Agencija Alan has a stable presence at IDEX, however, for the first time in the author’s memory, in this edition, they finally took their products out of glass cabinets and welcomed the public in the booth.

They showcased the full range of their small arms portfolio, which we may know better under the company name HS Produkt. In this article, we’ll have a closer look at the RT-20 and the VHS-2.

RT-20 cal. 20×110 mm Anti-Materiel Rifle

The Agencija Alan RT-20 is an anti-materiel sniper rifle chambered in the 20×110 mm cannon ammunition. The name RT comes from Rucni Top, which means “hand cannon”. The most defining feature of this firearm is the recoil balancing tube venting behind the shooters back some of the gas generated by firing the round. At about 1/3 of the length of the 920 mm (36.2″) barrel, three holes on its top vent gasses inside a chamber which connects to the backward facing tube. This arrangement, together with a massive muzzle brake, tames recoil to very manageable levels in the 17 kg (37.5 lbs) rifle.

Quite surprisingly the loss of gas propelling the projectile does not affect negatively the muzzle velocity. It is still rated at 850 m/s (about 2,790 fps). More details can be found in this article by Hrachya.

The RT-20 with bolt open and venting tube in the foreground; .50 BMG MACS M4 in the background.

Detail showing the 3 rows of lugs on the RT-20 bolt head.

Detail of the scope mounted on the left side of the RT-20. Official documentation on the RT-20 mentions a Khales ZF10x42 unit, however, this sample employs what looks like a Schmidt & Bender 3-12×54 PM II.

RT-20 from the, very, wrong end. The TFB tag is a square with 2.5″ sides. Previous versions of the RT-20 featured a more cylindrical muzzle brake.

VHS-2 Bullpup Assault Rifle

The Agencija Alan VHS development, iterations and deployment have been followed by TFB over the years. This interest is mostly because the rifle appears to be a well designed modern bullpup adopting original solutions towards ambidextrous operation and ergonomics. Ergonomics which were, however, recently questioned as the stock appeared disproportionately long.

The author, who stands 185 cm (about 6′ 1″) tall, handled a few of the VHS-D2, with 500 mm (about 20″) barrel, and VHS-K2, 410 mm (about 16″) barrel. Stock length appeared manageable up to about half of the buttstock extension. Further stretching to the maximum extension resulted in issues in getting a decent cheek weld.

VHS-D2 samples with different sights setup and original magazines.

VHS-K2 samples with original magazines. The non-reciprocating charging handle can be operated from either side thanks to the spring-loaded pivoting head.

VHS-K2 with traditional STANAG magazine.

Detail of the collapsible buttstock locked halfway. You can also see the left side ejection port, which can be configured by disassembling the bolt carrier group and reassembling it to eject to the left.