The AK-12 assault rifle may be put into service in October

Not long ago, the new Russian AK-12 assault rifle was presented to the public. It was planned that it would enter service instead of the AK-74M, but this path was very difficult. What kind of machine is this and where did its history begin?

• The history of the creation of the AK-12 assault rifle
• AK-12 - performance characteristics
• The structure of the new Kalashnikov assault rifle
• Advantages and disadvantages of the model
• Machine equipment
• Ammunition for AK-12 Kalashnikov
• Disassembling the RPK machine gun
• Reviews of AK-12

The history of the creation of the AK-12 assault rifle

The development of this machine dates back to 2011. Then, on its own initiative, Izhmash, under the leadership of Vladimir Zlobin, switches to design based on developments since the early 2000s. These are machines of the “hundredth” series. In general, “hundreds” were planned back in the mid-90s and work to replace the AK-74 was carried out even then. As a result, the plant produced several modifications of the 100th series Kalashnikov assault rifle with different calibers and appearance.

The weapon never entered service with the Russian army, but developments such as the AK-103 and AK-105 were successfully exported. However, this was not a success, because the Russian army still needed a pretty good replacement.

The state refused to support the project. The whole problem is that there were a huge number of old machine guns in the state warehouses. And this is 17 million units that simply had nowhere to go. It was not possible to sell them off, because Russia had armed almost every possible country in the world. Against this backdrop, a situation developed that made it simply impossible to replace the already huge number of machine guns with anything.

On June 2, 2012, a military-industrial commission was held in Solnechnogorsk, which included representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB and the Ministry of Defense. There the chief designer presented a prototype. Those present liked the machine. They noticed that the accuracy of the new weapon, and the slippage when firing in bursts, disappeared. Also in 2012, the Ratnik R&D project was developed for the military. In connection with this event, the Kalashnikov concern decided to offer the military a new weapon as an addition to their equipment, because by that time the AK-74M was already obsolete.

At the same time, the A-545 was submitted to the competition. But, for some reason, the AK-12 assault rifle was not considered reliable, so further priority in development was given to the Kovrov version. Nevertheless, Izhmash continued work on the machine gun at its own expense.

In 2014, the story with the assault rifles repeated itself, and the commission decided to allow both assault rifles for military testing. However, in the same year there was a change in management at Izhmash, which is why the new management, assessing the huge number of “diseases” of the AK design, decided to abandon this idea. So, for almost 2 years, the concern forgot about its latest development.

The project was resumed only in 2020, when Kalashnikov presented at the Army 2016 forum an updated AK-15 assault rifle for 7.62 caliber, an RPK-16 machine gun for 5.45x39 caliber and a new version of the AK-12. In fact, what distinguished it from the old one was that it was cheaper to produce. At the same time, the similarity of many parts with the AK-74M is purely external. The machine's trigger has been significantly redesigned to improve the accuracy of fire while maintaining reliability. And finally, in January 2020, the AK 12 was adopted by the Russian armed forces.

Those who compare it with the old AK-74 and say that this is a copy of it with body kit are very much mistaken. In fact, there are a huge number of differences between slot machines.

2016 version[ | ]

Pre-production AK-12 with a short barrel at the Army 2016 forum.
Characteristic features of the production versions of the AK-12:

• the forend is hung on the receiver and does not touch the barrel[18], the pad on the gas tube is rigidly attached to the forend and does not limit the vibrations of the barrel;
• the gas tube has become non-removable; to clean it, the front plug is removed;
• The muzzle brake is mounted on a bayonet instead of a thread and can be quickly replaced with a tactical suppressor. The leading edge of the muzzle brake is a carbide bit for breaking glass[19];
• To increase the rigidity of its fastening, the receiver cover is inserted at the rear into the grooves of the receiver and secured with a transverse pin at the front;
• the receiver cover and forend are equipped with Picatinny rails, which form a single line on top, which ensures convenient and repeatable installation of day and night sights of various types;
• on the bottom of the forend there is an additional Picatinny rail for installing accessories - a front handle, a flashlight, a laser pointer, etc.;
• The front sight of the open sight has been moved to the gas block, the aperture rear sight is mounted on a Picatinny rail as close to the butt as possible, and has the ability to introduce lateral corrections; installation of a slotted rear sight is possible;
• The fuse/fire mode switch has 4 positions (safety - AB (automatic fire) - 2 (burst 2 shots) - OD (single)), and also has an additional “shelf” for the index finger, which provides more convenient switching of fire modes without changing the grip shooting hand;
• The machine gun is equipped with a buttstock made of impact-resistant plastic that folds to the left and is adjustable in length (4 positions) with a height-adjustable butt plate;
• the pistol grip is made more ergonomic and equipped with a case in which you can place electric batteries for sights or medicine;
• there are no fastenings for the ramrod, which is made dismountable and moved to the butt case;
• standard magazines are equipped with transparent inserts, through which you can visually determine the number of cartridges; completely interchangeable with AK-74 magazines;
• under the barrel it is possible to install a bayonet or a 40-mm grenade launcher GP-25 or GP-34[20].

Compared to the experimental AK-12, the production version abandoned the double-sided design of the machine gun, the bolt stop, the quick replacement of the barrel and a number of other solutions, although according to the developers, some of them can be implemented later.

On the basis of the 5.45-mm AK-12 assault rifle, its version AK-15 chambered for 7.62x39 [21], a civilian AK TR3 carbine [22] was created, and the RPK-16 machine gun is proposed.

AK-12 - performance characteristics

One of the main criteria of a weapon is its tactical and technical characteristics. They are shown in the table below:

As can be seen from the technical characteristics of the new machine, it has become more accurate. If the aiming range of the AK-74 was no more than 500 meters, then on the AK-12 this parameter was increased to almost 600. In the conditions of modern warfare this is very important, but, unfortunately, the new AK lags significantly behind many world analogues.

The structure of the new Kalashnikov assault rifle

The most important innovations in this weapon are considered to be ergonomics. The AK-12 has become much more convenient, more practical and well suited for shooting even when one hand is wounded. The machine gun is configured in such a way that even a left-handed person can fire from it. It was for this purpose that the fire translator was duplicated on both sides, and a bolt stop was added to the carbine. There is also a button for it on both sides of the machine. Especially for these purposes, the pistol grip is shifted forward, and all translators and buttons are needed back.

• The butt turned out different too. Its main feature is that it folds in both directions and has 3 different adjustments to adapt the weapon to any shooter. In addition, another non-folding plastic stock can come with the machine gun. It is needed more to lighten the weight of the weapon while maintaining its qualities. To use any sighting devices, the weapon has several Picatinny rails.
• I was also pleased with the bolt handle. It is now installed instead of the safety catch and completely covers the slot when the weapon is removed from the safety. The fact is that previously this drawback was explained by the fact that water and dirt got there, which often caused the machine to jam. In addition, the handle can be moved either to the left or to the right. True, all these improvements could not be done without lengthening the receiver of the machine gun.
• The muzzle brake-compensator plays a special role in the accuracy of the weapon when firing in bursts. It was shrunk and remodeled. Now it also allows you to fire rifle grenades, but the machine was never equipped with a gas regulator. At the same time, Picatinny rails allow you to install everything on the AK-12, from collimator sights to all types of domestically produced under-barrel grenade launchers. Well, like Western models, the weapon allows you to mount a short barrel directly in the field, which makes it universal for special forces. However, this feature was removed in the 2016 version.

If you use an assault rifle without a slide stop, then it can easily accept magazines from the RPK-74, AK-74M, etc., but to implement the new function, the magazine must be different. This unification will significantly reduce the cost of switching to a new weapon model. The maximum possible magazine is a drum magazine with 95 rounds.

Don't miss the move and the sighting device. Initially, this path was followed in Israel when they installed a sight in front of the shooter’s eye on the Galil. The Galil was a converted copy of a Kalashnikov assault rifle with 35 rounds. Kalashnikov assault rifles have had this problem for a long time - the sight is mounted too far from the shooter and closer to the front sight. Because of this, many inaccuracies arose when aiming. And the process of combining the front and rear sights was delayed, which could have a negative impact on the soldier’s life expectancy. This error was taken into account only when creating the AK-12, by installing a sight directly on the receiver cover. Aiming is now much faster.

In addition to the main sight, Picatinny rails allow you to install many other sights and combine them with multiple flashlights.

So, you can put a flashlight on the side, a laser sight on the other side, and a collimator sight on top. Never before has a Kalashnikov assault rifle been so convenient in its basic version. At the same time, the main functionality of the machine was not lost. Assembly/disassembly, for example, remained the same, which means that getting used to the new machine gun among the military will not cause big problems and the troops will be able to master the weapon in a short time.

2012 version[ | ]

AK-12 prototype at the exhibition Mechanical Engineering Technologies 2012
Features of the AK-12 prototype:

• improved accuracy of fire due to shifting the mass of the bolt group and reducing the recoil shoulder[17];
• a barrel with improved characteristics in terms of manufacturing accuracy[1], the ability to quickly replace it in the field with a long or short version;
• new design of the bolt group and firing mechanism;
• the reloading handle is installed on the gas piston rod and can be easily moved to any side; it remains motionless during firing;
• you can change the ejection side of spent cartridges during incomplete disassembly;
• a wide magazine release button in the access area of ​​the index finger of the hand lying on the handle;
• double-sided shutter stop button on the magazine latch, also for the index finger;
• double-sided pistol-type fire mode switch (for the thumb) in 4 positions: safety and firing in three modes (single shots, with a cut-off of two shots and continuous bursts)[1];
• built-in Picatinny rail on a rigidly fixed receiver cover for installing attachments (sights, rangefinders, flashlights) - on the first samples it was continuous over the entire length, in later versions it began to be separated by a loop for attaching a shortened receiver cover;
• additional Picatinny rails - one on the bottom and two on the sides of the forend, and their presence does not interfere with the installation of standard under-barrel grenade launchers GP-25, GP-30 or GP-34;
• an open sight with an enlarged sighting line and a combined rear sight, which made it possible to switch between slot and aperture (“diopter”) options[1];
• muzzle device of the machine gun, allowing the use of foreign-made rifle grenades;
• removable stock mounted on a Picatinny rail at the rear of the receiver;
• the mechanism for folding and fixing the butt was located in the butt itself and the direction of folding was set by simply turning the loop;
• a folding telescopic butt with an adjustable pad and butt plate, as well as solid butts in folding and non-folding versions were offered;
• It was still possible to use standard AK-74 magazines; 4-row magazines with 60 rounds and drum magazines with 95 rounds were also developed, but magazines with a modified feeder were required to operate the bolt stop.

The most noticeable thing from the user's point of view was the improvement in ergonomics - complete symmetry of the machine gun, a convenient safety switch, and the introduction of a slide stop. This made it possible to fully operate the machine gun with only one hand, for both right-handed and left-handed people. During the modification process, the fastening of the receiver cover and other details changed, but the characteristic features of the machine make it easy to distinguish it from traditional AKs.

Advantages and disadvantages of the model

However, like any other weapon, the AK-12 has both advantages and disadvantages. They are shown in the table below:

Advantages and disadvantages

Thanks to the improved trigger, it can be used with one hand.

Increased target firing range by 100 meters

The accuracy of fire has been increased, which increases the chances of hitting the enemy

You can install almost any sight, handle, flashlight, etc. and all this at the same time

Despite the ergonomics, the machine still turned out to be complex.

There is no option for 7.62 caliber. More precisely, it was in the form of the AK-15, but it was quickly rejected and the AK-103 was taken in its place

By the time the army is completely rearmed, the machine gun will become obsolete and will be inferior to many Western analogues, if not already inferior

Despite the ability to shoot with one hand, the machine gun does not provide for ejection of the spent cartridge case on the other side

Notes[ | ]

1. ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
   IZHMASH PRESENTED THE FIRST SAMPLE OF THE FIFTH GENERATION KALASHNIKOV AUTOMATIC.
   Information for the media (unspecified)
   . JSC IZHEVSK MASHPLANT (January 25, 2012). Archived from the original on October 28, 2014.
2. ↑ 12
   Kalashnikov Media: AK-12. From defeat to victory. June 27, 2017
3. ↑ 1 2 3
   IZHMASH DEMONSTRATED “AK-12” TO THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE.
   Information for the media (unspecified)
   . JSC IZHEVSK MASHPLANT (June 5, 2012). Archived from the original on August 21, 2014.
4. Izhevsk AK-12 assault rifle will be put into service after testing // KP.RU
5. Blog of Victor Myasnikov
6. Fifth generation automatic
7. "IZHMASH" WILL SHOW AK-12 AT THE FORUM "TECHNOLOGIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING-2012". Information for the media (unspecified)
   . JSC IZHEVSK MASHPLANT (June 25, 2012). Archived from the original on May 21, 2013.
8. TASS: Politics - NPO "Izhmash" will show the AK-12 at the forum "Technologies in Mechanical Engineering-2012"
9. Kalashnikov will show a new light army machine gun at the Army-2016 forum
10. The ideal weapon: how the Kalashnikov machine gun “gives fire”
11. Kalashnikov showed the capabilities of the new RPK-16 machine gun: shooting footage
12. The Kalashnikov Concern presented Kalashnikov AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles at Army-2016 – Kalashnikov Concern
13. AK-12 and AK-15 model 2020: mgewehr
14. Ak-12 assault rifle. Afterword - Army Bulletin
15. TV channel "Star". Military acceptance. "Closed Test Center"
16. The Russian Ministry of Defense adopted AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles
17. “Expert Online”: How the newest Kalashnikov assault rifle works. 14 Jan 2014
18. Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle - characteristics, photos, videos (unspecified)
    .
    ak.kalashnikovgroup.ru
    . Retrieved June 17, 2020.
19. Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle - characteristics, photos, videos (unspecified)
    .
    ak.kalashnikovgroup.ru
    . Retrieved June 17, 2020.
20. kalashnikov (Russian). ak.kalashnikovgroup.ru. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
21. kalashnikov (Russian). ak.kalashnikovgroup.ru. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
22. Civilian carbine AK TR3 (Russian). kalashnikov.media. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

Ammunition for AK-12 Kalashnikov

When developing the machine gun, engineers had to make options for both 5.45 and 7.62 mm. But the 7.62 version was never shown to the public, so it’s worth focusing on the first cartridge.

The 5.45x39 mm cartridge was created back in the Soviet Union with an eye on the American 5.56x45 mm cartridge. Why did the designers go towards a small-caliber cartridge? The fact is that when shooting from a standing position, the accuracy of fire becomes much lower. In those years, the United States already had an assault rifle with a low-pulse cartridge, which placed most of the ammunition on the target. So it was necessary to do the same.

This is how the 5.45x39 mm cartridge was born. Compared to its predecessor and even its American counterpart, it had greater penetrating power. However, it had much less stopping effect. It was with the advent of 5.45x39 that the birth of a new assault rifle in the USSR was associated, which served as the basis for the AK-12.

What are the advantages of the 5.45 cartridge? Firstly, better stabilization of bullet flight. Since the area is smaller, the flight of the bullet becomes more stable, which affects the accuracy of fire. The second advantage of the 5.45 caliber cartridge is its much lower weight, which has a positive effect on the overall weight of the weapon and the carry kit. For comparison: 200 rounds of 7.62x39 mm weigh the same as 5.45x39 mm.

But 5.45 also has certain disadvantages. When shooting through bushes and branches, in almost half of the cases the bullet can turn around and fly like an iron. This is due to the fact that the center of gravity of this bullet is shifted to the bottom. When it enters any medium denser than air, it immediately unfolds. This is called the edge of stable flight.

Its high ability to ricochet makes it difficult to use the machine gun in urban environments or mountainous and wooded areas. In addition, this cartridge has a very low stopping effect. There is a definite advantage here for 7.62 and 5.56 mm ammunition.

You should not assume that cartridges are produced in one and only modification. There are very, very many varieties of this ammunition. For example, there is a modification 5.45 BS, which means “armor-piercing”. Such ammunition can safely penetrate 5 mm steel at ranges up to 400 meters.

And 5.45 T is a tracer bullet. It consists of a special bimetallic shell into which a powder charge is charged. When fired, it ignites and leaves a bright red light that is visible at ranges of up to one kilometer. Tracer ammunition is designed for target designation, especially at night.

5.45 US – has a reduced flight speed. Such cartridges appeared in connection with the release of the Silence rifle-grenade launcher system. Then, with the advent of the “Canary”, which included a shortened AKS-74U assault rifle, the need arose to create a special cartridge with an initial subsonic speed, which allows for quiet shooting.

Disassembling the RPK machine gun

Every serviceman should be able to disassemble a Kalashnikov light machine gun. On the battlefield, weapons can become clogged with dirt, sand and fail at the most inopportune moment. Disassembly/assembly can familiarize the machine gun owner with the device and teach him how to quickly clean and lubricate it even at the most inopportune moment. This procedure should be performed on a flat surface and clean bedding.

So, it is divided into several stages:

• Place the machine gun on the bipod so that the muzzle points to the left.
• It is necessary to separate the drum magazine and check whether there is a cartridge left in the chamber. To do this, cock the bolt and inspect the chamber. After the serviceman is convinced that there is no cartridge in the chamber, he can carry out a control descent and continue disassembling the machine gun.
• You need to get a pencil case. To do this, push your finger inside the butt so that it comes out under the action of the spring. After this, you need to open the pencil case and take out the equipment for cleaning weapons.
• After this, the cleaning rod is pulled out. It must be pulled by the end so that it goes beyond the stop and pulled forward. When removing the cleaning rod, you can use a special drift. A cleaning rod is necessary for cleaning weapons.
• Now you need to press the button to lock the receiver cover. This must be done so that you can remove the cover by hand. First, the back of the lid is lifted, then it is pulled back to pull it out completely.
• Hold the machine gun by the fore-end with your left hand, and with your right hand you need to push the return mechanism forward so that it comes out of the lock. Then you need to pull it to the side and pull it out.
• After this, you need to remove the bolt frame. To do this, you need to grab the handle and pull it, overcoming the trigger. Pull the bolt carrier all the way to the end of the receiver, pull it up and out. After this you need to pull out the shutter. To do this, the frame is tilted back and then forward. The shutter should pop out on its own.
• Then the pencil case is placed with a rectangular cutout on the flag of the gas outlet tube and turned up. At the same time, you need to pull out the gas tube.

This completes the partial disassembly of the machine gun. All that remains is to assemble it:

• Install the gas tube and then fix it. To do this, the checkbox must be moved down until it is fixed.
• After this, you need to install the bolt into the bolt frame. It needs to be inserted and turned so that it locks into place and does not fall out of the frame. After this, the bolt frame is installed with a piston into the receiver, and then retracted to the end of the gas tube.
• Install the return mechanism. To do this, insert the springs into the frame and compress it so as to lock it into the rear of the receiver.
• Install the receiver cover. To do this, it is inserted into the groove, and the back part is lowered onto the latch. With a light blow of the hand you need to place it on the locking button.
• Next, a control descent is performed and the weapon is put on safety. The fact is that when the bolt frame is removed, the trigger mechanism is cocked, which forces this very descent.
• After this, you need to install a cleaning rod. Its working part goes inside the forend, and the end is fixed behind the projection of the sight.
• Next, the pencil case is installed inside the butt.
• The magazine is attached to the machine gun - this is considered the final part of assembling the weapon.

It is worth noting that such assembly/disassembly is considered incomplete and is performed for quick cleaning of the weapon in the field or after shooting. If the machine gun is heavily soiled, it is necessary to disassemble it completely and clean it, and only then lubricate the components and reassemble it.

Disassembly and assembly of the Kalashnikov RPK-16 machine gun is performed in almost the same sequence. Except that there is no pencil case in the butt, since it is in the soldier’s equipment.