Kalashnikov AK-12 Unveiled
Izhmash has officially unveiled the first working prototype of the AK-12 Assault Rifle. According to Max Popenker there will be two models, a Light model (5.45x39mm, 5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm) that accepts all magazines that work with existing AK rifles, as well as a new 60 round quad stack magazine, and a Heavy (7.62x51mm) model that will use a new magazine.
The rifle's major new features are ...
- Ambidextrous forward charging handle.
- Smaller ejection port.
- New safety switch.
- New fire control switch with three modes of fire (single shot, 3 round burst and full auto).
- New hinged top cover. The cover is a lot more rigid that the previous AK rifles.
- Quad picatinny rails.
- Folding and length adjustable stock.
- Ergonomic pistol grip (with a decent radius between trigger guard and grip).
- New muzzle brake that attaches to standard NATO 22mm threading.
- Improved barrel rifling.
Whilst it is not pretty, in fact it is downright ugly, it possess all the features of the latest western assault rifles.
[ Many thanks to Russian Surt & Max Popenker for providing information. ]
Russian doctrine is still to engage with full auto, If your firing on automatic do you think the pistol type sights would be more effective than peep sights?
Iv always wanted to fire the 5.45 version looks like it has no kick at all.
FWIW, pistol-type sights actually kind of make sense to me as a BUIS. Most firefights happen within 100m, and there it’s speed that wins, not necessarily tiny-hole accuracy; pistol sights are much quicker than peeps. Plus this rifle is obviously set up with optics in mind.
Earlier articles in here noted the AK-12 might use a new caliber exclude 5.45, 5.56 and7.62×39(may 6.5)
Is that project were cancelled? Or They haven’t unveil it?
I have been thinking about that too.
Don’t you think it is strange they bothered to make a large calibre version of this weapon (the heavy AK-12) and it is only in 7.62 x 51mm NATO calibre?
Perhaps the secret calibre they are talked before about is the other heavy rifle calibre… 6 x 49m or whatever they might have replaced that new cartridge that was developed to replace the 7.62 x 54mm round.
It would make an ideal designated marksman rifle to replace the SVD in platoons, and could be used in sniper teams as a spotter weapon with the sniper carrying something like an SV-338 or something in 12.7 x 108mm calibre.
It would also explain why there is no 7.62 x 54mm version even mentioned.
The SVD and the Bren gun manage to be reliable capable box fed weapons using rimmed cartridges from the 19th century so I don’t see any good reason why a new AK could not be chambered for that round… like the civilian Tigr and many other rifles based on the AK action.
this is great and all that the russians have brough thier weapon systm into the 21st century, but what about the millions of ak-74s that they have stocked up in storage?
Still same AK with the same internal parts. All those mods on the budget already been done in US by changing butt stock and adding grips with rails. Ergonomics need to be changed. The gun need to be more compact, they need to invest into supplying their guns with standard optics like the ones on HK G36 or SA80. No wonder defense department stopped purchasing new AK’s from Izshmash. I am not sure this “modified” gun with be in any interest from the Russian defense ministry.
They did change the ergonomics. Did you not read the article or look at the pictures? A compact version of the rifle is being planned.
I think that integrated optics would be a mistake. The G36 optic system is absolutely terrible and the British have gone with Trijicon ACOGs and Elcan SpecterDRs for their SA80s. Steyr has also done away with the integral 1.5x optic on the AUG. It’s much better to supply rail space and no optic than some optic that may no suit the end user.
I was following this story in the Russian media and here’s the results: Russian defence ministry is NOT interested in buying this weapon, it’s got the same internal parts as AK 74′s they got surplus of 17 million with only 1 million army forces. This gun will be offered to the foreign sales.
I watch lot of russian forces using AK’s and non of them got optics exept of SVD or Vintorez. They simply can’t afford mounting optics on every weapon. Izshmash factory is a bancrupt, they designed thei AK-12 hoping for new sales but the factory still filed for bancruptcy. Russian defense department wants a completely new rifle, not modified AK-74. Sorry guys, but it’s real life.
Here’s a good story that you guys might like. One guy decided to purchase 90 empty AK wooden crates from Izhmash for his stove in siberia. After he opened crates inside he found 70+ AK’s with magazines and spare parts. He called authorities and investigation was launched. Few people lost their jobs over it! That’s what i call a nice present )))
Here’s tot he issue about optics for a new AK. Trijicon is supplying US military with ACOG. US defense department is paying for it. In Russia case no optics being purchased at all, so rails are basically useless. Russian soldiers can’t afford buying their own optics. So if Izhmash installed standard optics like on G-36 (even if they’re piece of crap) it would be better than no optics at all. I am expressing my views form the point of view of a russian soldier.
Check out a higher resolution picture from the izhmash website itself:
http://www.izhmash.ru/pix/news/AK-12.jpg
Details (in Russian) are at
http://www.izhmash.ru/rus/news/250112_2.shtml
The folding, adjustable stock looks very inspired by the iterations of the Bren S805.
The forward-mounted, ambidextrous charging handle should increase the AK’s already-legendary reliability.
I do think that the selector switch needs to be extended lower to ease with safety and mode changes. Also, I think the mounting point on the gas exchange is not that great of a mounting position. It would be better to extend the handguard, as well as extending the lateral rails (which are pretty short), while leaving a cut out for the gas bleed holes on the gas tube. Or drop the front sight and mount it on the gas exchange either as iron sights or flip-up BUIS.
“Ergonomic pistol grip (with a decent radius between trigger guard and grip).”
What does this mean? It certainly doesn’t look like a trigger guard meant for maximum suitability for thick winter gloves (Valmet is the most extreme company in this regard, and I figure the Russians shouldn’t forget this winter combat requirement either).
I always thought the SA80 looked cool, but the early models were unreliable, so I really don’t allow cosmetic things like looks blur my view of new weapons now.
This prototype seems to combine all the best features of the AK, which had a range of different solutions combined together to make a new design in the first place, and also fix most of the obvious problems.
If they have managed to retain the AKs good reliability then I think they have done an excellent job without making any radical changes that would effect production rate, cost, training time for soldiers, and of course without adding too many new things that could fail and therefore make the weapon less reliable.
Balanced recoil would have been a nice addition, but would be more useful in 7.62 x 39mm and the heavier rifle models in 308 NATO.
I presume there is a 7.62 x 54mm version… but if their isn’t there was mention before of another top secret calibre… perhaps they now have the money to introduce the 6 x 49mm round they developed to replace the 7.62 x 54mm round and the heavy AK-12 rifle will be in 7.62 x 51mm and 6 x 49mm Russian?
Note the 6 x 49mm round didn’t fail, there was just no money to put it into production. Now there is money and there is still a need to replace the old rimmed round.
It would be interesting for their new sniper teams if they did adopt the new round as the sniper might be carrying a SV-338 long range sniper rifle and his spotter might have a heavy AK-12 with a long barrel in 6 x 49mm.
That would be cool.
Balanced recoil would have been great, especially since it has a 3 round burst. The main reason they didn’t include it was cost and perhaps also design, this is a multi calibre design already.
Don’t confuse Russian military need for low cost small arms and the utility of balanced recoil.
The Russians could have at least made it a different color. Black is outdated now. Hopefully this is just a prototype.
I’ll take two. Especially one in 7.62x51mm..
The Russian government didn’t have money to order the AN-94 back in the 90s. Are they really going to order this new AK-12 when their warehouses are still choke full of AKMs?
AK-12 would be just another export model attempt to boost Izhmash’s declining AK sales.
It’s like the Dublin AK Systems RCS.
Heh… Я♥Ижевск watermark on the first photo.
All they need to add is the balanced recoil system from the ak 107 or the aek 971.
The Russians should study FNC and SIG first.
Remember, form follows function, a concept the Russians (perhaps unwittingly) have historically prevailed in.
The AK-12 does look like fun, and the enhanced ergos would be intertersting to try. I think they should’ve kept the 47 moniker, i.e. AK-47A1 mk2 mod 0 ad nauseum.
except we use AK-74 since 1974.
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im not a big fan of russian weapons (except for mosins, and sks) most of them are ugly, but they deff arnt junk
I am curious what you think of the M249 and the M1 Garand
Worst. Comment. Ever!
/Comic Book Guy
I like it. There are a few things I’d like to see changed but I can say that about every firearm I’ve ever looked at, shot or carried. I could live with this one.
its’ a rifle;it doesn’t have to be pretty,it has to be accurate,reliable and functional -sports illustrated cover girls HAVE to be pretty : ) .If this new design retains the traditional AK reliability and manages to eliminate the majority of the drawbacks that the old design had,then it’s an excellent firearm.However,there are millions of brand new AK-74s stored in Russian arsenals,IMHO AK-12 will be issued to specialist and interior ministry troops-just like AN-94,AS Val-, the average Russian soldier would keep his old trusty AK for decades to come…
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So, basically Ижмаш have made an ugly AR that you don’t have to clean all the time. Meh.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the obviously terrible ergonomics of the fire selector. That lever does not move the way a human thumb does. Thumbs move in an arc in the forward-facing quadrant relative to muzzle, not upward-facing.
Also, the safety bar, while tactically unsound for taking the weapon off safe within earshot of a Tango (which is tactically unsound in the first place, so invalid complaint), is brilliant because it’s not only impossible to fire the weapon, it’s also impossible to chamber a round. Not to mention it keeps crud out of the action.
Rails good. Adjustable stock good. Grip no longer made from a broomhandle good. Ambi fire selector/charging handle good. Multi calibers good.
Using tangent sights after WWI, bad. Changing the operating system of a fifty-year old design that still never breaks and resists harsh weather better than anything besides a bolt gun, bad.
Steve, it is NOT “final production model” but rather A FISRT WORKING PROTOTYPE
It is still very far from being “final”, from what I know.
It’s at least the third prototype of the “next gen” AK we’ve seen. They’ve had a while to get it right.
Dear Max,
CDo you have any pictures from the OTHER side of the weapon? It would be very interesting!
By the way, it is not sure clear for me, where could I pull it up, and how could I take it to pieces.
unfortunately, no left side photos were published yet
as for disassembly, there is a lever on the right side, above and behind the safety.
Push this lever to unlock top cover, then raise cover up and forward. After that, you can pull out return spring, and then bolt group.
Thanks Max, I updated it.
not much for me to say
if you’ll forgive the memes
me gusta
do want
Y U NO want An94? lol
I think it sort of looks like a Galil with rails. Looks like the need to fix and unanswered question with an unwanted piece of kit has infected the Russian military too.
Bringing the ergonomics and accessory modularity of that design into the current century was not unwanted, I’m quite sure.
Measurements I’ve done from the first picture on this page, based on the dimensions of a standard AK-74 magazine, indicate that the sight height over bore axis is approximately two inches, and the sight height over the cheek riser on the stock is approximately 1.5 inches. Those are almost exactly the same measurements for those dimensions on an AR-15 or M-16.
Wake me when Century starts importing them.
India get’s an AK that can be converted to fire 5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm, but now they want a bullpup instead that does that too.
The Sig is a Kalashnikov variant.
uh yeah no shit…
The SG550-based rifles are also worlds ahead of this thing in every way that matters. This is an AK with a bunch of rails on it. WOW. If I worked for Izhevsk, I’d be out looking for a job right now.
Are there any firms in Russia actually contributing positively to modern small arms design as far as rifles are concerned? Or do we really have to wait for ol’ Mickey to kick off before that starts happening?
looks a bit like sig
Curved butt plate… I hate curved butt plates. Put a flat one on there!
Quick question…. Is your shoulder flat or curved?
Do I use my shoulder every time I shoot? Or am I putting it on my pectoral to help me control recoil?
But it’s automatic! The butt plate is actually designed to conform to the human hip!
/sarcasm
Do you know if the barrel is still pressed and pinned at the trunnion?
…This is completely off-topic, but I don’t suppose there’s a good non-fiction or fiction book about the Red Army’s time in Afghanistan from the Russian POV?
Afgantsy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8371490/Afgantsy-The-Russians-in-Afghanistan-1979-1989-by-Rodric-Braithwaite-review.html
Thanks, everyone who replied.
There’s “Bear went over the mountain” by lester grau.
lol i like that title
There is the 9th company.
Russian elite Airborn unit that fought in Afghanistan. 39 Russian Airborn vs 200-250 Mujahideen rebels or Pakistani commandos. Two Russians and well over 100 Mujahideen rebels or Pakistani commandos died in the fighting. Great leadership and great support that kept those Russian Airborn troops alive and fighting.
The movie that base on the event dishonor their bravery. It’s basically a liberal trash film. However if you want to see it, it is on Netflix online.
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/9th_Company/70140536?trkid=2361637
I don’t know what would make the movie “liberal”… it’s not that terrible, not that great either
Here the fact about the real life version and the movie. The real life version is that only 2 Russian died in the fighting. All of them doing their parts even gravely wounded. That’s bravery.
The movie made these Russians look like cowards and whiners. Their countryman abandon them in the fight. Every Russian dies except the main character. It made the enemy fearless. Pure liberal bullshit.
i wouldn’t place the blame on “liberal bullshit”. I am not the only slightly left leaning centrist that loves firearms, admires military technology, and believes in the concept of “peace through superior firepower”.
It is a movie, it was meant for entertainment value. I believe that they should have depicted the events more realistically, though it was more entertaining for the targeted audience.
There is no doubt that Afghanistan was Russia’s Vietnam (though from another perspective I don’t believe that comparison is fair due to the fact that the US suffered significantly higher casualties than the Soviets). Based off of research, Soviet Afghan War veterans suffered similar sentiment like US troops did when they came home from Vietnam.
The film is 100% pure liberal bullshit and you can quote me on it all day long.
9th company is base on the event of 345th Soviet paratroopers in Afghanistan. Read up on the firefight via google search. Than go watch 9th Company.
IIRC at the end of the firefight there was not a signal soldier that was not wounded. The two dead Russians Airborn was awarded the highest honor in the Soviet Union. The rest of the troops was awarded with heroism ribbons and medals.
You don’t have to be conservative to enjoy a firearm. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that no one’s politics can be accurately described with the labels “conservative” or “liberal”. It should be an obsolete term, because it never tells any person’s story well.
seriously, end the anti-liberal sentiment. It is a tired and old soapbox to stand on. I don’t need a google search because i have a large collection of books, particularly on guerrilla warfare and the Soviet-Afghan War.
I really wish people would stop with the political stance holier-than-thou attitude. I understand that a significant population of the firearms community is conservative, though immature behavior like this alienates potential allies and potential new gun enthusiasts standing on a different political spectrum.
You completely misinterpreted the movie. The movie shows the transformation of raw recruits into toughened fighters mowing down human waves of mujahadin. They are fighting for their country and more importantly their brothers in arms. It is all about Russian Nationalism and pride in their armed forces. It was not made in America and has nothing to do with American politics.
If the movie was about Russian troops building a tolerance museum or something you might have a point, but I don’t think most people’s idea of “liberal BS” is going cyclic with a PKM.
Firearms not Politics anyway :-p
There was a series that was run quite recently in the monthly full color edition Shotgun News. It was written by and from the point of view of a former Spetsnaz operator/soldier/whatever. It would cover a specific segment of their weaponry each time (heavy weapons, explosives, etc), give some pretty good info about them, and it would include some relevant stories from the author.
I found it to be quite fascinating and informative. You might be able to find it online or get back editions. Not exactly a book, but still very interesting.
I don’t like how it looks. The original AK had a beautiful symmetry. This thing looks too “blocky”.
Fortunately, the appearance doesn’t hinder functionality, which is the only thing that really matters.
since when was the Ak beautiful? lol but yes the only thing that matters is if your rifle can hit what your aiming at and it goes bang when the trigger is pulled
It looks like military versions of the Saigas they’ve been selling here. They just went to Carolina Shooting Supply, and bought the add on parts that Americans have been putting on for years. I’ve had a 308 AK for a couple of years now. Longer sight radius is a long overdue addition.
The AK sight radius is 15″, maybe a little more. So is the sight radius on an M4. They’re within a quarter inch of each other.
Radius wasn’t the problem with the AK’s sights. The rear sight was. “I have an idea, let’s put pistol sights on a rifle!” No. The “peep” sight on the AR is one of the biggest reasons it’s more accurate.
Yep. The most accurate rifle in the world, when equipped with a poor sighting system, becomes only as accurate as that poor sighting system.
Most good AKs can shoot around 2.5 MOA, and by FINALLY moving the rear sight to the correct end of the receiver, that accuracy can become a practical reality.
I agree. Arrggghh, why not just add a peep sight and instantly the conscripts will be shooting with better accuracy.
maybe with all that rail they want to put on a forward mounted red-dot as standard and use the crappy tangent sights as a BUIS of last resort.
Weirdly, even though this new rifle has the features that most people have been asking for, it kind of detracts from the idiosyncratic charm and iconic look of the traditional AK.
The more rigid top cover is a welcome addition though, I’ve never liked the flimsy feeling of the removable top cover and having a decent sight radius is a real winner.
And like charles222, I’m hoping the safety / selector is a solid and reliable part. I’ve seen some home made versions and they don’t instill confidence, normally flicking back on when firing.
they’re using NATO muzzle breaks?
So it disassembles more or less the same way as any AK? How the top cover keeps zero? The irons and optics are mounted on it!
Valmet & Galil have been doing that for years, you just need a more solid top cover, hinge & lock.
It is ugly, but the picture isn’t the most flattering (too much glare). The rails and other improvements should make the AK a viable modern rifle again. If it is fairly easy to switch between 5.56 and 7.62, it may even have a chance at the new Indian trials.
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The new stock design is in line with the bore, with no drop. The sight height looks fine to me.
he’s talking about height over bore, not whether the stock is in line with bore.the latter is a recoil management issue and the former is a cheek wield issue and imo a genuine one for some.
the bolts in AKs are to tall compared to ARs. and on AK the stock is on the lower receiver unlike other piston rifles with big bolt carriers where the stock is tall and almost in line with the top rail. for me the cheek wield is always less ideal on an AK and it won’t change much even the stock is level and in line with the bore. you basically can’t mount an Eotech on it. but for shorter optics it should be better.
very impressive. I remember saying the next evolution of AK should have “westernized” ambi features. I am delighted that this outstanding system has taken a evolutionary step.
Color me unimpressed. With the exception of the safety, it looks like your average Tapco covered AK. Although the idea of a 7.62x51mm AK is pretty cool, assuming they have 20-round magazines for it.
The forward charging handle, redesigned safety/selector, receiver length rail with rear sight moved back to an improved, hinged dust cover are all pretty major improvements that address a lot of complaints to the basic design. Maybe some of this can be done aftermarket, but having it come in a modern format straight from the factory counts IMO.
And no I wasn’t a downvoter =) Must be lots of Russians on the board.
Oh, the AK fanboys are a vitriolic bunch. They’re also generally wrong. It’s taken the Izhmash the better part of a decade to develop a SIG 550 (I know it uses an the AK operating system, as did the FNC). Again, color me unimpressed.
I never really considered to the right side charging handle to be that terrible of a impediment. The safety/selector was always the issue, which they’ve fixed. The sight radius on the AK was bad, and this is better, but if they’re still using pistol sights on a rifle then I don’t think they got the message.
I don’t believe that the new sight radius is that big of deal, considering optical sights are more common in military applications than ever in history.
Does this rifle have the “balanced” operating system that the Ak 107/108 series has?
No, it has standard system, although it is claimed to work a tad more smoothly than a typical AK action
It’s a good start. I would like to see if the cover itself is really rock solid.
If it is, that’ll solve many of the AK system’s accuracy issues just by making it easier to aim well. IMO, this is a much-needed upgrade that they should’ve done forty+ years ago.
What i don’t l.ike is that they still used the same crappy rear sight.
The AK’s accuracy issue has to do with a lot more than it’s terrible sights. The shear violence of it’s cycling induces a lot of harmonics into the barrel. Just watch an AK fire on high speed camera, that barrel is all over the place before the round has even cleared the muzzle.
That said, it’s accurate enough for it’s original intent. Which is to say, accurate enough for Warsaw Pact human wave attacks that engage defensive positions from 200m or less.
Reminds me of the shape of the VZ58. Not bad.
It still looks like a prototype – too many sharp edges.
I don’t think it’s ugly, I kind of like it. Looks like they finally gave up on the crappy AK safety bar.
Too bad we have so many restrictive laws when it comes to importing. That thing could keep Izhmash in business if they could do commercial sales in the US.
Any word on the weight?
They could always open a plant over here, FN/Sig style. Or import sporterized versions and have them converted to 922 compliance in the states.
I actually like the thinking behind this. A better rear peep sight is about my only major nitpick. Or maybe a milled receiver version. If they are going to bring the AK into the modern age, might as well use higher quality machining too.
If a civilian-legal version ever comes to the American market, they may change the rear sight to the peep variety that I’m sure they realize Americans prefer. If they don’t, it’ll be a matter of a few weeks before an aftermarket upgrade part becomes available. Yay, Capitalism!
A machined steel receiver would probably be too heavy. If they’re going to use more modern manufacturing techniques, then forged aluminum would probably be the best way to go.
It would make the rifle more expensive, but it’s the best choice. Lighter than steel, more heat resistant than polymer.
Now THAT is my kind of AK!!!
Can’t really tell if the safety is less garbage than it currently is. Nice-looking rifle otherwise.
On ugly AKs-I always felt the 74 was the nicest-looking with it’s composite magazine and muzzle brake.
From the pictures it looks like an improvement from the current safety switch. Anything is better than the current version IMO. They still need to improve on the mag release and allow bolt to open when empty.
Actually the mag release was improved, if you take a better look you’ll notice that there is a mag release button just above the old latch release which can be operated by the index finger same way as the mag release on the m16.
As for the bolt hold open probably the easiest way to do it would be to make something similar to the Zastava M64 bho, because that would require minimal modification to the mags and receiver.
Well, you can tell Kalashnikov’s not at the helm anymore, though I’m sure that hasn’t been the case in years.
Full length sight radius, very nice. So when are they coming over here?