Sniper rifle Accuracy International AI AX 308 and AXMC (UK)

Sniper rifle Accuracy International AI AX 308 and AXMC (UK)

Accuracy International AI AX 308 sniper rifle

Accuracy International AI AXMC sniper rifle

The Accuracy International AX 308 and AXMC family of sniper rifles are designed and manufactured in the UK by Accuracy International. The AI ​​AXMC rifle was originally created based on the requirements of the American Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) “Precision Rifle System”. The competition was won by Remington, but in 2010, rifles of the AX / AXMC line were put into production to replace the rifles of the AI ​​Arctic Warfare Magnum / AWM line, the development of which is the AI ​​AXMC multi-caliber rifle, originally designed for powerful long-range .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges. By changing the barrel, bolt and magazines, the AI ​​AXMC rifle can be quickly adapted to other calibers, in particular .300 Winchester Magnum and 7.62x51 NATO. In addition, based on the new design, a somewhat more compact and lightweight AI AX 308 rifle was created, designed for 7.62x51 NATO caliber cartridges and others of similar dimensions. The AX 308 and AXMC family of rifles are designed to meet the most stringent requirements for accuracy and reliability in the harsh operating conditions required of military special forces weapons.

The Accuracy International AI AX / AXMC sniper rifle uses manual reloading using a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The bolt has six lugs grouped in pairs in front of the bolt; the angle of rotation of the bolt when unlocking and locking is 60 degrees. The receiver is milled from steel and placed in a plastic stock with a built-in aluminum chassis. The receiver and bolt group of the AXMC rifle have dimensions designed for .338 Lapua Mag cartridges, the receiver of the AX 308 rifles has smaller dimensions (section and length). The cartridges are fed from branded detachable 10-round magazines. The release is two-stage, adjustable. Stock with folding sideways (to the right) adjustable butt, with a pistol grip. The aluminum barrel shroud features KeySlot mounts, allowing for quick installation and removal of accessory rails in the shooter's desired configuration. The rifle also has a small polymer handguard for hand-held shooting. The barrels are quick-change; to replace the barrel you need an allen key and less than a minute of time. To change calibers in the AXMC rifle, you need the appropriate barrel, bolt and magazines. The rifle is not standardly equipped with open sights; day or night optics are mounted on a Picatinny rail made on the top of the receiver. A muzzle brake-flash suppressor or a quick-detachable shot silencer can be installed on the barrel.

World Of Man Dreams

The Accuracy International AX 308 and AXMC family of sniper rifles are designed and manufactured in the UK by Accuracy International. The AI ​​AXMC rifle was originally created based on the requirements of the American Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) “Precision Rifle System”. The competition was won by Remington, but in 2010, rifles of the AX / AXMC line were put into production to replace the rifles of the AI ​​Arctic Warfare Magnum / AWM line, the development of which is the AI ​​AXMC multi-caliber rifle, originally designed for powerful long-range .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges. By changing the barrel, bolt and magazines, the AI ​​AXMC rifle can be quickly adapted to other calibers, in particular .300 Winchester Magnum and 7.62x51 NATO. In addition, based on the new design, a somewhat more compact and lightweight AI AX 308 rifle was created, designed for 7.62x51 NATO caliber cartridges and others of similar dimensions. The AX 308 and AXMC family of rifles are designed to meet the most stringent requirements for accuracy and reliability in the harsh operating conditions required of military special forces weapons.

The Accuracy International AI AX / AXMC sniper rifle uses manual reloading using a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The bolt has six lugs grouped in pairs in front of the bolt; the angle of rotation of the bolt when unlocking and locking is 60 degrees. The receiver is milled from steel and placed in a plastic stock with a built-in aluminum chassis. The receiver and bolt group of the AXMC rifle have dimensions designed for .338 Lapua Mag cartridges, the receiver of the AX 308 rifles has smaller dimensions (section and length). The cartridges are fed from branded detachable 10-round magazines. The release is two-stage, adjustable. Stock with folding sideways (to the right) adjustable butt, with a pistol grip. The aluminum barrel shroud features KeySlot mounts, allowing for quick installation and removal of accessory rails in the shooter's desired configuration. The rifle also has a small polymer handguard for hand-held shooting. The barrels are quick-change; to replace the barrel you need an allen key and less than a minute of time. To change calibers in the AXMC rifle, you need the appropriate barrel, bolt and magazines. The rifle is not standardly equipped with open sights; day or night optics are mounted on a Picatinny rail made on the top of the receiver. A muzzle brake-flash suppressor or a quick-detachable shot silencer can be installed on the barrel.

New Russian assault rifle: AK-308 chambered for 7.62x51 NATO

As part of the international forum "Army-2018", the Kalashnikov concern presented to the general public a new prototype of a 7.62-mm assault rifle under the designation AK-308. The weapon is built on the basis of the AK-103 assault rifle with elements and components of the AK-12 assault rifle chambered for the common 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge (.308 Win). According to the Kalashnikov concern, the weapon is being prepared for preliminary tests.

The new product from Izhevsk uses standard NATO ammunition 7.62x51 mm, this cartridge is widely used throughout the world, which already hints that the AK-308 model is initially being developed as an export one and is intended primarily for foreign markets. Magazine capacity is 20 rounds. The weight of the new machine gun including the magazine (without cartridges) is 4.3 kg. The total length of the weapon is 880-940 mm, with an attached bayonet it increases to 1045-1105 mm. The barrel length is 415 mm. The machine gun is equipped with a diopter sight, as well as a length-adjustable buttstock, which has 4 positions, allowing the shooter to choose the most convenient length.

The Soviet analogue of the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge was and remains the 7.62x54R rifle cartridge (not to be confused with the intermediate 7.62x39 mm cartridge), which is used together with domestic models of small arms: SVD and SVDS sniper rifles, as well as PK machine guns, PKM or PKP. NATO ammunition, in addition to its dimensions, differs from ours in the sleeve - it is flangeless, that is, its rim does not protrude from the bottom of the sleeve, it is “recessed” into the dimensions and separated by a channel. This solution increases the reliability of feeding cartridges from a box magazine. This cartridge is also widely known under the designation of its commercial version 308 Winchester or simply .308 Win. Hence, by the way, the name of the new product from the Kalashnikov concern – AK-308.

AK-308

When creating new small arms, developers very often consider the prospects for their promotion on the international market. The potential most attractive buyers for the Izhevsk AK-308 could be the huge Brazil or India; these countries can be called a gunsmith’s dream. Especially considering that India is currently rearming its army with new small arms. In the Indian ground forces, in which more than a million people serve, back in 2016 the command decided to replace the INSAS assault rifle of its own design with a new 7.62 mm automatic rifle. The military's requirements for new weapons were agreed upon in 2022. Previously, India had already replaced the INSAS assault rifles, which were in service with the police, with Russian AK-103 assault rifles, as they were more reliable. The main complaint against the Indian development is the very large number of delays when firing - up to three percent; for Russian AK-103s when firing, this figure is 0.02 percent. It cannot be ruled out that the weapon will also appeal to India’s eternal enemy, Pakistan. As part of the Army-2018 forum, it was the representatives of Pakistan who were most active in relation to the new product chambered for 7.62x51 mm, which also allows us to talk about them as potential customers for the new machine gun.

In addition to high reliability and reliability, which are traditionally considered to be the advantages of weapons under the AK brand, Russian small arms compete well with foreign models in price. When it is necessary to rearm an army like the Indian one, the price of weapons begins to play a very important role. The head of the AK-308 project, a specialist at the Kalashnikov concern, Alexey Shumilov, told Zvezda journalists at the Army-2018 forum that in terms of combat qualities, the presented prototype, after fine-tuning and testing, will become a universal weapon for combat, just like other assault rifles under the Kalashnikov brand. According to Shumilov, the ergonomics of the assault rifle, designed for the .308 Win cartridge, are taken from the new Izhevsk AK-12 and AK-15. Also, the AK-308 had a modernized gas unit and a suspended barrel.

A free-floating barrel (English designation free-floating barrel) is a special way of installing a barrel in small arms, the main purpose of which is to increase shooting accuracy. Over time, under the influence of various environmental factors or conditions of use of the weapon, the geometry of the frame (stock) can change, which, in turn, affects the barrel, and only then the trajectory of the bullet. And the barrel itself oscillates during firing from a machine gun: the contact between the barrel and the frame interferes with such natural vibrations, which also affects the accuracy of shooting. In order to prevent contact of the barrel with other parts of the weapon, a special design was invented in which the barrel has contact only with the receiver. It is to the receiver that all other parts and components of the weapon are attached, and the barrel retains the ability to make free natural vibrations during firing. Nowadays, all over the world, high-precision weapons are designed and produced with free-floating barrel technology.

AK-308

The new product from the Kalashnikov concern also has a “cut-off” fire mode, which allows you to fire three bullets at the target with one press of the trigger. Also, unlike the AK-12, the AK-308 assault rifle presented at Army 2018 is equipped with a folding telescopic stock. Literally in seconds, the shooter can change its length: shorten it or, on the contrary, lengthen it depending on the need, or even fold the stock to the side, making the weapon as compact as possible. With the stock folded, the AK-308 can be comfortably placed in the troop compartment of a combat vehicle. Alexey Shumilov also noted that the new product received Picatinny-type rails designed for installing various tactical equipment: laser designators, tactical flashlights, and any types of modern sights.

Mikhail Degtyarev, editor-in-chief of the Kalashnikov magazine, also expressed his opinion about the new product. He does not understand why specialists from the Kalashnikov concern see the AK-308 as the basis for the AK-103 assault rifle. Considering the use in the new product (as in the RPK-16) of a machine gun receiver from the Vyatka-Polyansky RPK-74M machine gun, it would be more logical to say that the AK-308 is a development of this particular model of small arms. Without being the bearer of any “know-how” in the modern world of small arms, the new product in the future will be able to occupy its niche and expand the line of classic machine guns of the Izhevsk enterprise.

Degtyarev notes that the new 7.62x51 mm assault rifle is built around the RPK-74M receiver, which has a significantly greater margin of safety (compared to a conventional assault rifle) and is able to withstand cyclic shock loads when firing the selected ammunition. Moreover, the shock load can be easily adjusted by the speed of the moving parts in recoil and by a correctly selected gas outlet in the barrel of the weapon.

AK-308, photo: kalashnikov.media

Tactical and technical characteristics of the AK-308: Caliber - 7.62 mm. Cartridge – 7.62x51 NATO. Weight – 4.3 kg (with magazine, without cartridges). Total length/with bayonet – 880-940/1045-1105 mm. Length with folded stock – 690 mm. Barrel length – 415 mm. Height – 242 mm. Width – 72 mm. Magazine capacity - 20 rounds. The stock is folding, adjustable in length (4 positions). The sight is diopter.

Sources of information: https://kalashnikov.media https://www.kalashnikov.ru/kalashnikov-krupnogo-kalibra-avtomat-ak-308 https://zvezdaweekly.ru/news/t/201810291638-25e7T.html