Ak 12 and aek 971 which is better. Weapon. Principle of operation and design

The process of introducing new small arms in the USSR / Russia was approached for a very long time. The reason for this is the perfect design of the AK, the Soviet military doctrine - they needed an easy-to-use and reliable machine gun that any conscript would get used to, as well as the presence of a huge number of enterprises capable of producing millions of Kalashnikovs and ammunition for them. For a total war, this is an undeniable advantage, but for fleeting conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which contract professionals participate, you need a whole shooting complex, including both the machine itself and day / night sights, special ammunition, an underbarrel grenade launcher and other devices.

The Russian military has long been dissatisfied with the AK, mainly with the accuracy of the machine gun, more precisely, with accuracy. When firing in bursts at the Kalashnikov, due to the design features, the barrel leads to the right and up. Therefore, the second and third bullets are always deflected to the side.

In the new AK-12, many of the shortcomings of the previous assault rifles were corrected. The recoil force compared to the AK-74 has decreased by 20%, and the accuracy has increased significantly due to changes in the design. So, in the AK-12 the central axis of the bore is in line with the butt, like in the American AR-15 / M16 rifles, the accuracy and quality of the barrel are improved, and the rifling is also changed. The problem of an open gap between the receiver and its cover was solved, Picatinny rails appeared, allowing the installation of various additional equipment. Also, the AK-12 is easy to adapt for left-handers.
In turn, the A-545 (further modernization of the AEK-971) is distinguished by a thoroughly redesigned automation. The designers added a special balancer, equal in weight to the bolt group. Thanks to this, it was possible to exclude the main reason for the low accuracy of the AK - the shaking of the weapon from the movement of the bolt group when reloading each cartridge during firing.
As a result, the accuracy of firing from unstable positions increased by 1.5-2 times compared to the AK-74M. Also on the A-545 you can install the whole range of modern sights and additional equipment due to the presence of the Picatinny rail.

The high accuracy of the A-545 may play a decisive role in the choice of this weapon by the Ministry of Defense, but the question of price remains. The Vzglyad newspaper, according to Anatoly Sitnov, former head of armaments of the RF Ministry of Defense, writes that the AEK-971 is more expensive to manufacture than the AK-12. However, we must not forget about the strong lobby in the highest leadership circles of supporters of the AK-12.

But, regardless of the results of the competition, the question arises, what to do with 15 million Kalashnikovs stored in warehouses? It is unlikely that it will be possible to provide the army with completely new models in the coming years, so it is unlikely that the Russian military will completely abandon the Kalashnikov. What do you think, which machine is more suitable for the Russian army?

The American M4 is a development of the American M16. Technologically, they are one and the same. Just a more modern thing. She has been since 1994. Initially, the design of American emok is much better than Kalashnikov. The author of the design is Stoner. Here it is necessary to understand the internal structure and principle of operation. I will try to explain below as best as I can. Of course, for a complete understanding, you need to be familiar with the operation of weapons in practice.

Kalashnikov shows less accuracy when firing bursts, less accuracy when firing at long distances. But - they can be easily used by savages in terrible conditions and without any training. M16/M4 needs a little more maintenance. To master it, you need a higher qualification of a soldier. It is more difficult to manufacture technologically - and that is why the terrorists of the whole world churn out the Kalashnikov using the artisanal method. Kalashnikov is a rough, unpretentious and reliable weapon. M16 is an accurate, professional tool.
The Taliban army, of course, can be armed with crude weapons. Why should the Russian army be armed with crude weapons?

1. Please note that the AK-47 is not straight forward. M16 never had this flaw. Notice that straight line from the butt to the tip of the barrel - that goes on the M4. This is not just like that, it is a completely logical and correct concept embedded in the design. This defect is more or less corrected in the AK-12 and AEK-971 models - they have become more direct, like the M4. Moreover, the M4 was straight - always. This is logical. Recoil goes straight to the shoulder in a straight line. And extinguished. In the AK-47, which is curved, due to this, according to the laws of physics, additional dangling of the weapon is caused when firing.

2. The second flaw. These are moving parts. In the AK-47, the common center of mass of the moving parts moves parallel to the axis of the bore, slightly higher from the top. Those. it's a huge mass of iron that goes back and forth. It creates, of course, huge interference when shooting. The M16/M4 never had this problem. The moving parts move along the axis of the bore and have a cylindrical shape. Due to this, the M4 shoots much more accurately.

Red indicates moving parts, green indicates spring. Actually, the moving part "leaves" there during the shot. Actually, the picture shows the ideal design of American weapons and the ugly design of AK very clearly. Of course, movement along the axis of the barrel at Stoner leads to greater accuracy of the weapon. And the shifted center of gravity of the Kalashnikov design reduces accuracy.

Actually, this ugly mechanism is present in both the AK-12 and the AEK-971. Moreover, in the AEK-971, a compensator design was introduced. At the moment of movement of this pile of metal backwards, the same pile moves forward. Due to this, the impulse is extinguished and interference is reduced.

What can I say: this is absolutely no reason to abandon the AK-12 and accept the AEK-971 with this compensator. Because this flaw is preserved in both models. The correct way to remove this flaw is, of course, borrowing the principle of automation from the M16. Which was applied there from the very beginning back in 1960. It has always been done right. But in AK and AEK it is completely wrong. AEK is even worse. Not just wrong. And also a compensator is attached, which compensates for the wrong design by moving the extra blank-counterweight in the other direction.

The more advanced Stoner design, of course, shows greater accuracy than the Kalashnikov design. And even with single shots. In turn, of course, things are much worse.

The irony is that this data can be easily seen in the English Wikipedia article. From there, a screenshot. In the Russian version of these data ... no :)

3. Planks. AK-47 is generally complete squalor. There are no attachment points for additional devices at all. The AK-12 already has Picatinny rails. The M4 has had this for a long time. The M16 has had this capability since its inception, where the secondary sights are attached to the top handle. In modern conditions, the ability to mount sights is already a necessary minimum. AEK-971 has no slats. This weapon is of the last century. The developer claims that AEK-971 is already an outdated model, now A-545

There is only one photo of this weapon on the Internet and no information at all:

As you can see, there is no underbarrel strap. Those. this weapon is simply not ready and not completed. Even in its experimental version, about which there is absolutely no information at all, we do not see a grenade bar.
By the way, a blank-compensator can be added to AK. Which once again suggests that there is no point in AEK - the compensator can also be attached to the AK-12. Is it just right? After all, the design of the M4 does not have such a problem. So it's more true - to abandon the wrong design altogether, and not to attach crutches.

4. Again, planks. AK and AEK have a lid on top. How to put a bar there? The M4 / M16 does not have this problem at all. Because the design is more correct. Those. clear? The incorrect design of the AK-AEK requires crutches in the form of additional weight that will move in the other direction, and also problems with the top bar. And the M4 Design - initially does not create interference, and the straps are rigidly attached to the body of the weapon. The lid of the AK-12 is removed along with the device attached to it ... the bar is thin and "hangs" ... - I can imagine how it will crack or bend from the slightest blow. Seriously, this nonsense can not be considered, sorry. The M4 does not have this nonsense and the M4 is made according to the technology of 1960.

5. The mechanism for fastening / changing the store. All AK and AEK are a completely wretched uncomfortable mechanism. Pay attention to how the mechanism (mine) is arranged in the M16 from the very beginning: just an up and down movement and the magazine is fastened. In AK, it’s a whole hassle to fasten / unfasten the magazine. The extra second or two that AK has is a weighty argument. For this, by the way, 2 magazines are fired in the tests - and here it is manifested that the M4 has a fast reload - and the AK has noticeably longer.

6. Jerking the shutter. On the AK-12, the bolt handle can be converted to the left side. AEK does not, like the AK-47. This makes it practically impossible to reload the magazine with one hand. Extra movements, jerking the shutter with the little finger of the left hand - the weakest finger - if from above. Well, or index from below. M4 initially does not have such a flaw. There, in general, the shutter handle does not stick out to the side and does not move back and forth during firing. The M4 is far superior to the AK-47, and even the newer AK-12. I generally keep quiet about AEK - everything is at the AK-47 level.

7. Weight M4 2.88 kg, weight AK-12 3.3 kg. This is without ammo. A person who is familiar with the question understands what these extra grams are, multiplied by the whole day of carrying them.

8. In the Russian-speaking environment, the myth about the unreliability of the m4 is widespread. Breaks, wedges, etc. It's just a myth. The US Army is fighting all over the world, in all conditions. And with a non-working weapon, of course, no one drives a soldier into battle there. M16/M4 is a reliable machine that works like a Swiss watch. I am forced to add this point here - because this myth is so deeply ingrained in people's heads - that so many people actually believe that American weapons simply do not shoot. It shoots. It is reliable.

9. If you look at the level of metalworking, then even the photo shows the quality of American products. And Russian rudeness.

Conclusion: the American infantry weapon M16 developed in 1960 is superior in design to both the AK-12 and AEK-971 and A-545. M4 is superior to M16, and, of course, much better than AK-12 and AEK-971. It more accurately shoots both single and burst. Naturally, it is the burst firing that is the weak point of the Kalashnikov design in relation to the Stoner design. Also, the American model has long been customizable in absolutely any part - you can put third-party triggers (meaning the entire trigger mechanism, the word "trigger" in modern Russian is a more correct name for the "trigger"), not to mention sights. AK-12 has just come to this. Those. there just appeared slats top and bottom. About such a level as installing third-party triggers is only in my dreams. And with American weapons, this is already a reality and has long been. AEK - in general, as I understand it, does not look in this direction. As I understand it, in the A-545 model, the bar is attached on top. absolutely impossible without it. But the developer himself does not pay due attention to this at all.

AK has always been worse than the American M16. Everything, absolutely everything that the domestic media is saying about this is a lie. I doubt it's incompetence. For the superiority of the engineering of American infantry weapons is visible to any person who begins to study their design. It is necessary to discard this lie and recognize the fact of the superiority of American weapons over domestic ones. This is the path to development, to correcting mistakes, to borrowing the right ideas.

Generally. Neither AK-12 nor AEK meet modern requirements. There needs to be a lot of work to completely change the design. I consider it pointless to argue which is better in a situation where both are inferior to American developments 50 years ago.

Between the adoption of the AK-12 and AEK, I choose the AK-12. With the creation of competing weapons based on the principles of Armalite (another name for Stoner's weapons). Because structurally the American model is absolutely superior to the Kalashnikov mechanism. But Russia may well lead 2 directions at the same time.

Why will American small arms always outperform domestic ones? Because of the second amendment of the US Constitution. In Russia, weapons were banned for the population by scoops. Soviet orders and heritage still do not allow Russia to develop.

Finally - a great video from the 60s about the M16 device

But about the "reliability" of Kalashnikov:

As they say - not everything is so simple.

Excellent article about the comparison of AK and M16, in English. There by the way and data on accuracy. Although the design of the M16 is already clear that it is much more accurate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_the_AK-47_and_M16

P.S.
I do not deify American weapons. The purpose of the note is not the task of deliberately lowering someone. I'm just trying to bring down the arrogance of the Kalashnikov, and the CSF there just rolls over. And I think the development of two lines at the same time is ideal:

1. Small arms based on Kalashnikov technology
2. Small arms based on Armalight technology

Two directions to lead simultaneously, free competition. Let me explain again: it is necessary to continue the development of the Kalashnikov line. And to this - the creation of the Russian version of the weapon on the principles of the Armalite design.

A battle unseen by the world unfolded in the Russian defense industry. Which machine is better - the new Kalashnikov AK-12 or its competitor AEK-971? The Russian army will begin military testing of the new machine next year. What it will be called, the development of which particular design bureau will be adopted, has not yet been decided. At the same time, it is known that the automatic rifle of the future will be fired with cartridges of the same caliber that are now in stores for many years, which has been in service with the AK-74. The Taman motorized rifle division is closely following the news about the new automatic rifle. But no one canceled classes with the AK-74. Its advantages are obvious - it is easily mastered by recruits, and in the hands of a professional it becomes a formidable weapon. At the same time, the AK-74 is unpretentious in maintenance and practically trouble-free. Making the machine better is a task for the designer, who is not afraid to compete in absentia with Kalashnikov himself.
“When a serviceman fulfills the standard for tactical training - movement is covert, when you have to crawl, the terrain is muddy, the terrain is different, then the weapon is clogged. It will not be difficult to disassemble it, clean it, - bring it to a normal state for operation, ”said Alexander Ananichev, commander of a motorized rifle company. They tried to make the next-generation assault rifle no less reliable. AK-12 - the development of the Izhmash plant, which is part of the Kalashnikov concern. The machine turned out to be a hundred grams lighter, and in battle this is a lot. The Izhevsk designers took the classic Kalashnikov assault rifle as a basis, but reduced the recoil arm. The body of the assault rifle has become somewhat shorter than that of the AK-74, the handle has been shifted slightly forward, and the mass of the moving parts of the bolt is better distributed. However, the impact itself from a bolt strike on the receiver, and then when returning to its original position, was only reduced here, but did not get rid of it at all. Advantages of the AK-12 - a redesigned trigger mechanism that allows you to reload the machine gun with one hand. You no longer need to juggle the shutter each time you change magazines. It would seem that the Kalashnikov assault rifle, rejuvenated by forty years, will win the right to serve in the Russian army without any problems. But he had a formidable competitor, he was introduced by the Degtyarev Kovrov plant - an enterprise where Lieutenant Kalashnikov invented the legendary AK-47 after the war. The AEK-971 designers from Kovrov developed a fundamentally different mechanism to reduce returns. The shutter in their machine is opposed by a telescopic balancer of approximately the same mass. After the shot, the bolt and balancer simultaneously hit the back and front of the machine. And thus extinguish unnecessary impulses acting on the hands of the shooter. In this case, the machine experiences recoil only as a reaction force from a bullet flying out of the barrel. However, new design details made the Kovrov assault rifle heavier than the AK-12. But smoother shooting speaks for him. In both samples, new firing modes appeared - in short bursts, and universal mounts for attachments. Competitors themselves recognize the merits of their rivals. “The correct state approach is to adopt both our machine gun and the Izhevsk machine gun. Today it is probably wrong for us to launch a large series, not in a state-like manner. Today, it is much more important to put this machine into trial operation, ”says Vladimir Gromov, chief designer of the Degtyarev plant.
But before trial operation, the machines still need to be adopted. In early December, a new Kalashnikov brand was presented in Moscow. Among the main characters at the presentation are those who choose the assault rifle of the future. “In my opinion, the conclusions should be drawn by the military, first of all, which assault rifle they need for what, but preliminary discussions show that both assault rifles are in demand. By and large, they both completed the tasks that the Ministry of Defense included in the tactical and technical characteristics, ”said Oleg Martyanov, a member of the board of the military-industrial commission under the government of the Russian Federation. The assault rifles will have to compete not only with each other, but also with the AK-74 itself , to be surpassed, but not to lose what has become the gold standard. Both design bureaus are moving, apparently in unison with the wishes of future consumers. “If we talk about the fact that progress does not stand still, the weapon must be improved. In my opinion, the only thing I wanted to see was a decrease in recoil, which means an increase in the accuracy of fire, ”the commander of a motorized rifle company Alexander Ananichev expressed the wishes of the military. When the decision of the Ministry of Defense is announced, which of the two domestic assault rifles will go into mass production, for now remains unknown. But it is obvious that the competition between the two leading weapons design bureaus of the country will benefit the machine gun, which is to replace the AK-74.

The USSR in the second half of the 20th century was distinguished by a developed defense industry and a large number of successful developments in all segments, including in the field of small arms. Some considered the existing line of army small arms to be perfect. It was not only the good characteristics of the samples adopted in service, but also the uniqueness of these complexes. Due to the wide unification, a relatively small number of rifle systems covered the basic needs of the army. For example, the world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifle covered several niches at once - from a compact automatic weapon for self-defense of military equipment crews (AKSU) to a light machine gun (RPK).

This approach had its advantages. First of all, one can single out the economic component, as well as the rapid development of small arms by the troops, but there were also enough minuses. The growing inertia in the perception of promising schemes could be attributed to the main ones. The developed design school of the Soviet Union already in the 1960s-80s produced a lot of interesting weapon novelties, among which was the first pistol with a plastic frame, created at TsKIB in Tula long before the appearance of the Austrian Glock, and the first machine gun built in the bull layout. -dad, and even sleeveless systems. At the same time, many promising developments were shelved, never getting into mass production.

Such was the fate of the Kovrov automatic machine AEK-971, which is experiencing a rebirth only at the present time. The weapon, which was invented back in 1978, is only now undergoing army tests and is competing with the AK-12 and AK-15 for the right to be included in the equipment of the soldier of the future "Warrior-2". According to Dmitry Semizorov, General Director of TsNIITochmash, the military operation of the AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles manufactured by the Kalashnikov concern and A-545 and A-762 (both machines are a further development of the AEK-971 model) produced by Degtyarev will be completed in December 2017 . Based on its results, a decision will be made on which particular machine gun will be included in the Ratnik-2 equipment. There is a high probability that these will be both Kalashnikov and Degtyarev assault rifles.

AEK-971(GRAU index - 6P67) - an assault rifle created in Kovrov at the Degtyarev plant in 1978 under the guidance of designer Stanislav Ivanovich Koksharov based on the Konstantinov system assault rifle (SA-006), which participated in the 1974 Ministry of Defense competition. The AEK-971 assault rifle was developed to participate in the competition for the development of a new assault rifle, which has dramatically better performance in terms of accuracy and accuracy of fire, announced by the USSR Ministry of Defense in 1978 as part of the Abakan R&D. Within the framework of this competition, the Nikonov assault rifle - AN-94, which later received the name "Abakan", was recognized as the winner.

At the same time, the initial version of the AEK-971 machine gun differed from modern models. Since many of the innovations were perceived by the military as excesses, this was the reason for the simplification of the machine. The machine was produced at the Kovrov Machine-Building Plant in small batches until 2006, when its production was transferred to the Degtyarev Kovrov Plant (ZiD), it was in service with a number of Russian law enforcement agencies.

The AEK-971 assault rifle (GRAU index 6P67) was made according to the traditional layout scheme (with a front magazine) and was in many ways a development of the ideas embodied in the Kalashnikov assault rifle - automatic reloading was used based on a gas engine, which was driven by powder gases vented through a gas outlet tube located above the barrel, and a rotary valve.

Initially, the machine was designed for a 5.45x39 mm cartridge, the version chambered for 7.62x39 mm received the designation AEK-973 (GRAU index 6P68), there was also an option for the NATO cartridge 5.56x45 mm (AEK-972). To power the machine, standard stores from AK-74 (indices 6L20 and 6L23) or from AKM were used, depending on the caliber of the weapon.

The AEK-971 automation scheme was redesigned to eliminate one of the main shortcomings of the Kalashnikov assault rifle - insufficiently high accuracy of automatic fire, the cause of which was the shaking of the weapon from the movement of the bolt group when reloading each cartridge during firing. To this end, a scheme with balanced automation based on a gas engine was implemented in the new machine (a similar scheme was then used in later models of the Kalashnikov assault rifle - AK-107 and AK-108).

A special balancer was added to the AEK-971 automation unit, corresponding in mass to the bolt group. The balancer and bolt carrier were interconnected through racks and pinion, the axis of which was fixed in the receiver. The frame and balancer pistons played the role of the front and rear walls of the gas chamber. When firing under the pressure of powder gases, they began to simultaneously move in opposite directions with equal speed, while the impulses of their movement compensated each other. As a result, the displacement of the machine gun during firing, caused by the operation of its automation, was minimal. The accuracy of firing bursts from the AEK-971 from unstable positions improved significantly, surpassing that of the AK-74M by 1.5-2 times.

The body of the AEK-971 assault rifle was made of metal, the pistol grip, handguard and handguard were made of high-strength plastic. The flag of the fuse-translator of fire modes was displayed on both sides of the receiver (on the left - only the translator of fire modes). The implemented mechanism provided the shooter with three possible firing modes: single rounds, continuous bursts, bursts with a cut-off of 3 rounds (in the early version, the cut-off was 2 rounds each).

On the machine there were seats for attaching a bayonet-knife, as well as grenade launchers (GP-25 "Bonfire", GP-30 "Shoes" or GP-34). The machine used a conventional sector sight, similar to that installed on the AK-74, the aiming block was in front of the receiver cover. On the original version, the stock could be folded to the left, but then it was replaced by a permanent stock. On the version that appeared later, the butt began to fold to the right. Also in the first model of the AEK-971 assault rifle there was a muzzle brake-compensator with the ability to change the holes (it could be increased and decreased when firing from stable and unstable positions, respectively), in the later version it was changed by the compensator from the AK-74M.

The warranty life of the AEK-971 assault rifle corresponded to that of the AK-74 and amounted to 10,000 rounds. The combat rate of fire at the same time was 40 rounds per minute when firing single cartridges and up to 100 rounds per minute when firing bursts. The rate of fire of the machine was - 800-900 rounds per minute. Experts noted that despite the slightly higher weight compared to the AK-74M, the AEK-971 seemed lighter, as it was more ergonomic due to a more massive forearm and a comfortable pistol grip.

The AEK-971 assault rifle found its second birth already in the 21st century, when the Russian military finally thought about a real replacement for the AK-74M. On the basis of AEK-971, two new models of automatic machines with balanced automatics were created A-545 (caliber 5.45x39 mm) and A-762 (caliber 7.62x39 mm), which became a further development of their ancestor. They differ from their predecessor, first of all, in a refracting receiver (as opposed to a removable cover, which was used on the AEK-971). This solution allows you to mount Picatinny rails on the machine, which allow you to install various types of sights on it, a fire mode switch is available on both sides of the machine.

The ergonomics of the A-545 has been improved. The pistol grip has become more comfortable for the shooter, its slope has been brought to a more natural angle. The fire mode translator is standardly installed on the right above the pistol grip. It has 4 positions: fuse, fire with single cartridges, fire in fixed bursts with a cutoff of two shots (judging by the published photographs, the A-545 switched from firing with a cutoff of 3 shots to firing with a cutoff of 2 shots), fire in continuous bursts. A retractable stock is used on the machine, its lock is located just above the pistol grip.

The butt of the machine gun is not removable, but it can be almost completely removed. The shape of the plastic butt plate is such that it allows firing with the butt folded.

Automatic A-545 (6P67)

The A-545 assault rifle received new sights. Borrowed at the time from the AK-74, a sector sight with an adjustable whole and a movable block was replaced with a sight with a rotating diopter as a whole. The rear sight has been moved to the back of the machine, which makes it easier for the shooter to aim and increase the accuracy of firing the weapon.

The second youth of the AEK-971 assault rifle is not accidental. The A-545 and A-762 assault rifles were created to participate in the competition for a new combined-arms assault rifle for the Russian army. It is known that in 2014, the A-545 successfully proved itself during state tests as an automatic weapon for equipping a soldier of the future, satisfying all the tactical and technical requirements of the Russian Ministry of Defense. During the tests, the A-545 showed the best accuracy when firing in long bursts, but lost in terms of price-quality ratio. Balanced automation provides the A-545 with 10-15% better accuracy of fire than the Izhevsk AK-12.

According to recent publications in the media, we can say that both Izhevsk and Kovrov automatic weapons will most likely be put into service. In particular, Dmitry Rogozin already spoke about this in an interview with the Interfax agency in 2017. According to him, the AK-12 can become a massive army machine for arming motorized riflemen, and the A-545 will go into service with special forces of the Armed Forces, the FSB and the National Guard. In particular, in July 2017, Nikolai Anokhin, head of the logistics department of the Russian Airborne Forces, told reporters that the special forces of the Airborne Forces would receive new machine guns from the Degtyarev plant.

According to Rogozin, a cheaper machine gun will become, relatively speaking, a soldier's one. The army needs a cheap, simple and at the same time effective machine gun, in this regard, the AK-12 has every chance. At the same time, the A-545 is a more complex machine with a large number of functions, more high-precision. It can also be useful, but not to ordinary army units, but to special forces.

Double sensations and diverse thoughts cause the latest news from the world of gunsmiths. We have already shown in the article on cartridges, a fresh video from the Kalashnikov concern, dedicated to the AK-15.

At the end of January of this year, it was reported that the AK-12 and AK-15 had passed state tests and were approved as rifles and adopted by the Ministry of Defense for service.

Excellent. Machine guns are significantly different from the AK-74 for the better, more modern, and have many advantages. It's really good.

Part of it was announced in the previous article about cartridges ( ?), the rest will be discussed here.

The question arises: the presence of two machine guns of the same system with a different caliber - will it not be fat?

Even if the good old 7.62x39 cartridge of the 1943 model allows what its younger counterpart of the 5.45 mm caliber cannot. Namely, to provide the necessary armor penetration and the use of a cartridge with PBS.

But there is another cherry here. Simultaneously with the AK-12 and AK-15, the Ministry of Defense also adopted two assault rifles developed by the Degtyarev Kovrov plant.

We are talking about A-545 and A-762. About simplified models AEK-971 and AEK-973.

A total of four machines. Two calibers 5.45 mm, two 7.62 mm.

And now let's move on to the main question: why did the Ministry of Defense need machine guns of different calibers and different manufacturers?

Literally two words about Kovrov machines.

To say that AEK (any number) is a long-term construction is to say nothing. The plant team worked on the brainchild for more than 40 years and, as a result, successfully completed the work. But if at the beginning of the journey AEK was head and shoulders above its direct competitor AK-74 in many performance characteristics, today the situation is somewhat different.

What is the difference between Izhevsk and Kovrov products?

Even outwardly they are similar. The machine guns of both companies have not two, but three firing modes: single, burst and short burst with a two-shot cutoff. It is possible to mount on the forearm any tactical usefulness such as a laser pointer, a handle, a lantern. A scope can be placed on the Picatinny rail on the receiver cover. Folding and telescopic butts.

And of course, 7.62mm caliber models can use the silent firing attachment.

We repeat, in terms of external (and most internal) qualities and characteristics, the machines are very similar.

Different price.

Kovrov designers applied a balanced automation scheme, which improved the accuracy of fire by 15-20%. A more complex design entailed an increase in cost and, as an option, less reliability.

Of course, if we take the AK-47 as the standard of reliability, then there is nothing to compare at all.

Nevertheless, the specialists of the Ministry of Defense were satisfied with the quality of the Kovrov products, since they adopted machine guns for service.

In general, everything is understandable. With one single exception. Two cartridges.

If the best of the best are armed with "Degtyarev" machine guns, and everyone in a row is armed with "Kalashnikov" ones, then this will probably not cause a big headache. An example is Abakan, AN-94 in the VV / Rosgvardia / Ministry of Internal Affairs and other structures. There is and is. And there are no questions for him.

But to the "Kalashnikovs" and "Degtyarevs" there are. And one of them - how and according to what scheme will the parts be completed? Where will the 5.45mm machine guns go, and where will the 7.62mm machine guns go?

And how ready will our rear services be for such hemorrhoids? Not even in terms of repairs, although even here the rembats will howl. But in case of any breakdowns, you can send it to the manufacturer. Although from the Far East - it is still a pleasure in time.

And if we take into account the fact that the mess in our army is not a diagnosis, but a common condition, then, we are sure, dozens of interesting moments are provided for military suppliers.

The narrow specialization of weapons entails a broader specialization for gunsmiths, both in terms of repair and logistics. Here the question is: how ready are the troops for such an expansion? And are you ready...

It is worth noting that our potential case is different. And this despite the fact that the US can afford whatever it wants in terms of weapons.

However, in service mainly (army, marine corps and others) are M-16, M-4, FN SCAR, NK416. Note, a single caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO.

Yes, there are some exceptions like FN SCAR-H chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and ACR 6.8x43mm Remington SPC, but these are really exceptions. The US Army Ranger Regiment, which these monsters are armed with, is just a parachute regiment, albeit an expanded one. Comparable with our MTRs, especially since the 75th Infantry Regiment in the United States is assigned the functions of deep reconnaissance.

But otherwise, even the US Army cannot afford to have two cartridges for the main small arms.

The situation, however...