The AK-12 Russian assault rifle

AK-12, Russia’s new Service Rifle What militaries use the AK-12? The 5.45mm AK-12 Kalashnikov assault rifle is a modern service rifle of the Russian Army and other military and Security Forces. It provides higher combat efficiency, mission flexibility and fire accuracy within wider range of distances.

The final production model of the AK-12 is based on the AK-400 prototype model, which is said to be more reliable, more accurate and better suited to the latest Russian military requirements. The AK-12 is chambered in 5.45×39mm, features a barrel length of 415 mm (16.3 in), a maximum firing range of 800 m (870 yd), and a standard magazine capacity of 30 rounds. It features a Picatin…

The AK-12 is a Russian assault rifle chambered in 5.45×39mm designed and manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash), making it the fifth generation of Kalashnikov rifles.^[10]

The Kalashnikov Concern also offers a variant of the AK-12 chambered in 7.62×39mm, known as the AK-15 due to the request of the Russian military, and a variant chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO, known as the AK-19 upon the request of international clients. Compact variants of the AK-12 and AK-15 are also under development, respectively the AK-12K and AK-15K, which feature a shorter barrel.

The AK-12 project began in 2011 by the IZHMASH factory, which became part of the Kalashnikov Concern as a private venture, in an attempt to participate in the “Ratnik” trials which were held by the Russian Army.^[11] It was further developed by the Kalashnikov Concern, throughout its development and evaluation stage it has received multiple modifications to meet the Russian military’s standard and to address the Russian Army’s concerns regarding the cost and issues in fully automatic fire of the earlier prototype models. It went through several revisions in order to improve upon the “range of defects” that were discovered on the earlier prototype models that were derived from the AK-200. These were later abandoned in favour of the proven and improved AK-400, which became the finalised model of the AK-12.^[12]

Courtesy: Wikipedia