What Happened to Russia's New AK-12?

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Why did the Russian military switch from the AK-74M to the new AK-12 as their primary rifle for their rank and file soldiers? How has the new rifle performed in combat so far based on early reports from the front lines in Ukraine? It might seem strange to switch platforms especially since the new one fires the same exact 5.45mm ammunition from the same exact magazine with similar rates of fire.
Written by: Chris Cappy & Diego Aceituno
Edited by: Savvy Studios
But it's more complicated than simply comparing weapon stats one to one, because once you pop open the hood you realize the AK-12 was originally meant to be delivered as one single part of a much larger whole. It was a component of the major overhaul of the Russian infantry modernization program, called “Ratnik,” It’s like Aristotle famously said, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and that’s the case here the AK-12 is one single part that when combined with all the Ratnik pieces , promised to create an infantryman 10 times more capable.
But was the Russian ministry of defense able to successfully roll out those upgrades? And are the rumors true about the AK-12 needing to get a complete redesign after poor soldier feedback from their experiences fighting in Ukraine? Join me as I take a deep dive into the updates on how Russia’s infantry modernization program is playing out in real time with their new rifle, the AK-12.
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Task & Purpose is a military news and culture oriented channel. We want to foster discussion about the defense industry.
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[@Taskandpurpose]

Thanks for watching, Get your own Mini GoatGun Today! Shop here: bit.ly/43Rj9ZX

[@deamerican49352]

Ok

[@dragon12234]

Slight nitpicky correction. Vodka seems to have been invented in Sweden, Poland, and Russia, independently at around the same time. Poland and Sweden using grain, Russia using potatoes

[@rocko7711]

🇺🇦🇺🇦

[@KoroushRP]

Can you do videos on Irans new rifles? From the khiabar to massa etc.. which were supposed to replace the heckler and ak47s.

[@civosborne]

My thought to you having a mini AK-12 is "did you kill a Russian dwarf?"

[@goose4342]

AK-12 is a very reliable weapon; I've used it for years in Battlefield 4 with not one malfunction. I've been deployed to the desert (Silk Road) arctic tundra (hammerhead) and every environment in between. It's functioned beautifully in all of them.

[@infinitsai]

I find it depressing that from all the geopolitical predictions in 2010s video games, the closest one we got is the RU/CN/US all out conflict in bf4

[@Shinkajo]

@@infinitsai Frontlines: fuel for war is becoming more and more likely too

[@useyourbrain6937]

I was deployed with you brother, we fought hard that day, you were always by my side to revive me.

[@kamelkadri2843]

I used it in Stalker anomaly, Can't say it was reliable, Malfunction after couple of Mags

[@goose4342]

@@useyourbrain6937 flubber?

[@lakobause]

So if they had simply issued AK-74 handguards with rails, improved fire selectors, and improved folding stocks for soldiers to install on their own AK-74s, it would've achieved the same thing and cost way less.

[@DinoNucci]

NO?! You don't say?! Thanks Captain Obvious

[@kilianortmann9979]

Not at all, the resulting contract would have been way cheaper and costs would have been easier to track, much fewer options for creatively accounting funds into the pockets of General Oligarkhov and his friends.

[@steves578]

that already exist, its called the AK 100 series, the 104 and 105 being favorites of mine.

[@ratagris21]

Nyet palms we're not greased in the process.

[@DinoNucci]

@@ratagris21 wrong

[@shinomakichuppy8236]

the fact the a 105 with Zenit kits would clear out the AK-12 at every aspect is crazy.

[@brandonbowman5915]

Absolutely. I'm not much of an AK guy but that is a set up I'd like to have. The ak12 is a solution looking for a problem

[@Prometheus7272]

It's insane, that's just true and they already had the machining for it.

[@Max_Da_G]

Not in aspect of bullet flight range. AK-105 is a short-range weapon.

[@orzdxy]

@@Max_Da_Git’s not far off from mk18 standards in terms of ballistics

[@RustedCroaker]

It's insane that a shortened version of the AK with Zenitco kit weight almost 2 times of the full length AK-12. Having not a single adavtage at the same time.

[@sebastianperez6124]

It's strange that many of the AK-12 features could've been achieved on the 74-M with upgrade kits, allowing for standard muzzle devices, a working selector and proven iron sights.

[@Max_Da_G]

You'd think so but no. The upgrade kits WERE considered, but it turned out that they made the rifle weigh significantly more. That wasn't acceptable. KM-AK kit was designed and made, but pushed the rifle weight almost over 4kg, from 3.3kg. Also Russian military wanted an improvement in group sizes and make the rifle not shift POI from POA if rifle is pressed against a wall/ledge/whatever other cover, which required freefloating the handguard. Basically the AK needed a thorough modernization. And AK-12 was it. It's just too "raw" as Russians call it. Look up AK-12M1. It solved vast majority of the issues that Russian military brought up.

[@bobfg3130]

​@@Max_Da_G The kits wouldn't have made it heavier if they were properly designed.

[@RustedCroaker]

@@bobfg3130 It inevitably will made it heaver. It's a simple rule: you add something - the thing wheight more.

[@V3RTIGO222]

The OG AK-12 had a monolithic upper rail and some other major differences in both design and function to the current development release model. Kalashnikov has more or less stated these design choices by Russian military were to lower cost significantly which ultimately removed a lot of the reasons to even get a new weapon researched and produced. The main cost concern here was setting up the new tooling for the updated AK-12 design... What ended up happening was effectively using mostly standard AK-74 metal parts and updated polymer. Also... The 2 shot burts of the AK-12 are not shot at a higher firerate than full auto, and is generally worse than the AN-94 in almost every way. It is a feature Kalashnikov advised against, and also ruins the 'standard' selection lever by adding more complexity and points of failure where even the 94 didn't have problems. Kalashnikovs AKV-521 is closer to the original design of the AK-12, and the current AK-12 was purposefully mishandled by the Russian military's requests for certain design elements and extremely cheap pricing.

[@tomsmith2209]

Basically the akv-521

[@Lonewolfmike]

From what I have see from other KZbin channels is there are some real problems in like maintenance on certain parts of the rifle and the hand guard is junk because it isn't ridged enough for things like lasers and the like that need to hold zero. On top of that they still have corrosive ammo in their stockpiles doesn't help matters either.

[@ShortT-RexLikeArms]

@@tomsmith2209 No, the original design also used a separate upper rail/dust cover. It was longer and attached somewhat differently but was basically the same idea as the current AK-12 dust cover.

[@V3RTIGO222]

@@tomsmith2209 aye, another side note for Cappy is the AN-94 wasn't as unreliable as it was so absurdly complex (and expensive) that it could not be disassembled for field maintenance, and of course it required more regular cleaning and maintenance than your basic AK.

[@V3RTIGO222]

@@Lonewolfmike the design of the handguard was changed at by the military during development to a weaker polymer to save cost as well as a less durable design to be able to use more standard 74 tooling already available

[@froginthewaves8450]

AK-12's Trophy status reminds a lot of the Mujahedeen with their AKS-74u's symbolizing they shot down a pilot, more specifically a mi-24 pilot.

[@thejackal5099]

Tank crews carried them too.

[@jkjkman8565]

😂😂 thats why chechenya lost right

[@axlfrhalo]

​@@jkjkman8565bot malfunctioned lol

[@FatRescueSwimmer04]

​@@jkjkman8565 Tell your programmers we aren't interested in your shit bot

[@Redfoxjack]

@@thejackal5099 ya but its a lord harder to recover a tank crews AK form low earth orbit after they became members of the suka blyat space program

[@Max_Da_G]

AK-12 was rushed. That's basically it. While the reliability of the core remained high, the changes to furniture and other parts had proven to require rework. Concept is sound and follows modern firearms in ability to mount accessories. It's just that it needs more refinement. New model released last month addresses most of the shortcomings AK-12 had. It's actually a pretty advanced AK design, all things considered. Just needs more refinement.

[@plushie946]

*claims to address we don't have enough evidence or data to know if it's actually successful, and ultimately no military advancement means anything if you can't get it into your soldiers' hands in relevant numbers

[@bobfg3130]

It wasn't rushed. It was released 2012. It was badly designed.

[@fifteen8850]

@@bobfg3130until you realize that the og ak12 wasn’t all that and they realized what made an ak an ak is that it’s simple, cheap, and reliable. This newer ak12 is 100% better at those than the older one.

[@user-qz2sw7pq8y]

jeah i always find it funny how internet experts claim that it was much better an all and ignore simple the fact that it failed tests badly , even kalaschnikov has uploaded videos of load failurse and such of the old versions. ​also half of the info of this video is based rather on propaganda then on objective reviews. the truth is that : first version of ak 12 had issiues , some could be fixed by modifications but msot prefered the older versions. second version is a lot more popular , when they started appearing in mass the aftermarket was also huge for it. the main issiues kike holding zero etc were fixed . unlike what the video claims most soldiers have modern equipment including body armor , nightvision various kinds of tuning including optics etc etc and the quality is high. honestly people who understand russian have easy acces to reviews of all kind of people acctually using that stuff and not bs media. so the optic thing is quite improtant to even people prefering ironsights in the conflict as at night nearly all fifht with some kind of optic either red dot or night vision optic. at night supressors are a must and most use them even at day because of a lot of advantages it became the most popular mdofiication installing a supressor / can / sound moderato/ tactical supressor or how ever people call these devices. since aftermarket is huge this is a non issiue now. a lot of sf guys switched to it , the only thing they usually change is the handguard to something like the sports kit for ak 12 from zenitco as the handguard is shot and not suited for soemthing that needs to hold zero. only complaint from them is the useless two round buest thats fixed in current version. @@fifteen8850

[@KrasniyByk]

The rear sight was changed in 2020 to a shorted one for more comfortable sight mounting (longer picatinny rail). Then it was improved in 2023 version. It has two holes now for precision long range shooting (small hole) and close range (big hole) that's also better for shooting in the dark. The bayonet suppressor mount was also introduced in 2020 (not 2023). So by these days many manufactures actually have suppressors for ak-12 with bayonet mount. In 2023 the bayonet was changed again. Now you can't remove that muzzle brake at all and you have to attach the suppressor over that muzzle brake. That's why they have to design new suppressors again to use with new ak-12. In the latest ak-12 2023 the two round burst mode was also ditched because it made the awesome AK trigger stiffer without any real advantage. They also made new more modern fire selector switch accessible from both sides of the gun. Two round burst on the classic ak selector wasn't good (too many firing modes on that short travel distance of that selector. Difficult to precisely select the mode). So we have three versions of modern ak-12 (not including that old prototype)- ver. 2018, 2020 and the most modern - 2023.

[@memezoffuckery3207]

The AK-12 had so much hype during the early 2010’s, with it being in Battlefield 4 and Cod Ghost.

[@coryyoung7544]

Maybe ghost but for BF4 it was pretty much instantly thrown away for the famas till it got nerfed.

[@fifty50x8]

​@@coryyoung7544Unfortunate too because the famas is so ugly 🤢 and the ak12 was so aesthetic in that game. I still used it often when playing anyway.

[@unholyknight786]

It was not. Early AK-13 was clusterfuck which couldn't even hold recoil of underbarrel grenade launcher, and charging handle was just atrocious. And there were no simply ways to fix that - zlobin's design was good for stand shooting, not for participating in conflicts of any sorts.

[@Yevgeny_N]

It was a different rifle, having nothing in common with the modern AK-12.

[@coryyoung7544]

@@danielallan8061 gameplay wise it was alright, it just fell into the spot where it got outclassed by pretty much everything else and wasn't even as good an allrounder as the M4. Only real upside was that it got the russian GL.

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem67]

Russia made the most handsome looking rifle in history and immediately threw it to the dumpster

[@nobodyherepal3292]

Because it was barley better then the AK-74….

[@johnharlow486]

Not sure ‘handsome’ would be a specification in the ordinance boards request for a modernised weapon system.

[@kurousagi8155]

It was apparently mediocre in terms of quality in comparison to older AK-74Ms.

[@bradenmchenry995]

Because they’re poor as shit

[@penskepc2374]

A stainless Mini 14 folder with wood furniture is the most handsome rifle of all time.

[@dankim7488]

I think they wouldve been better off contracting Zenitco to mass produce handguards, rail cover systems, stocks, grips and every aesthetic component of the older but still good AK-74M and go to town. Probably less costly than the all the investment that was made to creating the AK-12. Its still a beautiful looking rifle at least.

[@captainsierra8611]

I dont think so If you check on their website several pieces go from $70-300+ you'd need quite a few to fully upgrade it Meanwhile the ak12 has a production cost of around $1000 But of course I'm sure someone could get real numbers if they spent more time doing research

[@rarecandy3445]

its likely that kalashnikov group is state owned, minimizing the need for profit driven production in russia, similar to zastava in serbia. zenit is not. they could still be contracted but the state would not want to spend that extra money on their equipment.

[@UltraTotenkopf]

@@captainsierra8611 *Dude ... where did you get the information about the price of the AK-12, did you come up with it yourself? ;-) TR3 - a civilian analogue of the AK-12 will cost 69,000 rubles in an ordinary arms store, that is, we can assume that under a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the price of a batch of 150 thousand copies will cost the army much cheaper, and according to various estimates by Russian experts, the price of the AK-12 and its various modifications is 350-400 US dollars for the Russian army!*

[@captainsierra8611]

@@UltraTotenkopf I literally said someone could get real numbers if they spent more time doing research don't know what you're so butthurt about

[@user-xw2ez1vj4t]

Zenit is famous for it's heavy weight

[@Blind_Hawk]

Besides the well put together video. Thank you so much for showing me goat guns. They actually that what I was searching for for such a long time.

[@supersam5802]

Vodka, Dostoyevsky and an ak-47 does sound like a hell of a time

[@benjammin9745]

Don't forget track pants and hard bass

[@mannyb7949]

Specially once the vodka kicks in

[@JimIBobIJones]

That combination is effectively throwing a dice on whether you end up : 1) killing yourself 2) killing your father 3) killing a random merchant to prove that you are above the rest of humanity (and also because you are dead broke) 4) ending up in a lunatic asylum 5) becoming a nihilistic, cowardly cuck 6) doing a combination of the above.

[@maksimfedoryak]

​@@JimIBobIJoneszагадочная руzкая дуzа

[@haramsaddam238]

I read Dostoyevsky while caressing my AK lovingly

[@Liam1991]

Those countries who are waiting for an modernised version of the AK, could always buy the Galil Ace

[@cluelessdev3851]

Hahaha! The police force in my country uses it heavily and they love it! My gf cousin operates one and she's a huge fan of it! love from Panama

[@Clean97gti]

The Zastava M19 is another modernized AK design redux.

[@tetispinkman9135]

Who the heck even needs ak. AR is better. Ar180 systems are better. If you are not in arctic, don't get an ak. And even if you are in arctic, get finish velmet

[@NoiceBOB]

@@tetispinkman9135 Lmao Ar 180s are known for terrible reliability especially among the IRA. Try again Murica simp

[@DeltaEchoGolf]

@@tetispinkman9135 What a lot of people won't say is that the quality of the weapon is based on the quality of the persons using it.

[@SmokesKwazukii]

kick ass video man. You struck the perfect tone and managed to cut through the complexity of what’s happening in Myanmar and communicate it to your audience. Bravo

[@SpamMouse]

Great insights Thank you Chris.

[@IanS158]

Re: 1P87 "On par with the EOTech". People who I know with a 1P87 say it sucks. Reticule is too dim for most applications from what I've heard, and allegedly it doesn't hold zero very well.

[@Taskandpurpose]

Yes you’re correct, there’s also a lot of indication that the 1p87 isn’t up to par ! I gave the benefit of the doubt

[@ClitoridectomyGroyper]

Very noticeable blue tint too

[@thoughtful_criticiser]

I knew a soldier who worked on the development of the SA80 at Warminster. Not one of them liked it or its performance, leading to very restricted feedback questions to get the weapon through. I preferred the FN L1A1 7.62mm it was great to handle and very accurate. You didn't need full auto because anybody hit by it wasn't getting back up. Unfortunately my issued personal weapon except in Northern Ireland was a 9mm SMG, useless over 50m.

[@Dav3.14]

That sponsor ad was hilarious, thanks for that.

[@professionalantichristhate528]

AK-12 got gimped during design. The prototype that made it into BF4, COD Ghosts, etc was unironiclly a major improvement that brought the AK platform up to a modern standard. Unfortunately for the Russian army, Shoigu and Gerasimov wanted mansions and yachts, so they demanded that they essentially just stick some shitty plastic furniture on an AK-74M.

[@hazzardalsohazzard2624]

Russia has potentially wrecked it's ability to be the world leader in assault rifles for terrorists with this. They took a really good design of AK and threw away everything that made it good.

[@DZ4295DBW]

Russian high command is absolutely corrupt. Always has been. Vatnik loves pools, caviar and hookers.

[@F-14DSuperTomcat]

That prototype AK sucked though, it was barely better than the AK-74M

[@EmilioMetralleta]

​@@F-14DSuperTomcatAt least it worked better than the current one lol.

[@DZ4295DBW]

@@EmilioMetralleta Yep. Current one does not even have a removable piston gas tube.....and they're still using corrosive ammo. Bad news bears for that tube. I'd rather have a 74 with the SureShot Chassis.

[@RaDeus87]

The moment I learned that you can't remove the gastube, and they use corrosive ammo, I knew that the AK-12 wasn't here to stay.

[@rodiculous9464]

New russian ammo is not corrosive, they are still going through old stocks but the new ammo will not be corrosive.

[@devildolphin2102]

@@rodiculous9464 Sure buddy. There using t55s in Ukraine but definitely aren’t lying about the non corrosive ammo. Your so special

[@EmilioMetralleta]

​@@rodiculous9464The thing is that they don't want to produce new ammo until all the old corrosive ammo gets used.

[@orchirion]

​@@devildolphin2102I think he's right. Issue is how many old corrosive ammo do they have to go through before they're allowed to use the new one............ sounds like me trying to use up outdated stuff first and just end up making it harder for myself. 🤣🍺

[@devildolphin2102]

@@orchirion You see I can’t even trust em, because for the past 10 years Russia has been lying about their modernization program. If they can’t provide Combat Gauze, proper IFAKs and basic Combat gear/Uniforms why should we believe they can provide proper Ammo

[@aliyangco8178]

The radio part is funny.🤣 love this video😂

[@remain_]

It would be cool to see a video rating the new rifles of the different in a top 10 list. (Obviously a lot of this would be guesses, but would still be fun)

[@busboy262]

I know very little about modern or old Soviet or Russian optics, but I can speak to the production and availability of the 1p87 holographic sight to the Russian forces. They built the 1p87 in large numbers. And they were likely delivered to the MOD. Before there war, I could have bought one. I know some that did. They were delivered to these consumers in the right packaging and the internals were legit. They were expensive compared to an eotech, but if you wanted it, you could easily get the stolen product. Theft at the MOD isn't a bug. It's a feature.

[@konstantin070797]

Well, to be honest, modern optics really lags behind the production of everything else. But in principle it exists, and quite even domestic. But the factories have been experimenting on this for a long time and have lagged behind and are still lagging behind Holosan, but nevertheless the Kalashnikov Concern, together with VOMZ, produce a line of modern sights. And Novosibirsk sights wanted to release new sights for compatibility with AK-12 and picatinny bars. It's just that Holoxane or other sights are still more common, since there are a lot of them stupidly on the market and many simply buy suitable sights for themselves. Although the old military still profess the principle of using only mechanical sighting devices, as they consider them more reliable. But the conditions of a Special Military Operation dictate the use of thermal imaging sighting devices more, although they also have a number of limitations and inconveniences.

[@konstantin070797]

And yes, 1p87 is rarely used by anyone, there are also facts of selling them to buy the same Holosans. But in the civilian market, no one really needs it.

[@busboy262]

@@konstantin070797 "Need" is a pretty subjective term. Persoanally, I'll leave it to you to determine what you need.

[@konstantin070797]

@@busboy262 Well, it's more the legality of this product on your weapon than the need. And collectionization is purely for collectors, and practical application may be accompanied by punishment from the state. What is not present when using commercial sights.

[@busboy262]

@@konstantin070797 Legality is only now a problem. Prior to the war, just as now, it is a crime to EXPORT such tech from the US.The war, along with its its associated sanctions have made their import a legal problem. And this is mostly because of the payment for it. A remittance to "Vlad Vladimirovich" in Moscow would probably put you on a list. So yeah.......the landscape has changed. But my point was and is that these sights were more freely available to the foreign consumer than the Russian soldier. Corruption did that.

[@ArchOfficial]

To be fair the M16's bad initial performance was due to internal sabotage of the ammo supply. Had they used new powder to the spec that Stoner wanted, there'd be no issues, which is what ended up happening after some time.

[@ClockworksOfGL]

IIRC, the military had the bright idea of upping the charge (to increase stopping power way beyond distances normal infantry would engage at, btw) and refusing to plate anything in order to save money. The result was a rifle that would jam and/or dissolve in the steamy jungle of Vietnam. The thing is, they had it fundamentally correct - a lightweight rifle firing tiny, high speed bullets with high precision. The AK-47 gets a lot of praise from internet soldiers, who forget that Russia hasn’t used it for decades due to numerous flaws.

[@RJT80]

Yep. Stoner wasn't an idiot. Someone else was.

[@Mortablunt]

Stoner was an idiot! Absolutely everything except for the powder was his fault! No way to force bolt close - his fault. No chrome lining - his fault. No way to run immediate reaction drills - his fault. Barrel prone to rupturing - his fault. No ability shoot left-handed - his fault. Possible to brick the rifle by charging it with bolt closed - his fault. No cleaning kit - his fault. Inadequate twist - his fault. There was a more than 100 point improvement program the generals wanted on the M-16 before they would consider it ready for combat, and Stoner turned down every single one, saying he designed the rifle perfectly as it was.

[@ArchOfficial]

@@ClockworksOfGL No, the reason was because it was in the interests of some actors to A: Keep using the M14 and B: Use up old WWII powder, that was not suitable for use with 5.56 but was used anyway. The AKM is still used by Spetsnaz when they need an easily suppressable platform with some power. PBSs are everywhere and the low velocity of 7.62x39 make it easier to suppress than 5.45. The AK Type 1/2/3 was hardly used by the soviet military, with many still using SKSs by the time the AKM came around. In the 60s the AKM started to become widely standardized, and was still in use well into the 80s. In fact the Russian military still uses the AKM to some capacity among their reservists. The AK-47 has never been fielded in any large numbers because it was only produced in late 1948 and 1949.

[@ArchOfficial]

@@Mortablunt To be fair there is no need for the forward assist, and the twist was part of the design spec due to inadequate understanding of tumbling. Barrel rupturing was completely due to the faulty ammo that wasn't in spec. Most rifles of the era also couldn't be fired left handed. You depict Stoner somewhat strangely based on some old Army propaganda, seeing as every improvement the Army wanted ended up being incorporated, instead of him refusing everything and the program being scrapped. I mean, the M-16 was so good that some in the DoD with Springfield connection felt the need to sabotage it because it'd phase out the M-14 too soon.

[@roblowe9283]

Keep up the good work !!!!!

[@kieran2221]

You are literally the only ad read that I listen to. It's really, really good.

[@rodiculous9464]

It's kinda funny that the biggest problem is the same as for guns on the civilian market: it adds no new real functionality while also making every aftermarket part unusable

[@scottmacgregor3444]

Or gaming, cars and electronics, or just technology in general.

[@bibekjung7404]

KABEEER ALMIGHTY GOD ---🙏🙏

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

it's the same reason you can't put xbox games into a PlayStation, or put audi manifolds on Toyotas. It's a pain for the buyers, but it makes sound business sense.

[@Mininuke93]

Shout out from arkansas! Happy to be part of the spare parts army... been watching for years. Love to see how the channel has grown over the years.

[@perspicacity89]

Great video, thanks.

[@Scrapvendor386]

I wish they committed to finishing the prototype, it just looked so good

[@clearlywrong6520]

Hearing about this, I immediately thought back to the WWII stories of the P08 or P38. Though it's been a human tradition for as long as there have been wars, it's a strangely consistent one.

[@crowe6961]

Symbolism runs in our blood. Seizing an enemy weapon or standard in battle shows that you have successfully defeated them in the field.

[@rhyscruz]

Get ready for three more title changes within the next two days

[@seanwalter4018]

Are you guys going to make your new podcast available for streaming on Spotify and other outlets?

[@henriquedominguesjocas599]

A few things about the optics at 6:45, the 1p78 wasn't actually built to be used on the ak-12 but rather on the ak74m just like the 1p63 and uses the typical ak side mount, though it seems like is a 2 piece system, meaning it could be used on a picatinny rail with an adapter, but i've never seen one of those or even if they exist. The ak-12 seems like isn't even used with magnified optics, at least i've never seen a picture of someone using one, only with unmagnified ones like the 1p87, but maybe there's a reason to why

[@tiortedrootsky]

8:12 i'm pretty sure that 2 round burst is normal 600 rpm as per my rough measurement. Its not a hyper burst. Most importantly, the second round will always go too far above the first one. 3 round burst is much more efficient in term of ammo consumption and accuracy, 1 and 3 rounds can actually go close enough.

[@vikan3842]

Does anyone remember the AK-47 from MW2 2009? It looks just like the AK-12. The game predicted the future.

[@claytoncoughran8702]

That's like saying bubba predicted the future because he put cheap tapco parts on his wasr10

[@MashPotatoJohns]

The handguard kinda looks like the AK12 but other than that you're way off

[@MilitaryBuff]

How did it predict the future if it featured an AK-47 instead of an AK-12. Sounds to me like they just added an AK-47 and did not get the appearance right not predict anything otherwise it would be called AK-12 or at least not something that had already been invented. Also AK-47 itself is rare the AK that sees global usage is the AKM the modernised version I think. COD did not bother to differentiate.

[@vikan3842]

​@@MilitaryBuffThat's true, but you have to admit that despite the lack of differentiation and information, they did manage to hint at what a modernized AK would actually look like in hindsight. The magazine, the handguard, the stock.

[@JACS420]

@@vikan3842u guys are dumb it’s just a AK with an EBR style. Like the m14 vs the m14 ebr with rails. They have been around in high speed Russian units since the USA started making optics for rails. Using rail style optics resetting your zero is a none issue. You can buy EBR kits for every battle rifle out there nowadays.

[@bbbabrock]

7:10 What is that side mounted rail thing about? Prior to that bit, he was talking about mounting a scope. But Ids how one of those could assist w any scope mounting in any way .

[@vengeanceau]

Correction to your video. The AK-12, even with the 2011 to 2015 prototypes never had a "hyper" burst system. It did however had a traditional 2-round burst.

[@eraldsh8842]

“You're not Dostoevsky,' said the citizeness, who was getting muddled by Koroviev. Well, who knows, who knows,' he replied. 'Dostoevsky's dead,' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently. 'I protest!' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal!” ― Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita

[@achimelale9974]

Clinging on to the curtain while firing his browning revolver at the policemen. 😉

[@GODdank]

Still surprised why the russians don't just use the ak203 instead with a few mods?

[@salvagedude625]

ak-200 is the ak-200 series in 5.45, and is pretty much equivalent to the AK-12

[@mrbloby8806]

You using the an 94 from black ops 2 gave me flash backs to a better time

[@khooshalcoonjan2086]

The running effect was preyty nice

[@ummonk]

While some of the other Ratnik components should have been prioritized over the rifles, it does make sense to deliver rifles before rail-mounted scopes, since the scopes would be pointless without railed rifles to mount them on.

[@DinoNucci]

Did you even try to watch the video?

[@rodiculous9464]

Lmfao, there are tons of both aftermarket and oem mounts that can accept a picatinny scope

[@mpondachongo1138]

whats the point of giving a soldier an AK-12 if you have no sights to mount on the thing.

[@christopherblare6414]

I absolutely love the GOAT guns ad's ever since you started having to to add the "not actually a real gun" disclaimer

[@Mr.LeoNov]

I like that they finally changed the fire selector with more AR-15-like (although I don't understand how it physically works)

[@fed0r644]

As for the fire mode with a burst of 2 shots: the shooters in this mode complained that they were confused in switching modes. If on the version of 2016 and above everything is intuitive (because the switch has been worked out for years), then on the first prototype it was simply not clear which mode you had set now. And in general, the 2-shot burst did not show the promised effectiveness compared to a single fire, so this can be considered another notion of those higher ranks who have never fired from a Kalashnikov in their lives and do not understand the specifics of this rifle. Therefore, it is difficult to call it a downgrade, because the original concept itself and its implementation turned out to be bad. P.S.- such information is provided in the public domain on the "hexagontactical" channel and is provided by a former Izhmash employee who worked on this rifle and fired from it. If you can understand russian language or can somehow translate video, you will learn a lot of interesting things.

[@HeisenbergFam]

18:33 regarding the adoption of the rifle during early days of war, I feel like it would've definitely made a difference

[@ArchOfficial]

It would have significantly lowered Russian casualties, as nobody would have had the courage to engage the enemy with such a piece of crap weapon.

[@mitrogulf4073]

@@ArchOfficial it's not crap, it just hasn't gotten much better than the AK-74M. Therefore, it is criticized because it is not clear in it what has been usefully changed. The rifle has become just different and not to say that this would help it become better.

[@ArchOfficial]

@@mitrogulf4073 There are significant reliability and usability ramifications compared to the AK-74M, so you could say it has mostly gotten worse.

[@REVOLVER_NOIR]

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I run all my AK’s with iron sights. They are lightweight and easy to use. Nothing beats a “Nyet, Rifle is fine” style AK 😁👍🏻

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

Funny how the Israelis managed to modernized the AK platform with Galil ACE, and they achieved all the goals set by Russian Army by several years prior to AK-12 concept being drafted by Russian Army.

[@vaderdudenator1]

8:31 you sure about that hyper burst mode? I thought that was the one with the pullies and tilted magazine

[@Tallmios]

Where is the podcast? I cannot find it.

[@jarveyjaguar4395]

What I always find hilarious is that Kalashnikov concer put up a modernization kit for the AK few years back and Larry Vickers actually showed us that kit in one of his videos, it just baffles me how they screwed this up. Like you had million of ideas on how to make a better gun from all these American and Russian companies like Midwest industries, Zenitco, Texas Weapons Systems, Sureshot, SLR rifle works, RS Regulate and some other 100 company out there that you could've taken inspiration from. Instead they went with an AK-400 design as Larry has also shown in one his vids and rebranded it as the AK-12. The amount of money that could've been saved to make some actual good Optics, Night vision kits, Flashlight instead of wasting it on a rifle that is worse than it predecessor is actually shocking.

[@michaelman957]

Kalishnikov: "Look how they massacred my boy!"

[@REAPER1818666]

I think the hyper-burst concept is a great idea but hasnt been pulled off successfully yet

[@toecutterp]

The break is hard to get off and on. I worked on mine a bit so it's not too bad. I have a Russian adapter for a suppressor but I really don't want a baffle strike. I got mine early for 800 bucks🤣 With the original receiver hand guard add on rails and a AK12 front grip.. That and a 105 kit with receiver for 725. So glad I jumped on it before it blew up.

[@antman6707]

The AK-12 is a good rifle that needs more tweaking like a hinged dust cover so the dust cover rails will hold zero, and make the selector stop bigger so it won't be overrided so easily, and an aluminum handguard so it will hold zero

[@TheRezro]

Or people could buy Beryl instead

[@RustedCroaker]

@@TheRezro People can't buy the AK-12 anyway, so...

[@deamerican49352]

Cool mate

[@machdaddy6451]

Are AK-12s available on Amazon?

[@user-urmommylikeahoe]

I'm late but congratulations on one million bro

[@nath9091]

I thought the main reason for the AK12 was to improve compatibility with add-ons such as sights, NVG, lights etc which the AK74 wasn't that good at. It sounds like there were problems with construction given these probably didn't have these problems in the prototype models. I can see Russia however switching to the AK103 as India is licensing a fair number of them and these have supposed rail compatibility. I've also seen some people say that the AK12 had a rail but they didn't actually buy the optics now standard in the West for these making the functionality useless.

[@Prometheus7272]

How can India licence the ak103 to the Russians if it's a russian designed weapon? 😂

[@tetraxis3011]

@@Prometheus7272I think that he means that India bought an AK103 production License from Russia.

[@aesirgaming1014]

Having spent around 15 years in combat arms and contracting, my feeling is that too many countries try to get their service rifle to do too much. Governments want a rifle that can also be a machinegun and a sniper rifle, switch between three different calibers, hold twice its weight in attachments and still be lightweight and maneuverable. Oh, by the way, it also has to be cheap, quick and easy to produce because it's supposed to be a service rifle that will eventually be issued to the majority of the country's hundreds of thousands of soldiers...plus spare rifles, spare parts, etc. It doesn't take a genius to see that some of these aspects are contradictory. First of all, lightweight and maneuverable often involves lightweight components that don't stand up as well to heat and pressure (say the type of heat and pressure generated by an over-pressured sniper round or the heat generated from the sustained automatic fire of a machinegun). Similarly, more components to swap out roles/calibers also means more moving parts, which means more complex logistics lines. It also requires more intense training for soldiers (to make sure they actually know how to put the damn thing together) and leaves a lot more room for operator error. In addition, you need more command/control because otherwise every dumb private out there is going to try to acquire and slap on machinegun parts because it's cool. If there's one thing that privates are really good at, it's acquiring shit they're not supposed to have and the next thing you know, the company has fired its monthly supply of ammunition in day because Joe managed to 'appropriate' a shipment of machinegun conversion parts. Sounds like a joke, but shit like this happens in the military. I'm a big believer in the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid or Keep It Stupid Simple...whichever you prefer). Focus on making a good, reliable rifle and forget trying to stick a dozen bells, whistles and scifi crap onto it.

[@Max_Da_G]

This guy gets it :D

[@john_in_phoenix]

The ratnik program built a lot of mansions.

[@beastrealgaming3088]

3.24 "allow me to go back to that time when things was simple". Man in the screen remembering his childhood in Africa as child soldier smiling at remembering the good old time.

[@markmitchell457]

How do two rounds off target help, no matter how fast they are fired?

[@DinoNucci]

Ask ur mom

[@ADadSupreme]

Wasn't this the case with the M-16 in Vietnam? I remember seeing vids where vets were saying how much of a piece of junk it was, would jam, (I think) explode, or w/e and even stick with the M-1s. But eventually they overcame it and it became the staple of the US military.

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

The problem with M16 in Vietnam War are: 1. Wrong powder spec for ammo, causing the rifle to fire a much faster RPM (near 1000 RPM) that it was designed for. 2. No cleaning kit issued for the rifle, somehow some brass in US Army though the rifle is "self-cleaning", whatever that mean. Once they rectified the problem by issuing cleaning kits and chrome-line the chamber and barrel, M16A1 is a great rifle.

[@sayfolman7752]

​​@@muhammadnursyahmi9440Not Just In Vietnam War, Korean War And Malayan Emergency My Grandfather Told Me He Killed Communist Member By Smashing Using M16 Butt stock In The Head Because His Weapon Got Jammed After Crossing Swamp To Chase Communist He Received 2 Medal For His Effort

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

@@sayfolman7752 Korean War? In early 1950s where M16 are not in production yet?

[@AryaWibu]

​@@muhammadnursyahmi9440 His Grandpa got the super rare early M16 lol. Also don't forget the Malayan Emergency as well, it was during 1948-1960 so yeah..... Anyhow from the story it seems like his Grandpa is Australian/British

[@CharChar2121]

No, M-16 was the worst launch in history until No Man's Sky.

[@seanmiller8756]

As far as the captured Ak-12s with no attachments, I think it would be fair to point out the "survivor bias" (or the other way around). Maybe the reason those AKs are being captured is because the units equipped with optics and attachments perform better and run less of a risk of falling into enemy hands. Just a thought, I'm not saying that's 100% the reason.

[@manifestman132]

That prototype was awesome and I never really liked what the AK 12 though it did eventually grow on me. I think there is the RPK 16 too to replace the RPK as well as AK 12Ks and 15K (K is probably Karbin ).

[@QuentinofVirginia]

The impression I get is that the best of the best Russian operators are using AK-74Ms with Zenitco attachments and parts because they actually hold zero on the sights unlike the AK-12.

[@imborad5350]

Hope the platform improves and doesn't get sidelined just because of some initial bad designs or not major improvements compared to its predecessors. It looks cool and the initial concept of a modular system is the right direction.

[@Grendel650]

I hope the whole platform goes to shite and is still issued. My kinda Russian personal weapon and So very Russian 😂

[@sergeantnerfsalot2784]

Never interrupt your enemy when they are fucking up

[@devildolphin2102]

Considering all the money went to mansions or yachts ak12 ain’t getting shite

[@tetraxis3011]

@@SparksProxUS pretty much refuses to ditch the M16/M4.

[@tetraxis3011]

@@SparksProx The Sig MCX won’t fully replace the M4. It has yet to complete its trial run. Only 6,000 rifles have been bought.

[@ligmasurvivor5600]

u forgot to say that they have already rectified the most crucial problems including removing that useless 2 burst selector, and zenit has developed the sport-12 handguard for the AK-12 that can actually hold zero as well as a new picatinny rail

[@Dollar1998]

AK-12 posses free-float barrel (but not like AR does) and in fact is a bit more accurate than standard 74. dust cover top rail holds zero, but the front grip rails wooble after time, dont put optics on it. Checked in range in Poland, cheers

[@oneofthoseguys2019]

There are free float rails for standard aks

[@RustedCroaker]

@@oneofthoseguys2019 And they're all add a significant weight to the rifle

[@nottheizkiz]

0:11 vodka is polish

[@matcomptonful]

I'm so glad those GOAT guns are what are keeping you from going mad and losing your mind and us losing you! Where else am I supposed to get my light hearted and informative 20 min breaks!

[@matcomptonful]

Just saying you crack me up some times, enjoy you having a laugh and doing you.

[@Psychol-Snooper]

3:00 I have that exact same beer stein. Is it valuable?

[@kurtWag]

AK-12M or AK-12M1 2023, didn't hear? The author did not bother to google the latest news on the topic.

[@exploderish]

Saw a vid from somewhere early in the war of a Ukranian showing a potential defect or design flaw on a captured AK-12. He showed that if one is to push the safety selector down somewhat hard (like might occur when stressed in combat), the lever would go past its lowest detent.... an two or more inches past the lower receiver. That would stop the trigger from functioning, which is bad. Obviously, lol. IIRC it was with several examples they'd captured, so not just one single rifle, but I could be misremembering. Take all that with some skepticism... Or maybe someone else remembers, too.

[@Cam64viper]

I remember seeing this exact thing too

[@ivanbardov]

I remember. Quite a few pics where firing selector was stuck all the way down, almost in line with the trigger. Imagine getting ambushed, adrenaline kicks in, you switch the selector only to find out that its lever gone so far it prevents you from firing the gun. Oof.

[@simulatedpilot3441]

From what I understand the two-shot burst is gone, and quite a few other things were updated

[@miniaturefarmer464]

Using the existing AK74M and redesigning the rear sight area to a quick attach platform for a various assortment of optics and sights, would have been the best option. Using a clamp on front quad rail to the barrel like a MI US made one would be a good solution also. Glad they scrapped the 2-round burst. That was a silly idea. A six-position stock would be the least of the design problems.

[@mpcrauzer]

Very understandable, here in Brazil, when we started giving the new IA2 rifle to out troops had many problens, almost the same problens with the AK-12, most likelly in the 7.62x51 version, the 5.56 version was less problematic, apart the polimer been almost rotten and breaking easy

[@piersonjamesa]

Well, blame my ignorance, i didn't know brazil had made their own battle rifle. Do you know of any good English language sources on its development? I just got done with Thorneycraft to SA-80 and would love to find a good source on it. I also still find Portuguese and Spanish translations on the internet to be more stilted than i would expect in 2023. Also fun for Cappy to talk about the IA2 as Brazil is in BRIC for a reason, and i would assume be a valuable weapon supply to other countries if the manufacturing base is there to export (non nato, non russia-china-iran coalition).

[@tetraxis3011]

Something similar happened in Mexico with FX05 mags, the feed lips sometimes would crack if you loaded all 30 rounds.

[@DasOrmur]

The reason the original ak-200 design was scrapped in favor of the ak-400 was because the board in charge of procurement was obsessed with having a completely useless burst fire mode, which bricked the rifle. On top of that there were a ton of unnecessary smaller features here and there they insisted on including on top of that that made everything slightly worse. So even though the original was a superior rifle in just about every way, it ended in Death by Committee.

[@chrisbrent7487]

The AK-12 as it was adopted is pretty much just an AK-100 / AK-72M under the dust cover. The original design was quite a bit different though still operating on the same long stroke principal. They have already dropped the M4 style stock and gone with a similar one to the original. The fore end also has real isses as it moves a lot so it isn't really good for attaching anything more than a flashlight. The gas tube is also terrible as far as maintenance goes as it is non removable and has to be cleaned in the gun. If I had to use a Russian rifle I think an AK74M or 105 with a B-33 dust cover and mathing zenit co hand guard. It would be heavier but at least that has proven to be a rugged and stable set up.

[@willholly1844]

Someone explain to me or show a link that explains how an AK barrel can be free floated. Thank you.

[@BatCaveOz]

The AKS-74U aka the "Krinkov" was also a prized status symbol. A certain Bin-Laden used to like getting photographed with one.

[@user-cv3ec4jx3y]

Это разные автоматы , под разные калибры . Только в твоём комментарии они стали одним целым 😂😂😂

[@topgear3128]

​@@user-cv3ec4jx3yавтор видео сказал что ак 12 ценный трофей для украинцев так же как и акс74у был для моджахедов

[@user-wx1rw2sl2z]

Not mentioned in the video: new design of the bolt group and trigger mechanism; improved accuracy of fire due to the displacement of the mass of the bolt group and a decrease in the recoil arm; barrel with improved performance in terms of manufacturing accuracy;

[@kevinporter3212]

2 round hyper burst? We call that double tapping! You just have to squeeze the trigger twice :D

[@Durmomo0]

Dumb question but if the safety selector is too stiff cant they just bend it like on other AKs?

[@y.e.kahunakalash]

Other than the AK74Ms and 100/200 series, Russia's MoD couldve just done a US and pulled a SOPMOD/ Block ll upgrade to their 74s. Logically they could've contracted work from Zenitco and others, push the upgrades to special forces, have them T&E, and then eventually the infantry would receive it. But the Russian MIC wouldnt allow that!

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

Russian Army are having much more problems than mediocre rifles. The biggest problems are logistics, obsolete heavy weapon equipments such as IFVs, APCs, artilleries, and warfare doctrines.

[@Myemnhk]

Literally my exact thoughts, if they just had contracted zenitco to build them rails it would've been so easy and cheap.

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

@@Myemnhk you forget the widespread corruption in Russia. Shoigu, Gerasimov, Putin need new yachts and mansions, so they graft money from Radnik and other Russian weapon development program. Thankfully those decision bite them hard in the arse, eh?

[@fifteen8850]

But they have

[@thereallocke8065]

I'd love to see a video about the entire Ratnik system

[@Womb2DaTomb]

He's done one already

[@aaron2709]

I think the bumpy metal part with nothing to stick on it was a design breakthrough.

[@tipofthespear7182]

Great analysis again mate. You deserve much greater numbers of subscribers than some of these less well versed podcasters. Quality will always win over quantity in this game. 🇦🇺

[@certaintngs2000]

Mikhail is probably turning in his grave shouting, "Ты облажался, простая концепция!'

[@tellyboy17]

I'm sure Hugo (Schmeisser)is turning in his grave to for not getting credited for designing this.

[@MilitaryBuff]

The MP18 is a world away from the AK schmeisser had no inspiration on its design.

[@fidamdsaini8452]

Mikhail blessed the world with his final gift of the AK-100 series which Zenitco has faithfully built modernized parts kits for.

[@certaintngs2000]

@@MilitaryBuff Well it was his company???? I was thinking about the end of the movie, Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again, were they show a cross section of Robert Louis Stevenson grave and him spinning in it making a similar comment to what I wrote in Russian? Send me the bill so you can get the wall fixed behind you.

[@hailexiao2770]

​@@tellyboy17Hugo didn't have any part in AK design. Besides Kalashnikov himself credit goes to John Garand for the bolt and gas system and John Browning for the safety/selector.

[@jabohonu]

I remember a video (like in 2017) saying that some speciasts advised just to improve already existing AK74M (dont remember the name if anyone know plz tell me) , that version was very similar to the AK203 but in 5.45

[@_7-7-7_]

That mini ak-12 looks like the AK off the OG MW2🤣 absolutely cold!

[@greenscreennow]

If you're reading this comment, salute to you bro 💯 i hope you win in life!

[@alieninsights4636]

Your videos are stunningly underrated 😮

[@EVLfreak666]

I laughed my ass off at 5:40 when you said "Russian soldiers that needed to run silent". Even if you're running with sub sonic ammo everyone is still gonna hear you shooting 😂

[@DinoNucci]

Wrong

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

You’ve clearly not heard suppressed subsonic ammunition coming at you then

[@DinoNucci]

@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 correct

[@Asghaad]

@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 depends on a suppressor and noone is using subsonic 5.54 ammo - you might as well be shooting 22lr at that point ... suppression has a benefit even on supersonic rounds by the way, because the supersonic crack comes from the BULLET and not the muzzle it conceals the position of the shooter - ideal for ambushes, you will know you are being shot at but not know from WHERE. as for "running silent" they would use either 7.62x39 or 9x39 in subsonic variant and even then you still have pretty loud action of the gun itself and not so perfect supressors on those guns so OP is kinda right, noone is going "movie silent" in real life unless you use bolt action subsonic with top of the line modern supressor.

[@JamesEast-iy3ov]

Change platform? Is it a different platform?

[@radosaworman7628]

As dar as i understand AK-12’s main advantage was tokarev/ar-15 style bolt that would allow shortening of the barrel without loosing on accuracy (or gain better accuracy on same barrel). Well that all went nowhere after giving it short grip and free-floating barrel causing “wandering zero” problem.

[@Geekofarm]

What we have in the AK-12 is the first run of a rifle designed to be fitted with accessories that were meant to be made in peacetime. But war were declared...

[@J_X999]

What are everyone's thoughts on the QBZ 191? Chris has made two videos on it, just looking for everyone else's opinions. For me, it seems like a strong, competent rifle which will definitely help China upgrade it's infantry. It's 5.8 caliber so I'm not sure how it'll fare against the XM5 but it's definitely going to have some advantages when looking purely at the caliber.

[@Peterkass235]

It’s a great decision for the pla and a solid design. I’m sure it will be most importantly, affordable and quick to produce. The xm5 is a dumpster and terrible choice.

[@nickhowatson4745]

the Sig Spear is the XM7 now not the XM5

[@benjammin9745]

Having a smaller caliber doesn't come with only upsides.. there are downsides too. It's a tradeoff like anything else

[@maplemaple1439]

No matter what it definitely seems like an upgrade to the Type 95

[@ShortT-RexLikeArms]

It's basically an improved HK416, setup for the PLA manual of arms.