter service.

The “Ratnik” equipment, also known as the “future soldier kit,” is positioned as one of the most large-scale modernization projects of the Russian army. The complex (first presented in 2011), which should increase the efficiency and survivability of a soldier on the battlefield, includes several dozen elements: means of destruction - weapons, sighting systems; protective equipment - body armor, helmet, glasses, etc.; surveillance and communication equipment, as well as life support equipment, down to such trifles as a universal tool (the so-called multitool) and a tactical watch.

It was reported that in 2012, “Ratnik” passed military tests, after which elements of the complex were adopted for service. Here it is necessary to make a reservation that there is no single “Ratnik” set; equipment for various branches of the military and types of armed forces has its own specialization. Even individual military specialties - for example, special forces - have their own. The range of "Ratnik" is so large that it is unlikely to be accepted in full. In the meantime, by orders of the Minister of Defense, this or that element is accepted for supply.

New old machines

Perhaps the most dramatic part of the project is the choice of a new assault rifle, which should replace the AK-74M currently in service. The military wants to accept “weapons of the 21st century” in two calibers: 5.45 and 7.62 millimeters. This is logical, because after the transition Soviet army in 1974 for low-impulse ammunition 5.45x39 millimeters, some units - reconnaissance units, special forces, etc. - continued to use weapons chambered for 7.62x39.

Frame: Vickers Tactical / YouTube

Two manufacturers are fighting for the right to arm the “soldier of the future”: the Kalashnikov concern and the Kovrov Plant named after V.A. Degtyareva (ZiD). At the same time, both companies essentially offer repackaging of old systems. Thus, the Kovrov workers submitted to the competition a development that was rejected by the military back in the last century: the AEK-971 with balanced automation. That is, a special balancer has been introduced into the design of the bolt group, equal to it in mass and connected to it by a gear wheel. During a shot, the balancer moves in different directions with the bolt group and compensates for the impulse from its impact on the rear wall of the receiver, significantly reducing the weapon's toss. As a result, the AEK’s burst accuracy is 15-20 percent higher than the AK-74’s.

It was created at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant (KMZ) for the Abakan competition, announced in 1978. Then the solutions applied on this sample seemed unfounded to the military, and the Kovrov machine gun did not even reach the finals of the competition. Nevertheless, it did not sink into oblivion, but was modernized in the 1990s and produced in small batches for the needs of other law enforcement agencies. This continued until 2006, when weapons production at KMZ was curtailed and transferred to ZiD. Here, in 2010, small-scale production of the AEK-971 was resumed, the machine gun itself was again modernized, and in 2014, the latest versions at that time were submitted to the “Ratnik” competition (they participate in the competition under the designations A545 (5.45 mm caliber) and A762 (caliber 7.62 millimeters)).

Kalashnikov forever

The Kalashnikov Concern predictably presented new version his famous AK-12 assault rifle. His path is not as long as AEK’s, but no less winding. The development of the assault rifle began in 2011 specifically for participation in “Ratnik”. The author of the idea and the project manager was the then general designer concern According to weapons expert Mikhail Degtyarev, editor-in-chief of Kalashnikov magazine, it was a new machine gun, created “based on the AK,” which had practically no interchangeable parts with its prototype.

For several years, the concern actively promoted its development: the AK-12 more than once became the hero of television stories, media publications, and exhibitions. Finally, in 2015, it was announced that the machine gun had been submitted for state testing. And in the fall of 2016, at the Army 2016 exhibition, a weapon called the AK-12 was exhibited that had practically nothing in common with the assault rifle that Kalashnikov had been promoting for about five years.

Externally, the new AK-12 (like its variant chambered for 7.62x39, AK-15) resembled the AK-74M assault rifle in the “Kit” modernization kit - a telescopic stock similar to the American M16/M4, an ergonomic pistol grip, Picatinny rails on the receiver , handguard and gas tube, etc. “I consider the current AK-12 a variant of the AK-74M,” commented on these metamorphoses. - These are not just models that have changed as part of some work, these are different machines. But completely different machines should not have the same name.”

It was suggested that the military demanded that the developers of the AK-12 unify it as much as possible with the AK-74M in service. Some experts spoke about the unsuccessful and even adventurous design of the early version of the AK-12, which would not have been able to pass state tests.

The Kalashnikov concern explained the difference between the initial and final versions of the assault rifles rather restrainedly: “The samples presented at the exhibition were modified based on the results of state tests and differ from previous versions appearance and the design of a number of important components.” In particular, the design of the receiver and gas unit has been changed, the barrel has been hung as far as possible in an AK system (this should improve the accuracy of fire), plus the already mentioned telescopic butt, a more convenient safety/fire switch, and the ability to fire in fixed bursts. Perhaps the main secret of the AK-12 is the new receiver cover with a Picatinny rail for mounting sights. Representatives of Kalashnikov assure that the design of the cover ensures the fastening and preservation of the STP sighting devices installed on it. It was these versions of the AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles that were handed over to the military for military testing.

In any case, the story of the metamorphosis of the AK-12 left a rather negative aftertaste in the media environment. “Information about our vigorous activity went abroad with a minus sign,” says Mikhail Degtyarev. “This is confirmed by my contacts with foreign journalists, who perceived what was happening as an adventure and were surprised that this was possible in a Russian shooting school.”

Some critics from the very beginning spoke out in the sense that the idea of ​​​​adopting a new machine gun was a kind of Government program to support enterprises in the shooting industry. Moreover, this applies to both Izhevsk and Kovrov.

This is not the time for something new

The main intermediate result of the competition is this: you should not expect the appearance of weapons of the future or a new generation machine gun within the framework of the Ratnik project. “There is progress, but against the backdrop of excessive expectations from the hype raised in the media, they look very modest,” sums up Degtyarev. - Local successes include ergonomic improvements to existing models. We cannot talk not only about a breakthrough, but even about a serious modernization of weapon models.”

And the point is not the inability of our designers to create new weapons. Many experts and military personnel simply do not see the need to replace the AK-74M, which generally meets the needs of the army, especially given the limited role of small arms in modern wars. “As the experience of all wars shows, the main requirement is absolute reliability,” says the military expert, editor-in-chief. - The AK-74 itself is a very successful design, but it needs to be modernized: to significantly improve convenience combat use, including ergonomics and the ability to use additional devices.” He recalls that in the event of a large-scale war it will be necessary to arm an army of about two million people, and in this case “the transition to a completely new sample inappropriate."

In addition, up to 17 million Kalashnikov assault rifles have been accumulated in the warehouses of law enforcement agencies, which, if desired, can be upgraded using the same “Kit” kit. According to Murakhovsky, the Ministry of Defense decided to purchase it in small quantities to modernize weapons in its arsenals.