At the end of the 90s, the first locally developed personal weapons were developed, launched into mass production and adopted in Ukraine. It “inherited” the name from the developer – the state scientific and production association “Fort”.
For more than 20 years, these Ukrainian pistols - from the basic model "12" to the latest version "17" and the traumatic "Fort-12RM" - have been mass produced and are in service with some countries. Traumatic weapons of this design have even become widespread in Russia. The plant in Klimovsk produced non-lethal weapons under a Ukrainian license for some time.
History of creation
After 1991, the army and police of independent Ukraine were left with a single service and combat pistol - the PM. This weapon has not satisfied users for a long time, but before the collapse of the USSR, a replacement was never found.
Even during the existence of the Soviet Union, a special department of the Internal Affairs Directorate was located in Vinnitsa, producing “special equipment”. At the beginning of 1991, it was reorganized into the Fort research and production association.
In 1994, an instrument-making plant was placed at the disposal of this NGO.
From this moment we can count down the creation of the first Ukrainian combat pistol “Fort”. To assist in development, contacts were established with the Czech company CZ. Equipment for the production of weapons was received from the Czech Republic, and serial production began in 1998.
New items from the Ukrainian military industry: assault rifles “Fort-227” and “Fort-228”
Over the past few centuries, military equipment and weapons have constantly developed. The need to have both led to repeated technical breakthroughs; new types of offensive weapons were invented, which made it possible to strike enemy forces from a distance of not only hundreds, but also thousands of kilometers. However, in the modern world we cannot say that individual small arms have become an anachronism, since remote warfare has an effect only in cases where we are talking about the destruction of the enemy’s military and industrial infrastructure, but not at all manpower. The main common features of the new generation of assault rifles is the widespread use of light alloys and plastics, which makes it possible to make weapons much lighter and reduce the cost of production. In addition, modern models use collimator and optical sights, a modular design, and the ability to install a wide range of additional equipment: tactical flashlights, muzzle and under-barrel grenade launchers, silencers and laser target designators.
Despite the difficult situation, Ukraine does not remain aloof from the production of new types of weapons and military equipment. So, in particular, on the official website of the Ukrainian research and production association “Fort” information appeared about two new variants of Israeli-made Galil ACE assault rifles - “Fort-227” and “Fort-228”.
The Ukrainian Fort-227 rifle is similar to the Israeli Galil ACE 22 carbine, and the Fort-228 is similar to the Galil ACE 31.
Ukrainian-made rifles of the Fort family, like the Israeli Galil ACE, are automatic weapons that are a kind of descendant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle.
This family of automatic weapons is characterized by high ergonomics, ease of use and additional accessories. In addition, Fort-227 and Fort-228 use the most common types of ammunition (5.56x45, and 7.62x39 according to NATO standards).
The Fort-227 and Fort-228 assault rifles and assault rifles use gas-operated automatics with a long stroke of the gas piston, which is located above the barrel. The receiver has high strength and a long service life due to the fact that it is made of steel. The receiver cover is also made of steel, and the pistol grip, trigger guard and magazine receiver neck are made of high-strength plastic. The safety, also known as the mode switch, is duplicated on both sides and makes it possible to fire both single shots and automatic fire. To prevent dust, foreign objects and dirt from entering the weapon's mechanisms, a spring-loaded dust curtain is provided that covers the slot for the handle. The handle itself is on the left side and is connected to the bolt frame.
The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines. For each caliber, the number of cartridges in the magazine is different. For the 5.56 mm caliber there are 35 rounds in the magazine, for the 7.62x39 caliber there are 30 rounds. The assault rifles have a slide stop. The telescopic plastic stock is adjustable in length, and the 7.62 caliber has a rubber shock-absorbing butt pad. As for sighting devices, the Fort rifles are equipped with an adjustable front sight in the front sight and a diopter flip rear sight, which is installed in the rear of the receiver cover. In addition, “Fort-227”, unlike “Fort-228”, has brackets for mounting a bayonet-knife.
The Fort-227 rifle can operate in automatic and semi-automatic mode. It is 760 millimeters in length with the stock folded and 845 with the stock unfolded. The barrel length is 332 millimeters. The weight of the rifle with a full magazine is 4.12 kilograms, with an empty magazine - 3.7 kilograms. This rifle is chambered for 5.56x45 mm, has a rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute, and the initial bullet speed is 850 meters per second. The sighting range is about 500 meters.
The Fort-228 rifle can also operate in both automatic and semi-automatic modes. It has a length of 642 millimeters with the stock folded and 762 with the stock unfolded. The barrel length of this rifle reaches 215 millimeters. Its weight with a loaded magazine is 3.9 kilograms, with an empty magazine - 3.4 kilograms. The rifle is designed for 7.62x39 mm bullets, with 30 rounds in the magazine. The initial speed of the bullet reaches 600 meters per second, while the rate of fire is 650 rounds per minute, and the target range is about 800 meters.
Among the advantages of the Ukrainian rifles "Fort-227" and "Fort-228" it is necessary to note their compactness, modern ergonomic design, lightness, and the presence of two firing modes - automatic and semi-automatic. In addition, for more accurate shooting, these variants use an exceptional trigger mechanism, which is based on the Galil sniper rifle variant. Both options have been tested in combat conditions, and have already proven their reliability in emergency, adverse and unforeseen situations. Both rifles can be used at night due to the presence of a convenient mechanical sight and a telescopic butt. Among the advantages, ease of maintenance should also be noted, since no additional tools are required to disassemble the weapon.
Thus, we can say that the Ukrainian-made assault rifles “Fort-227” and “Fort-228” are a new step in the small arms segment of the Ukrainian defense complex.
In light of recent events in Ukraine, it becomes quite obvious that with the active support of Western states and the United States, Ukraine will gradually be included in the scope of standards of these states, including military ones. Therefore, despite the widespread use of 5.45x39 and 7.62x39 mm cartridges in Ukraine, they will soon be gradually replaced by cartridges meeting NATO standards. And the Fort-227 and Fort-228 rifles are clear evidence that these changes have already begun.
Materials used: https://www.guns.yfa1.ru/ukrainskie-shturmovye-vintovki-fort-227-i-fort-228.html https://www.fort.vn.ua/produkciya/avtomaticheskoe-oruzhie/ shturmovaya-vintovka-fort227.html https://www.fort.vn.ua/produkciya/avtomaticheskoe-oruzhie/shturmovaya-vintovka-fort228.html https://www.israel-weapon.com/default.asp?catid= %7B3B7B48F5-CA99-4282-9D7F-13C8CCA5A4DA%7D https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galil_ACE
Device Description
The design of Fort brand pistols is quite typical for low-power personal weapons. The notorious low power of the 9x18 mm caliber cartridge made it possible to use a free-bolt design in automatic operation, which locks the barrel with its own weight.
The trigger mechanism is double action. It allows you to open fire, both by pre-cocking the hammer, and without cocking, by self-cocking. There is a safety lever on the left side of the body; it blocks the bolt, trigger and trigger (even if the pistol is cocked).
The magazine is made of metal and contains 12 rounds, arranged in 2 rows. To speed up and facilitate reloading there is a slide stop, which is activated by the magazine feeder. The sight is open, consisting of a front sight and rear sight. To make aiming easier in the dark, the sight is equipped with luminous markings. Modifications intended for sport shooting were equipped with an adjustable sight. "Forts" can also be equipped with a laser target designator and a tactical flashlight.
In general, the trigger mechanism of the “Fort” is similar to the trigger mechanism of the Czech pistol CZ 82/83.
The design of the trigger guard was borrowed without changes from another model - CZ 75. It should also be noted that until 2002, when Vinnitsa had its own barrel production, this unit was supplied from the Czech Republic.
Key advantages of Fort 221 and 224 slot machines
In comparative tests with the Kalashnikov assault rifles in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, weapons produced by NPO Fort have the following advantages:
- High strength characteristics of the light-alloy plastic body;
- Reliability of individual components and mechanisms under difficult operating conditions;
- The ergonomics of the body ensures better functioning of the shooter in a combat situation;
- Adjusted aiming system, characterized by precision installation of sighting devices;
- Modularity of the tactical devices used;
- The ability to fully use the machine for both right-handed and left-handed people;
- The center of mass is concentrated in the butt of the machine gun, which allows for relatively accurate fire while moving;
Modifications and operation
In addition to the basic modification of the Fort-12, a large number of different options have appeared. "Fort-12B" is a silent pistol for special forces, equipped with an elongated barrel adapted to install a silencer, and the silencer itself.
The award-winning “Fort-12N” has a body made of alloy steel, handle cheeks made of precious wood, decorated with carvings, silvering and gilding. For some time, the sports “Falcon” was produced, intended for practical shooting competitions. It was equipped with an adjustable sight and a recoil compensator.
The most modern modification of the pistol is “Fort-17”.
In this version, the steel frame was replaced with a polymer part, a removable ergonomic pad appeared on the handle, and a universal “Picatinny rail” type mount was placed under the barrel. Based on the Fort-17 model, they developed a shortened version of the .380 caliber, a Cobra pistol for practical shooting, and a small-caliber sports training version called the Cordon.
On the basis of “Fort” they also launched the production of a number of “non-lethal” models. Based on the basic model “12”, traumatic pistols “12T” and “12P” are produced. The first is a civilian weapon and cannot fire shots with an inelastic bullet, unlike service modifications. In 2010, both versions were modernized, receiving the names “Fort-12RM” and “-12TM”, respectively. After the start of production of the “Fort-17” model, the production of traumatic modifications “17P” and “17T” was also mastered on its basis.
Fort-12 began to arrive in the Ukrainian security forces immediately after the start of assembly - in 1998. In those same years, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan purchased small quantities of weapons for use by internal affairs agencies.
Traumatic modifications of the “Fort” were certified in Russia as civilian self-defense weapons.
For some time, “traumas” were imported from Ukraine. In addition, the Klimovsky plant began assembling the Jorge pistol from Ukrainian components, identical in design to the traumatic Forts.
After 2014, “Jorge” was no longer collected. But the modernized Fort-12RM never made it onto the Russian market. On the other hand, after the referendum on the annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian pistol actually began to be used by the Russian police.
“Fort” gained additional fame after the release of the popular (in some places even cult) computer game “STALKER”. As a rule, the Ukrainian military was armed with it. From the point of view of game mechanics, “Fort-12” was slightly superior in quality to the “starting” PM, which was not very far from reality.
History of production development of Fort 12
The creators of the Fort-12R took some decisions on the structure of the pistol from the Czech CZ weapon. The first batches of this weapon were produced on old machines from the 70s and 80s, which remained on the territory of Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR. However, the manufacturer quickly realized that high quality could not be achieved with such equipment. That is why, until 2002, equipment along with barrels was delivered from the Czech Republic from the CZ company.
In 2002, Fort purchased its own modern equipment of Ukrainian and Czech production. The transition to innovative equipment has made it possible to significantly reduce the defect rate in pistols, which was high in the first years of production. Nowadays, fifth-generation CNC equipment is used, so the percentage of defects is a couple of fractions of a percent.
The use of accumulated experience in tandem with modern technologies has reduced all complaints from buyers of Fort-12RM weapons to just a few. In the first few years of production of the gun, there were many complaints about frequent breakdowns of the pistol and problems during shooting, which were caused by distortions of the cartridges. At the moment, all design flaws have been eliminated, the pistols have a minimum of defects, as evidenced by their high popularity.
To test each batch, Fort uses its own testing site, which is equipped with modern testing equipment, where unique weapons testing techniques are used.
Performance characteristics
Let's look at the main performance characteristics of the Fort-12 and Fort-17 modeos, and compare these models with the Makarov pistol, which they were designed to replace.
| Fort-12 | Fort 17 | PM | |
| Weight, kg | 0,95 | 0,8 | 0,8 |
| Length, mm | 180 | 180 | 161 |
| Barrel length, mm | 95 | 95 | 93 |
| Initial bullet speed, m/s | 320 | 320 | 315 |
| Magazine capacity, cartridges | 12 | 12 | 8 |
One of the main disadvantages of the Makarov, its small ammunition capacity, was dealt with using a two-row magazine. Moreover, there is information about the creation of a 15-round magazine for Fort-17. Due to the modernized sight, shooting accuracy has increased, and better ergonomics and a slightly larger mass have made it possible to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter.
The Fort-12 and -17 pistols really represent a step forward compared to the PM. But the step is not very big. The design is based on the design of a good, but also not new, Czech pistol.
The problem of insufficient power of the 9x18 mm cartridge also remained “unsolved”.
At the same time, the selected automation system casts doubt on the possibility of creating a modification for a more powerful cartridge (the same 9x19 mm).
