How can a special forces soldier hit a terrorist if he is protected by a powerful bulletproof vest or is in hiding? For this purpose, the High-Precision Complexes Holding has developed the SHAK-12 assault assault rifle system, created specifically for close combat during anti-terrorist operations in urban conditions. This is a unique machine gun with which you can automatically fire powerful 12.7 mm cartridges. We are talking about this interesting sample of weapons for special forces units.If there was a disaster
It is believed that the reason for the birth of the SHAK-12 assault assault rifle complex was a tragedy – a terrorist attack in Beslan in September 2004, during which a large number of special forces soldiers and civilians were injured. Based on the experience of this and other operations, the Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia instructed to develop a melee weapon capable of hitting an enemy using bulletproof vests, including heavy ones, or a shelter for protection. One of the important conditions of the technical task was the high stopping power of the weapon, that is, the ability to hit the target with a minimum number of shots even if the enemy, for example, a terrorist, is under the influence of psychotropic drugs that increase the pain threshold.
Photo: CCIB SOO
The contractor of the order is the Central Design Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (CCIB SOO) - a branch of the Instrument Design Bureau named after Academician A.G. Shipunov (part of Rostec's High–Precision Complexes holding) - developed a SHAK-12 complex for special forces based on a large-caliber VKS sniper rifle, called "Exhaust". These two weapons have in common a large caliber of 12.7 mm and the same layout scheme.
The harsh "bulldog puppy"
The ASH-12 assault rifle, which is part of the SHAK-12 complex, and the VKS rifle are made according to the original scheme, which in international weapons terminology is called "bull-dad", which literally translates from English as "bulldog puppy". This term came from the American shooting slang of the 1930s, but for the first time rifles with a handle in front of the store appeared at the beginning of the XX century. In the USSR, such weapons could have been adopted by the army in 1946-47, but then the "bullpup" TKB-408 machine gun lost the rivalry to the famous AK-47. The breakthrough for the technology was 1977, when the armies of Austria and France adopted Steyr AUG and FAMAS rifles.
A feature of this scheme is the displacement of the main elements of the firing mechanism to the rear of the rifle, while the trigger is located in front of the magazine. This arrangement allows you to make the weapon about 25% shorter without reducing the length of the barrel and loss of firing efficiency. This is especially important for weapons that are used in urban environments, indoors and in confined spaces.
A bulletproof vest and a brick wall are not an obstacle
It must be said that the SHAK-12 is not only a submachine gun, but a whole weapon complex developed by the Central Committee of the SOO to solve special tasks during assault operations. It also includes several types of ammunition and various accessories that ensure the tactical versatility of the complex.
Depending on the task, the shooter chooses one of the types of ammunition. The first is a PD–12 cartridge with a short and heavy lead bullet weighing 32 grams and subsonic speed. This ammunition is used with a silencer and is effective at a distance of up to 200 m for quick and silent incapacitation of an easily protected enemy.
The second type of ammunition is the PS−12A cartridge with a light supersonic bullet with an aluminum core, hitting a target at a distance of up to 100 m. It is he who has an exceptional stopping power, capable of hitting even a drugged terrorist from the first time. It is important that this bullet has no ricochet effect, so the shooter is less likely to harm his colleagues or civilians.
The third type is the PS−12B cartridge with an armor-piercing steel bullet weighing 16 grams with an effective firing range of 300 m. It is designed to hit targets protected by heavy armor or hiding behind an obstacle. With the first shot, a special forces soldier can break through, for example, a brick wall, and with the second, he can already hit the enemy.
A meat grinder for terrorists
The automatic transmission is made of stamped steel, the bed is made of impact−resistant plastic. Picatinny rails allow you to mount any optics on the machine. The complex includes several muzzle devices. A short tactical silencer, which also performs the function of a flame suppressor, reduces the sound and muzzle flash, which makes it difficult for the enemy to detect the shooter. A full-size silencer is used for firing heavy subsonic bullets where the most secretive work is required. At the same time, the assault rifle can be used without a silencer.
At the sight of such a powerful weapon, it may seem that the recoil from the shot, especially from firing bursts, should be very strong. Nevertheless, it is not difficult for an experienced shooter to work with the ASH-12 – the recoil will not be stronger than when shooting from a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov machine gun. In addition, the ASH-12 is a short–barreled machine gun, so it throws it up much less when shooting.
SHAK-12 is a powerful weapon for counter–terrorism and other military operations in the conditions of settlements, buildings, structures where it is necessary to ensure maximum safety of the civilian population. The ASH-12 assault rifle, which has already received the nickname "meat grinder for terrorists", is one of the few successful models of automatic weapons in the world with a caliber of 12.7 x 55 mm.