Izhmash will launch new AK line in 2009
Vesti.ru did a tour of the Izhmash factory and interviews with various employees and with Kalashnikov himself.
It is all in Russian but still very interesting to see inside the factory. According to a couple of Russian speakers at WAFF they mention that a new line of AKs will be launched next year (2009)! I wonder what they have in store for us? Maybe finally a left-hand side charging handle?
During the interview Kalashnikov says he gets a lot of hate mail asking how he sleeps at night. He says it is politicians not guns that kill people. Well said! I have seen many interview of Kalashnikov over the years.
Very impressive setup they have at Izhmash. CNC mills and robotic manufacturing will help them complete with Western firearms companies.
Can’t wait to see there new product lines.
Is the Russian military adopting 1913 rails or are those AKs for foreign markets?
For the AK to complete in a market that is dominated by ARs, it has to redesign the receiver, better iron sight, and improve safety control. Without those three overhaul, the AK will die a slow death.
They have the technology and the know how to do it. It is the lack of willingness to change that is holding them back.
You can buy blank 0% AK receiver for $13.00+ without the needs to go through FFL. This is what they looks like.
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=297
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=413
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=282
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=417
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=379
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=383
http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=412
Yeah they are unfolded cheap sheet metal.
People have commented that AK are “Disposable rifles for disposable troops”. Nothing wrong with the disposable rifle part, tho. However, AK needs to change the image or be left behind.
If the AK needs to become some crappy AR-15 wannabe to be successful then why no just make AR-15s?
AK needs to change nothing. 100 million customers can’t be all wrong.
I will probably just buy the currently offered Galil rifle which cost around $625.
I’m very eager to see what they do with the design. The AK is a fine weapon, with a brilliant design. There’s no way in hell that some Afghani tinsmith could build a working AR-15, but they crank out functional AKs non-stop. They might not be pretty, but they sure kill a lot of people. The Russian approach to engineering is vastly different to our own. We (Americans) like high tech designs that show off our technical prowess. The Russians tend to design things such that any 17 year old farm boy can fix it, from guns to tanks and airplanes. It works for them, they don’t have the money to keep up the maintenance on ultra-high-tech equipment.
I dearly love my STG200C, and wish I’d kept my Saiga 308. I think I must try to buy another, and kit it out like I did the first one. I do hope the Russian government can keep them afloat. As do our bankruptcy laws, if they can clear the outstanding debts they can become a truly profitable corporation.
The one major improvement I can think of to the AK would be a rear set sight such as the Valmet or the Galil have. A longer sight radius is always good for accuracy.