A week ago I was invited to go and look at the new version of the Malyuk assault rifle. I laughed a little and decided to go see “what they can show me.” I went with a skeptical attitude and was sure that they couldn’t show me anything there. We arrived at the Krasilovsky Aggregate Plant, they showed us several promo videos, nothing unusual, everything was as always. We started asking pointed questions in an attempt to find out what had changed? But there was clearly no way to convince us without demonstrating the machine gun. We were invited to look at the machine live, its different versions, and talk in detail. This is where all the fun began.
As it turned out, we knew nothing at all about the Malyuk assault rifle.
Video with comments from the developer, demonstration of the machine gun, shooting.
I was a little familiar with the first version of the exhibition, a friend of mine had experience with it in the army (you will find his comment below) and we discussed it. As for the first version. He had a problem with the trigger and its rods. In order to avoid a crossbow when the machine gun fell, a weight was attached to it on the reverse side of the rods. There were problems when working in a humid climate - the piston jammed in the gas chamber. Against this background, there were complaints about the inability to manually push the cartridge into the chamber. In an AK, this can easily be done using the cocking handle, but here there is nothing like that. Skepticism was caused by the fact that this was a converted version of an AK taken from warehouses, for the conversion of which it is still unclear how much to pay. And the main question is why this is even necessary in our army and law enforcement agencies. Well, it’s still unclear how much it all costs.
Ready-made Malyuk machines in stock
Before I continue, let’s go over what kind of machine this is.
Malyuk is a special bullpup automatic machine developed on the basis of the main components of the AK. The main customer in 2005 was TsSO A SBU, and the name “Malyuk” is the code under which this project took place. Subsequently, the power steering showed interest in the development, and the code was changed to “Vulcan”. Under this name, the machine gun was put into service, and at the moment it is used by the Special Forces, DSO, reconnaissance battalions and other special units.
The first versions of the assault rifle were built using the main components of the AK (receiver, barrel, bolt carrier with bolt and trigger), which was both an advantage and a disadvantage, since the donors of these components were working assault rifles from warehouses. Processing of the barrel and box was done without pressing out the barrel - as a whole unit, which made manufacturing very difficult (the length of the unit varies around 5mm).
At the moment, the manufacturer has managed to completely abandon the use of donor components and set up the production of all main components, including the barrel from a third-party contractor and the receiver in-house. Many changes and improvements were made to the design of the machine, including the steel grades used in production. Of those that were used in AK, not a single one is currently in use. All this allows us to consider the machine gun as a completely independent product using individual design solutions of the AK platform.
The machine consists of three main parts.
- Barrel with receiver and trigger;
- Receiver cover with integrated return spring;
- Forend, handle and guard module.
Automatic Malyuk
“Malyuk” is equipped with an Aimpoint COMP M4 collimator sight.
The receiver of the machine gun is stamped, similar to an AK. The receiver cover and the pistol grip handguard are made of durable reinforced polymer and are connected to each other with one pin on the lock. The return spring with guide is similar to the AK, but is attached to the cover. The cartridge ejector window and reflector were redone, thanks to this the cartridges do not interfere with shooting from the left shoulder.
The barrel is chrome-plated with six rifling instead of four on the AK. The thickness of the chrome plating is 0.2 mm, and this is very, very much for a moment and many times greater than that of an AK and about the same as that of machine guns. The declared resource is 10 thousand. The old version with an AK barrel was tested. For new barrels, this figure, according to the developers, will increase significantly and will approach the figure of 30 thousand (including due to the cooling system). The thread on the barrel is M14x1 left-handed, which in combination with a barrel attachment with a right-hand thread M24x1.5 allows the use of any DTK and silencers for AKs that are on the market.
The bolt group is made of different materials and remains almost unchanged in appearance. A protective coating has appeared and the usual cocking handle is missing.
Now they are produced at their own facilities, but in the future they plan to sell them to a foreign partner. Our own resources are not enough for large-scale production, and it was not possible to find adequate production with the appropriate quality in Ukraine.
Some of the weapons we shot with
The gas circuit is taken from the AK 74 and is the same for all calibers. The gas tube moves freely inside the tubular guide and at the same time serves to cock the bolt, resting against stops on the base of the gas piston. The piston itself has also been redesigned. Heat-resistant stainless steel is used for manufacturing; behind the working surface there is another belt that matches the diameter of the tube - it directs the movement of the piston inside the gas tube. On the gas tube itself, the number of holes for venting gases has been increased, which, according to the manufacturer, greatly affected the smooth operation of the automation. By the way, many people reproach the machine gun for this, but let me remind you that gas release was also on the AK.
The weakest component of the AK gas circuit was the gas chamber. “Malyuk” also uses stainless steel for its production, and the inside is coated with a phosphate coating, which completely solved the problem of gas piston jamming.
The machine gun received a new trigger of its own production. The sear was moved to the right so that it did not interfere with the pull of the trigger, the trigger retarder was removed and a limiter for its travel was added, the shape of the trigger was also changed, and the self-timer on all versions has two teeth.
In total, these changes made it possible to increase the rate of fire to 700 v/m and eliminate the toss of the bolt frame on return. As many people know, the main disadvantage of all bullpups is the problem with the trigger (the trigger is long, too heavy), this is due to the fact that the force from the hook must be transferred to the bolt through the rods. I wouldn’t say that Malyuk’s trigger surprised me in any way - an ordinary military trigger with a long stroke, that’s normal and correct. It feels like the trigger pull has decreased slightly, and the idle stroke of the trigger has become shorter and smoother.
Scheme of the Malyuk machine gun
We installed a new double-sided plastic fire switch, which could not be done previously due to a very small batch of machine guns, which made casting a plastic fire switch economically unfeasible. The magazine receiver shaft was expanded and guides were added - now the magazine does not dangle as in the first versions.
The fire selector and safety catch are spaced apart, which makes it possible to operate the bolt or eliminate delays without removing the weapon from the safety catch. The safety locks the trigger pull, and is located above the trigger in the form of a button, similar to those found in smoothbore guns, very convenient, located right under the index finger. The fire switch is located behind the store. Since it is double-sided, it was convenient for me, as a right-hander, to switch to single fire on the right side, and automatic on the left side.
Behind the trigger is a magazine release button. This is an excellent and ergonomic solution - a weak hand is only needed to manipulate the magazine. The magazine “snaps” like on an AK, but on the contrary, no matter how crazy it may sound. That is, you do not fasten it back and forth, but in a back and forth motion. It's easier to show it than to explain it. The magazine is secured with two latches. The magazines do not require any modification for the Malyuk, they are regular standard AK magazines. True, the manufacturer is very dissatisfied with the variation in the sizes of old magazines (many people know how shavings sometimes come off new bakelite magazines), so they intend to order their magazines (from the same foreign company), and made of steel. Attaching a store is unusual, and you'll have to get used to it. But it's no more difficult than in AK, and the reset button makes the process easier.
The cocking handle is not physically connected to the bolt and is integrated into the gas tube, with the ability to be installed on both the left and right sides. The forend has a lower picatinny rail; optional side rails are installed. The receiver cover has a large picatinny rail for mounting optics.
To cool the barrel, the principle of ejector suction is used (in our case, this is the movement of gases due to temperature changes). During intense shooting, part of the powder gases is vented down through the handle. After firing, air circulates inside the receiver through holes in the handle and lid due to temperature differences - this is clearly visible even with the naked eye. A similar method is used in the Lewis and Pecheneg machine guns.
The manufacturer especially noted the Malyuk muffler, which, upon passing certification, received a certificate from the acoustic laboratory of NAU with the characteristics of reducing the sound wave by 94% (version 7.62) and 96% (version 5.45). The muffler is made of high-strength steel, steel 20, the grade from which steam pipes are made at nuclear power plants. Thanks to this, the muffler can withstand high pressure. For example, the company demonstrated a shot from a silencer without draining water after a complete immersion (see video).
The machine gun is produced in caliber 5.45x39, 7.62x39. Now they are actively working on a version for the 5.56.x45 NATO caliber, with a converted shaft for STANAG magazines.
Shooting from a Malyuk machine gun
Shooting
We shot from 4 Malyuk assault rifles (5.45 with DTK, 5.45 with a silencer and version 7.62), one AKM and an AK-74 (for comparison, for the first time in my life I saw a completely zero-grade AKM). Almost two zinc 7.62x39 (660 + 500 rounds) and zinc 5.45x39 (1080 rounds) were shot. The factory representatives were very confident in their product and allowed us to shoot as we pleased. The Malyuk turned out to be very controllable; you can very easily cut off 2-3 rounds in automatic mode. Since the weapon is shorter than the AK and, accordingly, the lever is smaller, the toss of the weapon is much less. But here the reconfigured automation and DTK also make themselves felt. They shot in short, long bursts, single bursts. The machine was not allowed to cool down. They fired at the entire store in one burst. And nothing, not a single delay. I would like to note the plastic, which, although it was “warm” at times, did not deform in any way. In the video you can see the disassembly of a hot machine gun after a day of shooting and a little more zinc ammunition.
Malyuk was very surprised at 7.62. There is no comparison with the AKM. Shooting in short bursts is very comfortable and accurate. In single-fire mode, the machine gun does not move away from the target, which allows you to quickly fire a second aimed shot. In the video you can see shooting from 7.62 - Malyuk and AKM.
Version 5.45 also turned out to be better than AK. In terms of accuracy and quality of operation of the automatic mode, short bursts are not particularly distinguishable from single fire.
Shooting an AK-74 (above) and a Malyuk by one person in FA mode.
But of course the short seven surprised me the most. The machine gun provides a very good opportunity to conduct dense and targeted fire with such a powerful caliber. There is no such tossing and pulling to the side as with the AKM. In general, the difference in shooting between them is very large.
Since the bolt handle has no physical connection with it, it is simply impossible to press the problematic cartridge into the chamber. The manufacturer offers reloading of the next cartridge.
One of my friends shoots from the left shoulder. As he noted, in the first version several cartridges hit his hand, but in the new version this did not happen and all the cartridges flew to the side. Also, all controls are convenient for both right-handed and left-handed people - a two-way fire switch, a safety button in the form of a button, the magazine release button is the same on both sides. The cocking handle and safety can be moved to the other side. He also noted that exhaust gases interfered only with long bursts with a muffler.
The machine gun can also fire a mustache; the automatic machine only works with PBS.
Kerivnitstvo with the operation of the Vulcan/Malyuk assault rifle
Experimental Ukrainian firearms. Part 4. Machine guns “Vepr”, “Vulcan” and “Malyuk”
The Kalashnikov assault rifle was in service with many countries for a long time; in one version or another it was also used in the Warsaw Pact countries.
During the collapse of the Soviet Union, many abandoned these weapons in favor of foreign models or their own developments, but there were also those who tried to modernize the AK, bringing it to the requirements of the new allies. In the process of such modernization, new weapons appeared, in the appearance of which one could no longer discern the progenitor. Similar work was also carried out in Ukraine, in particular, a bullpup Vepr assault rifle was created, which later became the Malyuk assault rifle. Vepr assault rifle
The modernization of the Kalashnikov assault rifle was the initiative of Colonel Anatoly Anatolyev, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Sheiko and Major Andrei Zharkov. Initially, the idea itself was not limited to just rearranging the AK; both SKS and SVD were used, and the first version of the weapon was assembled on the basis of the RPK. In other words, everything was used that could be used to implement the idea of creating a full-fledged working model of a weapon in a bullpup layout. The weapons that novice gunsmiths used for their developments were intended for disposal, that is, they were actually inoperable, therefore, in addition to reworking the design, they also had to do repairs.
It is clear that such activity could not remain unnoticed for a long time, and the Security Service of Ukraine became interested in the military. The issue was resolved with the assistance of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, to whom existing developments were demonstrated. After receiving approval and an order from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, work became much easier; there was no need to look back and use all available opportunities to implement the project.
For the first time, the results of the work of military designers were demonstrated at the Weapons-95 exhibition. The Vepr assault rifle immediately attracted attention, and the paratroopers were especially interested in the weapon. At the same time, it was proposed to rename the weapon from Vepr to Wolf or Wolverine, so that there would be no confusion with the Russian Vepr. The Minister of Defense, satisfied with the result of the work, assured the designers that their work would not be in vain and that funding would be provided in the near future and an experimental batch of weapons would be ordered to be tested by the troops.
Soon “the authorities changed”, the Minister of Defense was replaced, and accordingly the designers lost their support. Despite this, the work of the designers did not stop and soon, thanks to their friends, they managed to agree on testing weapons among the troops. The weapon received only positive reviews, but people became interested in the weapon, but things did not go further than showing interest.
During all this time, the designers patented several of their ideas, but due to the obvious futility, their enthusiasm clearly diminished. In 2001, the designers were forced to transfer all documentation to the Scientific Center for Precision Engineering. In addition to the documentation, over 100 thousand dollars were also transferred there. It took two whole years to spend this money, and also to move the handle for cocking the bolt to the left side on the outlet for powder gases and coat the barrel bore with a special composition to increase service life. True, what kind of coating this is and how it affects the durability of the barrel, the information was not disclosed, apparently secrecy did not allow it. Everything else in the weapon was completely identical to the results of the work of Anatolyev, Sheiko and Zharkov.
The weapon was sent to the troops for testing, where it again received only positive reviews. Until 2010, it was planned to purchase several thousand machine guns; there were no plans to transfer the army to new weapons. Apparently there was an understanding that for all the advantages of machine guns in the bullpup configuration, these weapons also have disadvantages, so it is not worth completely abandoning machine guns in the classic layout. The cost of one weapon was stated to be around $100-150, which is explained not by the creation of an assault rifle from scratch, but by the modernization of mothballed samples. A much more interesting figure was the stated cost of organizing work to modernize the AK, namely half a million dollars. They planned to “recoup” this money by supplying weapons abroad, but they never found the money to begin work on mass production, nor did they decide on the territory of which enterprise the work would begin. The main reason, it seems to me, was the long payback period for the project; with the cost of one machine being 100-150 dollars, it was apparently considered inappropriate to pay half a million.
Of course, Russia also paid attention to the new product, namely, they decided to inquire what was going on and who gave permission for the production of weapons based on AK. The answer to these claims was as follows. The Kalashnikov assault rifle is not produced on the territory of Ukraine; the Vepr assault rifle is a modernization of weapons that are in storage, and accordingly there can be no claims under patents.
Appearance and ergonomics of the Vepr assault rifle
At first glance at the weapon, you can recognize the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which is what it is. By and large, the entire modernization consisted only of removing the butt and moving the pistol grip forward. A plastic cheek rest appeared on the receiver cover. The sights have undergone changes, which have become dioptric on high stands. The rear sight has the ability to fold so as not to interfere with the use of an optical sight. Inside the weapon was left unchanged, the only part that was added was a long rod connecting the trigger and the trigger.
To be objective, even at the time of work to modernize weapons, the Vepr assault rifle is very far from ideal. Yes, the weapon turned out to be more compact and stable when firing, but it had absolutely all the disadvantages of the bullpup layout, to which were added its own special “cons”.
The main disadvantage is the location of the fire mode translator-fuse switch. Since this part was left unchanged, now to switch you need to reach almost to your shoulder, and with the same hand that will need to be transferred after switching to the pistol grip. In terms of the location of the safety switch, left-handers are very lucky, but immediately after they start firing, this luck ends for them due to the fact that shell casings begin to fly right in front of their noses. It turned out that the weapon is not the most convenient for all people, regardless of which hand is the “dominant”. At a minimum, it was necessary to move the fuse switch forward.
Characteristics of the Vepr assault rifle
The total length of the weapon is 702 millimeters, the barrel length is 416 millimeters. The weight of the machine gun without cartridges and magazine is 3.45 kilograms. The machine is fed from detachable magazines chambered for 5.45x39 AK cartridges.
Bottom line
Obviously, the Vepr machine gun turned out to be very crude. It is absolutely unclear what the money was spent on and what they did at the Scientific Center for Precision Engineering, since all the work was done before them, and absolutely free of charge. If we evaluate the Vepr assault rifle as an attempt to convert an AK into a bullpup as cheaply as possible, then on the whole the attempt was a success.
Vulcan and Malyuk slot machines
However, work on the weapon was not stopped, which is not surprising given so many shortcomings, but obvious promise. In 2005, Interproinvest LLC undertook to continue the work. The first version of the weapon was designated Vulcan. By and large, it was still the same Vepr “hung” with plastic. Of course, this result was not satisfactory.
In 2015, the company demonstrated the final result of its work with the name Malyuk (Baby). The weapon received a number of changes, but not all of the shortcomings were corrected. At the moment, the weapon is being tested, and the machine gun exists in three versions chambered for 5.56x45, 5.45x39 and 7.62x39 cartridges. The modernization of Kalashnikov assault rifles is planned to be carried out on the territory of the Lviv Electron enterprise.
Design features of the Malyuk assault rifle
The weapon gives the impression of a completely modern model, but no matter how much plastic you put on an AK, it’s still an AK. There are two fastening bars at the top and bottom of the weapon; folding removable sights are attached to the top bar. The handle received protection in front for the holding hand, but the safety bracket was not abandoned. A very interesting and at the same time controversial solution is the magazine eject key, which is located behind the trigger. How convenient it will be to change magazines wearing thick winter gloves is anyone's guess. The fire and safety mode switch remained in its usual place. The cocking handle can be installed on either the right or left side. They partially tried to minimize the inconvenience when using a machine gun resting on the left shoulder by adding a reflector for spent cartridges to the design.
Characteristics of the Malyuk assault rifle
The length of the weapon is 712 millimeters, the barrel length is 416 millimeters. The weight of the machine gun is 3.2 kilograms without magazine and cartridges. The design of the magazines has not been changed, so the weapon is compatible with Soviet magazines, and in the case of the machine gun variant with 5.56x45 magazines from AR-like models.
Conclusion
The Vepr-Vulkan-Malyuk assault rifle can undoubtedly be called one of the completed projects of the early 90s in Ukraine. Despite the rather complicated history of its appearance, this weapon was nevertheless brought to some logical conclusion.
Obviously, even if this weapon does not become widespread in the army, manufacturers will be able to offer it for export. However, behind the elegant wrapper hides the same Kalashnikov assault rifle, the stocks of which in warehouses, although large, are not endless. Sooner or later the question of rearmament of the army will arise, and it may well turn out that even for such modernization there will be no initial weapons.
Many note that Malyuk assault rifles are the first step towards standardizing weapons in accordance with NATO requirements, but it is not worth considering this in this context, for the same reason that AK stocks will sooner or later run out and change the barrel to 5.56 and saw off the butt will simply become useless. In this regard, the problem of creating its own assault rifle for Ukraine remains, since it is unlikely that the Kalashnikov concern will give the go-ahead for the production of weapons, especially after uncoordinated modernization work.
In other words, no matter how much they shout about their own new Ukrainian machine gun, it is not one, since it was produced in the USSR, and was only modernized in Ukraine. In general, the Malyuk assault rifle should probably be considered more as an export product rather than a weapon for domestic use. Apparently, Soviet AKs are no longer in demand and they have to be updated in order to be bought.
In addition to Vepr, there is also mention of a machine gun with balanced automatics, which had the name Soroka. There is absolutely no data on this machine; many even question the existence of this project. Perhaps the project really existed, but the balanced automation system did not lend itself to Ukrainian designers, and due to reliability problems, the weapon remained unknown. Or maybe this weapon really didn’t exist at all.
It is also worth mentioning that the Fort weapons company currently produces two assault rifles. These machines are not Ukrainian developments. Thus, weapons designated Fort 221, 222, 223, 224 are various variants of the Israeli Tavor assault rifle. Models numbered 227, 228 and 229 are variants of the same Israeli weapon, namely the Galil assault rifle. Based on this, we can safely say that at the moment a completely Ukrainian machine gun does not yet exist.
Price
Price, now this is the main issue of “zrada”, but only information on selling the civilian version on one forum is freely available. And as it turned out, they are sold not by the factory or the manufacturer, but by the person who undertook to sell them on their own. As I understand it, this is where the information among the masses about its cost comes from. We were told a slightly different figure, which will approximately be for the civilian market in the future (for the civilian version). For structure purchases, prices vary greatly depending on quantity. But it was stated that there is an opportunity to reduce prices if output increases. Alas, these numbers were asked not to be announced. But it’s not $3 thousand, which I readily believe. We were in the assembly shop, it is very small and it is a completely manual assembly. As the manufacturer stated, currently 20-30 products are produced per day. In the shortest possible time, you can increase up to 50 units per day. In case of urgent need, it is possible to double production within a few weeks.
After Malyuk passed the official state test. acceptance and went into service. They became interested in him abroad. The plant was visited by delegations from the USA, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Now they are actively working on selling the machine abroad.
Gas detonation weapon
On November 7, the TV program “Technology of War,” which aims to promote patriotism and faith in the early victory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, published a story about the newest type of artillery. The operating principle of the mortar, designed to be placed on the armor of a tank (somewhere behind the turret above the engine compartment), is based on the ability of methane to explode. It is proposed to replace the powder charge with gas; the projectile itself is placed in the barrel in front of the combustion chamber, into which a mixture of flammable substance and air is pumped. The idea could be considered interesting; it has its advantages. The gas burns almost smokelessly, with virtually no harmful emissions (touching concern for the environment), and the sound is quieter. But there are also nuances. Firstly, it is difficult to imagine a tank hung with methane cylinders. Secondly, mass production of shells without casings is required, but there are no specialized factories in Ukraine. Thirdly, tests, of course, are already underway, but practice shows that they take many years to complete. And fourthly, this whole undertaking is motivated mainly by the dramatic lack of conventional, “classic” ammunition. If they existed, no one would engage in such dubious experiments.
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Auto-moto-velo-photo
The recently held exhibition “Defense and Security - 2016”, as the name suggests, brought together the most advanced ideas of the Ukrainian arms industry. Founded in 1993, specializing in metal doors and safes, it has now repurposed itself into the production of armored vehicles. Actually, what's the difference? You can take a serial minibus "Nissan", "Ford" or "Renault", cover it with iron, make holes with eyes, and voila - it's ready. The company presented 10 samples at the exhibition, and all of them are somehow subtly similar to each other, and all together they look like a safe. Nobody even wants to think about what the driving performance of such an armored car will be like. This has already happened, and even Lenin in October 1917 spoke from a similar heavy monster that stood near the Finland Station in St. Petersburg.
You fly, my rocket
This miracle weapon has already been reported earlier, but government officials never tire of talking about it one by one and all at once. A certain rocket projectile, very similar in length (7 m) and caliber to the ammunition for the Smerch MLRS, can hit targets at a distance of up to 60 km with high accuracy. President Poroshenko himself spoke about this extraordinary deadly weapon the day before yesterday, and his adviser confirmed that the weapon of retaliation is truly “terrible.” The spread is measured in tens of meters. Apparently, we are talking about the same “Alder”, converted from a “Smerch” shell. Also, the leaders of Ukraine are full of joyful forebodings and expectations about other new rocket science products. A new cruise missile is expected soon to attack Moscow and Yekaterinburg (enemies other than Russia are not even being considered). The tests were carried out over the Black Sea, obvious difficulties and inaccuracies were not taken into account. The risk of hitting other targets, such as residential buildings, was apparently more frightening, but this has already happened.
"Hammer"
This weapon is truly scary. Even before it was widely introduced into the troops, it began to claim human lives. The newest “Hammer” mortar killed four Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen at the Shirokiy Lan training ground and injured 15 more. It was not the barrel that was to blame, it was old, still Soviet, but the frame. Failure to comply with the technological discipline of metalworking leads to the destruction of parts experiencing force loads at the moment of firing the first time. The use of a mortar is dangerous primarily for the crew serving it. It was developed in record time, in two months, and is produced in Kyiv, the same place where the most popular reel-to-reel tape recorders in the USSR were once produced in the 80s.
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Illusions, fantasies and imitations
No new weapons are being supplied to the contact line in the Donbass region. This is dangerous - the DPR militia can capture the latest new model and learn a terrible secret. And the problem is that all this menacing-looking equipment is not suitable for use for its intended purpose. But even if this terrible weapon had been developed ingeniously, nothing would have come of it either. Ukraine does not have the production base or means to produce it in any significant quantities. “The latest developments” serve propaganda purposes; for now they reassure patriotic citizens. How long?
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