Amon is armed with machine guns. Promising machine gun for the army
Concern "Kalashnikov" revealed information about the new model AK-400 assault rifle, developed at the enterprise and proposed for arming elite special forces, such as the Center special purpose FSB (Alpha and Vympel) or Presidential Security Service. This sample is a further development of the so-called “hundredth” series assault rifles and is offered in variants chambered for different cartridges.
AK-400 assault rifle was first presented at a closed meeting organized by the Presidential Security Service at the end of last year, where it aroused interest from law enforcement agencies and the sample is currently under study by potential customers. In particular, the Izvestia newspaper wrote about this on May 19, 2016, citing its own source in the Russian military-industrial complex.
In addition, Larry Vickers, a former member of the 1st Special Forces Detachment Delta and a US Army shooting instructor, who today runs his Vickers Tactical weapons video channel on YouTube, had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the AK-400 two weeks earlier. Vickers is a long-time fan Russian weapons and on his channel you can find a wide selection of videos about the newest models, such as the AK-9 and AK-107 assault rifles, the SV-338 rifle, and many others.
The first conclusion that can be drawn from it is we're talking about about the deep modernization of the Kalashnikov assault rifle and the creation of a whole family of models of the “four hundredth series”. It will probably include not only a machine gun, but also a new light machine gun under the code name RPK-16, presented in the fall of 2015 in the program “Serving the Fatherland” (with a weighted barrel, bipod and drum magazine).
In addition, the AK-400 is created in two calibers: for the modern low-pulse cartridge 5.45x39 mm and the old Soviet cartridge arr. 1943 7.62×39 mm. The sample tested by Vickers had a caliber of 7.62 mm and weighed 3.1 kg with a total length of 942 mm. The rate of fire is 600 rounds/min, like most variants of the Kalashnikov assault rifle.
The compact AK-104 assault rifle of the so-called “hundredth series” was chosen as the base model for the AK-400, extended to the size of a regular AK-74M and having the following design changes. Firstly, the new polymer telescopic stock, folding to the left and adjustable in length, attracted attention. It was borrowed from the modernization kit for Kalashnikov KM-AK assault rifles, developed by the concern on its own initiative as part of the “Kobves” development project according to the technical specifications of the Russian Defense Ministry.
One can note the good stability of the AK-400 assault rifle when firing in bursts, achieved thanks to a redesigned muzzle brake-compensator.
The idea of such a stock is far from new and has long been practiced by foreign companies such as FAB Defense, CAA, Magpul and others. The same applies to the new ergonomic pistol grip. It is hollow and can be used to store cleaning or optical supplies.
The creators of the AK-400 have redesigned the receiver cover, which is made in the style of the AKC-74U hinged cover and, thanks to better stability and the presence of a long Picatinny mounting rail MIL-STD-1913, can be used for installing collimator, day and night optical sights. The same, but shorter straps are available on the redesigned plastic forend, making it possible to attach a variety of accessories in the form of a tactical flashlight, laser target designators, laser shooting simulators, handles, etc.
Like the AK-104, the base of the front sight has been moved to gas chamber, like most Western assault rifles. The sector sight gave way to a diopter sight with a reversible rear sight. The machine gun has a new muzzle brake-compensator, which makes it possible to shoot rifle grenades foreign production. For the same purpose, the design of the side gas engine A two-position regulator has been introduced, which further facilitates cleaning of the gas chamber.
The trigger mechanism with three firing modes (markings on the safety translator: A - automatic fire, 3 - fire in bursts of a fixed length of 3 shots, 1 - single fire, P - safety) is made standard, and not an optional feature, as in the “hundredth series". The magazine is standard sector, 30 rounds. Despite the scarcity and fragmentary information, the AK-400 makes a pleasant impression: the best foreign and Russian developments in modernizing assault rifles of the AKM/AK-74/AK-100 families were used, and good stability was demonstrated when firing while standing with automatic fire, even with cartridge 7, 62x39 mm.
The very fact of the appearance of a new version of the Kalashnikov assault rifle on the eve of autumn, when the RF Ministry of Defense must finally decide which of the models - designed by V.V. Zlobina from the Kalashnikov concern or the Kovrov assault rifle AEK-971 (A-545/A-762) will be selected based on the results of state tests for adoption within the system combat equipment"Warrior".
These samples are currently criticized by MoD customers due to their cost, noting that they are both “significantly superior in price standard samples, for example AK-105." In this regard, it becomes clear that the concern’s management wants to have a modern and inexpensive alternative that could become interesting for export or, after appropriate modifications, in the civilian market.
Probably, the birth of the AK-400 is also a consequence of serious personnel and technological changes in the concern’s policy observed in the last two years. In particular, with the arrival of the chief designer - deputy. General Director S.V. Urzhumtsev, who previously headed the Molot plant and to whom the success of the Vepr family of carbines and shotguns, popular in Russia and abroad, owes much, more meaningfulness and practicality appeared in the concern’s developments.
Unlike the AK-12 and special bullpup assault rifles AC-1/AC-2, which were created in a hurry according to the principle of “doing no matter what, as long as something new”, the AK-400 was born in a more rational evolutionary way and represents a reincarnation of the early AK-200 project, which at one time was pushed aside in favor of the AK-12. For this reason, the AK-400 may even be much more interesting than the AK-12 and AEK-971, especially in terms of reliability and cost.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has adopted the AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles. The weapon is recommended for use in Land and Airborne troops, as well as connections Marine Corps, transmits RT .
At the coordination scientific council of the military department, it was stated that the products of the Kalashnikov Concern JSC according to the criterion of “simplicity - reliability” are more suitable for combined arms units and subunits, reports "A red star" .
The development of the new machine gun has been carried out since June 2011 under the leadership of the chief designer of Izhmash, Vladimir Zlobin, based on developments over the previous 10 years. In the same year, assembly was completed and testing began on the first prototype of the fifth-generation Kalashnikov assault rifle with the working name AK-12.
The machine was first shown in January 2012. The state did not provide support for the development of a new machine gun due to the excessive number of old AKs, of which there were a total of more than 17 million in warehouses.
In the summer of 2012, in Solnechnogorsk, Zlobin held a presentation of the AK-12 for the Interdepartmental working group(laboratories) under the Military-Industrial Commission, which included representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB of Russia.
Based on the results of the demonstration shooting, members of the commission noted that the machine gun behaves more steadily when firing than samples of previous generations: recoil and displacement when firing in bursts have decreased. In 2016, in addition to the AK-12, the AK-15 assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm and the RPK-16 machine gun (5.45x39 mm) were also demonstrated.
The assault rifles have retained the gas-operated automatic circuit, traditional for Kalashnikov assault rifles, with the barrel bore being locked by turning the bolt, and can use magazines from previous generations of AK family assault rifles of the appropriate calibers. The gas outlet unit, gas tube, receiver and barrel have been significantly modified in order to improve the accuracy of fire in all modes.
The safety switch for fire modes is located on the right and has 4 positions (safety - automatic fire - burst of 2 shots - single), and also has an additional “shelf” for forefinger, providing more convenient switching of fire modes without changing the grip of the shooting hand. The AK-12 and AK-15 are equipped with Picatinny rails on the removable receiver cover and receiver guard, allowing for convenient and repeatable mounting of various types of day and night sights.
The forend also has an additional Picatinny rail on the bottom for mounting additional accessories. The machine gun is equipped with a folding, length-adjustable stock made of impact-resistant plastic. A muzzle brake-compensator is installed on the barrel; in addition, it is possible to install a bayonet or a quick-release muffler. A 40-mm GP-25 or GP-34 grenade launcher can be installed under the barrel.
In July 2017, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on economic policy and industry, vice-president of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia and president of the association “League for Assistance to Defense Enterprises” Vladimir Gutenev told Gazeta.Ru about the situation in the military-industrial complex of Russia.
According to the parliamentarian, the Russian defense industry moved away from the “edge” even in beginning of XXI century. Thanks to measures taken by the state in the 2000s, before the economic crisis of 2008-2009, the basic sectors of the economy were characterized by high and sustainable growth rates.
“If we talk about the current situation that has developed under the influence of unfavorable factors in foreign policy and economic spheres, then, in my opinion, about sustainable industrial development, it’s too early to say. We can say that the domestic industry is beginning to emerge from a state of stagnation. Despite all the economic difficulties and sanctions restrictions, the total increase in industrial production last year was about one and a half percent,” the deputy explained.
He, however, added that the scientific reserve created by previous generations of Russian scientists and engineers has already been practically exhausted, so it is necessary to create a new one. Thus, for each direction, “looks” and “images” of promising products should be developed, created not as a result of reengineering existing solutions, but fundamentally new ones.
MOSCOW, June 24 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. This week in Russia ended military tests the latest AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles. These promising rifle systems are the main contenders for the role of standard weapons for equipping the "Ratnik" serviceman. Both machine guns are distant descendants of the good old AK, which entered Soviet Army back in 1949 and over time became the most popular and widespread assault rifle in the world. Of course, the new items are made to the highest standards modern technologies, they have improved ergonomics and improved mechanics. But the basic principles of the legendary Kalash remained unchanged - reliability, unpretentiousness and ease of operation. Thanks to these qualities, he became one of the symbols of the Russian Armed Forces.
© Photo: press service of JSC Concern Kalashnikov
© Photo: press service of JSC Concern Kalashnikov
Nevertheless, machine guns in the arsenal of our army are represented not only by Kalashnikovs of various modifications. Soviet and Russian gunsmiths created many interesting shooting systems. Although they did not enter the army en masse, they definitely managed to prove their effectiveness thanks to non-standard design solutions.
A-91
The “bullpup” scheme, popular in the West, in our country for a long time did not take root, although they experimented with it in Soviet time. It is an unconventional arrangement of machine gun and rifle mechanisms, in which the trigger and pistol grip are moved forward and located in front of the magazine and firing mechanism. This design made it possible to make the weapon more compact and more accurate when firing in bursts, which is very valuable in urban battles. Among the disadvantages of the bullpup are the center of gravity of the machine gun, which is unusual for most shooters, the shorter length of the sighting line of mechanical sights and the specific location of the magazine, which makes it difficult to replace it.
One of the few Russian assault rifles, made according to this scheme, is the brainchild of the Instrument Design Bureau named after. Shipunov - the A-91 rifle-grenade launcher complex, as well as its modification A-91M. It was first introduced in 1990, with small-scale production beginning a year later. The assault rifle is produced in two versions: a “home” version chambered for the Russian 5.45x39 cartridge and an export version chambered for the NATO 5.56x45 cartridge. The weapon turned out to be “handy”, compact, easy to use and reliable. Integrated 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher significantly increased firepower arrow on the battlefield. And a special handle at the top of the machine made it easier to carry.
However, the A-91 never received mass distribution, despite all its advantages. The weapon turned out to be too heavy - 4.4 kilograms. Main machine Russian army The AK-74 weighs one kilogram less, which is quite significant. In addition, the fate of the A-91 was affected by the military’s traditional distrust of the bullpup layout, which was nevertheless implemented in a number of modern sniper rifles. And the KBP assault rifle is currently used to a limited extent by special forces of the Ministry of Defense and other law enforcement agencies.
AN-94
The Nikonov AN-94 Abakan assault rifle, created in 1994, was officially adopted by the Russian army in 1997. According to the military, it was supposed to replace the AK-74, which was very similar in appearance to its “younger” competitor. However, there were differences between the two machines, and quite significant ones.
The AN-94 was the first to implement the principle of a shifted recoil impulse to increase the accuracy and accuracy of the shot. Simply put, when firing in bursts from the Abakan, the shooter feels the impact of the butt on the shoulder only after the first two bullets leave the barrel. The weapon “throws up” starting from the third cartridge. This result was achieved using the so-called fire monitor scheme, when the barrel is not fixedly fixed, but “rolls back” when fired. By the time it reaches the rearmost position and the shooter feels the recoil, the first two bullets will already be flying towards the target.
Especially for this feature, the AN-94 implemented a firing mode with a cut-off of two rounds. The accuracy and accuracy of this machine gun is amazing: the bullets literally fall on one point. But the advantage of "Abakan" is also its disadvantage. The design of the machine gun is too complex for a young conscript soldier to quickly master. When disassembling the AN-94, it is divided into as many as 13 parts, including two springs, a cable and a roller. Naturally, this requires a fundamentally different culture of handling weapons. Today, "Abakans" are in the arsenal of individual units of the armed forces, special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard.
AEK-971
This assault rifle, developed in 1978 at the Degtyarev plant, was the main competitor of Abakan in the competition for the main rifle complex for the armed forces. In terms of its layout, the AEK-971 largely replicates the AK-74 and, at first glance, does not differ from it in appearance. However, if you remove the receiver cover, the difference is visible to anyone with even a little knowledge of weapons.
The creators of the AEK-971, like the designers of the AN-94, tried to effectively solve the problem of strong recoil when firing in bursts. To do this, a counterweight-balancer was added to the automation unit, equal in mass to the bolt group. It is its backward movement when reloading each cartridge that “shakes” the weapon. The problem of a balance beam moving when shooting at the opposite side(that is, forward) - balance the recoil impulse and reduce it to a minimum. This scheme is vaguely reminiscent of the operation of the weights on an old mechanical watch.
Test results showed that the AEK-971 is 15-20 percent superior to the AK-74 in terms of accuracy of fire, but is inferior to the Abakan when firing in short bursts. As a result, the last one won the competition. AEK-971 was produced in small quantities for law enforcement agencies until 2006. However, in 2013, this machine gun received a second life: the A-545 rifle complex was created on its basis. Among its main differences from its predecessor is the Picattini rail on the receiver cover, which allows you to mount various sights, as well as the presence of a “flag” - a fire mode switch on both sides of the weapon. This updated complex is the main competitor of the AK-12 and AK-15 for the role of the standard machine gun of the “Warrior” kit.
ADS
The double-medium special automatic machine was created by the Instrument Design Bureau named after. Shipunov in 2009 on the basis of the A-91 rifle-grenade launcher complex. It was demonstrated for the first time general public at the International Maritime Show in 2013. As the name suggests, the machine is designed for use in two environments - on land and under water. Already in next year it can officially enter service with special forces units Navy. In particular, it will be used by units of combat swimmers (saboteur divers) and will replace in their arsenal underwater assault rifle APS, adopted for service back in 1975.
The main difference between the ADS and its land-based “progenitor” A-91 is the gas exhaust mechanism, which is now equipped with a water/air switch. In the first position, the “inside” of the machine is completely sealed, which prevents water from entering. In addition, a special PSP cartridge was developed for ADS, equally effective in both environments. Maximum range shooting underwater - 25 meters. A little, but more is not required, since visibility under water is usually very limited.
SR-3 "Whirlwind"
The SR-3 "Whirlwind" was developed at the Klimov TsNIITOCHMASH in 1994 on the basis of the famous silent assault rifle of the Soviet special forces AS "Val". It is a compact and lightweight (only 2.4 kilograms) weapon for firefight at distances up to 200 meters. The powerful SP-6 9x39mm cartridge allows you to effectively hit an enemy wearing body armor with maximum protection at a distance of 50 meters, something that ammunition from longer-range machine guns cannot always boast of.
The most widespread modification in the special forces of the Ministry of Defense, FSB, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard is the SR-3M. It differs from the original in improved ergonomics, the ability to install a muffler, metal magazines for 30 partons, optical, night and collimator sights, as well as a left-folding frame stock and a new forend with a tactical handle. This weapon has proven itself in battles in urban environments and when clearing buildings. However, the SR-3M can also be effective as a personal weapon for the crews of aircraft and ground combat vehicles. Small dimensions and large firepower will allow them to effectively protect themselves on the battlefield if the equipment is disabled.
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 back in late XIX centuries. 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 war.
Already long years There are debates about what a promising assault rifle for the Russian army should be like. How many copies have already been broken in battles on specialized websites and on television! Every year we are presented with " newest sample", which has no analogues in the world. And things are still there. The army is still armed with the old and reliable AK-74 of various modifications, which dates back to the legendary AK model 47. Who will now remember about “unparalleled" AN-94, the “newest” AK-200 with a hinged receiver cover, or a family chambered for the 6x49 mm cartridge. Nowadays, everyone only hears about the AK-12 and A-545 assault rifles, which are being tested for the right to become the main ones small arms for the coming decades. So let's figure out which of the two candidates is better, and whether it is needed at all new machine.
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. When the first shot is fired, the firing block begins to move back and is thrown out spent cartridge case, the hammer is cocked, 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 far 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.
