Kalashnikov AK-74, AKS-74 and AK-74M assault rifles (USSR / Russia)

AK-74 5.45mm assault rifle

AK-74 rifle of the late production, with black plastic furniture and the new pattern bayonet

AKS-74. Folding butt version for the airborne troops

AK-74M. The latest variant, issued to the Russian troops since early 1990s. Key differences from the earlier AK-74 rifles are the side-folding plastic buttstock and the scope mounting rail on the left side of the receiver.

The standard issue '5N7' 5.45x39mm ammo (note lacquered steel case and slim, long bullet)

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Caliber: 5.45x39 mm
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt with 2 lugs
Weight: 3,3 kg (with empty magazine without bayonet); 3,6 kg (with loaded magazine)
Length: 943 mm (AKS-74 with folded butt - 690 mm)
Barrel length: 415 mm
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds standard
Effective range: 500 meters
Rate of fire: 600 - 650 rounds per minute

The idea of the reduced caliber ammunition for military shoulder arms was played with for a very long time. Each time the technology leaped forward, the standard calibers were reduced - from the 0.45 - 0.50 inch (11.4 - 12.7mm) of the mid-1800 to the .30 of the mid-1900s. The idea of further reduction of the caliber down to 6.5 - 5.6 mm (.240 - .220 inch) was also considered in many countries since the beginning of the XX century, but it was not until the 1960s when the idea of the low impulse, small-caliber, high velocity round came up to something real. When US Army adopted the M16 rifle in the mid-1960s, everybody else eyed Americans with interest. And as soon as the idea of small caliber rifle was found worthwhile, the total rearming began.

Soviet army started the development of its own small-caliber ammunition in the late 1960s. After some years of development, a new round was created. This round featured a bottlenecked, tapered case, slim bullet with nominal caliber of 5.45mm (actual bullet diameter is 5.62 mm). The bullet featured a combined steel and lead core with the hollow nose, muzzle velocity from the 415mm barrel was about 900 m/s. As soon as the new ammunition was available and accepted by the Soviet Military, it was decided to develop a new family of small arms around this cartridge. The fastest way to do so was to simply adapt the existing 7.62mm AKM assault rifle and the RPK light machine gun for new ammunition. This "new" arms would serve as an intermediate, temporary solution until the new, more effective and modern arms would be developed. The task of adaptation of the AKM/RPK family for the new round was relatively simple, since the new round was designed with this conversion in mind (case length and the overall length of both 7.62mm and 5.45mm cartridges are almost the same).

Basically, the small-caliber Kalashnikov assault rifle, officially adopted by the Soviet Army in 1974 as the "5.45mm Avtomat Kalashnikova, obraztsa 1974 goda (AK-74)", was no more than the older AKM, re-chambered for a new round, with very minor modifications. The most visible modification is the large and effective muzzle brake, which further reduces already moderate recoil of the new round, and improves the controllability of the rifle in the full automatic mode. Rear sight, while being of the same old design, was accordingly recalibrated for the new cartridge with much flatter trajectory. The wooden buttstock was slightly lightened by two oval cuts on both sides. The pistol grip was made from plastic, and the forend initially was made from wood. The stamped steel magazines were replaced by the plastic magazines of the very distinctive red-brown color. The airborne version of the new rifle, AKS-74, also introduced a new pattern of the folding butt. This was made from stamped steel, and folded to the left side of the receiver instead of being folded down on the 7.62mm AKMS, and was of more comfortable and robust construction. Otherwise the AK-74 retained all features and construction of the AKM/AKMS, and, surprisingly, the key deficiencies of the AKM were not cured in this improved version. For example, AK-74 retained the same less than ideal safety - selector lever, and the same crude sights. Like the AKM, the AK-74 can be fitted with special silencer (requires subsonic ammunition) or the 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher GP-25 or GP-30 (improved and lightened model).

During the production AK-74 was slightly improved. The mixed wooden and plastic furniture were replaced with the black plastic furniture, and the red-brown magazines were supplemented with the black plastic ones. The "Night" version AK-74N had been developed with the night IR scope rail added to the left side of the receiver. The latest variation of the AK-74 breed, that was introduced circa 1991 and consequently replaced in production both AK-74 and AKS-74, is the AK-74M. The AK-74M externally differs from the AK-74 of late 1980s production by the side-folding, solid black plastic buttstock and by the scope rail, mounted on the left receiver as as a standard. Some minor improvements also were made in the production process and external finish of the new rifle. AK-74M retained almost all advantages and disadvantages of the earlier Kalashnikov designs, including reliability, simplicity of operations and maintenance, and less than ideal "human engineering" and ergonomics. At the present time the AK-74M, along with earlier AK-74/AKS-74 is the standard shoulder arm of the Russian Army. The plans of replacing it with the widely advertised Nikonov AN-94 assault rifle were not carried out to any significant extent - the AN-94 is (and most probably will be) issued only to most elite units of the Russian Army, police and the Internal Affairs Ministry troops. The AK-74 type, 5.45mm assault rifles also were manufactured in the East German, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania. Most of these designs after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact were converted to the 5.56mm NATO ammunition.

Heckler-Koch HK G36 assault rifle (Germany)

HK G36 assault rifle (standard German army version with dual sight system) with 40mm AG36 underbarrel grenade launcher
Image: Heckler-Koch


HK G36E rifle (Export version) with single 1.5X telescope sight and spare magazine clamped to the left side of the inserted one.
Image: Heckler-Koch

HK G36 assault rifle with optional accessory kit which includes forearm with four Picatinny rails and a low-profile scope rail on the receiver
Image: Heckler-Koch

HK G36K "short" (Kurz) assault rifle, with buttstock folded; standard version with iron sights and Picatinny rail
Image: Heckler-Koch

HK G36KE short assault rifle, export version, with 'E' type telescope sight / carrying handle setup
Image: Heckler-Koch

HK G36C 'Compact' or 'Commando' assault rifle, with optional Picatinny rails on forend
Image: Heckler-Koch

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	G36	G36K	G36C
Caliber	5.56x45mm (.223 Rem)
Length (buttstock open / folded)	998 / 758 mm	860 / 615 mm	720 / 500 mm
Barrel length	480 mm	320 mm	228 mm
Weight empty	3.6 kg (3.3 kg G36E)	3.3 kg (3.0 kg G36KE)	2.8 kg
Magazine capacity	30 rounds standard
Rate of fire	750 rounds per minute

The Heckler und Koch G-36 assault rifle had been born as HK-50 project in early 1990s. The reason behind that project was that the Bundeswehr (the German army), after the cancellation of the G11 and G41 projects, was left with outdated G3 rifle and no modern rifle, compatible with the current NATO standards at hands. Therefore the famous company Heckler & Koch was set to develop a new assault rifle for both German army and the export. The new 5.56mm assault rifle has been adopted by the Bundeswehr in the 1995, and in the 1999 the Spain adopted its slightly different, export version, G36E as its standard infantry rifle. The G36 also found its way into the hands of various law enforcement agencies worldwide, including British police and some US police departments. So far I've heard very few complaints about this rifle, and a lot of good revives and opinions. In fact, the only complaints about G36 that I know are the overheating of the handguards during the sustained fire, and the loose of zero of built in scope on some G36KE rifles, used by US police. Some German soldiers also complained about position of dual optical sights and those sights being easily fogged in bad weather (rain or snow). Otherwise it is a good rifle, accurate, reliable, simple in operations and maintenance, and available in a wide variety of versions - from the short-barreled Commando (some even said that it's a submachine gun) G36C and up to a standard G36 rifle. The MG36 squad automatic weapon (light machine gun), which was initially designed as a heavy-barreled version of the G36, was in fact a short-lived proposition that never went into mass production.

The G36, in severely modified form, was used as a "kinetic energy" part of the now-cancelled US XM-29 OICW weapon and it also served as a base for XM8 assault rifle (also cancelled).

Technical description.
From the technical point of view, the G36 is a radical departure from all the previous HK rifles, based on the proven G3 roller-delayed system. The G36 is a conventional gas operated, selective fire rifle, made from most modern materials and using most modern technologies.

The receiver and most of the others external parts of the G36 are made from reinforced polymers, with steel inserts where appropriate. The operating system appears to be a modification of the older American Armalite AR-18 rifle, with short stroke gas piston, located above the barrel, square-shaped bolt carrier and the typical rotating bolt with 7 locking lugs. Of cause, there also are many differences from the AR-18. The bolt carrier rides on a single guide rod, with the return spring around it. The charging handle is attached to the top of the bolt carrier and can be rotated to the left or to the right. When not in use, the charging handle aligns itself with the axis of the weapon under the pressure of its own spring, and reciprocates with the bolt group at the top of the receiver. The gas block is fitted with the self-adjustable gas valve that expels all the used gases forward, away from the shooter. The ejection window is located at the right side of the receiver and features a spent cases deflector to propel the ejected cases away from the face of the left-handed shooter.

All the major parts are assembled on the receiver using the cross- pins, so rifle can be disassembled and reassembled back without any tools.

The typical HK trigger unit is assembled in a separate plastic housing, integral with the pistol grip and the triggerguard. Thanks to this feature, a wide variety of firing mode combinations can be used on any rifle, simply by installing the appropriate trigger unit. Standard options are single shots, full automatic fire, 2 or 3 round bursts in any reasonable combinations. The default version is the single shots + 2 rounds burst + full auto. The ambidextrous fire selector lever also serves as a safety switch.

G36 is fed from the proprietary 30-rounds box magazines, made from translucent plastic. All magazines have special studs on its sides, so two or three magazines can be clipped together for faster reloading. The magazine housings of the G36 are made as a separate parts, so G36 can be easily adjusted to the various magazine interfaces. By the standard, the magazine release catch is located just behind the magazine, in the G3 or AK-47 style, rather than on the side of the magazine housing (M16-style). A 100-round Beta-C dual drum magazines of US origins also can be used (these magazines are standard for the MG36 squad automatic versions of the G36).

The side-folding skeletonized buttstock is standard on all G36 rifles. It folds to the right side and does not interfere with rifle operation when folded.

The standard sighting equipment of the G36 consists of the TWO scopes - one 3.5X telescope sight below, with the second 1X red-dot sight above it. The sights are completely independent, with the former suitable for long range accurate shooting, and the latter suitable for the fast target acquisition at the short ranges. Both sights are built into the plastic carrying handle. The export versions of the G36 are available with the single 1.5X telescope sight, with the emergency open sights molded into the top of the carrying handle. The subcompact G36K Commando version is available with the integral Picatinny-type scope and accessory rail instead of the carrying handle and standard sights.

The standard G36 rifles can be fitted with the HK AG36 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher. It also can be fitted with the bayonets. Interestingly enough, G36 uses an AK-74-type bayonets, which are left from the now non-existent NVA (East Germany Army) stocks.

Tokyo Marui AK47 Krinkov (Metal + Drum Magazine)

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12.7mm QJG-89 heavy machine gun (PR China)

QJG-89 heavy machine gun with tripod set to low-profile position; gun is fitted with IR / Night sight

Caliber 12.7x108 mm
Weight 17.5 kg (gun body) + 8.5 kg (tripod)
Length 2119 mm
Barrel length 1003 mm
Feed belt, 50 rounds
Rate of fire 450 - 600 rounds per minute

Very little relibale information is so far available on this heavy machine gun. It is claimed to use combination gas / recoil operated action that is used to decrease peak recoil, which otherwise must be significant (to say the least) for such a light (26 kg / 57 lbs complete with tripod) but powerful gun. Gun uses direct impingement gas system, apparently borrowed from Type 77 HMG.
The exact detals of the gas / recoil operated action of the QJG-89 machine gun are still unknown (email me if you know any details for sure!), but we may speculate that the direct gas action is used to unlock the rotary bolt from the barrel, and the short recoil of the barrel group is used to cycle the bolt group through the accelerator lever. Type 89 / QJG-89 heavy machine gun uses standard belt feed with belt movement direction being left to right. Barrel is quick-detachable and is fitted with massive muzzle brake. Standard furniture includes pistol grip with rifle-type trigger and a tubular shoulder stock. Gun is used from lightweight tripod of adjustable height, which can be used for both ground and AA applications. On most illustrations the QJG-89 is also fitted with some sort of optical or IR / Night sight, although adjustable iron sights also available by default.

Type 67 general purpose machine gun (China)

Type 67 machine gun on tripod, with 100-round drum belt container attached to the right side of receiver


Type 67-2 general purpose machine gun on tripod; note that tripod is different from original type 67


Type 67-2 general purpose machine gun in light machine gun role, on integral bipod

Caliber: 7.62x54mmR
Weight: 11 kg (gun) + 13 kg (tripod, Type 67) or 5 kg (tripod, Type 67-2)
Length: 1345 mm
Length of barrel: 605 mm
Feeding: belt, 100 or 250 rounds
Rate of fire: 650-700 rounds/min

Type 67 was the first Chinese general purpose machine gun, developed to replace earlier Type 53 and Type 57 7,62mm medium machine guns (license-built copies of Soviet SG-43 and SGM respectively). This weapon combined features borrowed from many other machine guns, and went through a number of variations, still serving with PLA (Chinese People's Liberation Army). Development of a new medium machine gun commenced in 1959, with first prototypes tested in 1963. At that time the concept of a new weapon was broaden from medium to universal machine gun. Adopted in 1967, it was improved with the introduction of the Type 67-1 in 1978. In 1982 PLA has adopted the Type 67-2 GPMG, which was somewhat lighter and used a lighter tripod. Type 67-2 is so far a standard general purpose machine gun of PLA. It saw limited use during closing days of Vietnam war, and few guns of this type also found its way (through the Pakistan) into the hands of Afghanistan mujaheds that fought Soviet army during early 1980s.

Type 67 machine gun is gas operated, air cooled, belt fed machine gun that fires from open bolt. Barrel is quick-detachable. It uses ZB-26 type vertically tilting bolt to lock the barrel. Feed is from right side only, using steel, non-disintegrating belts with open pockets (type 67-2 belts are assembled from 25-round pieces using cartridge as an inter-link). To avoid two-stage feed with rimmed ammunition, Type 67 uses push-out type feed, where cartridges are pushed down and out of the link by the cams in the feed module, then fed forward and into the chamber by the closing bolt. Standard belt capacity is 250 rounds, but for LMG role 100-round belts can be loaded into drum-type container which can be clipped to the receiver. Belt is said to be incompatible with any other weapon. Early Type 67 machine guns had fluted barrels; Type 67-1 and 67-2 have smooth barrels, probably as a cost-saving measure, type 67-2 barrels also are somewhat lighter than earlier ones. Furniture (pistol grip and shoulder stock) was made from wood on Type 67 and from polymer on later Type 67-1 and 67-2 weapons. Every Type 67 machine gun is fitted with integral, folding bipod, and also can be installed on infantry tripod. Type 67 and Type 67-1 tripods had legs made from heavy steel tubes; Type 67-2 tripod had lighter legs made from steel stampings.

AU-2G Steyr (Military)

caliber 5.56mm NATO
V0 945 m/s
weigth 4,9kg w/o magazine
Length 900 mm
Length of barrel 621 mm
feeding box magazine 30 or 42 rounds
rate of fire 680 rpm

AU-2G Steyr merupakan replika dari Steyr AUG Military. Bentuk unik. Elektrik, gearbox metal, magazine hi-cap, hop-up adjustable, 375fps (BB 0.2) out of box!! DIlengkapi dengan scope yang sudah terintegrasi dengan body bagian atas, scope berfungsi penuh (bukan scope dummy). Dapat di lepas dalam 3 bagian tanpa menggunakan peralatan tambahan (seperti obeng dll), mirip dengan mencopot senjata aslinya. Railing atas dari bahan metal. Parts kompatibel dengan produk Tokyo Marui. Plastik body berkualitas tinggi sangat mirip dengan finishing Marui.

Model steyr-Solothurn S2-100 / S2-200 / MG 30 / 31M machine gun (Switzerland / Austria)

Steyr-Solothurn S2-100 light machine gun

Steyr-Solothurn S2-200 / MG 30 light machine gun, Austria

Steyr-Solothurn S2-200 / 31M light machine gun, Hungary

Caliber	7.92x57, 8x56R
Weight	9.5 kg
Length	1162 mm
Barrel length	600 mm
Feed	Magazine, 30 rounds
Rate of fire	550 rounds per minute

During the late 1920s Waffenfabrik Solothurn, a Swiss private business that emerged in the watch-making industry but later turned to the production of small-arms parts, was bought by the German concern Rheinmetall, to serve as a research and development facility away from the watchful eyes of the Allied Control Commission, established in 1918 as a result of Treaties of Versailles. In 1929 Waffenfabrik Solothurn brought out its first practical machine gun, known by the factory as the S2-100, and in export catalogs as the MG 29. Next year Solothurn announced an updated version, the S2-200, also known as the MG 30. It was, in essence, a typical light machine gun – recoil operated and magazine fed, although Solothurn also offered a complicated universal tripod for this gun. The Solothurn MG30 earned its place in history by being adopted by Austria in 1930 and Hungary in 1931 (in both cases chambered for 8x56R ammunition), and it also served as the starting point for several German machine guns, such as the MG 15 (aircraft) and MG 34. It is also must be noted that most of components of the MG30 were produced in Austria at the Steyr factory; Solothurn carried out the final assembly and test-firing.

The Solothurn S2-200 machine gun is a short-recoil operated, air cooled, magazine-fed weapon. It uses a locking ring, which is located at the end of the barrel extension, to lock the bolt. Inside the locking ring, there are six sets of locking lugs, arranged as an interrupted thread. These lugs are mated with lugs cut at the rear of the bolt. Rotation of the ring, which locks and unlocks the bolt, is controlled by rollers mounted on the outside of the ring. Upon recoil, these rollers follow cam tracks cut into the receiver. The gun is of relatively simple design, with most parts having a round cross-section. The tubular receiver is an extension of the barrel jacket. The butt hosts a tube which contains the return spring and its guide. During disassembly, the butt is unlocked and rotated to disengage it from the receiver, then removed. This permits the entire barrel / bolt group to be pulled or shaken off the receiver for replacement. Since the bolt is held attached to the barrel extension, it needs to be removed from the hot barrel and attached to the cold one before reassem