A failed Soviet-style bullpup, or Korobov's TKB-022 assault rifle

After the end of World War II, in order to participate in the competition for new small arms of the Soviet Army, Soviet gunsmith designer German Aleksandrovich Korobov began developing the TKB-408 assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm, built in a bullpup configuration.
However, the Korobov TKB-408 assault rifle dropped out of the competition, and the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle was adopted. After the TKB-408 assault rifle was rejected, Korobov for some time abandoned weapons in the bullpup layout, but in the early 1960s he returned to it again, creating a whole family of assault rifles under the symbol TKB-022 (TKB - Tula Design Bureau), Moreover, each new sample was significantly different from the previous one.

The new family of TKB-022 assault rifle includes the following models:

— TKB-022 No. 1, No. 2, No. Z; — TKB-022P No. 1, No. 2, No. Z; — TKB-022PM No. 1, No. 2; — TKB-022PM5 No. 1.

Within the framework of this topic, in 1961 Korobov created the TKB-022 assault rifle, the design of which shows signs of a bullpup layout. In the same 1961, three variants of the TKB-022 assault rifle were presented for testing - No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3,

TKB-022 No. 1

The TKB-022 assault rifle is built according to a rather unusual pistol layout for assault rifles, in which the magazine is placed in the fire control handle. The weapon used automatic equipment with removal of powder gases from the barrel. The shutter is rotary. The bolt carrier with the bolt has a short stroke, and the annular piston located on the barrel has a long recoil stroke. The bolt carrier and piston have a detachable connection that operates automatically.

The cartridges were ejected only on the right side of the weapon. The USM allows for both single and automatic fire. One of the distinguishing features is the widespread use of plastic. The body of the weapon was a plastic “case” that opened into two halves.

The weight of the TKB-022 assault rifle without a magazine was 2.6 kg with a weapon length of 755 mm.

During fire tests of the TKB-022 assault rifle, when firing 13,350 rounds from sample No. 1 and 3,036 rounds from sample No. 3, there were no delays, and the accuracy of fire was not inferior to the AKM assault rifle, but the “space” design, the use of unusual The age of plastic and the reflection of cartridges in the shooter’s face when firing from the left shoulder did not allow it to be adopted for service.

At the same time, in 1961, a competition was announced for the creation of a 7.62-mm light machine gun chambered for the 1943 model. And in 1962, Korobov, based on the TKB-022, developed a 7.62-mm experimental bullpup assault rifle TKB-022P model No. 1, No. 2, No. Z.

TKB-022P No. 2

The weight of the TKB-022P without a magazine was 2.5 kg with a weapon length of 635 mm, and in terms of accuracy of fire the new weapon was not inferior to the Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle.

Continuing work on the creation of a lightweight assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm, to improve the accuracy of combat when firing automatic fire from an unstable position, Korobov modernizes the TKB-022P and creates the TKB-022PM assault rifle, models No. 1 and No. 2.

TKB-022PM No. 1

TKB-022PM No. 2

In addition to its compact dimensions, the TKB-022PM assault rifle was distinguished by very advanced solutions at that time - in addition to the plastic case, the ejection of spent cartridges and the removal of powder gases was carried out forward at the muzzle of the weapon, which ensured shooting from both the right and left shoulders.

The fire mode switch safety switch is located on the left above the pistol grip fire control. To supply the TKB-022PM with ammunition, standard 30-round AKM assault rifle magazines from a Kalashnikov assault rifle are used, installed directly in front of the butt plate. The body of the weapon is made of plastic with metal inserts. Open sights TKB-022 PM are adjustable. At the same time, the length of the aiming line was relatively small.

Fire tests of TKB-022PM No. 1 confirmed its high reliability. When firing automatically from an unstable position, the machine gun showed accuracy of fire three times higher than the AKM. The weight of the TKB-022PM No. 1 assault rifle without a magazine was 2.8 kg with a weapon length of 525 mm. Further improvement of the TKB-022PM manufacturing technology, including those based on model No. 1, and the use of new materials made it possible to reduce the weight of TKB-022PM No. 2 from 2.8 kg to 2.34 kg.

Subsequently, on the basis of the TKB-022PM assault rifle, Korobov created the TKB-022PM5 assault rifle for the new, promising 5.6x39 mm cartridge at that time.

TKB-022P M5 No. 1

The design of the TKB-022PM5 was similar to the TKB-022PM assault rifle, and tests showed that the accuracy of fire from this weapon from the hand-prone position at a range of 100 m was better than that of the standard AKM assault rifle.

Tests confirmed the high reliability of the TKB-022PM, however, Korobov’s assault rifles remained only in the form of prototypes, which was affected by objective reasons (for example, a shifted center of gravity to the rear of the weapon and the “survivability” of the plastic case during long-term operation in difficult conditions and storage ) and subjective reasons (the military leadership responsible for the adoption of weapons was very conservative and did not welcome radical changes). In addition, the AKM assault rifle was already quite well mastered by production and by the troops.

I think it will not be a discovery for anyone that during the entire existence of the Soviet Union, a huge amount of the most diverse small arms were created. Some things have gained worldwide fame and are used now, while others remain behind the scenes. However, the fact that a particular model did not go into production does not mean that it was bad or unsuitable for use. Of course, many of the models were indeed inferior in some ways to those that entered service, but there were also those that were superior in their parameters to existing models, but were rejected due to the complexity of production or for some other reason. In this article, I propose to get acquainted with samples of machine guns by German Aleksandrovich Korobov, who participated in competitions for machine guns for the Soviet Army and, as we know, lost to AK, and in the end to AN.

Perhaps it’s worth starting with the fact that for me personally, German Aleksandrovich Korobov is, so to speak, an example of a domestic gunsmith. Of course, according to the majority, this is Kalashnikov, but for some reason I am closer not to the one who constantly won all the competitions, but to the one who fought in each of them, never tired of improving his weapon, despite any failures or oblique views from colleagues. Agree that when your developments are rejected at every competition, and many of them reach the finals, but do not win due to the fact that production needs to be re-equipped for them, this greatly affects the desire to do something else. Nevertheless, from the first to the last competition held for new machine guns for the army, German Aleksandrovich Korobov participated, and the fact that his weapons constantly “flew by” only pushed the gunsmith to improve designs and search for new solutions. In other words, for me German Aleksandrovich Korobov is an example of what a person should be.

I want to say right away that this article will not mention how and who made their way “to the top”, there will only be bare facts about weapons, so I hope that I will not offend anyone with this article, although I already have a definite opinion about “competitions” has developed and it is not the most positive. In general, let's go.

TKB-408-2 Automatic “Bull”

In 1943, the GAU formed the first requirements for a competition for a new machine gun for the army, from that moment Korobov began working on his machine gun. In 1945, these requirements were adjusted, and the future winner Kalashnikov entered the arena. Unfortunately, Korobov’s assault rifle dropped out of the competition because it did not meet the conditions for combat accuracy and withstood only 5 thousand rounds of fire. But “the first damn thing is lumpy,” let’s try to figure out what kind of lump it was.

TKB-408-2 - “Bychok” assault rifle / Photo: www.guns-review.com

This machine gun is especially noteworthy, since it is made not in a classic layout, but in a bullpup layout, which, you see, is quite bold for the first competition for a machine gun for the Soviet Army. However, this is far from the first example of a weapon in a similar configuration; there were similar models before it, even in the Soviet Union, for example, the Korovin assault rifle. Actually, the whole calculation was based on the unusualness of the design; it was assumed that one single sample in such an arrangement would attract attention with its small dimensions, and indeed it did. But, unfortunately, I was attracted not by its size, but by a bunch of nuances that are inherent to weapons in such a configuration. Thus, it was noted that this machine gun has negative qualities in the form of an inconvenient change of weapon magazine, a close distance from the shooter’s face to the window for ejecting spent cartridges, which led to irritation of the mucous membranes with powder gases and completely excluded the possibility of firing from the left shoulder.

Partial disassembly of the Korobov TKB-408-2 assault rifle / Photo: weaponland.ru

The automation of the Korobov assault rifle was built according to a scheme with the removal of powder gases from the barrel bore; the gas piston was placed above the barrel of the weapon. The barrel bore was locked when the bolt was skewed in a vertical plane; the return spring was also placed above the barrel of the weapon. An insignificant, but very interesting point was that the window for ejecting spent cartridges was covered with a lid. The shutter handle was on the left side. It was also interesting that in comparison with the first “golden” Kalashnikov assault rifles, the receiver of which was made by milling, the Korobov assault rifle was much cheaper to produce, since virtually all its parts were made by stamping. It was also noteworthy that the fuse and the fire mode translator were separated. So the fire mode switch was located on the left, and the safety switch was located in front of the trigger. The sights were, naturally, open, the rear sight was mounted on the receiver, and the front sight was mounted on the gas tube. This machine was fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds; the magazines themselves were fixed to the pistol grip of the weapon. The length of the weapon was 790 millimeters, and the weight of the machine gun was 4.3 kilograms.

Of course, this sample cannot even claim to reach the finals of the competition due to its low survivability. However, we should not forget that such an event was held for the first time, and there was virtually no experience in creating such weapons, so it is worth making allowances for the fact that this is Korobov’s first example of an assault rifle. It will be more interesting later.

TKB-454

Despite the complete failure of the “Bull” at the 46-47 competition, German Aleksandrovich Korobov did not give up the idea of creating a new assault rifle that would be cheaper, simpler and better than the Kalashnikov assault rifle that was in service at that time. Already at the end of 1947, a new machine gun TKB-454-43 was created, which was the first machine gun in the world to implement a gas braking system for a blowback, and this was when using 7.62x39 cartridges.

TKB-454 assault rifle / Photo: pbs.twimg.com

Korobov came to the conclusion that after the launch of the Kalashnikov assault rifle into production, it is too late to propose something to replace it, the exception may be a really very simple and at the same time reliable design, which will cost several times less than the production of an AK. All this was implemented in the TKB-454-43, in addition, the weapon’s automatic system made it possible to reduce the recoil when firing by almost half, which only had a positive effect on the accuracy and ease of control of the weapon during firing. This attracted the attention of the Ministry of Defense, which decided to unscheduled test this weapon. Despite the fact that it was possible to bring this system to the ideal, Korobov himself decided to abandon it, giving preference to lever braking of the shutter, and this is how the TKB-454-5 appeared, which turned out to be no less interesting than the previous model.

TKB-454 arr. 52 with a metal butt / Photo: litvek.com

TKB-454 arr. 52 with a wooden butt / Photo: litvek.com

The automation of the new version of the machine gun was built on a semi-free bolt, with lever support; the barrel bore was locked through the retarder lever with the mass of the bolt stem. Korobov perfected this operating principle in models 6 and 7A. In 1951, a new model was introduced. However, it was never possible to fully test it. The reason for this was the barrel coupling, which again could not withstand long-term firing from a weapon. Only in 1952 was it possible to create a more or less working model.

Scheme of operation of the locking mechanism of the Korobov assault rifle: 1. Position of parts when the bolt is locked. 2. Position of parts when unlocking / Image: litvek.com

So its main positive aspects were an increase in the accuracy of fire, depending on the level of training of the shooter, by 1.3-1.9 times, a reduction in production costs by 2 times, and a weight reduction of half a kilogram in comparison with the Kalashnikov assault rifle then in service. In addition, there were also negative aspects that concerned the survivability of individual parts, which in principle is not surprising, given the loads they experienced. There was also a slight decrease in bullet speed, an uneven rate of fire, and an increase in the muzzle flame.

In order to more accurately compare the capabilities of the Korobov assault rifle and the Kalashnikov assault rifle, about 20 weapons were ordered; during the comparison, Korobov naturally lost, since his sample was less reliable, which was not covered even by its cheapness and ease of production. However, at the same time, it cannot be said that the gunsmith wasted time on development. Fortunately, gunsmithing is a field of activity where even mistakes can bring benefits, sometimes even greater than positive experience. Thanks to the work that Korobov carried out, the knowledge base of other gunsmiths was replenished, and they already took this experience into account. If we look at this issue from the practical side, then Korobov’s developments were useful to him in another model, the TKB-517 assault rifle, but more about that below.

TKB-517

It was in this weapon that the character of German Aleksandrovich Korobov manifested itself. Despite the fact that the development of an assault rifle based on a semi-blowback was considered inappropriate, the gunsmith did not stop and nevertheless finalized his assault rifle, just in time for the new competition. And these efforts almost paid off.

TKB-517 assault rifle / Photo: zonwar.ru

This model of machine gun became the main competitor of the AKM; in addition, the Korobov light machine gun was also presented. Having corrected all the weak points of his weapon, Korobov demonstrated a reliable and cheaper to produce model, which at the same time had an accuracy almost twice as high as its competitor. In other words, the Korobov assault rifle “teared” the AKM like a hot water bottle, exactly until the weapon was sent for revision.

Partial disassembly of the Korobov TKB-517 assault rifle / Photo: weaponland.ru

They began to “lick” the Kalashnikov assault rifle with all the forces they found, but with the Korobov assault rifle everything was completely different, as a result, it did not even make it to the field tests, since there was no point in sending a weapon that simply had not been modified by anyone.

TKB-517 with a wooden butt / Photo: zonwar.ru

TKB-517 with a metal butt / Photo: zonwar.ru

As a result, later, when the question of modifying the TKB-517 was raised, there was a refusal with the wording that the Korobov assault rifle could not surpass in its parameters the Kalashnikov assault rifle that had already been mastered in production. In general, since the Inquisition said that the sun revolves around the earth, it is better to agree with this. Thus, we can consider that this formulation buried the domestic FAMAS, which was also 15 years ahead of its time.

The machine gun was 930 millimeters long, fed from detachable magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds. The weight of the weapon was 2.78 kilograms. There was also an option with a folding stock instead of a fixed one. In my opinion, the fact that this machine gun did not win the competition is precisely the most offensive loss of Korobov’s weapon, since here, in fact, they said in plain text that you don’t have to try, in all competitions the winner is Kalashnikov. Although from a financial point of view, perhaps they were right.

TKB-022

After the TKB-517 was rejected, anyone would have given up, but not German Aleksandrovich Korobov, who again returned to the idea of creating weapons in a bullpup layout. Naturally, there was anger at the refusal and he took it out in a rather unique way - he created a whole family of weapons with a rather futuristic look. Naturally, it’s just a waste of government money. Nobody would have allowed Korobov the money, and his conscience would hardly have been happy about all this. Therefore, in addition to its unusual appearance, the weapon also had no less unusual characteristics.

In other words, German Aleksandrovich Korobov continued to create quite good samples of weapons, however, the wrapping of these samples was, well, very specific. Actually, there is no point in saying anything, just look at the photo of this “disgrace.”

The TKB-022 assault rifle is a family of weapons with a rather futuristic look / Photo: topwar.ru

We will not dwell on the detailed characteristics of this weapon, since these are 9 machine guns, it is only necessary to note that these samples were either close in their parameters to the AKM, or were superior to it, and this with less weight and dimensions. However, the samples turned out to be only experimental ones, since in addition to combat characteristics there are other evaluation criteria, for example durability, and since all models were made with the extensive use of polymers, there was no talk about durability, after all, the plastic of that time was somewhat different from modern ones used in weapons.

Operation of automation TKB-022 / Photo: topwar.ru

Again, it can be noted that German Aleksandrovich Korobov looked into the future with his ideas. Naturally, such plastic machine guns were not suitable for use throughout the army, but they would be more convenient for performing certain special tasks. In addition, the widespread use of plastic in weapons was still 20-25 years away.

TKB-072

Not everyone liked the transition to the new 5.45 ammunition, but be that as it may, the transition has taken place and we need to work with the new cartridge. This is what German Aleksandrovich Korobov did. It was he who was the first to familiarize himself with the requirements that were issued for new weapons chambered for 5.45x39 and came to the conclusion that he could not only meet these requirements, but even exceed them. The fact is that Korobov carried out quite interesting work to determine the dependence of the accuracy of fire on the rate of fire of the weapon and the position of the shooter.

TKB-072 assault rifle / Photo: zonwar.ru

During this work, Korobov found out that the best performance, when the shooter is in an awkward position for firing, is obtained when firing at a rate of fire of 2000 rounds per minute. When shooting prone, the optimal rate was 500 rounds per minute. Thus, it turned out that the weapon must have two rates of fire in order to not only meet, but also exceed the requirements. At the same time, Korobov led the development of a balanced automation system. In other words, the gunsmith decided to combine all this that was at hand in one weapon. So the TKB-072 turned out to be a two-speed automatic with balanced automatics and breathtaking characteristics for that time. It seemed that this was the moment of triumph, when there is an ideal weapon and production will in any case have to be rebuilt for a new weapon and a new cartridge, but no, this time it was also a mistake.

The whole bummer was another “request” to remove one of the firing modes. This was motivated by the fact that it would be difficult for a soldier and there would be no time to switch weapons from one mode to another in combat conditions. Having given the gunsmith a choice of which hand to cut off, right or left, all attention was switched to the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Korobov’s assault rifle, although it stood out among all the competitors in that it was created with balanced automation, however, it lost its main advantage - the two-tempo firing mode. They left him the opportunity to shoot at a speed of 500 rounds per minute, apparently to play it safe in case of complaints about too rapid consumption of ammunition. Naturally, with the same rate of fire, the machine gun could not win this competition. Nevertheless, let’s briefly get acquainted with what kind of weapon it could be, and let’s estimate whether the victory once again went to the AK fairly, or whether the fact that it was the most famous Soviet gunsmith, the Kalashnikov assault rifle itself, still played a role a kind of brand and so on.

The automation of the Korobov TKB-072 assault rifle is built according to a shockless design, with balanced automation. This means that the moving mechanisms in the weapon have minimal impact on shooting accuracy. Initially, Korobov, in addition to two rates of fire, also wanted to add the ability to cut off 3 rounds, but just before the competition he changed his mind and deprived the weapon of such a function, which in my opinion is completely justified, since even a macaque can be taught to shoot in fixed bursts. An interesting feature of the TKB-072 assault rifle is the neck of the magazine receiver, it is clearly difficult not to hit it, although if the weapon is in the hands of domestic football players... On the right side there is a fire mode switch and a safety switch, but otherwise this assault rifle does not stand out in any way outwardly.

It can be assumed that German Aleksandrovich had a time machine lying around in his closet, since TKB-072 is more reminiscent of a weapon that was created to meet the requirements of a completely different future competition “Abakan”, but if the possibility of firing in fixed bursts had been left, then there would definitely be no doubts there wouldn't be.

TKB-0111

After the AK-74 was adopted, a number of shortcomings were identified, both in the weapon itself and in the ammunition it uses. In particular, quite a lot of questions arose about the accuracy of the battle when firing in bursts, since only the first bullets (bullets) hit the target, the rest flew away to chase the crows. Thus, a new weapon was required, ideally capable of hitting a bullet with a bullet, which would also have a positive effect when shooting at enemy personnel protected by personal protective equipment. Despite the fact that during the competition Korobov was asked to remove one of the shooting modes, when problems arose with the new weapon, they remembered the two-tempo machine gun and included its characteristics in the requirements for the new weapon. It would seem that Korobov’s finest hour had finally come, all that remained was to take the old machine gun, bring it to the commission and it was in the bag, because the requirements for the competition were copied from this particular weapon, but not everything is so simple. Firstly, other designers also do not stand still, and secondly, even that design could be improved and simplified, so German Aleksandrovich Korobov got to work again, getting ahead of himself and with a not very successful ending.

New Korobov assault rifle TKB-0111 / Photo: popgun.ru

The new machine gun was called TKB-0111, it was already built according to the scheme with shock automatics, had two rates of fire, but this time no one asked to remove anything. The thing is that Korobov set a cutoff of three rounds for a higher rate of fire, that is, it was simply impossible to fire a long burst at a high rate. The rate of fire was also slightly changed due to the presence of a three-round cut-off. So, the low rate remained 500 rounds per minute, but the high rate was reduced to 1700 shots. The Korobov TKB-0111 assault rifle itself is a completely modern weapon, even by today’s standards. The length of the machine gun is 930 millimeters, while the weight is 3.69 kilograms. The butt, unfortunately, is not brought into the line of fire, but in this case this may even be a good thing, since the shooter can remain with most of his face in cover, in addition, the impact “Korobov” automatics behave almost like a balanced one, which also plays a role important role. Generally speaking, in this model German Aleksandrovich Korobov was able to fit all his experience that he had accumulated over almost half a century of weapon design, but this was not appreciated, which in principle is not surprising.

Throughout the competition, three finalists were clearly visible: a Nikonov assault rifle, a Stechkin assault rifle, and a Korobov assault rifle. At the same time, Korobov was clearly in the lead. But in the end they decided to leave only those samples that had a movable barrel, due to which the recoil from several shots was summed up. As a result, Korobov’s assault rifle made it to the finals with the “optional” mark, but, apparently, no one got to the weapon that had to be considered outside the competition. In general, if we focus specifically on the accuracy of shooting with fixed bursts, then the Nikonov and Stechkin assault rifles were really better in this regard than the Korobov assault rifle, which is not surprising, because that weapon was designed for such shooting with all the ensuing nuances in the design. However, the commission did not take into account the complexity of production and maintenance of these samples in comparison with the Korobov assault rifle. So once again Korobov did not win the competition, this time his last. By the way, please note that the Korobov assault rifle beat out the currently quite popular, but very crude at the time of the competition, AEKs, and as a result they received at least minimal distribution, but the TKB-0111 did not.

New Korobov assault rifle TKB-0111 / Photo: popgun.ru

Of course, this is not all the weapons that were designed by German Aleksandrovich Korobov; not even all the machine guns of which he is the author are presented here. Korobov had weapon models that actually came into service and worked well, however, not among machine guns. Despite all his efforts, Korobov was never able to defeat AK. It is difficult to say whether it is good or bad, if people have not yet learned to predict the future, then it is even more useless to try to predict the possible future. Nevertheless, we can say with confidence that German Aleksandrovich Korobov repeatedly created promising weapons, which for some reason, I will not specify what, were passed over. It is not difficult to guess that this can be safely equated to treason, since, in fact, where there could have been a breakthrough 10-15 years in advance, everything remained in place. At the same time, money was spent on the possible “breakthrough” itself, but there was no return.

In fact, it is a pity that the works of German Aleksandrovich Korobov remained unclaimed, after all, the developments that other gunsmiths use are one thing, but the weapons used by an entire army are completely different. I would like to see that at least someone took one of the designer’s works, even his latest TKB-0111, and brought it to modern standards, because the idea itself is truly unique of its kind, and after a week of training, anyone will automatically switch the pace shooting depending on your position. A semi-blowback automatic was also not a bad idea. Moreover, recently the question of replacing the 5.45 cartridge with a larger caliber cartridge from 6 to 7 millimeters has become urgent, so it’s time to think about both the cartridge and the new/old weapon. In the end, everything has already been invented long before us, all that remains is to take it, adapt it to modern requirements and put it into production.

Source:
Military Review, Kirill Karasik 1

Korobov assault rifle TKB-022P mod.2

The TKB-022P assault rifle was distinguished by the widespread use of plastics in the manufacture of the body, which was a huge step forward for that time. The lightweight TKB-022P assault rifle, in its design, use of new materials and assembly without labor-intensive fitting work, was a completely new, original solution, however, the ejection of cartridges was carried out only on the right side. The weight of the TKB-022P without a magazine was 2.5 kg with a weapon length of 635 mm, and in terms of accuracy of fire the new weapon was not inferior to the Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle.

Korobov assault rifle TKB-022PM mod.1

"Blasters" by German Korobov

Even today, the experimental weapons of the talented Russian designer German Aleksandrovich Korobov look futuristic, his machine guns seem to be aliens from another world.

At the beginning of 1961, the USSR gave the green light to the development of new circuits for assault rifles and machine guns, as well as the search for more advanced automation principles. The samples had to have a simple design, light weight, and be reliable in operation.

Within the framework of this topic, German Korobov in 1961-1963 created a family of weapons under the general designation TKB-022 (Tula Design Bureau), in the design of which signs of the bullpup layout are visible.

TKB-022 assault rifle No. 1, 1961

TKB-022P No. 2, 1962

TKB-022PM No. 1, 1963

TKB-022P M5 No. 1

Tests of the latest designed designs confirmed the high reliability of TKB-022PM type assault rifles, however, they remained only in the form of prototypes, which was affected by objective reasons: a center of gravity that was strongly shifted back, low “survivability” of the plastic case during long-term operation in difficult conditions and storage, and the military leadership responsible for putting weapons into service was very conservative. In addition, the AKM assault rifle was already quite well mastered by production and among the troops, therefore, despite the obvious visible advantages of Korobov’s designs, they were destined to remain in experimental and museum samples.

Separately, I would like to talk about a sample machine gun with the index TKB-059.

The TKB-059 multiple rocket launcher is a unique example of domestic design thought. The three-barreled machine gun (Pribor-3B) was created by German Korobov in 1962 at the Tula Design Bureau.

The design of the machine gun is based on the “Bullpup” scheme - this is a layout scheme for small arms mechanisms in which the impact mechanism and magazine are located in the butt, behind the trigger. This arrangement allows you to increase the length of the barrel without increasing the overall length and weight of the weapon, which helps to improve the performance in terms of range and accuracy.

When creating the TKB-059, German Korobov prioritized the ultra-fast burst, in which the recoil from the shots does not have time to deflect the barrel, which allows for high accuracy of fire.

Several barrels on one machine gun made it possible to fire a salvo shot; the rate of fire from the TKB-059 (Pribor-3B) machine gun reached 1400-1800 rounds per minute. Many units and parts of Pribor-3B were borrowed from the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which made it possible to achieve a high degree of unification with the main small arms of the USSR Armed Forces.

Fire from the TKB-059 was carried out either in volleys of three shots, or in bursts. The three barrels in the machine gun are assembled in a single carriage and have a common movable automation system. The TKB-059 demonstrated unprecedented accuracy when firing in bursts due to its super-rate of fire and gun monitor mounting system for the barrels.

During state tests, thanks to the simultaneous firing of three bullets in a burst, the weapon actually showed very high accuracy. However, the unusual design and complexity of equipping the built-in magazines led to the state commission refusing to accept this machine gun for service. The fact that the troops were armed with the proven AKM assault rifle also played a role, and there was no need to re-equip it with a new type of small arms.

The TKB-059 multiple rocket launcher (Pribor-3B) remained a prototype, but is still the clearest illustration of the talent of the outstanding Soviet designer German Aleksandrovich Korobov.

Performance characteristics of the Korobov assault rifle TKB-0111

Caliber, mm 5.45x39
Magazine capacity 30
Rate of fire (low), rounds/min up to 500
Rate of fire (high), rounds/min up to 2200

Since 1945, the talented Tula designer Korobov devoted himself to his favorite work - creating machine guns. Over more than 60 years of his activity as a gunsmith, German Aleksandrovich developed over 30 structurally original machine guns, several automatic rifles and light machine guns. Almost all these years he remained in the shadow of other, more successful gunsmiths, although many of his weapons were often ahead of not only their competitors, but also their time. Currently, German Aleksandrovich Korobov, whose fruitful and multifaceted work, unfortunately, was not properly appreciated in our country, despite his age, continues to successfully work on the creation of hunting rifles in the branch of the State Unitary Enterprise "KBP - TsKIBSOO". In conclusion, we can say that the contribution of German Aleksandrovich Korobov to the design of bullpups is undoubtedly enormous. He was the first gunsmith in the Soviet Union and Russia to develop an assault rifle for mass production according to this scheme.

source: www.dogswar.ru
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TKB-517

However, Korobov could not defeat Kalashnikov. In the 1950s, German Aleksandrovich realized that only similar products, even better than them, could knock AK and AKM off their pedestal. Korobov moved away from bullpups and released traditional machine guns, the pinnacle of which was the TKB-517.

The army told Korobov: There is no point in making a second Kalash if there is a first one. TKB-517

It was cheaper and lighter than the Kalashnikovs, and had an accuracy almost 2 times better than the Kalash. But his TKB-517 still received a refusal from the USSR Ministry of Defense with the wording that there was no point in taking an assault rifle, even though it was better than the Kalashnikov, but the same in principle. Since millions of Kalash guns have already been manufactured and billions of rubles have been spent.

History of the Tula Bullpup

The layout of long-barreled weapons in the bullpup format appeared almost simultaneously with its self-loading variants. In the Soviet weapons school, such experiments were carried out since the 40s, and the most prolific gunsmiths in this format were Tula design engineers, in particular G.A. Korobov and N.M. Afanasiev.

Pioneers of the Soviet bullpup

As they studied Soviet weapons history, researchers first named G.A. as the author of the first Soviet bullpup. Korobov, who participated in the competition for the development of a machine gun in 1946. Then information appeared about a slightly earlier example of the S.A. design. Korovin, which appeared in the same 1946. And today it is known that even earlier, in 1944-1945, the rival of the A.I. Sudaev AS-44 was a bullpup assault rifle S.A. Prilutsky. Probably, the last of them could have been given the palm for the right to be the pioneer of the Soviet bullpup machine gun, if not for one “but”. Recent research indicates that the authorship of the Prilutsky machine gun actually belongs to K.A. Baryshev, and the sample was made several years later.

Prilutsky (or Baryshev) assault rifle, 40s kalashnikov.com

After the war, taking into account the experience of the 1944-1945 competition and testing of the AS-44 Sudaev assault rifle, the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) in December 1945 approved new tactical and technical requirements (TTT) for the assault rifle chambered for the 1943 model. Even before the start of the first stage of the competition in May 1946, Tula resident S.A. Korovin developed his own automatic bullpup layout. An employee of TsKB-14, who represented the design bureau of Tula plant No. 535 at the competition, even managed to produce a working sample of the product by the time the preliminary designs of the machine guns began to be considered (unlike many of his competitors).

However, this approach did not help Korovin, and the commission rejected his project at the initial stage. The reasons for this decision are still hidden in archival documents, but it is known that with its rather compact dimensions, the Korovin assault rifle exceeded the tactical and technical requirements by almost a kilogram. We are not destined to find out how the fate of Korovin’s further work (including experiments with bullpups) might have turned out - the designer passed away in April 1946. In addition, in fact, it turns out that Korovin’s design was considered by the commission in July 1946, that is, after the death of the author.

Korovin assault rifle, 1946 S.B. Monetchikov

"Universe" Korobov

Another Tula resident, G.A., made it into the coveted top ten projects selected for participation in the 1946 competition. Korobov, representing TsKB-14. Korobov's design, like Korovin's, had a bullpup layout and acceptable weight characteristics. Moreover, Korobov’s project was awarded the third prize, losing only to the development of N.V. Rukavishnikov (not one of the projects deserved the first prize). Korobov's TKB-408 assault rifles, like the other five participants, underwent field testing, first in December 1946, and then in June-August 1947. The sixth was to be the above-mentioned sample of K.A. Baryshev, who for some reason did not make it to these tests.

In terms of overall length, Korobov’s assault rifle not only turned out to be significantly shorter than its competitors in the competition, but even surpassed the PPSh in this indicator. However, by and large, this parameter turned out to be the only advantage of the Korobov bullpup. The barrel in the TKB-408 was locked by skewing the bolt, and instead of the trigger, the cartridge primer was broken by the bolt frame under the action of the return mechanism. Such a movement of a large mass mechanism, which had a long recoil path (twice as long as that of other models), negatively affected the stability of the weapon when firing. The result of this for the Korobov assault rifle was worse accuracy of fire and low survivability of parts.

TKB-408-2 assault rifle, 1946 TGMO

Another feature is the reloading handle, which is stationary when firing. The magazine was secured using a latch at the end of the handle. However, all these features did not help Korobov in the competition. Moreover, TKB-408 dropped out of the race ahead of schedule due to frequent and difficult to eliminate delays. And such features as the combination of the cleaning rod and the guide rod of the return spring did not help in this case, but rather hindered it. At the same time, experts noted the promise of the “Korobov scheme” and the desirability of further research on such an arrangement.

This failure did not bother Korobov at all, but rather encouraged him to further refine his design. But he will return to the bullpup version a little later - in the early 60s. It was then that a number of machines appeared under the symbol TKB-022. They were already developed at the Tula Central Design Research Bureau for Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO). The first version of the new Korobov bullpup was a further development of his first version TKB-408.

TKB-022P and TKB-022PM assault rifles forum.guns.ru

The work was carried out as part of research work (R&D) to search for new schemes and perfect principles of weapon automation. The first TKB-022 assault rifles had similar dimensions, but became much lighter than their predecessor. In the TKB-022P version, plastic parts were widely used instead of metal and wooden parts. The second version of the TKB-022P received a shortened butt, which allowed it to “throw off” 125 mm of total length at once. The “universe” of Korobov’s assault rifles developed and was replenished with more and more sophisticated and mysterious samples.

The most revolutionary and most compact bullpup from Korobov was the TKB-022PM. This modernized version had a minimum length, which was mainly the dimensions of the barrel and cartridge. The total length of the machine gun exceeded the standard length of the 415 mm AKM barrel - only 110 mm. To achieve such a record figure, Korobov had to place a rather complex automation mechanism inside the receiver. An eloquent fact is that today not every specialist undertakes to disassemble such a machine gun without fear of leaving a pile of parts instead of a weapon.

TKB-022PM KBP

The most complex part of the Korobov design was the cartridge case extractor (also known as the cartridge rammer, as well as the striking mechanism) of the swinging (tuning fork) type. He removes the cartridge case and sends it into a special tube above the barrel, through which the spent cartridge case is thrown forward of the machine gun barrel near its muzzle. Compared to the AKM, the TKB-022 had less manufacturing complexity (by about 40%), as well as a higher accuracy of combat (by 25-50%). The latest figures were achieved using the latest version of the Korobov bullpup TKB-022PM5 chambered for a 5.6 mm cartridge.

Subsequently, Korobov used his developments in the design of “heavy” fire machine guns “Pribor-3B” and TKB-059. Such a three-barreled weapon also had a bullpup layout and traces of the same non-trivial design decisions. With all the variety of prototypes and their consistent evolution, not a single one of Korobov’s products was accepted into service.

Experienced three-barreled Korobov assault rifle forum.guns.ru

Afanasyev's works

Another innovator of the departure from the classical layout of the machine gun was the representative of the Tula TsKIB SOO N.M. Afanasiev. In 1955, his first similar sample appeared. This happened in the midst of work on a light assault rifle, which would later become the AKM. The bullpup design at that time (after the quite successful Korobov TKB-408) was actively considered as an alternative to the classics, which allowed engineers to significantly reduce the weight and dimensions of the system. But according to the new TTT of 1955, the machine gun should have weighed a whole kilogram less than the recently lightweight AK. At the same time, Korobov himself participated in the competition with a standard-design machine gun.

Afanasyev assault rifle, 1955 S.B. Monetchikov

In addition to the unusual layout, the first Afanasyev assault rifle had quite familiar automation based on the removal of powder gases, locking the barrel by turning the bolt, and a striker-fired firing mechanism. This sample never made it to the field testing stage. From 1963 to 1965 N.M. Afanasyev creates several models of bullpup assault rifles at once - TKB-011, TKB-011M and TKB-011-2M. They appeared almost simultaneously with other Korobov Tskib bullpups, which had the index TKB-022. Little is known about their testing, properties and characteristics, as well as about their internal structure. Samples are in the collection of TsKIB SOO and are occasionally shown at the Tula State Weapons Museum at thematic exhibitions. Therefore, Afanasyev bullpups still remain the least studied domestic machines. In all samples, the buttstock is significantly lowered relative to the barrel line, which made it possible to raise the aiming line higher and significantly improve the convenience of shooting from a machine gun. The cartridge ejection window is located in the usual place - near the chamber on the right side. The TKB-011M assault rifle has an open muzzle brake. Afanasiev's products widely use plastic fittings instead of wooden ones.

TKB-011 assault rifles forum.guns.ru

The latest version TKB-011-2M has wooden parts and a high-capacity magazine. The changes also affected automation elements. The shutter handle received not a straight line, but an arcuate path of movement. The cartridge ejection window was moved to a place below the butt near the magazine window. As you can see, Afanasyev’s technical solutions were also quite original, like those of his fellow countryman Korobov. The further continuation of the line of their TKB-011 assault rifles, starting in 1966, was carried out in a classic layout.

One of the positive results of research work on bullpups in the 50s and 60s was the improvement in the accuracy of automatic shooting from awkward positions. However, it was not possible to significantly increase firing efficiency and improve manufacturability using such designs. Work on bullpups continued in the 70s - already chambered for a new 5.6 mm cartridge. As for the Tula traditions in this area, they were continued by I.Ya. Stechkin.

TKB-011M and TKB-011-2M assault rifles forum.guns.ru
Characteristics of assault rifles

Name	Korovin	TKB-408	TKB-022	TKB-022P	TKB-022PM
Year of development	1946	1946	1962	1964	1965
Weight without magazine, kg	5,4	3,97	2,55	2,5	2,73
Length, mm	717	790	760	635	525
Barrel length, mm	n/a	500	n/a	n/a	415

Literature:

S.B. Monetchikov. History of the Russian machine gun. St. Petersburg: Atlant - 2005
V.P. Gryazev. KBP small arms: history and modernity. Tula: Design Board - 2007
I. Boechin. "Unknown Korobov". Magazine "Weapons", No. 5, 1998
V. Ron. "Bullpup of Korobov's system." Magazine "Weapons", No. 8, 2007

New in blogs

After the end of World War II, to participate in the competition for new small arms of the Soviet Army, German Aleksandrovich Korobov began developing the TKB-408 assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm, built in a bullpup configuration.
However, the Korobov TKB-408 assault rifle dropped out of the competition, and the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle was adopted. But in 1960, Korobov returned to the old idea again. After the TKB-408 assault rifle was rejected, Korobov for some time abandoned weapons in the bullpup layout, but in the early 1960s he returned to it again, creating a whole family of assault rifles under the symbol TKB-022 (TKB - Tula Design Bureau), Moreover, each new sample was significantly different from the previous one.

The new family of TKB-022 assault rifle includes the following models:

— TKB-022 No. 1, No. 2, No. Z; — TKB-022P No. 1, No. 2, No. Z; — TKB-022PM No. 1, No. 2; — TKB-022PM5 No. 1.

TKB-022 No. 1 Within the framework of this topic, Korobov in 1961 created the TKB-022 assault rifle, the design of which shows signs of a bullpup layout.

The TKB-022 assault rifle was made according to a pistol layout with a magazine in the control handle. The weapon used automatic equipment with removal of powder gases from the barrel. The shutter is rotary. The bolt carrier with the bolt has a short stroke, and the annular piston located on the barrel has a long recoil stroke. The bolt carrier and piston have a detachable connection that operates automatically. The cartridges were ejected only on the right side of the weapon. The body of the weapon was a “case” that opened into two halves. The weight of the TKB-022 assault rifle without a magazine was 2.6 kg with a weapon length of 755 mm.

TKB-022P No. 2

The weight of the TKB-022P without a magazine was 2.5 kg with a weapon length of 635 mm, and in terms of accuracy of fire the new weapon was not inferior to the Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle.

TKB-022PM No. 1

The TKB-022PM assault rifle used gas-operated automatics with an annular gas piston located around the barrel. The barrel is locked by a wedge bolt sliding in a vertical plane, which, on the one hand, made it possible to minimize the length of the receiver, and on the other hand, required the introduction of an additional part - a rammer / extractor. This U-shaped part, moving in a horizontal plane back and forth, is responsible for sending the cartridge into the chamber, removing the spent cartridge case from the barrel and sending the cartridge case into the output tube above the barrel, through which the cartridge case enters the front of the weapon and there it falls out at the base. flies. It is possible to install a muzzle attachment on the barrel of the machine gun for throwing rifle grenades. Accordingly, the weapon had a manually activated valve that shut off the gas outlet when firing rifle grenades. The fire mode switch safety switch is located on the left above the pistol grip fire control.

To supply the TKB-022PM with ammunition, standard 30-round magazines from a Kalashnikov assault rifle are used, installed directly in front of the butt plate.

The body of the weapon is made of plastic with metal inserts. Open sights TKB-022 PM are adjustable. At the same time, the length of the aiming line was relatively small.

TKB-022PM No. 2 Fire tests of TKB-022PM No. 1 confirmed its high reliability. When firing automatically from an unstable position, the machine gun showed accuracy of fire three times higher than the AKM. The weight of the TKB-022PM No. 1 assault rifle without a magazine was 2.8 kg with a weapon length of 525 mm. Further improvement of the TKB-022PM manufacturing technology, including those based on model No. 1, and the use of new materials made it possible to reduce the weight of TKB-022PM No. 2 from 2.8 kg to 2.34 kg.

Subsequently, on the basis of the TKB-022PM assault rifle, Korobov created the TKB-022PM5 assault rifle for the new, promising 5.6x39 mm cartridge at that time.

However, Korobov’s assault rifles remained only in the form of prototypes, which was affected by both objective reasons (for example, a shifted center of gravity to the rear of the weapon and the “survivability” of the plastic case during long-term use in difficult conditions and storage) and subjective reasons (military leadership , responsible for the adoption of weapons into service was very conservative and did not welcome radical changes).

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Failed Soviet bullpup - Korobov assault rifle TKB-022

After the end of World War II, in order to participate in the competition for new small arms of the Soviet Army, Soviet gunsmith designer German Aleksandrovich Korobov began developing the TKB-408 assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm, built in a bullpup configuration. However, the Korobov TKB-408 assault rifle dropped out of the competition, and the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle was adopted. After the TKB-408 assault rifle was rejected, Korobov for some time abandoned weapons in the bullpup layout, but in the early 1960s he returned to it again, creating a whole family of assault rifles under the symbol TKB-022 (TKB - Tula Design Bureau), Moreover, each new sample was significantly different from the previous one.

The new family of the TKB-022 assault rifle includes the following models: - TKB-022 No. 1, No. 2, No. Z; — TKB-022P No. 1, No. 2, No. Z; — TKB-022PM No. 1, No. 2; — TKB-022PM5 No. 1.

At the beginning of 1961, a topic was opened in the USSR aimed at developing new schemes for assault rifles and machine guns, as well as searching for more advanced principles of automation. The samples had to have a simple design, light weight and be reliable in operation. Within the framework of this topic, in 1961 Korobov created the TKB-022 assault rifle, the design of which shows signs of a bullpup layout. In the same 1961, three variants of the TKB-022 assault rifle were presented for testing - No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3,

TKB-022 No. 1 The TKB-022 assault rifle is built according to a rather unusual pistol layout for assault rifles, in which the magazine is placed in the fire control handle. The weapon used automatic equipment with removal of powder gases from the barrel. The shutter is rotary. The bolt carrier with the bolt has a short stroke, and the annular piston located on the barrel has a long recoil stroke. The bolt carrier and piston have a detachable connection that operates automatically. The cartridges were ejected only on the right side of the weapon. The USM allows for both single and automatic fire. One of the distinguishing features is the widespread use of plastic. The body of the weapon was a plastic “case” that opened into two halves. The weight of the TKB-022 assault rifle without a magazine was 2.6 kg with a weapon length of 755 mm. During fire tests of the TKB-022 assault rifle, when firing 13,350 rounds from sample No. 1 and 3,036 rounds from sample No. 3, there were no delays, and the accuracy of fire was not inferior to the AKM assault rifle, but the “space” design, the use of unusual The age of plastic and the reflection of cartridges in the shooter’s face when firing from the left shoulder did not allow it to be adopted for service. At the same time, in 1961, a competition was announced for the creation of a 7.62-mm light machine gun chambered for the 1943 model. And in 1962, Korobov, based on the TKB-022, developed a 7.62-mm experimental bullpup assault rifle TKB-022P model No. 1, No. 2, No. Z.

TKB-022P No. 2 The TKB-022P assault rifle was distinguished by the widespread use of plastics in the manufacture of the body, which was a huge step forward for that time. The lightweight TKB-022P assault rifle, in its design, use of new materials and assembly without labor-intensive fitting work, was a completely new, original solution, however, the ejection of cartridges was carried out only on the right side. The weight of the TKB-022P without a magazine was 2.5 kg with a weapon length of 635 mm, and in terms of accuracy of fire the new weapon was not inferior to the Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle. Continuing work on the creation of a lightweight assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm, to improve the accuracy of combat when firing automatic fire from an unstable position, Korobov modernizes the TKB-022P and creates the TKB-022PM assault rifle, models No. 1 and No. 2.

TKB-022PM No. 1

TKB-022PM No. 2 In addition to its compact dimensions, the TKB-022PM assault rifle was distinguished by very advanced solutions at that time - in addition to the plastic body, the ejection of spent cartridges and the removal of powder gases was carried out forward at the muzzle of the weapon, which ensured shooting from both the right and left shoulders . The TKB-022PM assault rifle used gas-operated automatics with an annular gas piston located around the barrel. The barrel is locked by a wedge bolt sliding in a vertical plane, which, on the one hand, made it possible to minimize the length of the receiver, and on the other hand, required the introduction of an additional part - a rammer / extractor. This U-shaped part, moving in a horizontal plane back and forth, is responsible for sending the cartridge into the chamber, removing the spent cartridge case from the barrel and sending the cartridge case into the output tube above the barrel, through which the cartridge case enters the front of the weapon and there it falls out at the base. flies.

It is possible to install a muzzle attachment on the barrel of the machine gun for throwing rifle grenades. Accordingly, the weapon had a manually activated valve that shut off the gas outlet when firing rifle grenades. The fire mode switch safety switch is located on the left above the pistol grip fire control. To supply the TKB-022PM with ammunition, standard 30-round AKM assault rifle magazines from a Kalashnikov assault rifle are used, installed directly in front of the butt plate. The body of the weapon is made of plastic with metal inserts. Open sights TKB-022 PM are adjustable. At the same time, the length of the aiming line was relatively small. Fire tests of TKB-022PM No. 1 confirmed its high reliability. When firing automatically from an unstable position, the machine gun showed accuracy of fire three times higher than the AKM. The weight of the TKB-022PM No. 1 assault rifle without a magazine was 2.8 kg with a weapon length of 525 mm. Further improvement of the TKB-022PM manufacturing technology, including those based on model No. 1, and the use of new materials made it possible to reduce the weight of TKB-022PM No. 2 from 2.8 kg to 2.34 kg. Subsequently, on the basis of the TKB-022PM assault rifle, Korobov created the TKB-022PM5 assault rifle for the new, promising 5.6x39 mm cartridge at that time.

TKB-022P M5 No. 1 The design of the TKB-022PM5 was similar to the TKB-022PM assault rifle, and tests showed that the accuracy of fire from this weapon from the prone position at a distance of 100 m was better than that of the standard AKM assault rifle. Tests confirmed the high reliability of the TKB-022PM, however, Korobov’s assault rifles remained only in the form of prototypes, which was affected by objective reasons (for example, a shifted center of gravity to the rear of the weapon and the “survivability” of the plastic case during long-term operation in difficult conditions and storage ) and subjective reasons (the military leadership responsible for the adoption of weapons was very conservative and did not welcome radical changes). In addition, the AKM assault rifle was already quite well mastered by production and by the troops.