sa81 KRASA: Czechoslovakia's Ultra-Compact Lost PDW

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The Krása project (which translates as "beauty", but is also a shortening of "short assault rifle" - "KRÁtký SAmopal") is a fascinating piece of Czech small arms development. In 1976, the Czechoslovakian military requested development of a compact personal weapon for special troops (paratroops, armored vehicle crews, etc) and unit commanders. It was to be chambered for the standard 7.62x39mm cartridge, but it should be no more than 1.6kg (3.5lb) empty and just 270mm (10.6") long when folded.
The project was tackled by Jiri Čermák, who was the designed of the vz58 rifle. He began by simply shortening a vz58 as much as possible, but that was not sufficient to meet the goals. So he went on create a new rifle with a radically different feeding system. Instead of pushing rounds forward out of the magazine, it would pull them rearward, like a Mars or Boberg pistol (or like the North Korean Type 73 machine gun). This required a very different type of magazine, but allowed Čermák to create a functional weapon that was close to the requested size - 315mm (12.4") long and 2.1kg (4.6lb).
The first prototype was designed in late 1980, and two examples were made in 1981, designated the sa81. After only a small amount of function testing, the project shifted to use the new 5.45x39mm cartridge. One example in that caliber was made, the sa83, in 1983. However, the project was cancelled at the end of 1983 in favor of the new Lada program, which planned to create a complete new family of small arms. Lada was in turn cancelled by the fall of communism, and eventually replaced by the short-lived CZ2000 family in 5.56x45mm.
The Krása project made a brief comeback around the same time as the CZ2000, called project HROM. It uses the exact same mechanism, but with distinctive elements from the Lada/2000 guns like the sights and furniture. That project also was cancelled after just a couple prototypes.
In my opinion, the reverse-feeding concept remains a fascinating potential solution for an ultra-compact PDW. Seeing someone finish its development using a cartridge like .300 Blackout today would be awesome...
Thanks to the Czech Military History Institute (VHU) for graciously giving me access to this one-of-a-kind prototype to film for you! If you have the opportunity, don't miss seeing their museums in Prague:
www.vhu.cz/en/...
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[@AntiPlatitude]

That thing probably spits absolute fireballs.

[@zadtheinhaler]

Legit flashbang delivery system

[@jansenart0]

Spits one before recoil sends it flying straight up. Damn thing is the wild magic sorcerer in the D&D party.

[@kschleic9053]

This was old-school forgotten weapons... All of Ian's technical communications skills put to the test explaining an absolutely unique and very hard to film firearm mechanism😂

[@F4celessArt]

It really looks like a gun a non-gun person would model for a game, only to receive lots of comments on how it is unrealistic due to misaligned features.

[@adrianstark372]

It was featured in a video game called "Marauders," alongside other historical (and more common) firearms. When I first played it my thoughts were exactly what you described--that it was a poor reimagining if an AK by someone who has no clue how firearms work. Little did I know...

[@Yfr28]

Look at Fallout's 10mm Submachine Gun

[@brabhamfreaman166]

I was thinking along similar lines - looks more like a fictional model of a gun, or a model of a fictional gun, than something that’s functional

[@robinlaszlo]

​@@Yfr28yeah I see it I'd it was more square it would basically be the 10mm

[@warmaster2104]

Ironicaly still better than every design Bethesda ever had for a gun XD

[@SS-tr5ru]

Cz needs to bring this back. This thing is insanely rad

[@thenarrativeandwhyyouloveit]

Completely integrally suppressed of course.

[@zadtheinhaler]

@@thenarrativeandwhyyouloveit What, you don't like flashbanging yourself?

[@Daddo22]

@@thenarrativeandwhyyouloveit The front looks like it'd be both a noise & flash suppressor on its own and the first expansion chamber in (the rest of) a suppressor screwed onto it.

[@jaynecobb7964]

I'm curious based on the design, do you have to rack it twice to clear it?

[@LazerWolf21]

I wonder if this thing would be considered an SBR or a pistol here in the states. I would buy this thing money permitting.

[@HavokTheorem]

Micarta is a common name for textile-resin composites. Popular for knife furniture because it is easily made with basic tools, workable with woodworking tools as well as abrasives, tough and waterproof, and can be produced with decorative layer patterns.

[@weronikazalewska2098]

It's some sort plastiised fabric and has been around for a lon time. Really useful but weird stuff. In surprised it's not used more on guns

[@solidsnake4167]

@@weronikazalewska2098polymer injection molding is probably just easier to produce. Id imagine the fabrics have to be laid into place then polymerized. However that material is really cool

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

@@weronikazalewska2098 Well i think the reason is that it is a bit heavy for the strength you get.

[@VFNova]

Also Micarta typically has some nice texture/grippiness to it over just plastic. I like it for my knives.

[@Bidimus1]

The US GI Helmet liners of WW2 were also resin/fabric. Have seen Denim / Resin eyeglasses frames as well.

[@MrJTSIX]

You can’t fool me, that’s a prototype Space Marine bolter

[@Pigness7]

You can tell because it's an ugly terrible design.

[@MirceaPrunaru]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 10 seconds in the clip and thats what i also said.

[@williamgritton1912]

😂

[@meadball1]

For the EMPEROR!!!

[@MrKronikDeception]

Came here to say this. ...now to make it .75 cal...

[@abstract_duck]

he did it ... finally this has to be one of my favorite concepts

[@villainousmaximus8775]

Impressive design, but even more impressive is your reputation, as they give you access to a 1-of-1 example to show case and disassemble. Very cool, thank you for all you do.

[@leonardpearlman4017]

They only made two!??!! Well, they did a good job, it looks expensive. I always wonder if Ian gets to look at a manual for something like this, or has he done it so much that he can just pick up anything and take it apart and explain it. It was funny about the serial number, I'm always impressed when I find something that has a serial number like 0002! Maybe that's just me. This is a good episode, I like everything about it!

[@takomerp]

I've literally been waiting for someone to show me more of this gun for over a decade. Thank you so much, Ian.

[@someonesomewhere7403]

Hello from Ukraine. I love your videos Ian. I’m going to volunteer to the military tomorrow. Wish me luck.

[@johnsmith-jq1uc]

gl

[@someonesomewhere7403]

@@johnsmith-jq1uc thanks

[@DaweSMF]

Luck is very cool thing. One question tho, do you have any previous military experience? Its very different from what you can see in movies. You wont make "Universal Soldier" in few months of training, you make "Kanonenfutter". Ever wondered why conscripts are usualy not very effective? Low morale, low survavibility tasks where you do what other units are "too valuable" to do. If this is real and not just some posture to get likes, i wish you good commanders - those will have bigger effect on you than luck.

[@peka2478]

Good luck, и слава Украине!

[@cbroz7492]

God bless you, my friend..May St Michael the Archangel guide you sword arm..

[@MrHVHVHV]

Ah, the plays with Czech language. "KRAtky SAmopal" = KRASA - meaning SHOrt SUBmachine gun. While the KRASA actually means "prettiness" in Czech.

[@Wanys123]

Oh f**king thank god. At first I was like "please be called that because its designer was named Krása or something, we couldn't have named this abomination "Beauty".

[@Sabrowsky]

That's actually adorable ngl

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

A small and cute SMG, got ya!

[@Def-cd6bm]

Odd. "Samopal" normaly means an improvised firearm crudely made by criminals of regular goods from a hardware store. Another meaning is something counterfeit.

[@galvanic.warlock]

​@@Def-cd6bmwell, Czech language works unlike russian

[@bauer431]

This is one of the most interesting designs youve shown in quite a while.

[@NavyShooter3]

OK, the G11 was Kraut Space Magic. This is Czech Clockwork Maxim Magic.

[@contra009]

Flashbang dispenser, give it a loudencer

[@judgemental9253]

It appears to already have one, check out the diameter of that threaded barrel end

[@contra009]

@judgemental9253 they got the requisition right on the money. Bonus flamethrower too

[@homdizzle91]

One of my most anticipated forgotten weapons episodes !

[@michalberanek2783]

Tak to je krása

[@zdenekprisovsky2783]

Podle me nesmysl, ale budiz. Zajimal by me soukromy nazor p.Cermaka.

[@michalberanek2783]

@@zdenekprisovsky2783 věc může být krásná a zároveň nesmyslná, to se nevylučuje

[@zdenekprisovsky2783]

@@michalberanek2783 Vyborny postreh, holt ceske mysleni 🙂

[@petesheppard1709]

That 5.45 cartridge acquisition reminds me of Glock finding a .40 S&W round at SHOT Show.

[@Willy_Tepes]

I love the look of the phenolic furniture. We used this in the airforce for jigs and specialty tools.

[@GigaDanMan]

Did I get here before the jokes about how loading those mags would be quite natural for an HK owner?

[@tulsatrash]

Its amazing how small they got this. Thank you so much to MHI and forgotten weapons for making the life and mechanisms of this device known in video format.

[@geodkyt]

This, by the way, is the way I think designers should aim to do dust covers - have them default to closed, and have the system mechanically open them *only* while the bolt is cycling. That way, you don't have to rely on PVT Snuffy remembering to seal his gun to protect the guts from crud.

[@mikepj67]

it’s a smart idea

[@johnwilliams5007]

Like the FNC, galil ace, or sig 550?

[@peka2478]

Such a system has more small moving parts which, if jammed by anything (say, dirt and crud), make the fun nonfunctional. Also, more expensive. Might be necessary when working with private conscriptovich, but having a simpler, more reliable gun seems better, if your guys actually know what they're doing

[@userJohnSmith]

This is honestly something I would love to have. Awesome concept for a backpack/bedside gun.

[@1bishw]

Backpacking? Are you hiking through the south side of Chicago?

[@EggwardEgghands]

@@1bishw He didn't check for Zimmerman under his bed

[@kschleic9053]

Idk if a rifle caliber flashbang dispenser is the best possible bedside gun... Firing rifle rounds through the walls of my house while deaf and blind seems like a bad plan. At least the home invader would be deaf and blind too😂

[@userJohnSmith]

@@kschleic9053 Put a can on it. I have a ultra light 7.5 inch KP-15 in 300 blk and it handles beautifully with a can-but it's a little clumsy for storage. This solves that. As for walls, once you're out of apartments that concern is less of an issue.

[@userJohnSmith]

@@1bishw Forays into my downtown can be... Interesting.

[@dougler500]

This thing is awesome! Suprisingly high quality looking and with some decent quality of life features for such an early and untested prototype. The spring hold open on the top cover plus the automatic dust cover, nice looking sight adjustments, a nice compact stock. Really incredible. I always love efforts directed towards compactness in firearms, it brings out such interesting and clever design choices.

[@CaptainGrief66]

I adore the Boberg system, it's my favourite example to bring up when a friend asks an opinion on a unrealistic videogame gun with unconventional features, this video was a real treat, what a goofy and fantastic design, prime Czech engineering

[@marty2129]

This weapon is a proof that Silverhand's Malorian from Cyberpunk could be functional...

[@gijake1989]

12:10 "It is guided," promptly shows everyone why it was guided, "by the cutouts." Thanks for keeping that take, Ian.

[@VicFromFallout]

Is this Warhammer 40000 Bolter?

[@fithianmt7468]

Lmao it does look like a realistic take on a bolt pistol

[@Calvin_Coolage]

Nah that's some Hive ganger's stubber.

[@rustknuckleirongut8107]

Warhammer 1980

[@314299]

That is one of the most interesting designs I have seen in a long time. Thanks for the detailed look at a fascinating PDW!

[@scottrobinson3281]

700 fps lost, +- 23gr magnum handgun burning rate powder, no can, flash and report: ferocious! As the owner of a vz58, that wonderful Czech engineering is very evident in the Sa81.

[@bobhill3941]

Happy Thanksgiving from Canada and all Canadian Forgotten Weapons fans. This is one of the coolest, most interesting guns and feed mechanisms I've seen here. I thoroughly enjoyed the look at the internals. I really enjoyed the history, how the chamber development for the 5.45 commenced, I googled Pertinax and it's an interesting material, it's neat that the gas system runs through the foregrip. Pertinax also reminds me of Duraplast.

[@Primarch359]

The magazine release looking exactly like an AR is fascinating to me

[@brandonjew1397]

I was thinking something similar. Ther is an ar-15 lower receiver replacement that accepts quad stacked magazines, making each magazine significantly thicker but holds around 40 rounds. There is also an ar-10 model that is chambered in 308. I wonder if this Czech gun can be designed to be both chambered in 308 and have a quad stacked magazine!

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

It was designed decades after the AR 🤷

[@wookie-zh7go]

"Hey bro no flamethrowers in the building" "It's not it's a PDW"

[@BubblewrapHighway]

Pertinax was also a Roman emperor. He was a career military man who was sick of the Praetorian Guard abusing their position, so he cracked down on corruption, gambling, drinking, and robbery among the ranks. They stabbed him to death in the imperial office and put the throne up for auction. Julianus was eating dinner when he heard the news, bought the throne, and lasted two months before he was also murdered and replaced.

[@oscarjosefsson9300]

Using the hammer as a transitional magazine follower was very innovative. The story about finding the secret cartridge was really cool also.

[@BudgetPhoenix]

That's the cutest little bolt & carrier assembly

[@morono4016]

What a beauty, a video I’ve been waiting for years this is incredible

[@lyedavide]

I want one! Make that ten! It would have been an awesome PDW!

[@infernoreviews2529]

holy crap, that thing reminds me of the 10mm SMG from fallout 3 and new vegas !

[@iamsadlmao4415]

Je to krása 😍

[@ReboyGTR]

8:00 *IT'S THE COUNTER STRIKE M4!*

[@rozkaz661]

I cant even imagine how interesting would this things malfunctions be. And another quirk is that with a magazine out of the gun and the bolt being back with a clear chamber your gun can very much not be clear at all.

[@mauroantoniocorradoauditor5968]

Interesting would be an understatement, but yeah, i can see how much of a pain would be to clear a failure to extract/ failure to feed in this gun

[@josephfoulger9628]

But you’d see a cartridge sat in the bolt through the ejection port so visual check should tell you whether it’s clear

[@oddball_the_blue]

MOAR DAKKA!!! (Seriously though, it looks like it belongs in the 41st Millennium, in the Grim dark.)

[@DeliveryMcGee]

That was my first thought, Space Marine bolt pistol.

[@elberttanner6189]

Micarta handguard. By the way, this is an example where cut away animation of operation might be a nice addition to some of the videos.

[@nojbik]

Amazing video again. Thank You Ian!

[@roberttaylor7451]

For those of you that don’t know James from tfbtv made a video of the.556 version of this not long ago. Pretty neat getting to see both variations

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

She's a real beauty of a submachinegun

[@brainc0la-_-]

The Micarta furniture is wicked cool. This thing looks like an alternate future MP5K.

[@daviddavis1322]

I bet it works better than the boberg. Military rifle cartridges probably stay together more than pistol rounds.

[@paranoiia8]

They need to make modern version of that... its just have so nice design.

[@jean-loupdesbordes4833]

The handguards matter is also called celoron it's an old composite mixture of bakelite and vegetal fibers and it has amaizing features, in fact it can be shaped like any metal (same tools) but it's a thermal non conducting material and for instance it has been used to shape regular gears for car gearboxes. It could be used as it for serial model even to guide the piston during gun's life. The other soution would be to have a wooden handguard plus a metal sleeve two different components to care of instead of one.

[@niklasw.1297]

It's like a tiny magazine-fed PKM. It's beautiful.

[@thedarkzone4271]

That is an adorable firearm

[@cbroz7492]

Wow, Ian..this was excellent!!!

[@ruebenblack3495]

Thought we were looking at a cut down rifle, this is way cooler

[@michaelblacktree]

This gun needs to be in a John Wick movie. The fireballs alone would be worth it.

[@michaelkalbfleisch4492]

That material that the forward stock is made out of is probably phenolic. It was used in the aviation industry quite a lot in the 60s and 70s.

[@crunchysuperman]

Yup, my first thought as well. Looks like phenolic.

[@timothybayliss6680]

Garolite is the closest material to the furniture that is common. Its similar to fiberglass but can use a different textile like cotton or glass mat and cured under pressure.

[@richardturk7162]

Alwas enjoy learning about different weapons.

[@martinpojer5375]

Fun fact, Ministry of national defence in technical requirements/request specificaly desiganted this as submachine gun pistol "samopalová pistole"

[@Natedawgontheright]

Thats not terrible velocity for a 5 incher. add a suppressor just for the flash and your good. Big thanks to the museum for letting you play with this 1 of 1 gem

[@oliverlamie3449]

Boy, this really pushes the line between a "bolt" and a falling block. Terminology becomes difficult at this point. Some elements of this definitely remind me of a Madsen too.

[@ifell3]

What an amazing design!

[@WindHaze10]

This is such a neat system to maximize barrel length when gun needs to be minimum size. It could also be used to make 20 inch barrel length gun to have same overall length as 17 inch gun? This could be the compromise between bullpup and traditional layouts.

[@luisantolafrancis519]

Awesome ,Bolt locking sistem is very much a Stg44 like ,the resin cloth material of the stock i think its called Micarta in occident . The double action of the hammer is a clever idea . There is a potential safety issue with the sistem in withch You can rack the Bolt take off the mag and retain a live bullet inside the feed sistem ,manual of arms of this piece has to be fully understand and drill has to be trained to operate correctly this tipe of PDWs .. awesome ,thanks to Ian we can see things that would never be displayed anywhere ,cheers!!

[@MiniPainterGamerDadD20]

7.62 outta that little barrel?!? I bet that recoil absolutely rocks. Forward hand probably getting blasted too.

[@vitezslavnovak2077]

I like these old Czechoslovak fire selectors. "How many holes do you need to drill through? One? None?...or twenty?"

[@phh2400]

The reminder for training of the selector orientation was "one for yourself, none for the air and thirty (sa58) for the enemy".

[@Getpojke]

Somewhere a Space-Marine is looking for his Bolter pistol! Amazing little gun. Would dearly love to see footage of one firing. Imagine it would be a repeating flash-bang though. Never mind keeping one eye shut to preserve night vision, it would be squeeze both eyes shut & hold on for dear life.

[@tenow]

Hand guard is made out of Trabant?

[@hyennussquatch4597]

😅

[@Shamman_komanch]

sa 81 beauty. What a name.

[@robertkoonce8365]

Ok, that's actually a cool little system. It appears to me that the muzzle device was intended for a suppressor. Which would make for a very cool , compact little package. Too bad it didn't take off.

[@saiberunato]

Cool looking concept. Probably a blast 😅

[@cronoevo]

Is it possible for a gun to be adorable? 'Cuz this is adorable...

[@eldepe6556]

Yay another cool gun from a Slavic Country I want but can never have,

[@microchrist6122]

If CZ sold these in Chicago or Atlanta it would be popular 😅

[@thekraken1173]

What an Innovative PDW!

[@BROTRRer]

This is the content I subscribed for!

[@geodkyt]

I'm quite certain this would be a "Did you remember to call the Fire Marshall?" before opening the range on a fall day. 😂

[@Nikolai1939]

Looks kinda like the guns from League of extraordinary gentlemen

[@wilemelliott]

Okay, fancy it up with milled parts, chamber it for something in a magnum straight wall cartridge like .460 Raptor or whatever, and you have Johnny Silverhand's Malorian from Cyberpunk 2077... if I had a machine shop and access to the blueprints, I'd be working on it now! Didn't the Mars also use the hammer for an additional function like part of the lifter mechanism during the feeding cycle?

[@anhtunguyen781]

I have been waiting for your videos on this gun, saw it elsewhere and was very curious

[@johanfredriksvendsen8482]

It boggles my mind that it is considered easier for the nation of Czechoslovakia to make all this effort to make a full power cartridge work in such a small package rather than just make a smaller cartridge (seeing as they did not get a smaller one from abroad).

[@kyuzotatsuya9641]

This needs remaking in 300 blackout

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

Aah yes, the worlds loudest pocket flamethrower. 😂🤣

[@geodkyt]

Well, if the Trabant automobile is any indication, that furniture should be *exceedingly* durable in service. And given the use of the similar material in the Trabant in East Germany, *and* Czech use of the "beaver barf" resin composite furniture for so long, I wouldn't at all have been surprised if they didn't use a variation of this fabric composite resin for full scale production, had this progressed. (But then I don't know how well this would scale up to serial production compared to beaver barf scaling down for prototyping, so I could be wrong.)

[@uumuu]

I love that is about as long as the folding stock

[@realvargr]

That's a bolter!

[@stuntmanmike37]

I like how the auto setting reads '20', implying that you're gonna give 'em the whole mag when you flip it to rock'n roll.

[@franklinhirsch1654]

Oh my GOD! Here I was thinking that the 10mm SMG from Fallout was pure fantasy!

[@nicholsliwilson]

So essentially it feeds like some belt fed machine guns? It’s a shame development stopped, it does have potential. Interesting video thanks, Ian.

[@fabiogalletti8616]

It's pretty much a PK claw, indeed. Miniaturized, for the 7,62x39 rimless, but same design.

[@dimmymackster431]

So somebody tried to make a bolt pistol... fair play, fair play.

[@leonpeters-malone3054]

Had to watch the bolt disassembly through a few times. I was thinking it wasn't only pulling the rounds out of the magazine, it was heading towards roller delayed too. Had that wrong.

[@martinpojer5375]

About the material of the stock, grip and handguard, I dont remember exactly but most of the types of this material used in Czech weapon industry was called specifically textoplast (textile-plastic) This name is mainly associated with CZ 24 and 27 pistols but used in prototypes at later times as well

[@Firedad4132]

The feeding system is similar to a belt feed, but upside down. Example: round pulled from belt on a different plane and transferred to the boltway and into the barrel, and when fired a fresh round is pulled while the spent round is removed and ejected.

[@jacksavage7808]

Who doesn't want one? Come on be honest.

[@noobmaster4412]

I want one in 50 ae

[@Alfiy_Wolf]

Looks like a good thing to put in a picnic basket

[@Bidimus1]

Neat.. do not many belt feds pull the cartridge back as well ? Ballistically seems not far from the M1/M2 Carbine . Put a wire stock on an M1 -Enforcer 4lbs (sans stock) 17 inch's... but as we all know reinventing the wheel is a popular thing.

[@oscarfloyd2678]

Muzzle Velocity: Maybe Muzzle Blast: You better believe it

[@jacobhesington6725]

I imagine the design team was like “should we make our new pdw in a pistol caliber so it can be direct blowback and as simple and cheap as possible? No, let’s go with a rifle round and make it as complex as possible.”

[@steelcannibal]

Makes me think of something from fallout. ❤

[@nero9978]

The 10MM smg definitely!

[@steelcannibal]

@@nero9978 absolutely! 😂

[@huyang7734]

@@nero9978 I still find it hard to believe that the 10mm smg from fallout is a pre-war design, it looks crude as hell and much more ugly than other wartime minimalist SMGs like the sten gun or the M3 grease gun,.. Even with dwindling resources, there is no way a clunky gun like that can be approved for military service.

[@mc.355]

Looks awesome!