In the early 80-ies nothing remarkable river in Khakassia had its name competition, which was carried out to develop new high-performance machine. Today the name Abakan disturb the whole world of weapons.
The process of developing, testing and putting on the production of any model of arms is very expensive, labor intensive and sometimes stretched for many years. It is therefore constantly increasing requirements for tactical weapons overtaking the process of rearming. For example, the implementation of the ROC Abakan try to trace all the stages of testing each sample weapons before reaching a decision on the feasibility of adopting it.
Labor designer weapons neblagodaren by its nature, because weapons are in service for decades, and stringent competitive tests detect only the most vibrant, forward-looking design and add to the collection of museums illegitimate. Samodeyatelnym designers, who divorced enough in recent years ( in small arms, as in women, football, hockey deals all) nevdomek that the refinement of modern designs are so high that requires tremendous intellectual efforts are not alone, but entire teams of designers, engineers, high-quality metal, a unique manufacturing base.
In 1974, with the adoption by the Soviet Army 5.45-mm assault rifle AK74 completed a certain stage in the development of small arms. The main achievement was the development of a powerful, easy maloimpulsnogo patron.
Sam automatic AK74, despite the many positive attributes, get rid of the major shortcomings of its grandfather AK - low accuracy of fire bursts - marked another in 1947.
The tactics of modern battlefield dictate its conditions. Vysokomanevrennye of mobile combat units required reference sufficiently effective automatic fire mostly from the volatile situation: standing with a short stop, kneeling, lying down with his hands. The decision of the Commission of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the military-industrial issues number 280 27.08.81 of the city began ROC Abakan with the main purpose of - the development of a new machine, superior full-on combat effectiveness of 1,5 - 2,0 times.
The implementation of the designers took TSKIB SOO, Kovrovskogo mechanical and Izhevsk Machine-building plants under the general guidance of scientific and Central Research Institute of precision engineering (TsNIITochmash).
Three years went by otrabotku of new weapons, technical design, manufacture prototypes and test factory.
By August 1984, eight samples were produced by machines experienced eight designers. Preliminary trials on the technical design stage in August and November 1984 were subjected to assault rifles:
TKB-0111 (TSKIB SOO, designer Korobov GA)
TKB-0136-3M (TSKIB SOO, designer Afanasyev NM)
TKB-0146 (TSKIB SOO, designer Stechkin I.YA.)
AEK-971 (SKB KMZ, designer Garev BA)
AEK-978 (SKB KMZ, designer Pikinsky PA)
AL-9 (PO Izhmash, designer Kalashnikov VM)
AU (PO Izhmash, designer Nikonov GN)
APP (PO IzhNITI, designer Postnikov IA).
The Commission, appointed by the decision Minoboronproma and Grau, reviewed the test results and confirmed the possibility of establishing a forward-looking machines. The automatic APT because of the unreliability of the automation was withdrawn from testing and further otrabotku machine TKB-0111 (the least promising), it was decided to hold optional without the conclusion of the contract. finalizes machines in increasing the trouble automation, resource details and accuracy of fire took one and a half years.
In May - June 1986 on the basis of TsNIITochmash was made a preliminary stage of testing. By previously tested machines joined CRA-1 (instead of AL-9, designer Kalashnikov VM) and SC-63 (TsNIITochmash).
Tests included a very large amount: shooting in the dust, sprinkling in extreme temperatures, under high elevation angles, inducement, the definition of grouping and the effectiveness of fire from all provisions. In spite of this work was completed after a month and a half. A lot of nerves destroying designers home brainchild , and a metal from the permanent replacements of parts and their adaptation added corn. Neither model is not satisfied the requirements for the reliability of automation, resource details, volume and weight of shot. Satisfy the requirements for grouping only the AU and SA-63. At the shortcomings were released only three months.
Repeated preliminary testing began in late October 1986. At the tests were presented to two fundamentally new samples ASM Construction Nikonov GA (shift in momentum returns in the stationary store) and the battery instead of CRA-1 design Kalashnikov V. M. (balanced automatics).
Further development of basic talnyh samples were limited to refine designs and spuskovyh patronopodayuschih mechanisms, modification of muzzle devices. By the middle of testing, it became clear that further work with the TKB-0111, AEK-971 and CRA unviable.
Automatic AC, ACM and TKB-0146 showed excellent accuracy of fire. Ispytateli and members of the commission unanimously noted a great comfort firing of these samples: almost imperceptible effect (when shooting high rate of standing machines can keep on weight, not upiraya butt in the shoulder) and soft the sound of shots. Short least two shots from a high rate of perceived listening as a single shot, while the eyes of observer, standing aloof from the arrow, can fix the flight trajectory of the two included cartridges.
Thus, the estimated range tests came only three samples - AC, ACM and TKB-0146. Nastupal the most dramatic moment of years of work.
Who will be the first? Mastity Stechkin or little-known outside Izhmasha Nikonov? Machine guns although both designers and showed good results on the accuracy of fire, but because of the complexity and high zagryaznyaemosti details automatics have low infallibility. Will Do to achieve the reliability of proven AK74? Moreover, the civilian life machines ceased. All further tests must be conducted only specialists from the Ministry of Defense on its governing documents, providing for checks on anyone, even the most fortuitous event of military operation.
