The new AK-19 is an assault rifle in NATO caliber - 5.56 millimeters. It was presented at the Army 2020 forum in August 2022. Unique features of the development were the new rear sight and telescopic stock, the ergonomic properties of which were fundamentally improved. The machine is also equipped with a slotted flame arrester, which allows for quick installation of a muffler. The predecessor of the AK-19 is the AK-12, its version for the civilian market was called AK TR3. Initially, it was positioned as a platform for new solutions for military and civilian purposes. A new solution has been released, and now we can compare the two models to evaluate the fundamental differences between the latter.
The AK-12 caliber is 5.45 mm, it was created as part of the Ratnik program and presented to the world in 2012. Soon after its appearance, many rumors appeared that a new Kalashnikov would appear, already chambered for NATO. And this year the rumors were confirmed.
Ammo standards
The first standard was the Soviet one - 7.62 × 39 mm, this is what the very first Kalashnikov assault rifle was made for. This happened back in 1949. The old standard is still relevant for a number of countries, including ours. Today this caliber is the most common in the world; among all machine gun cartridges it ranks third in power. But we have another standard, Russian - 5.45 × 39 mm, which was introduced in the early 70s of the last century. The NATO standard is 5.56x45, it is for this that the new AK-19 was created.
The introduction of this standard is not surprising. Kalashnikov assault rifles are the world leaders in the automatic weapons segment; they are the most recognizable and sought-after brand on the planet. This weapon is reliable and does not require painstaking care or complicated maintenance.
Evolution from its predecessor
To be more precise, the AK-19 is an improved version of the AK-12 and AK-15. The 12th was highly appreciated by experts; in general, the ratings were very high, but it was not without its drawbacks. In general, it behaves steadily when firing, which is noticeably different from previous models; when firing in bursts, barrel drift and recoil have decreased. At the same time, he remained just as reliable and unpretentious.
At the time of the release of the twelve, everyone appreciated the improvement in ergonomics, it became completely symmetrical, a bolt stop and a more convenient safety appeared. All this made it possible to operate it with one hand, and this opportunity appeared for both right-handers and left-handers. A characteristic feature and noticeable difference from earlier versions was the modified fastening of the receiver cover.
According to the creators, when designing the new model, they took into account the shortcomings identified in combat tests, as well as the opinions of customers. The focus of the improvements was to increase accuracy in all firing modes, but at the same time it was necessary to maintain reliability. The task was to increase manufacturability while reducing the price as much as possible. This is how the AK-12 appeared, after which it was further developed. For example, the first samples used a double-sided design, a quick barrel change and a bolt stop, but all this was abandoned for serial production.
Who needs it
Today, the 5.56x45 mm cartridge is considered the most common automatic ammunition in the world. The concern says that by presenting the AK-19, Kalashnikov is opening up access to the markets of hundreds of countries where weapons chambered for NATO are currently used. Of course, the first buyers of the new model may be countries whose armies already use Kalashnikov assault rifles in 5.56 caliber. We are talking about the so-called hundredth series, because back in 1994, special export versions of the AK-74M assault rifle were developed in Izhevsk - AK-101 and AK-102 (cartridge 5.56x45), and AK-103 (cartridge 7.62x39).
How a Soviet machine gun ended up in the hands of friends and foes of the Soviet Union
But the Russians would like to expand the geography of supplies. “Our weapons are in no way inferior to their foreign counterparts, so we often receive applications from countries that have not traditionally used the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but they are attracted by its reputation and reliability,” says Profile’s interlocutor. “Of course, they are interested in using weapons with the ammunition they have.”
Last fall, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, Dmitry Shugaev, told reporters at the XVI International Aviation and Space Salon Dubai Airshow 2019 that Middle Eastern countries had submitted about five applications for the supply of AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles. Unofficially, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were mentioned as possible buyers. Earlier, the general director of the Kalashnikov concern, Dmitry Tarasov, stated that his company intends to begin supplying assault rifles based on the AK-12 and AK-15 to the countries of South America, South Asia and Africa in 2020. And in 2018, Russian media discovered our AK-12s at a parade in Qatar. There are no official explanations or comments on this issue, but there are photos of fighters from the Middle Eastern emirate who are walking, holding machine guns in their hands that are very reminiscent of AK-12. And this at a time when the Kalashnikov concern had just reported the shipment of the first 2.5 thousand “twelves” for our Ministry of Defense. However, who pays...
The catch is this: with the AK-15, everything is more or less clear - this weapon uses the good old 7.62x39 ammunition, which the Middle East has literally been littered with since Soviet times. Of course, there are a lot of old Kalash guns made in the USSR, Eastern Europe, and China. Some states are gradually moving to the more advanced 100th series. At the end of 2019, the same Saudis began purchasing our AK-103s, while simultaneously trying to negotiate the establishment of licensed production. It is quite logical that with the advent of the AK-15, the richest armies wanted to get the most advanced version of the Kalashnikov. With the AK-12, everything is much more complicated: our low-pulse 5.45x39 cartridge is almost never used outside of Russia, so no one is particularly interested in weapons for it. It’s a different matter if the AK-12 is adapted to a NATO caliber. Western military experts noted that after military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, American ammunition in the region accumulated no less than Soviet ammunition.
New AK-19
At the Army-2020 Military-Technical Forum, the latest model from the Kalashnikov concern was presented. This is an AK-19, an export version with a NATO standard caliber. Developments were carried out on an individual basis. The degree of curvature of the magazine set has been changed; other advantages include increased accuracy and accuracy, and improved sighting mechanics. For the first time in its history, Kalashnikov was equipped with a Picatinny rail, and now the design allows the use of modern sighting systems and other additional equipment. On the muzzle we see a crown with teeth; it can easily break a wire fence or break glass.
The magazine holds 30 rounds, and you can lean on it for convenience when shooting. The weight of the machine gun is 3,350 kg, the barrel length is 415 mm. The stock has been updated and is now adjustable and can fold sideways. The fundamental difference from its predecessor: it is not designed according to the original concept, but is based on a Western Milspec pipe, as on common American rifles. It is impossible not to note the new rear sight, more precisely updated and more convenient. It has become more compact and takes up much less space on the bar.
There is a quick-release mount for installing a muffler.
The choice of Western caliber was determined by the intention to expand export volumes, since NATO caliber is just as widespread in the world as Soviet caliber. In addition, this change is intended to improve ballistic characteristics. The shape of the cartridges has become more reliable; the risk of encountering a malfunction when feeding from the magazine is minimal for them.
At the moment, the AK-19 is called an experimental model; there is little open information about it. In accordance with the plans, the tests should be completed before the end of 2022, the general director of Kalashnikov shared this at the presentation.
In the coming months, the topic of the AK-19 assault rifle will be discussed in circles of people who are interested in weapons. And most likely the most discussed question will be the answer to which is obvious - regarding the NATO standard. This position is intended to strengthen the position of the Kalashnikov concern in the global arms market, and the decision taken corresponds to it.
AK-19: breakthrough or stagnation
Reliability cannot justify the shortcomings of the new machine
In November, the Kalashnikov concern changed its head. Alan Lushnikov, a 44-year-old former deputy minister of transport, a lawyer by training and rock musician, came to the post of head. He acquired 75% of the shares of the legendary arms company for only 1 billion rubles. For such an asset - negligible. Although, perhaps, a change of ownership will help the company restore the former shine of its products.
August 2022. Patriot Park. Demonstration room of the Kalashnikov concern (KK). In front of the journalists is a huge screen on which videos of new CC products are playing - from the Ultima “smart body kit” for the MP-155 shotgun to the new hybrid machine. The videos are beautiful, well-edited, with a well-chosen musical accompaniment - it is clear that the PR department does not get its salary for nothing. It can probably be considered that KK is now something broader than a weapons manufacturer. A kind of uber corporation. Now it’s fashionable to expand your horizons, to produce everything from tanks to children’s soap. But still, the first association with the concern is its machines. A global brand associated with the name of the legendary gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov.
The main novelty of the company, the AK-12, which was touted for many years and advertised as the machine gun of the future, in fact did not become one. Perhaps some of its features can be called innovative, but the question is: where are the basic stated points? Perhaps that is why the Ministry of Defense limited itself to only a batch of these products in the amount of 150 thousand copies.
And in August 2022, the Kalashnikov concern presented another new product - the AK-19 assault rifle. I was disappointed, but not surprised. I would be more surprised if this model finally had long-requested and, most importantly, promised elements: a new safety - a fire switch, and not an inconvenient lever, like the classic AK-74 on the body. There is no talk of any control of the shooting hand without releasing the handle, there is no intuitive switching, there is no smooth movement. But a simple crutch was made in the style of “Kulibin with a file” - an additional bar for the index finger was installed on the translator. Supposedly it should be convenient now. I tried - no, it’s inconvenient.
There is no two-way shutter. The experience of the ACR (USA) and SCAR (Belgium) assault rifles is apparently not indicative enough. There is no shutter stop. Instead of the magazine reset button, there is the same lever. As a result, in front of me is the same AK-74 in a modern, fashionable body kit for mounting sights and flashlights. Hanging forearm, trigger, firing with a two-round cut-off – that’s all? I won’t even mention what is passed off as “innovations” – a telescopic butt, a new flash suppressor. It's a shame for a company of this caliber to consider this the "next step" for their flagship product.
What's all this for? These controls help separate today's weapons from the assault rifles of the future. For example, a fire mode translator, on which a couple more centimeters of metal was soldered, will never, under any circumstances, compare in convenience and intuitiveness with the two-way translator that was also on the same assault rifle of the American company ArmaLite AR-10. And this was done back in the early 50s of the last century.
A fighter who does not have to reach with his left hand for a right-handed bolt will reload his weapon faster than an AK owner. Moreover, the balance collapses if the first fighter has a weapon with a bolt delay. Okay, let's skip the point about resetting the magazine. Still, there is a lot of controversy that the system with a lever is more reliable.
Even when I wrote about the AK-12, I received an answer from the concern regarding the bolt stop - it would be too expensive to produce new magazines. Is our country really so poor that we cannot “upgrade” our most important “trunk”? Okay, let's cut it some slack. What about the translator and the two-way shutter? By the way, one of the machine guns lying here, which I have already managed to almost taste and from which I even managed to shoot - AM-17 - has a left-sided bolt. So we can? So, he’s not so terrible, this terrible semi-legendary monster? This means that the weapon does not become radioactive due to its presence and does not fall to pieces from a careless sneeze?
Concern specialist Vladimir Onokoy will present the AK-19. We talked with him and during this conversation we discussed all the above points. I am grateful to Vladimir for not being at a loss and giving me answers - although I cannot say that all of them satisfied me.
- Tell me, where is the two-way fire switch?
- Good question. Unfortunately, this is still classified information. We must understand that the history of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the history of evolution. And with our reputation, we cannot afford to release any element that will not meet the most stringent requirements for reliability and reliability. Therefore, I will not promise anything, but I am sure that we will meet again and you will find the answer to your question.
The AK was put into service in 1949. 71 years was not enough to develop reliability with the inclusion of a new translator? Why was it enough for the AM-17, which - yes, absolutely right, also has a two-way translator? Why did the AEKs (assault rifles from the Degtyarev plant) have enough?
-Where is the left-side shutter?
– In this case, operating experience shows that the left-sided bolt leads to the need to open a window, which creates the possibility of dirt and other unpleasant things getting inside the receiver and making it difficult for moving parts to operate. Therefore, a left-handed bolt handle – I can’t say that this is an unequivocally positive solution.
No comments. Let me just say that FN SCAR-L(H) (Belgian assault rifles) are used in Afghanistan. I don’t presume to say - I haven’t personally used it, but I’ll ask: wouldn’t Afghan sand become an obstacle to getting weapons there, the left-sided bolt of which would be a guarantee of less reliability?
I ask Vladimir about the AM-17 - I say that this machine gun has a left-handed bolt.
– AM-17 is still being tested. In this case, he points to the AK-19, we cannot afford any compromise in the field of reliability.
The question is, why not create some kind of Kalashnikov with a left-handed bolt and let it undergo testing like the AM-17.
Next we move on to the talk of the town.
– As for the bolt stop, as we understand, the AK-19 is based on the AK-12 assault rifle. The latter was developed within the framework of a very strict, understandable technical specification of the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, if the need for a bolt stop had been spelled out there, it would, of course, be there. It is possible to implement a slide delay in a Kalashnikov assault rifle, and this has been done before. But again, the question is that the customer is interested in this. In my many years of work at our company, I have never heard of a customer really wanting a bolt stop.
I'm surprised: but for the AK-12, a bolt stop was supposed. I’m talking about information from his colleagues about the issue of cost and new stores.
– Yes, indeed, there was a bolt stop project. But in order for it to work, it was necessary to use other stores. Plus this reduced reliability. That is, specifically from my personal experience, I can say that a special tooth extending beyond the feeder increased the friction of the feeder and reduced the reliability of the magazine.
Frankly, I’m already tired of the word “reliability”. Do you know what is even more reliable? Mosin rifle. You hit your adversaries on the head with it, and there is neither the issue of ammunition nor the issue of contamination of the receiver. But since we moved from oars to automatic rifles, that means there’s probably something else besides reliability? And the developers of AR, H&K 416/417, SIG, AUG rifles demonstrate this. Could it be that this legendary characteristic called “reliability” has simply become a convenient stopcock for customers from the Moscow Region to hinder any more or less serious innovations?
Answering my question about the reset button, Vladimir referred to what I, in general, expected. He said that when it freezes, including when water gets in, the magazine release mechanism does not work. Therefore, the lever, according to Vladimir, is the most universal solution. However, he adds, for sports models there is both a magazine release button and a slide stop.
I remember Norway, which adopted the H&K 416. With that same magazine reset button. And in Iceland, the ARoid is in service - Diemaco C7 / C8. Also with a reset button.
And yet, Vladimir gives a vague hint about the possible appearance of at least a new translator. “We’ll meet you next year and we’ll definitely return to this issue,” he says vaguely.
For now, I can say one thing - the evolution of the Kalashnikov is stalled. I doubt that it was on the initiative of the KK concern itself. There are clearly not untalented people working there who love their work and their creations. Probably, if they had their way, the AK-12 would no longer be in the pictures, but in the series - an assault rifle of the 21st century. Those points that I have listed, as for me, have long been a minimum program. They directly affect the second most important indicator after shooting efficiency - ease of use by the shooter. In English there is a separate term for this – handling. Literally – “conversion”.
The AK has been like a brick since I first picked it up. Yes, you can get used to it. You can learn to reload it more or less quickly, and you can probably even get used to this new influx on the fuse. But in the case of weapons, this approach is wrong. It should not only shoot, but also be easy to use. And this does not apply to new CC machines. And it seems that the explanation for why this is not the case – “reliability” – will soon become a dirty word. Reliability should not be at the expense of efficiency and convenience. And when a trained user can reload an AR in 1.18 seconds, and an AK in 2.87–3.02 at best, this means that the weapon’s effectiveness begins to wane.
It is possible that the change of ownership of the Kalashnikov concern will become the generator of new ideas and solutions introduced by the legendary company. At the same time, this development should not be understood as the installation of a fashionable weapon body kit, which anyone can buy in a store anyway. Development must mean real, tangible, full-fledged evolution, which Vladimir Onokoy mentioned for a reason. H
Fedor Uzhov
Fedor Vadimovich Uzhov is a military journalist.
