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Russian gunmaker creates assault rifle chambered for NATO’s 5.56mm rounds

The new assault rifle has received a lightweight telescopic-type buttstock with improved ergonomics, a new sight and slotted flash suppressor that allows quickly installing a silencer

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. The Kalashnikov Group (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) has developed a version of the AK-12 assault rifle chambered for NATO’s 5.56mm rounds, the Kalashnikov Group said on its Instagram on Monday.

"The experimental AK-19 assault rifle. The cartridge used is the NATO 5.56. The barrel length - 415mm. The twist rate - 178mm. The weight - 3,350 g," the Kalashnikov Group said on its Instagram.

The new assault rifle has received a lightweight telescopic-type buttstock with improved ergonomics, a new sight and slotted flash suppressor that allows quickly installing a silencer.

The new assault rifle will be demonstrated to the public in the Kalashnikov Group’s demonstration center at the Patriot Park during the Army-2020 international arms show that will run on August 23-29.

The work to create new versions of small arms for various calibers based on proven platforms is a world trend. In August 2018, the Kalashnikov gunmaker presented a new AK-308 assault rifle derived from the AK-103 gun and chambered for the 7.62x51mm cartridge, which is the NATO standard rifle caliber. The AK-308 has a 20-round magazine. It weighs 4.3 kg with the empty magazine and its overall length is 880-940mm.

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