AK Alfa: American-style Kalashnikov assault rifle

AK Alfa: Israeli Kalash

I once had a conversation with an officer of one of the Russian special forces about the ideal machine gun for special forces. The interlocutor answered briefly: “We don’t need too much. Give us an AK, packaged in a polymer case, and hang it with Picatinny rails on all sides.” This is exactly what the developers from the Israeli arms company CAA did when they released the AK Alfa assault rifle in 2016.

The Kalashnikov assault rifle has long become a household name. Israeli designers do not hide their admiration for Kalashnikov, calling Mikhail Timofeevich the genius who created the Mona Lisa in the world of weapons. Moshe Oz, owner of CAA, recalls his experience serving in the Israeli special forces: “There was no weapon more beloved by soldiers than the AK. It is still in service in some Israeli units, and they are not going to abandon it, arguing that any other machine gun can fail, and the AK simply does not provide such a “function.”

Alpha Base

When conceiving their machine gun, Israeli gunsmiths decided to take the Kalashnikov’s basic design, based on the removal of powder gases from the barrel bore to a piston in a gas outlet tube, and combine it with the principle of “hung” parts, in which the structural elements are spaced so far apart inside the body, that you can put a stone between them. The mechanism will continue to work as if nothing had happened.

This approach provided the AK Alfa with one of the most important qualities of a military weapon - reliability. The chief designer of AK Alfa, Mikhail Ben Oren, speaks of the AK system: “The Kalashnikov is a very good thing, and you don’t need to touch it. He has everything in the right place. And the gas exhaust system functions flawlessly, and the charging handle is in the right place, with perfectly adjusted distances.”

Having laid the foundation, the craftsmen from CAA gave free rein to their imagination, trying to embody all the shooters’ wishes in one type of weapon. A lot of work has been done both to improve the ergonomics of the weapon and to improve its ballistic qualities. If you look at the Alpha’s barrel when firing, it doesn’t matter whether the shooter fires single shots or bursts, you can see that it is practically motionless. This is also evidenced by compact “piles” of hits that remain on the target in a modest circle.

Such indicators were achieved using two technical solutions. First, the Alpha barrel received a new highly effective reactive muzzle brake-compensator (DTK). This device largely dampens the recoil and toss of the weapon due to a powerful jet of spent powder gases, which escape through the cracks in the brake and act in the opposite direction to the recoil impulse when fired. But today you won’t surprise anyone with a good DTK, so another innovation in the AK Alfa is an almost suspended barrel, freed from contact with the fore-end. Thanks to this technical solution, the body of the weapon experiences less vibration from the barrel when fired, and the barrel itself has a smaller amplitude of “swing,” which affects the stability of shooting and the accuracy of hits. Previously, this principle was used only in sniper rifles. The AK Alfa's barrel is only "almost floated" because a fully floated barrel cannot interact with the gas engine. It is a second fulcrum and, of course, does not contribute to the repeatability of the shot. But no one sets the task of a machine gun to be a sniper rifle.

The king's new dress

Having figured out the accuracy, Israeli engineers began one of the most ambitious layers of work - the creation of a new building. Naturally, plastic, since today many types of polymer compounds are not inferior to metals in strength. And at CAA they can do anything with these materials - the company initially specialized in producing plastic body kits for almost all shooting systems. Plastic has many advantages. Weapons made with polymer parts will be lighter. Insensitivity to corrosion is also a clear plus. In addition, plastic is practically not subject to temperature overloads. Wherever the shooter works, at the North Pole or in Africa, his weapon will not burn his hands or freeze a piece of his skin. And you don’t need to tell anyone about overheating in Israel - here, after two or three hours in the open sun, touching any metal object threatens with very unpleasant consequences.

The next item is Picatinny rails for mounting sights and other accessories. The Israelis decided not to waste time with them - the straps are located on the fore-end on all four sides, so they can be used to install tactical handles, bipods, flashlights and any necessary equipment. And on top, along the entire length of the gas outlet tube and receiver, there is one large long rail guide with 40 grooves - this amount is quite enough to install a collimator, a magnifying attachment, a laser designator and a spare front and rear sight. So the Israelis tried to retouch the “birth injury” of the Kalashnikov assault rifle - the side rail for the sight (it always stands a little crooked relative to the barrel).

Applied ergonomics

The plastic body was followed by improved ergonomics. The first thing the creators of the AK Alfa thought about was the stock, which largely determines how comfortable it will be for the shooter to handle his weapon. It is necessary to take into account a lot of data - the length of the arms, the neck, the width of the shoulders, which are different for everyone. Modern weapons are almost never produced with a standard fixed stock. The trend is “transformers” so that the shooter can adjust anything. Pressing the button on the back of the butt releases the lock and allows you to extend the butt to the desired length, and the “cheek” located on top can be raised to one of three positions. To top it off, the buttstock was made foldable to make the machine easier to transport and move with it in confined spaces.

The production of various weapon accessories, including adjustable ones, is CAA’s bread and butter, so everything related to the ease of handling a carbine is thought out to the smallest detail. Almost everything can be changed and customized. You can install a buttplate of the desired shape, linings on the fire control handle of different thicknesses for shooters with different finger lengths, even the reloading handle is available in several versions. However, this is not even the most important news for the future owner of AK Alfa. All replacement accessories will be supplied with the Alpha and will be available out of the box. Modularity, in which any element can be replaced or customized individually, is the main “highlight” of the AK Alfa, sums up Mikhail Ben Oren.

By the way, since we remembered about the reloading handle, it is replaceable. And the shooter is free to change its position from the right or left side at his discretion. Wherever he wanted, he put it there. The handle can be changed without any complicated tools, within a few seconds.

Another innovation in the AK Alfa is the extractor key. The principle remains the same as that of the AK: a lever is mounted under the receiving shaft, when pressed, the magazine is released from the latch and can be removed. The Israelis made this key very large and “extended” it almost to the middle of the trigger guard. Now the shooter can press it with the index finger of the hand that holds the weapon. This means that he does not need to reach for the extractor with his second hand or knock it down with a magazine, as our special forces do.

The store was also “pumped up”. The ammunition storage has received deep rifling to improve grip. Also, transparent windows appeared on both sides, through which it is convenient to control the number of remaining cartridges. True, this “item” cannot be called an innovation specifically for the AK Alfa - the new magazine can be used with any AK assault rifle of 7.62 caliber. There is also a version chambered for the NATO 5.56 cartridge, which additionally implements such an interesting option for assault rifles as a bolt stop. If the shooter has used up all the ammunition, the bolt of the weapon will move to the rear position, signaling that it is time to change the magazine.

The owner of CAA, Israeli special forces veteran Moshe Oz, discusses the future of Alpha as follows: “I remember during my service I first saw an Austrian Glock. No one then understood what to do with this “plastic” pistol. Everyone thought that it would only take root among civilians and athletes. And now Glock is in service with most military and police units around the world. I hope it will be the same with AK Alfa. Some may think that this is a sporting weapon, since it is plastic, but I am sure that it will fit perfectly into the arsenal of law enforcement agencies. He has everything he needs for this.”

Already today, CAA’s production facilities in the city of Kiryat Gat are operating at full capacity, churning out thousands of brand new assault rifles. No one is going to work “for the table” - more orders have already been received for “Alpha” than have been produced at the moment.

AK Alfa: American-style Kalashnikov assault rifle

Recently, Kalashnikov USA announced a new project - an automatic rifle AK Alfa , created on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The weapon was first demonstrated at SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas on January 20 of this year, instantly causing unprecedented excitement and interest among firearms and shooting , as well as among Internet experts and bloggers.

AK Alfa received a completely new design and compares favorably with ergonomics from its “parent”, but at the same time retained the “internals” and the principle of operation of the good old AKM model of 1959. Almost all external parts of the Alfa have been modernized with one goal in mind - to provide the operator with all the latest features and capabilities.

According to Kalashnikov USA , the Israel Defense Force ( IDF took part weapon . Therefore, we can say with confidence that shooting and controlling the rifle will be even simpler, and, most importantly, without compromising the reliability of the AK .

By the way, AK Alpha after the famous Russian FSB special forces unit “Alpha”. With this, Kalashnikov USA recalls the roots of its new weapon and pays tribute to its Russian colleagues.

The content of the article

What is the new AK Alfa like?

At a quick glance, the machine evokes some surprise, the new design is so unusual and well-developed. At the same time, you understand that this is not a one-time craft, but a normal weapon for serial production.

The main differences between the AK Alpha and the original AK:

• telescopic butt in line with the barrel bore, with adjustable cheekbone angle, and with several options for butt plates
• symmetrical cocking handle
• symmetrical “flag-type” fire mode switch
• single upper receiver with full-length Picatinny rail
• pistol grip with sealed battery compartment and replaceable grips
• handguard with KeyMod
• stores with the ability to visually control ammunition
• symmetrical magazine release button with replaceable covers

And now more details...

Ergonomics and external parts

The AK Alfa is identical to the original AK in layout. At the same time, the ergonomics and convenience of the new rifle meet the latest requirements for modern small arms.

Receiver

The designers abandoned the usual AK receiver cover, implementing a hinged mounting scheme for the upper and lower receivers .

full-length Picatinny rail upper receiver and the universal KeyMod on the forend allow you to install any number of accessories and add-ons on the weapon - mechanical and optical sights, collimators and folding enlargers, thermal imaging sights and night vision devices, laser target designators, tactical grips, flashlights, bipods , etc.

The cocking handle can be mounted on either the right or left side, although Kalashnikov USA claims that it is inherently symmetrical, without the need for relocation. The handle comes with replaceable pads. The ejection window has a reflector for cartridges.

Due to the symmetrical slots for the cocking handles, the question arises of dust and dirt getting inside the rifle mechanism (from which the “basic” AK ). For the civilian market this is not critical, but if the AK Alfa is supplied to the army, then the designers will have to refine this issue, or, as an option, implement protective “curtains”.

Pistol grip

The lower receiver is plastic. This reduces the weight of the system and greatly improves ergonomics. The pistol grip has replaceable rubber grips, and any user can easily customize it to fit his palm. Inside the handle there is a sealed compartment for batteries (for example, for a red dot sight).

Fire mode switch

The fire mode selector (or, as it is also called, the fuse ) is made on the AK Alfa in the AR-15 - double-sided, flag type, which allows you to switch it with both the right and left hands.

Butt

stock is worth a special mention – its design is almost perfect. The stop point is in line with the bore and the axis of movement of the bolt , which means the rifle when shooting. The buttstock is foldable, easily adjustable in length, and has the ability to adjust the height/inclination of the “cheek”. The operator can choose from three different rubber butt pads for even greater shooting convenience.

Handguard

The AK Alfa handguard is available in two versions: aluminum and plastic on a metal frame. KeyMod interface , which we mentioned above, allows you to quickly mount and remove various add-ons, up to an under-barrel grenade launcher or a tactical shotgun.

The weapon does not have the usual swivels for a weapon belt, but there is no need for them, due to the specifics of the weapon and the availability on the market of such things as quick-release belts that are attached to any 9.5 mm hole, which are found on both the forend and the butt .

Ammunition and performance characteristics

The AK Alfa is designed for the good old caliber 7.62x39 , and Kalashnikov USA of the rifle this year in two versions - AKL and AKS , which will differ in barrel length and weight.

Weapons are supplied with ammunition from magazines with transparent windows and marks on the number of rounds for visual control of ammunition consumption. What’s especially interesting is that the new rifle can use standard metal and plastic magazines from the original AK . US Palm and Magpul magazines will also work.

The magazine release button is in the same place, but is made “symmetrical” and has replaceable pads for ease of operation with both the right and left hands when held on the pistol grip, and with gloved hands.

Now let's summarize...

Apparently, the AK Alfa will retain all the legendary reliability of its progenitor - the Kalashnikov assault rifle , and hence the “characteristic feature” - the imbalance of the weapon when firing in bursts, due to the design features and gaps, which not entirely competent “experts” call a disadvantage.

At the same time, the new weapon has received a more than modern form; it is not just a tuning based on the AK , but a complete redesign of the rifle . As a result, the AK Alfa weapon requirements and wishes of both civilian gun owners and professional shooters and military personnel.

A logical question arises: why wasn’t all this done earlier, at the native Kalashnikov concern, since such changes suggested themselves and for quite a long time? Let's leave this issue to the conscience of Russian gunsmiths, and let's hope that the AK Alpha, due to its predicted popularity, will go beyond the US market and appear in Europe, Russia, the CIS and other countries.

The following sources were used when writing this article: thefirearmblog.com, gunsholstersandgear.com, warspot.ru, kungurov.livejournal.com