"Astarta", "Sevastopol", "Retribution": what Russian armourers supply troops with

During 2023, domestic manufacturers created new and improved existing models of small arms: the Astarta large-caliber rifle was presented, the Kalashnikov assault rifle was once again modernized. Production volumes increased, mass production of new models began — for example, the Chukavin sniper rifle, the heiress of the famous SVD, went into production. TASS — about new developments in the field of small arms

The legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle, a symbol of Russian weapons, continues to be refined taking into account the experience of its use in a special military operation. It was planned that the updated machines would begin to arrive to the customer this month. In May 2023, a modified newest version of the weapon, the AK-12, was presented. The 5.45 x 39 mm submachine gun entered the army in 2019 and has been consistently upgraded since then. For example, earlier this Kalashnikov received a more ergonomic butt and handle, an updated trigger guard and modified sighting devices. However, during the latest changes, the designers decided to eliminate the two—shot cut-off mode for the weapon - it did not lead to a significant increase in efficiency, while seriously complicating the design. In addition, the fire control system has now become two-sided, that is, convenient for both right-handed and left-handed people. The forearm has become more durable and better protects the fighter's hand from the heat of the barrel when shooting. The muzzle device has been changed, it has become easier to use with a low-noise firing device.

The AK-19 submachine gun — an export modification of the AK-12 chambered in 5.56 x 45 mm, adopted in NATO countries — appeared in 2020. But last year, the Kalashnikov Concern presented the AK-19 in a short-barreled version, and last October it was shown abroad for the first time, at the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates. There he acted as a means of self-defense of the pilot as part of a set of other elements.

AK-12 assault rifle of the 2023 model.
Source: © Photo : Kalashnikov Concern JSC

At the same time, despite an increase in the overall production plan by 60% over two years, the concern fully fulfilled the annual volume of the state defense order in the first half of 2023.

Chukavin's sniper rifle went into production

Chukavin's sniper rifle.
Source: Alexey Nikolsky/ Press Service of the President of the Russian Federation/ TASS

Last year, it became known that the Chukavin sniper rifle (microwave) began to be mass-produced, and in the last days of 2023, the Kalashnikov concern announced the shipment of the first serial batch of the rifle to the customer. The special military operation became a testing ground for the novelty, and the servicemen who participated in the pilot operation spoke positively about the weapon.

The Chukavin semi—automatic sniper rifle is designed to replace the honored veteran - the Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD). The weapon uses the same 7.62 x 54 mm cartridge and inherits the reliability of the famous ancestor, however, the microwave has improved accuracy by 25-30%, ergonomics has significantly increased, it is now possible to use a low-noise firing device, extinguishing the flame and muffling the sound of a shot.

In May 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded weapons designer Andrei Chukavin the Order of Alexander Nevsky "for his great contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability, creating and developing new weapons and many years of conscientious work."

However, the famous SVD remains a formidable weapon in the right hands. So, a sniper of a reconnaissance group of Russian paratroopers with the call sign Saigon in the zone of a special military operation destroyed 18 enemy soldiers in just two days. His commander noted that Saigon is self-taught and has been serving in the army since 1996, having participated in many armed conflicts. Military personnel of the unit conduct combat operations in forests, so the firing distance is extremely small: 100-200 m.

A large caliber is developing

A 12.7 mm Astarta sniper rifle.
Source: Georgy Sultanov/ TASS

Last year, the nomenclature of Russian large-caliber sniper weapons was supplemented with a new product: the High-Precision Complexes holding (as part of the Rostec State Corporation) demonstrated the 12.7 mm Astarta self-loading rifle at the Army-2023 forum. Experts testify that the accuracy of the new weapon is significantly superior to its American counterpart, the Barrett sniper rifle. According to Vitaly Bulgakov, Deputy managing director of KBP JSC (part of High-Precision Complexes), the novelty puts five bullets in a circle with a diameter of 1.5 cm, whereas a foreign classmate shows an average group spread of 6 cm during tests.

Due to the large caliber, such weapons are capable of hitting enemy armored vehicles and manpower in shelters. The fighters of special units will be the first to receive the Astarta. In total, it is planned to produce about 1 thousand such rifles.

In December last year, it became known that a cartridge with a single-element bullet was developed for the OSV-96 large-caliber sniper rifle. Such ammunition can hit a light armored car at a distance of up to 2 km, and from a distance of 100 m, a modern Western-style armored personnel carrier is stitched.

BespokeGun Raptor Tactical rifle.
Source: Viktor Bodrov/ TASS

Private arms companies are also arming fighters in the SVO zone. So, in September last year, "heavy" snipers of the Pacific Fleet and military personnel of special forces units on the South Donets assignment received BespokeGun Raptor Tactical rifles. This was reported to TASS by a representative of the manufacturer, the Moscow Arms Company, which conducts business activities of the BespokeGun brand. The sample of long-range sniper weapons was designed specifically for use in special operations, has a caliber of 8.6 mm (cartridge.338 Lapua Magnum) and can effectively hit targets at a distance of more than 1.8 km. Along with men, the novelty is also used by female snipers.

One of the BespokeGun models was developed jointly with sniper specialists from the Russian University of Special Forces (RUS) in Chechnya. The sample was named RusBespoke . Senior instructor of RUS Aslambek Arsanukayev called the technology used in the manufacture of weapons "very effective."

Lobaev Arms, a private Russian manufacturer of high-precision rifles, announced plans in February 2023 to multiply the production of its weapons. As Vladislav Lobaev, the founder of the company, told TASS, since the beginning of the SVO, the company has unified and simplified the design of its Sevastopol and Retribution sniper rifles. The entire line of Lobaev Arms products is successfully used by Russian snipers during a special operation.

In addition, Lobaev said that the company is developing a sniper complex from an unmanned aerial vehicle armed with a rifle. "Whoever manages to resolve this issue will forever change the nature of the fighting," he said.

A new cartridge has been patented

At the end of 2023, the Tula Cartridge Factory received a patent for an intermediate low-pulse cartridge with increased penetration of 6.02 mm caliber. According to the developers, the new ammunition should occupy a niche between the currently used 5.45 and 7.62 mm cartridges. "Compared with the first, it has clearly increased external ballistic characteristics and penetration range characteristics of protection elements, and compared with the second, it has a more comfortable recoil, significantly smaller dimensions and weight of the weapon used," the creators of the cartridge specify in the patent description, adding that eventually the caliber of the cartridge may change up or down.

Remaining a relatively small caliber, the cartridge will have better ballistics, improved armor penetration characteristics, hitting enemy manpower in unarmored or lightly armored vehicles. Tula gunsmiths conducted a set of experiments with new ammunition and found out that at a range of 300 m, a bullet of a promising cartridge penetrates plates up to 10 mm thick made of A3 steel (such is used in the hulls of lightly armored vehicles and bulletproof vests) in 100% of cases.

Compact weapons are improving and finding new uses

Microwave, PPK-20, AK-12, modified according to the results of the SVO, AK-12.
Source: Ekaterina Moskvich/ TASS

This year, a decision is expected to be made on the inclusion of a submachine gun in the wearable emergency reserve of pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). For the first time, it became known last autumn that military helicopters began to receive compact and light weapons instead of the AKS-74U submachine gun. It is assumed that the folding shortened Kalashnikov will be replaced by a PP-2000 or PPK-20 submachine gun. Both samples are firing 9x19 mm cartridges. The first one is one of the lightest in the world, its weight is 1.4 kg without ammunition and a stock (it can use a spare magazine as a shoulder rest). The second one continues to be tested as a self-defense weapon for pilots. The PPK-20 can use 7H21 armor-piercing cartridges, hitting targets in a 3A protection class bulletproof vest, and has a range of 360 m for a height target.

Lebedev's modular pistol, which underwent trial operation in the special rapid response unit (SOBR) "Bulat" of the Russian Guard, will be improved. This was told in the Kalashnikov concern in July last year. In the MPL and MPL1 modifications, the design will be changed to reduce the effort of the magazine equipment and increase the reliability of the fuse. In addition, the pistol will improve the operation of the magazine reset button, make changes to the manufacturing processes of parts.

On December 1, the concern's press service announced that customers from Russian law enforcement agencies had supplied over 10,000 Lebedev compact pistols (PLC). The 9 mm short-barreled weapon was created to replace the Makarov pistol (PM) and was adopted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in 2021. According to the president of the concern Alan Lushnikov, with the launch of the PLC into serial production, Kalashnikov increased the production of pistols five times in 2023.

Victor Bodrov