In the fall of 2022, the Kalashnikov concern showed a promotional video dedicated to its next new product - the Kalashnikov TG2 smoothbore carbine, developed for the .366 TKM cartridge based on the 7.62/39 rifled carbine. The weapon is intended for hunting in various climatic conditions (from minus 30 ° C (243 K) to plus 50 ° C (323 K)) for small and medium-sized animals.
The Saiga TG2 from the Kalashnikov concern is almost completely similar in appearance to the AK-103, but the new firearm has a number of features.
Characteristics of the carabiner
It's time to look at the exact numbers and get to know the parameters of the Saiga-TG2 smoothbore carbine. We are talking about the following data:
- total length - 945 mm (with the butt folded - 705 mm);
- barrel length - 415 mm;
- weight without cartridges - 3.6 kg.
The carbine has relatively small dimensions and a rather short barrel. On the one hand, this reduces the energy of the shot and the initial speed of the bullet. On the other hand, a balanced and thoughtful design allows for effective targeted shooting at a distance of 100 meters.
To make the Saiga-TG2 carbine, manufacturers decided to use not only heavy-duty steel, but also polymers. They went to create:
- butt;
- pistol grip;
- forend.
The butt, fore-end and handle are made of military plastic.
Firstly, this helped reduce the weight of the gun to an affordable 3.6 kg. Secondly, it significantly improved the design, making this weapon much more serious.
Review of the TG2 smoothbore hunting rifle
The weapon is equipped with a trigger blocker, which makes it impossible to shoot with the stock folded. The safety lever is made with an additional protrusion near its axis, specifically for the shooter's index finger.
The gun has a side rail for mounting optical and collimator sights
The sights are authentic to the AK103 assault rifle. The barrel is equipped with a removable muzzle brake compensator on a standard M24x1.5 thread (right).
It is equipped with a magazine with a capacity of 10 rounds in an elongated body.
The TG2 shotgun has a gas-operated system and is equipped with a folding stock, a handle, and a forend with a Picatinny rail made of impact-resistant polymer, similar to Kalashnikov combat assault rifles.
Why might this gun be of interest to Russian shooters? Firstly, the TG2 gun is structurally and externally as authentic as possible to the Kalashnikov AK103 combat assault rifle. This means not only the familiar characteristic appearance and design, but also the high strength and reliability of the weapon, and ease of operation.
Secondly, thanks to the combination of .366TKM bullet cartridges, which have high energy and good ballistics, with a forged chrome-plated barrel of a TG2 gun and a proven drill, “Paradox” allows you to achieve characteristics in terms of accuracy and effective shooting range, previously possible only with rifled weapons. With an initial speed of a 15-gram bullet of about 600 m/s, this gives a muzzle energy of about 2700 Joules - significantly more than that of a 7.62x39 cartridge bullet. Moreover, at a range of 150 meters, such a bullet with a nominal caliber of 9.65mm maintains a speed of about 430 m/s, which gives the bullet energy at this range more than 1300 joules. This is enough to successfully catch most of the medium and even some large game found in Russia. The characteristics of accuracy and accuracy of fire from the TG2 allow targeted fire up to 150 meters, which may be of interest to sports shooters.
Thus, the combination of the TG2 smoothbore shotgun and .366TKM cartridges gives Russian shooters an excellent equivalent of a fairly powerful and reliable self-loading carbine for both hunting and sporting training shooting, without having to wait 5 years to obtain a rifle license.
You can purchase this gun by visiting our TEMP Weapons Center in Podolsk; we recommend that you leave a reserve on our website before visiting us.
You can also purchase all kinds of tuning and various unlicensed accessories on the second floor of our store, or order them for delivery throughout Russia.
Your TEMP.
Components of TG2
Everything here is quite simple and trivial for a smoothbore weapon of this type. The key structural element is the receiver assembly with the barrel. Other main details include:
- gas tube;
- return mechanism;
- trigger;
- shutter (assembled);
- trigger (assembled).
Saiga TG2 bolt and receiver
In addition, a forend, muzzle brake, butt and magazine are installed on the carbine.
Operating principle of Saiga-366
The operating principle of the Saiga-366 smoothbore shotgun is as follows: when the bolt frame and bolt move forward under the action of the return spring, a cartridge from the magazine is sent into the chamber. When the bolt is turned, the barrel bore is locked, the trigger is on the trigger hook, and the ejector jumps over the rim of the cartridge case. When you press the trigger, the trigger disengages from the trigger hook and, turning under the action of the mainspring, delivers an energetic blow to the firing pin, which pierces the igniter capsule.
A shot occurs. When the bolt frame with the bolt rolls back due to the energy of the powder gases, the barrel bore is unlocked, the cartridge case is removed from the chamber and, when interacting with the protrusion of the reflector, it is thrown out of the receiver, the hammer rotates and engages with the sear. When the trigger is released, the hammer disengages from the sear and is intercepted by the trigger hook. When the trigger is pulled again, the cycle repeats.
The Saiga-366 shotgun will be available for purchase in the fall of 2022. Expected price - from 20 thousand rubles.
Prices
As for the issue of cost, it is very interesting. The concern managed to create an excellent example of modern weapons, available to almost every smoothbore license holder. From this point of view, Saiga-TG2 bypasses many samples of the Molot-Weapon enterprise.
Prices for the Saiga smoothbore carbine are quite affordable for the average hunter
The average cost of TG2 on the Russian market is approximately 33 thousand rubles. As for the 366 TKM caliber ammunition, it is quite affordable for both hunters and recreational shooting enthusiasts.
Not a single “tijitu”... Shotgun/carbine TG2
In mid-December 2022, I attended the presentation of the TG2 shotgun, the first new product from the Kalashnikov concern in the .366 TKM caliber, and its appearance can only be welcomed. But this event, in general, is quite ordinary - another .366 “paradox” simply appeared in domestic gun stores. Why ordinary?..
The fact is that the new product from the concern - the TG2 shotgun of .366 TKM caliber - was released a year and a half after the start of the “paradoxical” topic (the first was the VPO-208 based on the SKS from Molot-oruzhie LLC). During this time, not only the primary demand was satisfied, but also the process of developing the necessary range of mass models was almost completed, and tens of thousands of hunters and simply weapon lovers became owners of weapons chambered for the .366 TKM cartridge. So the TG2 is destined to be just another model among a dozen Vyatka-Polyansky models (without taking into account configuration options and modifications) and the Izhevsk gun stands out among its fellows only by its name. Specialists of the Kalashnikov Concern (KK) pronounce it “tijidva”, although, if we are to be consistent and show a little respect, if not for the Russian, then at least for the English language, the name should sound like “tijitu”. The question of the meaning and euphony of such a letter combination remains entirely on the conscience of the marketers of the largest Russian arms company, who are convinced that potential buyers will better perceive English names and abbreviations (TG, tactical gun - tactical weapon, English). For me, the “Saiga” brand (possible name of TG2 - “Saiga-366”), promoted on the world market and with an impeccable reputation, has not lost its relevance. Taking into account the presence in the CC clip of such new names as KSZ-223 (“Saiga” with a movable forend), TG1 (civilian version of the SV-99) and SR1 (“Saiga-107”), it seems that we are dealing with the consequences the banal rebranding itch that often accompanies the processes of formulaic updating of various systems. Well, the owner is a gentleman...
The TG2 shotgun (crab) differs in appearance from the AK103 in its thicker barrel and the absence of a ramrod underneath it
As a matter of fact, this material will not talk about the features of the “tijitu” (nothing fundamentally new), but about a very unique marketing tool that QC specialists used when introducing a new product to the Russian arms market. The editors of the KALASHNIKOV magazine received a memo prepared by KK for tijitu sellers. It is remarkable not only for the number of typos, but, first of all, for its content, which colorfully demonstrates the weapons illiteracy of the compilers, who are in some kind of their own world, divorced from reality.
This document compares the TG2 with the VPO-209, VPO-213 (both models manufactured by Molot-Arms LLC) and AK-366 (Molot Arms LLC), listing the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Taking into account the origin of this opus, it is not surprising that the “chijitu” consists of only advantages, with the only drawback being the lack of fastenings for a standard cleaning rod. But why, at the same time, the “pluses” of the new product include “Authentic in ergonomics, reliability, appearance, weight and materials to the modern military analogue of the AK103”? The under-barrel ramrod is one of the characteristic external elements that determine the recognition of the AK system since the mid-40s - where is the authentic appearance (which, by the way, changes the thicker barrel, which probably prevented the preservation of the ramrod)? It’s difficult to comment on the nonsense about reliability “like that of the AK103” due to the senility of the very idea of testing the Tijitu under the program of a “modern combat analogue”. The authors write beautiful words without thinking at all about their meaning, of which there is little and another outstanding “plus” is “an aiming bar with authentic markings.” After all, no one changed the rails of the compared VPO-209 and AK-366, “cut” for the 7.62×39 live cartridge, and the VPO-213 generally sports a machine-gun rail with a mechanism for entering lateral corrections digitized right up to 1200 m. That’s just for them these are not advantages. Okay, at least not the shortcomings...
With shops, “charging” and omnivorousness in the document everything is just as sad. It is completely unclear what problems Tijitu’s competitors have with loading. Firstly, the use of the definition of “charging” is illiterate. In gunsmithing, it is customary to use the word “loading”. Secondly, I have never heard of the problem of loading .366 TKM weapons with standard cartridges - I attached the loaded magazine, moved the bolt frame to the rearmost position, and released it. All. Maybe, taking into account the qualifications of the personnel, the CC confused loading with equipment (magazine)? The editors' shooters fired many hundreds of shots from different models of .366-caliber weapons and no one has ever encountered any difficulties in loading magazines. Where do these fantasies come from? Where does the nonsense about non-interchangeable VPO-209 magazines come from? All magazines for this model are modified at the factory in terms of the geometry of internal dimensions, and problems may arise when trying to use third-party automatic magazines. So, even with Tijitu, no one guarantees the reliable operation of the “originals”. Some kind of stupidity...
A classic of the genre - VPO-209 (.366 TKM), outwardly indistinguishable from an AKM assault rifle
The “omnivorousness” of the Izhevsk gun, as its exclusive feature, is difficult to comment on. Especially considering that the designation of the .366 TKM caliber contains the names of two enterprises - “Tehkrim” and “Molot” (Molot-Weapon LLC), which developed the “weapon/cartridge” complex, including for this very “omnivorous” "without any participation from the CC. We will be happy to tell you on the pages of the magazine about the features of “tijitu” that significantly influenced the notorious “omnivorousness”, but so far we do not have such information - only a word on a piece of paper, amazing with its pearls.
Let's return to the point “Authentic in ergonomics, reliability, appearance, weight and materials to the modern military analogue of the AK103.” Let me remind you - this is about TG2. Let's not remember about the thick barrel and the lack of a ramrod, but simply guided solely by common sense and logic, we will turn the transfers from this point into advantages, for example, VPO-209. After all, if you do not pay attention to the markings, you simply cannot distinguish it from the AKM - the authenticity is complete and absolute! Just what gun lovers who are nostalgic for Soviet military power need. And how can one count the lack of a side rail, DTK, picatinny, or folding stock as the shortcomings of the VPO-209? What does all this have to do with historical authenticity? It either exists, as in the case of the VPO-209 (AKM), or almost exists, as in the case of the TG2 (taking into account the barrel and cleaning rod). And the fact that the VPO-209, like the AK-366, have been converted into civilian weapons from military weapons is an obvious advantage for the vast majority of buyers of these particular models. This is a chance to touch the history of weapons, or even find your own army machine gun - who the hell is not joking?
Among the AK-366 there are very interesting specimens. For example, in the photo there is a sample with a rare lightweight magazine made of aluminum alloy
And in the “newly made” niche, the wonderful properties of the “tijitu” are shattered by the very fact of the existence of the VPO-213 model, which in the analyzed piece of paper is for some reason classified as a “redistribution from combat”. The CC error was probably pointed out by gunsmiths who received the memo for its intended use. As a result, a new, revised document appeared, marked in capital letters and emphasizing the most important: “STRICTLY FOR INTERNAL USE BY EMPLOYEES OF THE BRAND ZONE OF KALASHNIKOV CONCERN JSC. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE TO CUSTOMERS." At the same time, they didn’t bother to correct the typos...
Model VPO-213 based on the VPO-148 carbine is available in ten versions with six possible barrel lengths (350-700 mm). In addition, modifications with right and left butt folding, as well as with a telescopic butt, are available.
So, the “donor” for the VPO-213 was not a machine gun (as on paper), but the long-produced VPO-148 carbine. For the VPO-213 there is not only a handguard with the notorious picatini rails, the absence of which is counted as a disadvantage of the model, but also barrels of different lengths from 350 to 700 mm. And the side bar, for some reason forgotten, is included in the “pluses”. And a more durable barrel with an increased diameter. And also mentioned in the advantages (we must pay tribute) are a picatini rail on the receiver cover, a rotating cheekpiece of a folding butt, a convenient fire control handle, a safety with a thumb blade, and a replaceable muzzle device. In total, a dozen modifications of the VPO-213 are produced, against the only version of “ti ji tu”. Moreover, how can one not recall another Vyatka-Polyansk model - the VPO-212 based on the Pioneer, offered with five barrel lengths. Why was this very well-selling model not included in the comparison? Does the CC simply not know about her? I wouldn't be surprised...
The VPO-212 model based on the Pioneer is offered in ten versions with five barrel lengths. It very successfully complements the SKS chambered for .366 TKM (VPO-208) in the hunting sector
During my journalistic practice, I have attended countless different presentations in a variety of countries. Developed global arms brands NEVER allow public comparison with competitors. On graphs and diagrams, other people's products are always tactfully indicated by numbers and/or contour images stylized beyond recognition. This is not a fear of retaliatory information aggression, but simply respect for colleagues in the shop. This is civilized competition, within which the right to call a product “the best” remains with the buyer and the independent expert community.
Against this background, I would classify the paper sales support form for TG2 as a clumsy and illiterate example of the work of marketing specialists who seem to be working in complete isolation from their own gunsmith specialists, relying on data “from the Internet.” How will such a blunt instrument affect the sales of tijitu? I don’t think so... The desire of KK, at the peak of growth nurtured by market competitors, to cut off its piece is quite understandable and logical, but it is unlikely to be realized. It’s not that the gun will be lost among the three dozen variants of already produced weapon models chambered for the .366 TKM cartridge, produced by Molot-oruzhie LLC and Molot Arms LLC. It’s just that it will find its buyer naturally, primarily due to its relatively original appearance in the AK103 form factor, further expanding the choice for potential buyers of semi-automatic “paradoxes”.
PS The icing on the cake - in relation to VPO-209 and VPO-213, the drafters of the memo used the logo of Molot OJSC (not Molot-oruzhie LLC), which has never produced these models (since 2014 it has not produced military or civilian weapons at all) . A detail that once again illustrates the qualifications of QC specialists. And the devil, as we know, is in the details...
