#Ak-12

Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern have announced the delivery of another initial batch of improved AK-12s. The AK-12 Model 2023 has a number of small but significant changes including the removal of the earlier AK-12’s two-round burst function, a new stock with cheek riser, a new fixed muzzle device and small improvements to the rear sight. Kalashnikov Concern also note that it has some undisclosed internal improvements. Check out our earlier article on the Improved AK-12 for more.

Adopted by the Russian military in 2018, the AK-12 rifle has since gone through several revisions that resulted in some design changes such as the replacement of the AR15-style stock and the introduction of the one-piece polymer pistol grip/trigger guard. Kalashnikov Concern recently published information about the latest 2023 upgrades of the AK-12 rifle that were requested by the Russian military based on the feedback from the Russo-Ukrainian War. These design changes are apparently not significant enough to give the rifle a new model name, so it’s referred to as the AK-12 model of 2023.

AC-Unity, a firearms and accessories manufacturer from Bosnia and Herzegovina, in collaboration with a Turkish company has developed an  AK-12 magazine clone. Like the original Russian AK-12 magazine, the AC-Unity clone is also a 5.45x39mm magazine, has a 30-round capacity and is compatible with all AK rifles that take AK-74 magazines. The AC-Unity AK-12 magazine is already available in the USA through the RTG Parts (US importer of AC-Unity products) website.

It’s now three weeks since Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine. We have seen the Ukrainian Armed Forces put up an impressive fight while Russia’s forces have stalled since their initial attempts at a lightning advance failed. While images of burnt-out or abandoned Russian armoured vehicles have dominated the news and social media there have been some interesting small arms seen. Everything from the newest Ukrainian AR-15s to Russia-backed separatists with Mosin-Nagants.

In the previous article about the history of the AK-12, I talked about the “Ratnik” program and the earliest known prototype of the rifle. Now, it is time to talk about the second and third prototypes, which will be much easier, since I was personally involved in the trials and testing of those guns, as well as many demos and media events.

In the last 75 years, dozens of different Kalashnikov variants were developed all over the globe. At least 32 countries produced various AK rifles, hundreds of engineers tried to improve them. But, in all these years, not a single new variation of an AK has received as much attention from the media as the AK-12 assault rifle.

Hot on the heels of Kalashnikov Concern’s brand new 5.56x45mm-chambered AK-19, Russia’s leading small arms company have introduced a new and improved AK-12. The new rifle includes a number of slightly tweaked ergonomic features that were developed in light of feedback from Russian service personnel.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the largest Russian annual arms exhibition, ARMY, was not canceled and started as scheduled. During this exhibition,  Kalashnikov Concern introduced several new small arms products including a new LMG, a smart shotgun and the AK-19, a 5.56×45 rifle based on the AK-12.

Back in March, we reported that the special forces of the Western Military District had been issued with the Russian Army’s newest rifle, the AK-12. The Russian government recently announced that the 144th Motorized Rifle Division deployed in the Smolensk Region has also now received the new rifle. The delivery of 5,500 of AK-12s is the largest issue of the new rifles yet reported. The troops of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division are now undergoing familiarisation training.

Russian state news service TASS has reported that 35,000 new 5.45x39mm AK-12s have been delivered to the Russian army. With deliveries continuing apace this indicates that Kalashnikov Group are on track to meet their target of delivering over 110,000 rifles by 2021.

About a year ago TFB reported that the Russian Military had ordered 150,000 brand new AK-12 and AK-15 rifles.

Operators from Russia’s 24th ObrSpN (or 24th Spetsnaz Brigade) have appeared in a video from a recent training exercise equipped with the new AK-12 5.45x39mm rifles. The short video shows a Spetsnaz team intercepting a truck to acquire ‘valuable intelligence’. 24th obrSpN was originally formed in November 1977 and saw extensive service during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979 – 89), they are currently based in Irkutsk, in south-central Russia.

Every year, during the SHOT Show days, Rifle Dynamics hold their own event, the RD Open House. This year I was lucky to be able to attend it and in this article, I’ll tell you about the newly released and prototype Rifle Dynamics products as well as some really interesting builds displayed during the event.

Kalashnikov Media, apparently inspired by IV8888, conducted a meltdown test of AK-12, the latest iteration of Kalashnikov rifle that was recently adopted by the Russian military. They fired this 5.45x39mm rifle in full-auto rapidly changing the magazines until the barrel ruptured right behind the gas block. The gun performed pretty well though firing 680 rounds of 7N6 ammunition before the failure which according to Kalashnikov Media is over three times the sustained fire requirement of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Sureshot Armament Group published these photos of a deactivated AK-12 rifle fitted with a Remington/Bushmaster ACR stock via the adapter they made. Actually, this is not an AK-12-specific adapter and it will work with any AK side folder rear trunnion with a 5.5mm hinge pin.