The international arms market is characterized by competition, which is sometimes extremely fierce. Technologically advanced countries are vying with each other to offer samples of missiles, mines, bombs, tanks, aircraft and ships, each of which has a number of advantages over the products of their rivals. All types of firearms compete with each other. The ability to hit with the least number of misses, withstand destructive influences, and work reliably are valued by members of the armed forces of all countries. We can proudly say that Russian designs are quite competitive in this specific market, and our designers can create unsurpassed masterpieces of technical creativity on the verge of art.
The end of the Kalashnikov era?
Russian firearms are deservedly renowned for their lethality, reliability and simplicity. The most striking example is the famous Kalashnikov, the production of which requires relatively low costs, but its combat effectiveness is off the charts. This explains the unique fact that the main current small arms of the Russian army are even depicted on the state symbols of some foreign countries. However, this masterpiece also has its drawbacks. Progress cannot be stopped; military experience dictates new requirements, which the reliable old AK no longer always meets. One of the possible options for replacing it is the Nikonov AN-94 assault rifle.
Current problems
"Kalash" is a unique machine gun. It can shoot in almost any conditions, from the polar cold to the African heat. He doesn't care about dust and dirt. It's inexpensive. AK hits far. Even a schoolchild can disassemble and assemble it in a minute. Cleaning, as well as lubrication, is very simple. Advantages, advantages and again advantages.
But there are also disadvantages. It is difficult for them to fire accurately in short bursts. The rate of fire (six hundred rounds per minute) sets the high consumption of ammunition. It is almost impossible to remove your finger from the trigger in time; a dozen rounds of ammunition fly out of the barrel in a second. You can fire single shots, but then the machine gun turns into a carbine and loses its fundamental advantages. The fighter is forced to carry a heavy load with him - a supply of cartridges and horns. In modern warfare such a burden is not always acceptable. The American M-16 can fire more accurately, but it also has a significant flaw - lower reliability compared to the Kalashnikov. Can a handgun combine two advantages at the same time - accuracy and reliability? The USSR tried to answer this question by announcing and holding a secret competition among design developments, codenamed “Abakan”.
AN-94 Abakan - video
When the new 5.45mm caliber cartridge was adopted by the Soviet Army, it was understood that the modernized Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle and light machine gun, which were accepted with it, would eventually be replaced with more advanced and effective small arms. The research and then competition topic under the code name “Abakan” was started precisely to create a fundamentally new model of individual small arms of 5.45mm caliber to replace the AK-74. Within the framework of the “Abakan” theme, a large number of design teams worked under the leadership of some very venerable designers. However, the victory in the competition went to a design developed by designer Gennady Nikonov at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (IZHMASH) under the name ASN. Why the victory went to this particular model can only be debated if you have the full results of official tests, but one way or another, in 1994, the Nikonov assault rifle was officially adopted by the Russian Army under the designation AN-94.
It was initially planned that the AN-94 would eventually replace all AK-74 and AKM assault rifles in the army, however, in light of recent trends and taking into account the design features of the AN-94, this assault rifle became the weapon of the elite of the Russian Army and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The AN-94 requires much longer training than the AK-74, and therefore is of little use for conscripts, and the Army does not have the money for complete rearmament. Currently, AN-94 assault rifles are in service with a number of units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Republic of Armenia in Chechnya (mostly staffed by professionals, not conscripts), as well as in the Taman division.
There are many different opinions about the AN-94 assault rifle, but here is my personal opinion, formed on the basis of existing publications, as well as communication with people who have personal experience using the AN-94. So, the main distinguishing feature of the AN-94 over the AK-74 from the point of view of combat use is the introduction of an additional fire mode in bursts of 2 rounds at a high rate. This mode of fire ensures high accuracy and accuracy of hits - according to people who shot from the AN-94, an experienced shooter can put both bullets into one hole in the target at 100 meters. Such shooting significantly increases the chances of hitting a target compared to single aimed shooting, significantly increasing the lethal, stopping and armor-piercing effect of bullets. In fact, the 2-round fast fire mode is a replacement for the single fire mode, which is necessary due to the insufficient effectiveness of 5.56mm bullets.
In single-shot and long-burst fire modes, the AN-94 does not have a significant advantage over the AK-74. From the point of view of ergonomics, there are also no significant improvements - I myself once held the AN-94 in my hands and it did not seem to me any more comfortable than the AK-74M. The price for the few, frankly speaking, advantages obtained was a significant complication of the weapon design , and a significant complication of its maintenance, assembly and disassembly. It takes no more than 10 hours to learn how to assemble and disassemble an AK-74, while for the AN-94 it takes weeks. But what is especially surprising is that despite all the complexity of the design, Nikonov managed to achieve exceptionally high reliability of the design of his machine gun. If only the ergonomics were at the same high level...
I must warn you right away that this description does not pretend to be complete; in particular, I will practically not describe the very complex firing mechanism (trigger mechanism) of this machine gun.
The heart of the AN-94 is a more or less traditional automatic gas control unit with locking by turning the bolt. The barrel with the gas chamber and gas tube located above it is mounted on the receiver, inside which the bolt frame with a rotary bolt moves horizontally. Inside the receiver behind the bolt frame there is a return spring for the bolt group and an additional buffer that accelerates the roll of the bolt group when moving forward. The entire receiver is completely hidden inside the plastic body of the machine gun and can move back and forth inside the body under the influence of recoil when firing. Under the movable receiver on the left in the body there is a return spring of the bolt box, which is why the magazine is deflected to the right. The rod protruding from the body of the machine gun under the barrel is the front guide for the moving group, and also serves to mount the under-barrel grenade launcher.
Due to the fact that the magazine is stationary when firing, and the barrel chamber moves back and forth in space, Nikonov had to introduce a two-stage cartridge supply scheme with an intermediate chamber located in the lower part of the movable receiver, and an additional rammer connected to the bolt frame using a flexible steel cable passing through a large pulley located on the left side of the receiver. Whenever the bolt frame moves backward, the cable pulls the rammer forward, and it pushes the top cartridge out of the magazine and feeds it into the intermediate chamber immediately behind the breech end of the barrel. When the bolt frame moves forward, the bolt picks up a cartridge from the intermediate chamber and sends it into the barrel, and the rammer returns back to the next cartridge in the magazine. When the bolt frame moves backward, the hammer, located in the rear of the movable receiver and connected to the trigger by a rather complex system of rods and levers, is also cocked.
When firing automatic fire with two-round bursts or long bursts, the first two shots are fired at a high rate (1800 rounds per minute), while the entire bolt box rolls back smoothly under the influence of recoil inside the weapon body. The recoil of the receiver ends after the first two bullets have left the barrel, and only at this moment the full recoil impulse begins to act on the body of the weapon and on the shooter, displacing the weapon in space and knocking down the sight. That is why the AN-94 assault rifle is called a “weapon with a displaced recoil impulse,” for some reason omitting the fact that the impulse is shifted in time and not in space. If the weapon was set to fire 2 rounds at a time, then after the 2nd shot the hammer is locked in the cocked state, the entire moving system returns forward under the action of the return spring, while the next (3rd) cartridge is already in the barrel, and to continue firing it must be released and press the trigger again. If the machine gun was in long burst mode, then after the 2nd shot, as usual, the spent cartridge case is removed and the 3rd cartridge is chambered. In this case, however, the hammer is automatically held in the cocked position until the moving system has completely returned to the forward position, after which the self-timer releases the hammer and fires a shot. Starting from the 3rd shot, the self-timer fires only once during the full rollback cycle of the moving system, ensuring a low (600 rounds per minute) rate of fire.
The selection of fire modes is carried out by a separate translator located on the left side of the weapon body, above the trigger guard. The translator has 3 positions, marked “OD” (single shots), “2” (2-shot burst) and “AB” (random-length burst). A two-position safety in the form of a transverse button is located at the trigger guard. The charging handle is located on the right directly on the bolt frame.
Sighting devices include a front sight in the muzzle, adjustable when zeroing, and a diopter rear sight with 5 different apertures, made in the form of a five-rayed rotating star with holes in the rays. The selection of the desired firing range is carried out by rotating the star until the aperture with the desired marking is placed on the aiming line. Despite the lengthening of the line of sight compared to the AK-74, this sight also has disadvantages - the holes in the rear sight have a small diameter, which makes it difficult to shoot in low illumination of the target, as well as cleaning if the holes in the rear sight become dirty in combat conditions. On the left side of the weapon body there is a universal rail for attaching day and night optical, collimator and IR sights.
The butt of the weapon is foldable on the right side, made of impact-resistant plastic, as is the body with the forend. On the muzzle of the barrel there is an original quick-release muzzle brake in the form of the number “8” placed on its side. The base of the front sight bears a lug at the bottom left for attaching a bayonet. The bayonet-knife is mounted horizontally, to the right of the barrel, and when attached does not interfere with firing from an under-barrel grenade launcher. Due to the design features of the AN-94, the 40mm GP-30 underbarrel grenade launcher is attached to it through a special additional bracket.
The AN-94 is fed from standard box magazines from the AK-74 and RPK-74 for 30 and 45 rounds, respectively. In addition, it is possible to use new four-row box magazines with 60 rounds.
Partial disassembly of AN-94 Abakan
Competition "Abakan", 1981
Work began to prepare for the competition in 1978; the state commission allocated three years for development. The conditions were tough. If we are to change the famous AK for something else, then the new weapon should not just be better, but surpass the model familiar to our soldiers in all respects, and many times over. Accuracy is ten times more effective. Weight is less. The design is more universal. And all other parameters are also better, on average twice as good.
By 1981, the finalists had been decided. They were engineers from Tula Korobov, Stechkin and small arms specialist from Izhevsk G.N. Nikonov. It was Gennady Nikolaevich who was able to come up with something unprecedented. He presented an assault rifle, the main advantage of which, as well as the highlight of the design, was the shifted recoil impulse. What it was, then no one knew except the creator himself. The Nikonov assault rifle won. The secret of the design was preserved even in those years when almost all Soviet military secrets were presented to the “progressive world community.” But more on that below.
History of creation
In 1977-1979, the fact of depletion of resources for modernizing small arms of the Soviet Union became obvious. The theory of the Kalashnikov assault rifle was outdated and no longer had further prospects for development.
The 5.45mm caliber cartridges adopted by the Soviet Army in huge quantities expected the emergence of new models of small arms for combined use.
The improved AK-74 of the 1970 model had good flatness and high velocity of the fired bullet, but the military was not fully satisfied with these characteristics. The main complaints related to burst shooting, in which the bullets following the first deviated from the flight path, leaving the target untouched.
In 1978, design bureaus decided to announce a competition to develop an assault rifle that could fire more efficiently than the legendary AK-74. The task was not easy; in order to win the championship, it was necessary to achieve accuracy from 5 to 10 times higher than the hit density of the Ak-74.
After three years of development, none of the designers gave a final result. This was the reason to announce a repeat competition in 1981, called the same name “Abakan”.
Among the proposed prototypes for testing, models with traditional automation components predominated. Particular attention was drawn to the samples of the design bureaus of Nikonov and Stechkin. They had a balanced mechanism and a shifted recoil impulse. Automatic carbines showed good results in shooting accuracy, but the parameters turned out to be quite lower than those stated in the technical specifications of the competition.
The only thing that fully met the requirements was the mechanism of the displaced recoil impulse.
Here the leader was the machine gun, which was designed and created by a designer from Izhevsk - Nikonov G.N.
Nikonov's design bureau was instructed to continue work with the prototype. In 1986, a more advanced version of the model was presented, and five years later, in 1991, its combat tests began on the territory of the Taman division.
The results showed that the required accuracy stated in the task was achieved.
Shooters with no experience showed good results.
Accuracy was achieved by a well-oiled, smooth design mechanism.
In 1994, the Nikonov AN94 “Abakan” assault rifle joined the ranks of Russian weapons. The automatic carbine earned the respect of some military commanders to such an extent that the possibility of rearming the army with new AN-94s to replace the outdated AK-74s was considered. But small arms reform did not happen. The reason for this was economic and technical factors.
The Kalashnikov assault rifle has a low production cost and a simple disassembly and maintenance design that even schoolchildren can handle.
The design mechanisms of the AN-94 have a more complex structure.
Maintenance can only be done by a professional fighter, which determined the fate of the shooting vehicle. The high-precision assault rifle was sent to arm special-purpose military units and battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Tests in the troops
After the competition, the design of the assault rifle called AN-94 “Abakan” (it’s clear where this word comes from) was refined, modernized, and then tested, and not only at training grounds. At first, the troops treated the new product with distrust, which, in general, is typical for all military personnel, and not only ours. But in the end, both soldiers and officers appreciated her. We had to shoot from various uncomfortable positions, including “lying down,” “sitting,” and “kneeling.” The soldiers were convinced of the high accuracy of the fire. The commissions confirmed the fact that the AN-94 Abakan assault rifle fully complies with all declared technical specifications. We can say that our military liked the new weapon. It turned out to be “butt-friendly”, that is, it fit comfortably in the hands (this quality is highly valued by everyone involved in weapons, no matter military or hunting), convenient and really light.
AN-94 “Abakan” – the best machine gun in Russia
Small arms have always been and remain the main destructive force. Not only the outcome of a particular battle, but also the entire military campaign largely depends on how well armed the soldiers of motorized rifle units are. The Russian army became the heir not only to the ideas and symbols of the Soviet army, but also to its small arms, and for many years now Kalashnikov assault rifles have been serving faithfully and faithfully, with which no other small arms can compete. But is this so, and do Kalashnikov assault rifles really have no worthy competitor? In 1980, the first stage of preparation for the small arms competition, codenamed “Abakan,” began in the USSR. The idea of the competition was to consider new types of small arms that could not only replace the AK, but also become the best weapons in the world.
One of the participants in the “Abakan” competition was Gennady Nikolaevich Nikonov, who, as it will become known later, will be the winner of the competition with his AN-94 assault rifle. The designer was born in the city of gunsmiths - Izhevsk in 1950. Nikonov received his first knowledge about small arms within the walls of the Izhevsk Mechanical Engineering College at the Faculty of Small Arms. But the designer himself admits that the main influence on his entire future fate was not the fact that he graduated from technical school, but the fact that his first leader at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant was E.F. Dragunov. It was this experienced designer who was able to help young Nikonov not only find his talent as a designer, but also transferred enormous knowledge, which became the basis for the development of the future author of the best machine gun in Russia.
The machine gun presented for the competition was created by G.N. Nikonov in the design bureau of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant received the name “5.45-mm Nikonov AN-94 assault rifle” and it was this assault rifle that became the best according to the results of all tests and inspections. What is the reason for the rather confident victory in the competition, the participants of which were recognized designers in the weapons world?
The first thing that catches your eye when you first get acquainted with the AN-94 is its external resemblance to the famous AK-47, but this only applies to the appearance; the design of the machine gun is completely unique. The main difference from all previous designs of automatic weapons was the use in the AN-94 of a movable barrel, which moved in special grooves in the carriage casing. The energy of the translational movement powered the automatic design and made it possible to conduct continuous fire in three different modes. If the single mode and burst shooting were not much different from similar models, then shooting in the two-round mode is the main difference and uniqueness.
As is known, in order to achieve maximum destructive power, bullets after shots fired in automatic mode must fall in a heap at one specific point, but when firing from the same AK-47 there was no such effect. In the Nikonov assault rifle, thanks to the introduction of a two-round firing mode, the problem with hit accuracy has been practically solved. During the tests, it became obvious that the designers had succeeded in what had previously remained an unresolved problem: the bullets sent from the machine gun hit one point on the target, and this significantly increases the destructive power when firing at a high rate.
In 1994, the AN-94 was officially adopted for arming motorized rifle units of the Russian army. According to the assumption of the military leadership, the new machine gun should completely replace the AKM and AK-74 that were previously in service. Despite the fact that the Nikonov assault rifle was chosen as the main rifle unit, due to the design features, namely its complexity, its use did not become widespread. Today, the AN-94 is used only in units of elite units of the Russian Army, as well as special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The main obstacle to the complete transition to the use of the Nikonov assault rifle in all military units was not only the difficulty for conscripts to master the assault rifle, but the lack of money for rearmament.
The fact that the Nikonov assault rifle is one of the best examples of small automatic weapons today is due to the fact that the fighters of the former famous Taman division (currently disbanded, replaced by the 5th motorized rifle brigade) are armed with the AN-94. The machine gun not only passed field tests, but also showed its best performance in real combat conditions, thanks to its trouble-free operation and accurate shooting with a high degree of accuracy.
Unfortunately, the author of the best machine gun to date, Gennady Nikolaevich Nikonov, died in 2003, but work on his ideas to improve the existing model of the machine gun and the creation of new types of small arms continues in the design bureau of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant. Unless the would-be reformers bankrupt him, the pride of Russian gunsmiths is on the verge of ruin.
What is a displaced pulse?
Another modification of the design was carried out in 1985, after which the weapon was given the name ASM, in which the main “feature” is encrypted, which determines high accuracy and accuracy - the displaced pulse. What it is is still unknown to the general public, both ours and foreign ones. Theoretically, it is possible to obtain a sample of this machine gun, measure it with all possible ultra-precise instruments, including laser ones, study it in detail, weigh it, determine the materials of manufacture, and even copy it. But the principle will remain a mystery. According to designer G.N. Nikonov, it will take many years for foreign colleagues to understand what is going on, and he himself, for obvious reasons, does not want to share his secret. All that remains is to judge the effectiveness of this invention by the result. And he is impressive.
"Sweet couple"
All types of firearms, like people, have advantages that gradually turn into disadvantages. In particular, a high rate of fire results in high and ineffective ammunition consumption. The fact is that after aiming, the shooter presses the trigger, and the first bullet flies where he wants. But the second one usually flies out of the barrel of the machine gun after about one tenth of a second, a time quite sufficient for the barrel to deflect due to recoil. The third, fourth and all subsequent shots, if they hit somewhere, are more likely to be accidental than regular. The design of the AN-94 "Abakan" provides a special firing mode, which makes it possible to level out this systemic defect. It has three firing modes: single (indicated on the translator as “OD”), burst (AB) and one more, with the mysterious number “2”. This modest number is what it’s all about. By moving the lever to this position, you can be sure that only two bullets will fly out of the barrel, and with a negligible time pause, corresponding to a rate of fire three times higher than usual. It is even impossible to understand by ear that there were two shots, they merge. The distance between them is so small that the barrel does not have time to deflect, and both of them fly to the aiming point, lying almost side by side. Such a “sweet couple”.
Photo AN-94 Abakan
AN-94 Abakan with 1P29 sight
AN-94 Abakan and NSPU-3 night sight, magazines and cleaning accessories
AN-94 Abakan firing unit
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Comments
0 Gramovich 03/15/2017 08:57 Well, what can I say. I admire Nikonov because he created such a weapon using such solutions in it. But still, this machine is doubtful in its use
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-1 77Fealin 03/15/2017 08:59 Here it is necessary to clearly separate shooting and real battle conditions, if you shoot, then the Kalash and the Aek are more pleasant, and if in battle the Abakan gives the first advantage, then it doesn’t matter at all with which barrel the enemy on the other side of the Abakan’s sight is, yes, it is more complex, but the army should not degrade the rest, as they say here, it can and should be improved, but the machine gun is fundamentally different, as was said, the machine gun may be highly specialized for its tasks, unlike the Kalash-like ones, but in its specialization it is the best in the world.
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0 Voldemar 03/15/2017 09:00 Victory of technology over common sense. Watch the video of the disassembly and assembly of the machine. It's on YouTube. A wildly overcomplicated system. A movable firing unit, a pulley with a cable... Tin, in short. If it jams, it will take you an hour to disassemble and reassemble. Removed from service in 2009.
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0 Cashan 03/15/2017 09:01 Claims about the reliability and complexity of the mechanism. In general, a chip with a cut-off of two rounds can be said to be perfectly aimed at a bomb. Of course, I haven’t shot with it myself, but maybe someday.
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0 Voldemar 03/15/2017 09:02 One wise man asked a reasonable question: why the hell hit the same point twice? Maybe just take a more powerful cartridge and shoot once? One 7.62 cartridge weighs less than two 5.45 cartridges.
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+1 Sergeev 03/15/2017 09:17 If only we could finalize it, then there would be a result. Firstly, they adopted the barrel without running it in, at a time when the military-industrial complex was on its last legs and there was nothing to improve the design. The American AR15 -M16 has been refined for 40 years. And precision weapons are always afraid of contamination. One of the downsides is that its sight could be changed, and probably the weight too. Weapons plastic, for example, is difficult to disassemble and clean, yeah, I would like to see someone who will disassemble any machine gun in battle. Of course, the AK74 is more reliable, but when firing in bursts, the spread is up to a meter. In the army they always taught not to fire in bursts, it’s useless, a maximum burst of 3-4 shots. But the advantages are immediately visible, the barrel practically does not lift up, and the recoil is successfully suppressed.
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0 Pustovar 03/15/2017 09:21 The first time I saw the Abakan scheme, it immediately seemed to me that the designer was an American spy, they argued with me a lot, they wanted to convince me that the principle of an aircraft cannon on an assault rifle was cool, but it turned out that I was not the only one who thought so.
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0 Kovalev 03/15/2017 09:22 Firstly, optics are installed on it, and secondly, it was designed to pierce heavy army body armor in mode 2, without switching the army to a new cartridge
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0 Assa 03/15/2017 09:24 Yes, it was removed for a number of reasons, but the main one is that almost everything in the country is based on AK (starting from military training, and therefore the skill and habit FROM school, ending with the dacha of the chief designer and production secrets...). I think the AK, at the initial stage, faced big problems when receiving it... Well, you must agree, it’s difficult to compete with the best machine gun of the 20th, and maybe the next centuries. Competition is good. It's good to have a weapon that you trust and are trained to use. AK, PM. Tick-tock.
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0 mrakmrak 03/15/2017 09:27 Interesting concept. Firing two accurate bullets at a quickly running enemy has a better chance than one accurate bullet and the rest after the recoil impulse. But reliability and quick elimination of delays are of course more important. It's a pity.
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0 miha 03/15/2017 09:35 Assembly and disassembly of the AN-94, nothing complicated. The machine passed ALL the tests that the AK passed (this is about sensitivity to pollution) - this was stipulated by the terms of the competition. Regarding the diopter, it is widely used in the world, it works. Removed from service in 2009 by Serdyukov (he decided to write off the T-80, and stopped purchasing the T-90; his task was to reduce the range of weapons in order to save money and uniformity). As for weight, it is half a kilo (500 grams) heavier than the AK-74. By the way, the AN-94 is used in the 25th special forces brigade “Scorpion” of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces. Flashed in the hands of “polite people” in Crimea.
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Update list of comments
Unification of ammunition
One of the conditions of the Abakan competition was the possibility of unified use of mass-produced ammunition. The Nikonov AN-94 assault rifle fires a standard 5.45 caliber cartridge (39 mm long), which is used for the AK-47 or RPK-74 machine gun. This principle is also observed for the reception area of the store. It is possible to use three types of horns: standard from AK-47 (for 30 pcs.), machine gun (for 45 pcs.) or special (for 60 pcs.), in which the cartridges are arranged in four rows. Using an underbarrel grenade launcher is also not a problem. It is installed on a rod located under the barrel, which simultaneously serves as a guide rod for the moving mechanism assembly.
Performance characteristics of the AN-94 Abakan
— Adopted: 1997 — Designer: Nikonov, Gennady Nikolaevich — Manufacturer: Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant
Weight AN-94 Abakan
— 3.85 kg (without magazine); 4.2 kg (with magazine and optical sight 1PN29)
Dimensions AN-94 Abakan
— Length, mm: 943 (with the butt unfolded); 728 (with folded stock) - Barrel length, mm: 405
Cartridge AN-94 Abakan
— 5.45×39 mm
Caliber AN-94 Abakan
— 5.45 mm
Rate of fire AN-94 Abakan
— 600 (automatic mode), 1800 (with cutoff 2 rounds) rounds/min
AN-94 Abakan bullet speed
— 900 m/s
Sighting range of AN-94 Abakan
— 700 meters
AN-94 Abakan magazine capacity
— sector magazine for 30 rounds from AK74, 45 from RPK-74, four-row for 60 rounds
Sight: adjustable diopter (can install various optical and night sights Operating principles: rotating bolt, removal of powder gases, free rollback of the moving firing unit
Modern materials
Many parts of the AN-94 "Abakan" assault rifle are made of heavy-duty plastic, which corresponds to modern trends that determine promising directions for the development of the arms industry. The buttstock is made folding to the right side, which can be attributed to a few design flaws. It is convenient to shoot from a weapon only when it is folded back. The movable receiver and casing are also made of plastic, which immediately reduced two “harmful” parameters for the weapon. Firing noise has been reduced and weight has been reduced to 3 kg 850 g. Metal parts are made of steel with the precision for which Izhmash is famous. They know how to make weapons here.
Machine design
The appearance of the AN-94 “Abakan” is very similar to the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Typical location for a magazine with ammunition, pistol grip and stock. The carriage mechanism shell is located in the location of the stock of the AK-74. Inside the casing, the barrel moves, combined with the receiver. The automatic mechanism operates from the rollback of the firing apparatus of the gun monitor. Turning the bolt locks the fired barrel.
The originality of the device lies in the fact that recoil occurs after firing two bullets.
The receiver includes the following parts and mechanisms:
- receiver cover
- gate
- bolt carrier
- firing mechanism
- fire translator
Convenient location of the safety and fire switch, it is located on the left side. With your thumb you can easily switch firing modes or set it to the safety position.
In addition to metal parts, the machine uses durable plastic.
The store is at an angle and offset to the right, which looks unusual. The design feature is due to the fact that there is a return mechanism at the bottom of the receiver. The sliding barrel supports a lever that is located below the monitor device. This kind of sliding mechanism is found in the design of artillery guns.
Abakan is capable of conducting the established firing order:
- single
- auto
- double
The automatic mode is similar in intensity to the AK-74, capable of reaching 600 rounds per minute. By setting the double position, the intensity reaches up to 1800 shots in one minute. The aiming device is equipped with a diopter rear sight and a front sight covered with a muzzle.
Multi-charge magazines are used for AK-47 and RPK. The number of cartridges can vary from 30 to 45 pieces. The muzzle brake-compensator has an unusual figure-eight shape and a closed device. The buttstock is folding, made of high-strength plastic.
"Abakan" is adapted to be equipped with additional weapons. They can be an under-barrel grenade launcher and a bayonet knife.
The bladed weapon fastening is located on the right, and not from the bottom, as is customary in the classic design. Additional devices of various vision formats, both night and thermal imaging detectors, can be installed on the body.
Sights
The design of the sight takes into account the experience of previous models and provides for opportunities for future development. The standard device includes an adjustable front sight and a diopter rear sight, equipped with five possible positions (apertures). It is made in the form of a five-pointed star, the rays of which are marked with holes.
The manufacture of firearms for standard general-arms purposes does not involve the installation of special means of combat in difficult conditions, but Nikonov took into account the possibility of equipping with an additional optical or night (infrared) or collimator sight, for which there is an additional universal-purpose rail to the left of the main rear sight.
Characteristics
The automation used in the design of the AN-94 “Abakan” is based on the principle of gas exhaust and a three-variant firing mode. Moreover, if you select the burst firing mode (AB), the first two cartridges will be fired at a rate of fire of 1800 rounds per minute, and the rest - 600 rounds per minute. The weight of the weapon is less than four kilograms, the length with the butt folded down is 943 mm, with the butt folded - 728 mm. The 405 mm long barrel provides a high initial velocity, which increases penetrating power and shooting accuracy (up to 1000 m) compared to a Kalashnikov assault rifle. In general, the machine is good. But…
AN-94 "Abakan" - the winner, which did not become the main one
We tell the story of the development that brought wide fame to Gennady Nikonov
In 1974, a new type of small arms was adopted by the Soviet Army - the AK-74 assault rifle chambered for a low-pulse 5.45x39 mm cartridge. Compared to its predecessors, the new machine gun had a number of advantages - less recoil and cartridge weight and a more flat trajectory, which made aiming much easier.
But at the same time, the new machine gun, which was a further development of the AK line, also had a generic drawback - insufficient accuracy of automatic fire from unstable positions. Meanwhile, scenarios for a possible war envisaged not only shooting from the depths of the trench of enemy rifle lines advancing from the horizon, but also maneuverable combat by units of motorized/mechanized infantry.
In addition, as usually happens, one’s own problems looked even more pronounced against the backdrop of the latest news that “the adversary is overtaking.” And indeed, just after the United States made the transition to a low-pulse cartridge, the Americans already made the next modification of their assault rifle - the M16A2. In addition, they accepted a new Belgian cartridge for her. According to available data, it turned out (and experiments on both sides of the ocean subsequently confirmed this) that the weapons of the “most likely enemy” have an advantage in accuracy.
Now we can only guess why enough attention was not paid to the issue of improving the AK - after all, as time has shown, the Kalashnikov scheme has far from exhausted its capabilities. Perhaps at that moment it seemed that the required increase in efficiency could not be achieved in this way, or other considerations played a role...
One thing is certain - back in 1978, research began on creating a more effective machine gun on the topic “Flag”, and on August 27, 1981, the Commission of the Presidium of the USSR Council of Ministers on Military-Industrial Issues decided to begin development work with the code name “Abakan” " The R&D task was to develop a new assault rifle that would be 1.5 to 2.0 times superior to the AK-74 in combat effectiveness.
Considering that the cartridge was supposed to remain the same - 5.45x39 mm, and significant changes in the weight and size characteristics of the machine were also not encouraged, the designers had only one way to “increase efficiency” - to significantly improve the accuracy of fire with automatic fire. It was on improving this characteristic that the efforts of most of the competition participants focused.
In the Izhevsk Design Bureau, where G. Nikonov worked, the most promising scheme was considered to be one with a displacement (accumulation) of the recoil impulse - when the shooter receives a recoil impulse and, accordingly, loses the correct aiming not after the first shot, but at the end of the burst. The first experimental NA-2 and NA-4 were made according to the bullpup design, with the magazine located behind the fire control handle and a burst cut-off of three shots. Subsequently, Nikonov switched to classic-style assault rifles with a front-facing magazine. But on his experimental AS assault rifle, this magazine was... movable, being part of the firing unit.
Experimental Nikonov NA-4 assault rifle with a movable magazine
Although the scheme used showed its high efficiency in tests, it became clear that the idea of moving (and at a fairly high speed) magazines for the military was not at all inspiring - in a combat situation this would most likely lead to big problems. Therefore, in 1986, simultaneously with the next AS, the ASM arrived at the testing site - a modernized version with a fixed magazine and a fixed burst of two shots. It was this option that was recommended for further refinement, which dragged on for many years for a number of reasons - only in 1994 was the entire cycle of state tests completed, and a few years later the “5.45-mm Nikonov assault rifle” was officially adopted into service by the Russian Army. . 1994 (AN-94)." The machine gun was made according to a fire monitor design with accumulation of recoil impulse. In the firing mode with a fixed burst of two shots at a rate of fire of 1800 rounds per minute, two bullets managed to leave the barrel before the firing unit reached the extreme position.
Experimental Nikonov AS assault rifle with a movable magazine
Experimental Nikonov ASM assault rifle with a fixed magazine
Although the production of small batches of the AN-94 was launched in 1998, it, as they wrote during the Great Patriotic War about another weapon with a similar fate - the SVT self-loading rifle - “failed to win the love and respect of the personnel.” It is noteworthy that some of the reasons for this failure were very similar. Structurally, the Nikonov assault rifle is more complex than the AK, just as the SVT was noticeably more complex than the “three-line” rifle familiar to most Red Army soldiers. Before the war, this led to the fact that not only ordinary soldiers, but even commanders were simply afraid to once again disassemble their new complex rifles for maintenance, as a result of which inspection commissions were surprised to study their mechanisms, which in a few months had turned into a lump of rust.
About the same thing happened with the Nikonov assault rifle decades later. Even experienced officers, accustomed over many decades to the reliable simplicity of the AK, were initially thrown into a stupor by the sight of the AN’s internals. Arguments that the AN-94 completely passed the test program and proved to be as reliable as the AK did not work well. State tests were carried out “somewhere out there,” but the machine with a roller and cable (!!!) was available here and now. It is not surprising that in hot spots, fighters from units that received the AN-94 preferred to take old AKs for combat missions. Perhaps the situation could have been corrected by providing the batches of machine guns with a sufficient number of detailed and understandable teaching aids, as well as layouts for training personnel, but... what happened was what happened.
On the other hand, one of the airborne troops officers familiar to the author had enthusiastic impressions of his acquaintance with the AN-94. Those entering the training platoon of the Ryazan school “Abakan” were quickly and easily mastered by the personnel. “People liked the machine, they figured it out quickly, there were no problems with the cable mechanism.” Another conclusion was: “now we will have to rewrite the shooting courses, because with the new machine gun, fire missions are carried out much easier.”
Nikonov AN-94 “Abakan” assault rifle with an under-barrel grenade launcher and a bayonet.
In the new millennium, it has already become a little clearer that the “Abakan” competition itself, which gave its name to the Nikonov assault rifle, was not so clearly necessary. Thus, a number of tests have shown that the installation of more effective sighting devices - collimator sights or low power optics - can significantly increase the capabilities of the average shooter. The AN-94 was actually superior to the AK-74 in a single parameter - the accuracy of a fixed burst of two shots. To what extent did this superiority provide that “increase in efficiency by 1.5 - 2 times” and justify the increased complexity of the machine gun and its production - a question that was already perceived differently in the 2000s than in the 80s.
However, all this does not in any way detract from the triumph of the creator of the machine. Acting within the framework of the requirements set by the military customer, G. Nikonov managed to fulfill them, while creating a weapon that was not inferior in reliability to the legendary Kalashnikov. It is not the designer’s fault that this achievement ultimately remained unclaimed.
Watch a special
video with comparative tests of the AN-94 and AK-74, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the birth of Gennady Nikonov.
Assembly and disassembly
A person who is familiar with weapons first-hand and equipped with the appropriate technical instructions, seeing this machine for the first time, will disassemble it in about half an hour. He will spend the same amount on its assembly, which is done in reverse order. The next time things will go faster, but the presence of rather complex knots and a steel cable that needs to be pulled onto the roller will still require several minutes of time. It is impossible to disassemble and reassemble “Abakan” blindfolded, especially quickly. This is not Kalashnikov.
Of course, the designer has provided all the possibilities to facilitate the maintenance process. The “figure-of-eight” muzzle brake can be removed and installed in an original and easy way, literally on an intuitive level. You just need to turn it half a turn and pull it forward. In general, there are many beautiful solutions, no unnecessary details, and difficulties are minimized.
Too complicated or not simple enough?
It is traditionally believed that the weapons of the Russian army, due to its large size, simply must be simple. More than a million personnel in itself indicates that people of different intellectual levels serve in it, and if a soldier cannot master such a simple thing as his own machine gun, then problems are inevitable. The disassembly and assembly of the “Abakan” cannot be called a Newtonian binomial, but one cannot say that this is a trifling matter either. By the way, this problem is not only Russian. American soldiers in Vietnam were amazed at the capabilities of our Kalashnikov, its simplicity and reliability. Many of them would gladly exchange their M-16s for it, despite the better accuracy and accuracy of fire. What is the use of these good qualities if, when a small amount of dirt or sand gets in, the weapon does not want to shoot at all? Of course, the AN-97 is better than the M-16. But more complicated and more expensive than AK.
Problems of rearmament
Izhmash became the production base for the new model. Weapons of this type have been manufactured at this plant since 1988, but are limited to relatively small batches, for special units of the Armed Forces and the police. The decision to completely replace the AK with the AN-94 was made back in 1997, but due to various circumstances, including financial ones, the Kalashnikov is still the main model. Despite all the designer’s desire for simplicity, it was still not possible to achieve it fully. The AN-94 “Abakan” is somewhat more complex than its predecessor, and so far only professionals can confidently handle it. It is possible that ordinary soldiers could master this science, but this can only be found out experimentally.
In addition, large-scale rearmament requires significant budgetary costs and time for retraining personnel.
Performance characteristics
The table shows the main functionality and parameters of the AN-94 automatic carbine.
| Barrel caliber, mm | 5,45 |
| Cartridge | 5.45x39 |
| Initial bullet speed, m/s | 900 |
| Sighting range, m | 800 |
| Weapon length, mm | 943 |
| Length of weapon with folded butt, mm | 728 |
| Barrel length, mm | 405 |
| Weight without ammunition (magazine), kg | 3,82 |
| Weight with warhead (magazine), kg | 4,25 |
| Firing speed in bursts/min. | 150 |
| Firing speed single/min. | 40 |
| Number of cartridges in the magazine | 30/45 |
| Rate of fire in/min | 600/1800 |
The Abakan assault rifle is equipped with an adjustable diopter sight, which allows targeted shooting at a running figure at a distance of 620 meters.
