Kovrov Aek-971

The Russian assault rifle known as the AEK-971 uses the baseline AK prototype as its blueprint. Though it bears certain aesthetic similarities to the Kalashnikov design, these are purely coincidental. The USP of this assault rifle is its added advantage of a balancing mechanism. This highly versatile firearm, which is available with either 7.62 x 39 mm or 5.45 x 39 mm chambering, was designed by the Russian armament innovator Sergey I. Koksharov, who just happens to be the son of legendary designer of the AK-47 - Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is being manufactured at the Kovrov Machinebuilding Plant (this company was previously operating under the name of Kovrov Machineguns Plant).

It is a relatively new entrant on the armament market and has not been released to Russian troops or the commercial market as yet. When it does make an entry, it is fairly certain that the unique counterweight-provided balancing mechanism, which offsets the effect of recoil and greatly increases accuracy, will prove to be a winner. The mechanism works by eliminating three out of four of the impulses produced during auto-firing. It has been found that this feature gives the AEK-971 an increase in accuracy that amounts to as much as 15-20% more than the AK-74.

The ARK-971 was initially meant to compete with the AN-94 Abakan assault rifle, which in turn had been designed by the Izhmash state factories in Russia to replace the AK-74. It did not achieve this objective because the design had not been developed sufficiently at the time. However, the Russian Army has reportedly bought a number of AEK-971s and is subjecting them to serious testing for possible adoption, recognizing the various advantages that the AEK-971 offers. For instance, it is of far lighter construction than the AEK-971, and the design is simpler and with far fewer component parts. So far, tests have revealed that the AEK-971 offers superior controllability in fully automatic firing mode, and also that it requires less maintenance. Also, the AN-94 has only a marginal advantage in terms of accuracy, namely in short-burst mode. There is no way it can match the AEK-971 in full automatic firing mode.

The AEK-971 is a gas-actuated assault rifle, which basically means that some of the pressurized gas produced while firing a cartridge is diverted to perform the function of extracting the spent cartridge case and thereafter inserting a new round into the breech. This mechanism has proved to be among the most reliable among assault rifles all over the world. The AEK-971 also incorporates a rotating bolt. It weighs approximately 3.3 kilograms (which is a full 0.5 kilograms lighter than the AN-94) and is 965 mm in total length. As already stated, it come sin versions configured to chamber 5.45x39 mm and 7.62x39 mm ammunition, which is discharged at a firing rate of 800 to 900 rounds per minute. This is low enough to exclude the need for a burst-control regulating device, which in therefore not incorporated. The reported muzzle velocity is 880 and the aiming range is approximately 100 meters. The magazine, which is the standard kind used in the AK-47 and AK-74, holds 30 rounds.

The AEK-971 has been tailored to be a combat soldier's weapon. The design includes a number of features to make it usable for extended periods of time under extreme weather conditions. For example, it incorporates a folding metal butt-sock that is equipped with plastic coating to prevent skin adhesion in very cold weather. The forearm and fire control grip are similarly coated with plastic. Additional features include a safety switch-cum-fire mode selector, which permits the AEK-971 to be fired in either single-shot semi-automatic or in fully automatic mode. The safety switch completely eliminates the possibility of involuntary reloading when it is switched off - overcoming a serious defect that has been noted with the AK-74 assault rifle.