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Vladimir Gorodetsky, director of the Urals-based
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (Izhmash), which produces
the legendary assault rifles, told newsmen recently
that next year, the Defense Ministry will start
testing AK-200, its new model that is lighter
than earlier versions and has a more ergonomic
design. But as it would have a scope sight and
a target-marking laser, its weight would rise
by half a kilo to a total of 3.8 kilos.
The Russian armed forces will continue using
firearms based on this assault rifle, developed
by the legendary Mikhail Kalashnikov designed
in 1947.
Do these improvements meet the current needs
of the Russian army, or modern fighting practices
more broadly? To answer this question, one needs
to study complaints made about the most widely
used and distributed military firearm in history:
- Lower precision in single shot fire compared
to similar Western models and noticeable climb
in fully automatic fire, especially with the
7.62 mm version.
- Difficulty in installing modern scope sights.
- Non-ergonomic handle.
- Obsolete open-barrel sight.
Most of the precision problems in the basic AK
models have been resolved by improving the quality
of mass-produced rifles and ammunition, analysts
say. Sometimes there can be a great difference
between different Kalashnikovs of the same model
but made by different producers in different countries
because of production quality, components and
ammunition.
As for the climb and recoil problems, they stem
from details in the design itself; correcting
those would require structural improvements, at
least as significant as in the AK 107/108 versions,
where the recoil is weaker due to its more balanced
automatic mechanism. Such changes would eventually
require designers to generate a whole new design
concept for the firearm, which is impossible in
the current economic situation.
Another option would be to use new recoil control
devices (compensators).
The difficulty of installing scopes is due to
the receiver cover's design: optical sights cannot
be attached to it. The sights, fitted with a Picatinny
attachment, would need to be adjusted whenever
the cover is lifted or replaced.
Until recently, the sights were fitted to Kalashnikovs
using a bracket on the left side of the receiver,
significantly limiting the range of sights that
could be used. The Picatinny gas tube attachment
was introduced for the AK-200 series to solve
this problem and the receiver cover was also improved.
It is hinged to the receiver at the front and
flips up, increasing its overall rigidity. Picatinny
rails compatible with a range of optical and collimator
sights can be installed on the rigid receiver.
Many professionals recognize the Kalashnikov's
original open barrel sight as obsolete. Other
experts argue that it is quite effective in open
combat and only requires minor improvements.
Overall, the AK-200 series is a significant upgrade
of the basic rifle, and the improvements made
have not required a dramatic upgrade in production
lines.
Russia's Interior Ministry and Federal Security
Service are already buying small batches of new
series firearms. Commercial production has to
wait until the Defense Ministry's tests are complete.
If the AK-200 goes into production, it would
mean Russia joining the international trend towards
improving existing models rather than re-inventing
"the firearms of tomorrow," which saw
only limited progress. Basic models can be upgraded
by ergonomic design and added cutting-edge equipment.
The author is RIA Novosti
military affairs columnist.
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