The Rarest Military Rifle in the World; The Russian AN-94

Today we have the distinct opportunity to look at the rarest Military Rifle in the world. The AN-94.
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[@OperatorDrewski]

“24/7 METRO 5000 Tickets!” NO SUAV, NO CLAYMORE, NO SHOTGUNS, NO C4, NO AIRBURST, NO ANYTHING

[@rajaydon1893]

When

[@RoughNek72]

It's impossible to get into a metro game! But it's always fun!! And if you use frag rounds automatic kick!!! 😆 🤣 😂

[@warhammer90000]

You forgot NO FRAG AMMO

[@charltonrider2072]

@@rajaydon1893 24/7 that's when

[@BOB777777777700]

Meh, I had more fun with bad company

[@BrandonHerrera]

This is so fucking hype. I will play with one of these before I die 😍

[@johnathancoker8671]

branden get licensed to make an94s? plez? do eet.

[@dankmemewalker7738]

hey its the funny guy who likes AKs and won a boxing match. and I guess also likes build an AK50 and maybe even run for congress.

[@westonprather3157]

Strategically (re)Locate the Equipment to Alternate Locations and *get in them guts AK Daddy* ahem I mean Congressman.

[@westonprather3157]

@@dankmemewalker7738 future president of Texas 👀 saw a certain movie trailer recently

[@asian_inasuit9239]

can't stop the -a-train- ak guy!

[@thelostcause7983]

Micah being a terrifyingly accurate shooter without the background of GT is always my favorite part of these

[@Zeratsu]

what's GT? I know only Gran Turismo abbreviation...

[@killswitch6950]

​@@ZeratsuGarand Thumb

[@shellcracker18]

You can be an incredible shooter and not be in the military

[@atrocious_pr0xy]

Just goes to show that lingo doesn't prove worth. Man isn't "ex" anything. He's just him, there and now. When we bust out "credentials", we depend on words for proof instead of action. Micha is the action! hehe

[@Tahahente]

whats even more impressive is the an-94 did EXACTLY what is supposed to do and thats make a conscript into an accurate killing machine, which is never more prevalent than now with micah having almost no background in firearms and obliterating the targets. if only they didnt cost like 10k each to produce xD

[@civilengineer6779]

Greetings from Izhevsk. I remember when I was a child I had the Izhmach magazine, where all the company's assault rifles with tactical and technical characteristics were presented. I remember drawing copies of them in a notebook, bragging to my parents. I especially remember the AN-94, it seemed somehow unusual even to a child, I drew it in the hands of the L33T crew from CS, I still remember :D And then I studied to be a design engineer at IzhSTU and worked for a while in Izhmach) Childhood dreams have come true. (Sorry for the google translator)

[@vzlomshchik]

О, земеля. Чечбуреч

[@mtm_777]

А чем сейчас занимаешься? И нужны ли сейчас в современной России инженеры-конструкторы (стрелкового вооружения как пример) или спрос больше на "эффективных менеджеров/управленцев"?...😅

[@vzlomshchik]

@@mtm_777 сейчас может быть все по другому, но несколько лет назад КК забивал болт на студентов, даже на своих, обучаемых за счёт завода.

[@Kinotaurus]

Чувак, проснись - Россия в войне за существование.@@mtm_777

[@user-ph1ru9kh9b]

@@mtm_777 стране пушечное мясо нужно, а не вот это вот всё

[@ForgottenWeapons]

It is indeed an incredible rifle - until it breaks when you need it. :) Nice video!

[@brintheboy4612]

Until you have you clean it.

[@bob445566DE]

The most surprising thing about this video for me was the overall great reception of the rifle. I actually always thought that this thing wouldn't work that well. (bad reliability and bad accuracy due to the moving barrel)

[@christianterrill3503]

That's the issue when you make something overly complicated. Wass up gun Jesus? Marry xmas

[@anonymbenutzer]

Happy holidays my dude, love ya Ian

[@alextatkin1026]

Merry Christmas Ian, you da man!!

[@roseprecision]

I genuinely can't believe you got to shoot an AN-94 what a treat.

[@andrejbusin3508]

And treat it is,no doubt he would also have to pay tax for the barell wear on the thing since its very rare and no doubt the museum or factory which lent this gun would not like their only exemplar to be ruined by constant shooting.

[@akneegrow6152]

@@andrejbusin3508 I strongly doubt a museum or factory loaned this, it must've made it's way to the US from some country (Ukraine?) other than Russia and was sold to an SOT holder as a dealer sample. The SOT is possibly who lent him the weapon.

[@wirelessone2986]

​@@akneegrow6152I agree and whining about barrel wear is so ludicrous....because now this footage is forever and will bever wear out.This SOT or whoever has serious connections.

[@joshstanton267]

​@@wirelessone2986whining about things is American. They have guns and whining. 😂

[@kratzlaff308]

If he says, the ATF SRT and the field office's FBI SWAT team will be over his house the next morning

[@as_below_so_above]

This rifle is astounding!! What a feat of engineering. Mad respect for your dedication and friends that led you to this awesome opportunity! Your love and interest radiates in this video.

[@jackpiper4581]

Well said

[@user-mm6dn9mx4z]

Spiral out friend

[@vukaleksic1654]

True rifle is masterpiece

[@1nfamy124]

This is such an S-tier video. Rare✔️ Engineering miracle✔️ Collab for documentation✔️ Wholesome vibe✔️ Wholesome topic✔️ Training✔️

[@_hekken]

This is currently the most definitive public access AN-94 information that we have in the world. Over 30 minutes of it. That is huge. HUGE.

[@TheKeygeen]

Есть разборка концерном Калашникова kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJPIZ6CAerB9eacsi=-jy0yHjDaHU6qwoE

[@maxx_2245]

Definitely on shooting the thing, combine this with Forgotten Weapon's disassembly of one, and you have the perfect see-all on this thing.

[@alexstenin4530]

That's fair enough for western media space only :D

[@teatimeboy3240]

HUGE

[@rogerbuschmann8161]

Ha! That´s what she said!

[@asinglelemon]

Let me borrow it I’m going to get banned on every bf4 server

[@roaming_doc_1216]

Man the burst on bf4 would just melt people

[@chudrustler]

Yup this thing slays of bf4

[@unkulwilly]

rightfully banned

[@jdarksword]

@@roaming_doc_1216hardcore OP Locker with the -94 was just different, one tap headshots

[@asinglelemon]

@@unkulwillypaired with a flir scope you get about 35 seconds before you’re gone

[@mindtrocity6444]

I am really happy I got to see this demonstration! Awesome vid, guys! Thanks to you and to everyone who made it possible on the road behind you.

[@a-a-ron7243]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R has made me fall in love with this gun. I just love the design of almost being futuristic Bo2 looking almost but not. I love the sights, simple but effective. The unique recoil system is one of the most odd but cool systems in firearms design

[@blue_kojira8981]

You know it’s a big deal when Micah is completely serious the whole episode.

[@nermallover]

fr

[@TylerGreenMusic]

Fr. Dude said, “tip to butt” and didn’t even crack a smile

[@rickh9396]

Ian McCollum is a living gun encyclopedia. Very generous of him to contribute to the making of this video.

[@jamesrichards2442]

We live in hope that one day gun Jesus will give us his dad advice.

[@ghostsmoke11]

I love his videos

[@GeneralThargor]

You mean Gun Jesus, of course he knows everything, he's literally the son of God.

[@ebreshea]

@@GeneralThargor if he's gun jesus doesn't that technically make him the son of a gun?

[@LordVader1094]

​@@ebresheaYou're damn right lol

[@defyzs7657]

This is honestly my favorite rifle ever....what an amazing piece of machinery

[@mikedubb8732]

Man…. Y’all’s excitement has me excited like I’m there with you. This is one of my favorite videos from you and that’s saying a lot cause I’m a real fan of GT

[@UmUs]

A masterpiece for an engineer, and a nightmare for a mechanic.

[@slootscooter975]

good quote for 90% of engineering feats😂

[@joe125ful]

Not at all. Some top tech guns are simply too like Laugo Alien it have few parts or example.

[@kmech3rd]

I suspect this was a contributing factor to a high rate of alcoholism among Russian unit armorers.

[@AlexanderGarciaCollins]

​@@kmech3rd, made me go LOL.

[@cucuawe465]

​@@kmech3rdalcohol also contributed to the creation of this gun.

[@eastbandit23]

The engineering behind this weapon is so impressive

[@hungnguyenhuu2085]

but it too complicated make it hard to maintenance and too expensive make it fail .

[@eastbandit23]

@@hungnguyenhuu2085 its got its cons of course for me it would be worth buying if i could find it

[@moonasha]

it's impressive, but honestly has nothing on the H&K G11, which has to be the most complex rifle ever made. Oddly enough it also has an insanely fast burst like the AN-94, but I think it's a 3 round burst instead of 2

[@theprfesssor]

Clearly overambitious though especially for a Russian military only a few years after the union collapse, also the main feature that hyperburst is not really worth the complexity, both are likely the main reasons why so few have been made

[@diond9927]

@@hungnguyenhuu2085 regardless its still cool af

[@user-tg8vv1tg2u]

Когда я служил в армии, у меня был некоторое время Ан-94 «Абакан». Эти винтовки нам выдали для участия в параде в честь годовщины победы в ВОВ. Кстати, я там также видел и держал АС "Вал" и "Винторез". В целом винтовка необычная, но показалась более громоздкой, чем АК74М. Винтовочный магазин меня, конечно, удивил. Я тоже тогда подумал, что странно, что его сделали скошенным, ведь выглядит это не красиво, да и польза от него не сразу очевидна) Кстати АС «Вал» очень легкий и компактный, его вес и размеры напоминают игрушку.

[@wesleyzabot5232]

understandable. have a nice day

[@dthundergunb3115]

Yeah the history books here in the US teach us that we won the war, but after getting into further research after I was out of school, it was evident that America just parachuted in at the last minute and helped, but the Russians did the hard fighting and paid a heavy price in the lives lost during the war. The AN-94 is a crazy design the reciprocating barrel is an interesting concept.

[@Castragroup]

The bolsheviks won the war

[@lanceroparaca1413]

​@@dthundergunb3115the Soviets, not just the Russians. Many more nationalities includes. Missing Ukrainians, Bielorussians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Monglos and a large etcetera. Just happens that the Moscovites think they were the only ones in the Soviet Union.

[@dthundergunb3115]

@lanceroparaca1413 yeah but the Ukrainians fought mostly for the axis side from what I've learned through my own research. Thats why the nazi groups taken power and have terrorized the don bas and donesk (probably spelt thise two wrong) regions of ukraine, they voted to be re annexed into Russia in 2014, Blenken a nd Nuland had other plans and installed zelenski a mini dictator rat. I agree there were a lot of individual countries that comprised the soviet union who all stepped up and fucked the nazis up, that was a worthy mission for sure. I hope the both of y'all are doing well even though the world is going crazy.

[@gabmd757]

Outstanding review- or overview, whatever you choose to call it. GT and Micah at their best! Thank you for sharing and keep producing this great content!

[@PeterSikachev]

The guy from Kalashnikov was able to hit with both rounds of hyperburst on metal at 100m. He claims he just needed to hold the rifle lightly and not to pull it into himself hard. I.e., you need to shoot from it like a conscript, not like a pro, and then the hyperburst hits better; such is the magic of stalinium.

[@maximkonechno8742]

Conscripts shoot in single fire most of the time.

[@KaRaPyZzZ_87]

Совершенно верно, эта винтовка не любит крепкого объятия=)

[@Ashengard111]

@@maximkonechno8742 Quite the opposite, as a conscript you are being taught to shoot 2 rounds bursts, if you shoot a single one you get yelled at, you do this few times and you get your helmet hit by a mag.

[@maximkonechno8742]

@@Ashengard111 i served at radio technical troops and that's how it was there. Barely any shooting for the whole year.

[@Ashengard111]

@@maximkonechno8742 Funny enough I was also a radio operator (mobile radio station commander), but I started as an infantry armed with an AK and we were being trained on the soviet fighting doctrine, with lots of shooting and always 2 round bursts.

[@JoeSwansonson]

I remember this rifle from Bad Company 2, what a beautiful piece of engineering.

[@Andrei_Antonov]

Same my dude

[@jakass]

True, BFBC has some of the best engineered online shooting mechanics ever seen

[@spran369]

Legendary game, it's what initially hooked me to the Battlefield series

[@JoeSwansonson]

@@spran369 It is (in my correct opinion) undeniably one of the best FPS games of all time

[@calebrobinson3144]

@@JoeSwansonson I think the first one is better for how good the humour is. Idk why they took it out of the second one

[@SithSocialist]

An artifact of a former more advanced civilization.

[@benkendall7489]

Really appreciate that you guys took so much effort to be as analytical as possible and show a variety of tests, top work!

[@scottrobinson3281]

Gennadiy Nikolaevich Nikonov was brilliant arms designer. Very sad that he passed away at the age of only 52 and never refined his AN-94.

[@Barbaroossa]

Fucking hell, what a loss. Reminded of Georgy Shpagin which also died very early in life.

[@mateuszwdowiak3224]

Dudes, it's Russia. No easy day there.

[@Barbaroossa]

@@karlwithak. yeah right

[@iamsurvivor2481]

Make one then if its so easy​@@karlwithak.

[@BaggerFood101]

@@karlwithak.yeah I like the ambition maybe anyone can make an ak47 but an an94? That’s like saying some who can make an ar15 should be able to make an m16 our own government showed that they couldn’t even make an m16 at all.

[@AnimeFanatic5602]

The story of how this gun made it into the country is probably even more interesting than the gun itself.

[@dotonthehorizon9620]

Whats the story?

[@240sxRule]

​@@dotonthehorizon9620 exactly

[@buttnaked]

@@dotonthehorizon9620we don’t know

[@MG-wi1eq]

​@@dotonthehorizon9620maybe it was a ukrainian captured and then sent to the states?

[@zacharyyoung3834]

@@MG-wi1eqvery doubtful. Likey piece-mailed over time, then built stateside

[@daftpanda6533]

EPIC! Probably one of my favorite gun reviews I've ever watched. Brings back memories of SOCOM Navy Seals 2 onPS2. I thought it was a AK94. It's incredible that the 2rd rapid burst was just as effective and accurate in real life as it was in that game. Definitely one of the best guns in that game. IF @Garandthumb could get his hands on a MG42 and do a video on that, that would be the pinnacle of epic weapons, imo. I strongly feel it would also be super important for historical demonstration and preservation. Especially Mike doing a belt fed Mg43 rip off of a tripod. Just putting the idea out there. 😁👍

[@randallshughart]

Wow. This video needs to be in a time capsule as one of the best the internet ever had. The fact that Ian participated has even brought it to an unreachable level of quality. Thanks guys for 34 mins of pure joy.

[@natepotter1709]

AN-94 is like abstract art version of an AK, no one understands why it was made but everyone loves it.

[@RosaParksWasWyt]

Madonna doesn’t love it

[@hmmm1482]

it is very obvious why it was made, it was made by soldiers demand

[@natepotter1709]

@@RosaParksWasWyt madonna is the living embodiment of insufferable

[@prfwrx2497]

Soviet ACR program. Went as well as the American one.

[@DoraTheMFDestroya]

we know why it was made, specifically to make soldiers more accurate on their first shot. two immediate shots before recoil hits is amazing for dropping a person haha

[@archeverything]

If you’ve cleared out the monolith in red forest with this rifle at least once, go ahead and hit that subscribe button!

[@Redio41]

i already hit that button months ago! (AN-94 with AP ammo is the horror of Monolith ☠️)

[@kronical5099]

Such is life in the zone

[@yewtewbstew547]

Oh no, they're wearing heavy armored helmets. Brr-brrt Anyway...

[@Spook_Boi]

im glad im not the only one here with the 1000 stalker stare

[@edgaru4324]

CHEEKI BREEKI IV DAMKE MENTIONED???

[@jonathanfox4798]

this has been one of my most favorite episode EVER - well done guys!!

[@andrehak]

I'm already amazed by the fact that you could have both eyes open upon firing and still not miss. The rest of this awesome video edit is far more effort, but that is just the way I appreciate this. Thanks for all the effort, brother.

[@blase1407]

Man the fact it had no malfunctions kinda blew my mind. Awesome piece of engineering

[@TheAKgunner]

Must have been lightly used. Parts aren’t worn out yet.

[@blase1407]

@@TheAKgunner true, I definitely wouldn’t want to be out in the fields relying on this for a whole month. But the hyper burst concept alone always seemed like a bit of a reach! I was expecting a failure to eject or two!

[@ChaplainPhantasm]

Somehow Nikonov made a rifle that is more complicated than a G11

[@-Zevin-]

Germans gets all the credit, but Russian engineering is highly underrated. People misunderstand Russian engineering because their design priorities typically are simplicity, ruggedness and cost effectiveness, and there is complexity in designing something simple. With the AN-94 however you can really see what the Russian are capable of when they run wild.

[@tiortedrootsky]

@@ChaplainPhantasm is it true though? I failed to understand whats going on with the G11.

[@willo.2324]

The engineering inside the rifle is genius an absolute work of art. Forgotten weapons has a breakdown of the guts inside this thing and it's crazy.

[@smorrow]

Royal Armouries did that, really; Ian just presented it.

[@CharlieFoxtrot128]

@@smorrowit’s a forgotten weapons video.. obviously Ian doesn’t own every gun he does videos on.

[@smorrow]

@@CharlieFoxtrot128 I mean Royal Armouries puzzled out how it works. The Forgotten Weapons page links to their one.

[@CharlieFoxtrot128]

@@smorrow well on the forgotten weapons channel there’s a video on the AN94

[@igotfiveonit8562]

Thank you for letting me know

[@mikehyde2336]

Amazing that you were able to get your hands on one! ❤

[@retrocny5625]

Never expected to see this gun on the channel. An absolute unicorn of a firearm. I saw the video Vickers did many years ago where he went over to Russia to try this gun, as well as the AEK-971 which you referenced briefly. Interesting note: The AEK is probably my favorite AK ever made, also because of Battlefield 3 where it was OP as hell and I loved it lol. Also saw Forgotten Weapons do a tabletop presentation of the AN as well. But I never expected to see a guntuber get one in their hands, in the United States, and put it through its paces on American soil. Fascinating weapon. Glad we finally got some more in-depth information about it in video format like this. Well done.

[@PanzerkomandantFencer]

For what its worth; The Kalashnikov Media channel had some fun shooting the rifle and they found that the hyperburst mode is more fit for a regular conscript, as when the shooter relaxed a bit, took a not-so-tactical stance and just shot in the general direction of the bullseye instead of carefully aiming, the spread on the hyperburst for whatever reason got way smaller than it was when they shot like competition shooters

[@nurtaytulegenov7431]

I think it has to do with the micro-movements of non-professional shooters and the fact that 2nd shot usually hits on the bottom left side of the first. I myself never shot a real gun, but when I used airsoft, I had my barrel pulled to the top right when doing full auto, and samewas with other newbies I came with. Considering we are all in age of conscription, probably we would do the same with real gun.

[@Olson323]

I doubt conspricts could take enough care in the field for it, there is some serious siberian witchcraft going on inside this thing

[@PanzerkomandantFencer]

My original theory was that if you are shooting without "bracing in" how the Kalashnikov Media guys called it, the contact points between the gun and the shooter cushion the impact of the first shot more which leads to less vibration in the barrel than it would if you were firmly braced in. What you said could be very much true considering the 2 shots of the hyperburst constantly hit in the same line that recoil would lead an untrained shooter's burst in on a normal rifle.

[@InHerMajestiesDefense]

If they could make like an AN-12 or some shit, which is based on the KORD but locked in semi and 2 rd burst, while being a bit mechanically simpler, it would be interesting.

[@HungPham-hm9yk]

They have a polymer housing for it with rails and an m4 style foldable stock

[@heinrichstoltz1356]

Never thought we would ever see an actual AN-94 shooting. And seeing it on Garand Thumb is the BEST.

[@JN1-506]

I believe Vickers shot one years ago, but nowhere near as thorough as GT

[@XantheFIN]

There is lot of videos in Russian sites shooting of this. No.. they are not in KZbin but Russian video sites.

[@outdoorsman607]

I remember my only experience with this weapon was with Stalker ShOC where I ended up having like six or seven in a stash. Really cool gun!

[@SenseiSeimen]

Good Job! Im not commenting much and i saw more than a sh`tload of weapon test vids. This one was very pleasant to watch + informing. Because of the unique weapon and presenter. Obviously very well thought through and flawlessly done MR thumb. Thank you mate!

[@alexis1052]

This is a very important video in the history of youtube gun content, so glad Mike could get his hands on that rifle

[@aglimpse5238]

There are a few russian made videos about an-94 and there is more information in them

[@alexis1052]

@@aglimpse5238 I know, but it's always nice to have a new opinion on this subject, especially from a channel like garand thumb

[@AleXxTM123]

@@aglimpse5238 Forgotten weapons has a video on it with the inside exposed. It is truly a great video to understand it's intestines.

[@Tam0de]

This is the 3rd AN-94 video that i've seen, i believe. The 1st was by Forgotten Weapons, where ian said the mechanism was almost rocket science. The 2nd was from Vickers Tactical but Larry had to actually go to Russia to shoot one.

[@merocaine]

I've seen both, great to see some in-depth shooting now, I think Larry was on the clock when he was in Russia

[@mRibbons]

Awesome profile. Looks great and seems really fun. Muzzle brake looks so dope!

[@dbmail545]

Cool! I was always unclear about how this thing worked. Seeing the slo-mo of it firing clarified a lot of things.

[@CobraDBlade]

I actually wouldn't be surprised if the AN-94 really is "more reliable" than the AK-74 in that you go longer between breakages or stoppages; but I'd be more than willing to bet that when the AN-94 does break it's something that takes the rifle completely out of the fight, requiring a long stay at the arsenal to get rebuilt while the AK could be fixed in the field.

[@wewebilll]

Thats literally the problem.... Watch the vicker video about this gun.... This gun is so confusing

[@CobraDBlade]

@@wewebilll I saw Ian's tear down video on it. I wouldn't say it's confusing but it's definitely over complicated.

[@user-xp7wn1cs2n]

so to speak. The issue is not about reliability. Question about wear and durability

[@generaljackripper666]

Yeah because I'm sure a small steel cable is just some truly wizard piece of technology that cannot be replaced in the field.

[@championknife]

Eight rifles of different designers were submitted to the competition for the development of a promising rifle in the USSR. The closest competitor to the AN-94 was the Stechkin TKB-0146 rifle. It was also a recoil pulse offset automaton. But it was more complicated, and the testers jokingly called TKB-0146 - the mechanical workshop of the factory for the production of shots.

[@awsomedude9111]

Russian Video someone was sharing on the rifle kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJPIZ6CAerB9eac Stechkin actually shoots 2,000 RPM but wasn’t chosen because of reliability-wikipedia

[@BcFuTw9jt]

PSA should have one out by Q3 2024 right

[@championknife]

@@awsomedude9111 TKB-0146 has the same principle, displacement of the recoil pulse.

[@ReFr4ct1oN]

I think that the closest competitor of the AN-94 in "Abakan" trials was the Koksharov's AEK rifle. Mainly the AEK-971 - 5.45 variant

[@anthonyhayes1267]

That's saying something considering we call the AN-94 Slavic Rocket Surgery.

[@christiancollier4126]

That is a sick rifle. I heard of it but never really knew anything about it. This is probably my new favorite rifle of this class or whatever you describe that as. I do feel like it wouldnt hold to firing as many rounds as like an AK before needing some decent maintenance though.

[@phils8084]

So neat that you got your hands on one of these - one of my favorite meme guns out there

[@RetrOGz]

This is probably my favorite rifle of all time. Its just so cool and rare. The burst fire mode shooting two shots at once is insane engineering.

[@eurybiaball847]

And i like how it’s featured in black ops 2

[@thebadlander3608]

Yeah, sad that the system can’t be simplified to prevent jamming.

[@TwillightCat]

Yeah... And the Achilles heel of this machine. In order for him to live longer, you should not use automatic fire at all.

[@thebadlander3608]

@@TwillightCat same with like every weapon

[@definitely_not_sevy]

everything sukhoi made too is a masterpiece in looks, russians engineer got some great taste

[@Blackheartcd]

Hi Mike. I’m a retired U.S. Marine. I was very fortunate to shoot the AN-94 back in 2006 while I was stationed at Marine Corps base Quantico with Weapons & Field Training Battalion. I was an instructor for a school house called S.A.W.I.S. (Small Arms Weapons Instructor School). The school house was closed down in I believe 2008 or 2009. Our school was near the F.B.I. and DEA academy. We began teaching courses on foreign weapons and had the ATF come to our school house with the AN-94, a true Russian SVD and many other weapons. Myself and my fellow instructors were all multiple award rifle and expert shooters. By far the accuracy of the AN-94 in both 2 round burst and full auto concerned us……a lot. The AN-94 we shot was actually confiscated in Iraq, turned over to the Army and eventually placed in the custody of the ATF. We got to disassemble it and see how the system worked. At the time, we were not allowed to disclose ANY of the specifications of the gas system or the overall operation of the weapon for obvious reasons. When I first saw the rifle appear in Call of Duty in 2017 as the “KVK 99m” I was pretty surprised. During our shooting, we shot approximately 1,500 rounds between myself and 2 other instructors. We did combat shooting drills, distance shooting and testing of body armor. Message me if you want to.

[@Notkosher308]

Liar😂

[@Blackheartcd]

@@Notkosher308 yeah definitely not lying. Served from February 2000 to August of 2013. Infantry the entire time.

[@RevWarGuy]

​@Blackheartcd Thank you for your service 🫡 Dang I'd love to shoot exotic rifles, even a full auto m4a1 would be awesome but ig if I enlisted now, I'd be stuck with the new Sig rifle 😮‍💨

[@ElectricPhantasmagoria]

Not allowed to disclose how the rifle works for obvious reasons? Yeah, you sound like you may be making that part up. Anyone can go look at animations and literature how it works. Maybe you did have hands on the rifle but let’s not mess around here by saying there is a state secret that if the how this rifle operates and was discovered, “for obvious reasons,” that the world would be in peril. Give me a break. There is no barrier of top secret information about this. I don’t believe your story

[@allysonand]

Bro is capping so hard. Why would an AN94 be in Iraq and why would it ever get transferred from the military to ATF. Also the operation of the gun is not a secret.

[@robertgomez8164]

Great to see everyone back, garand thumbs back, great video, you're the the HK of firearm tubers.

[@ahmedsamir1404]

Amazing Review! Really love this series. Could you do an AEK-971?

[@wolfdima]

The gun passed MOD rigourous testing, but was considered too complex for average soldier. Some SF units used it and the gun was praised, but they were more excited about A-545.

[@HolyNorthAmericanEmpire]

Being used as a Ukropduster

[@MR-backup]

What's the soviets definition of average?

[@rpk321]

​@@MR-backup Conscript. The AK platform was made to be as conscript-proof as possible.

[@bdleo300]

@@rpk321 well you can't have world war without conscription

[@KanaKaname]

@@rpk321 And the Soviet standard for conscript wasn't exactly high. I once saw a post from a ex-Soviet officer who was stationed in East Germany stating that the side-effect of high manpower readiness is the fact that their unit was filled with people enlisted from Central Asia or other backwater places. Since no sane person from Moscow or Kyiv wanted to serve as an infantryman on the frontline, they got stuck with a bunch of grunts who couldn't even speak Russian and were mostly illiterate. Orders had to be relayed through ensigns who were at least educated enough to understand them, in one rare cases the order had to be relayed multuple times because someone only spoke a rare dialect. And these soldiers cause trouble in and around the garrison, a lot. Hilarity ensued when their CO finally had enough of the situation and decided to handpick a bunch of very Russian-looking names from the list for the next batch of replacement. Much to his horror, the guys he picked were still Central Asians who adopted Russian names. He basically gave up on the attempt to improve the quality of his recruits ever since.

[@OldManAbakan]

We may not be able to feel what it's like to shoot an AN-94, but we CAN feel Mike and Micah's excitement at having the opportunity with this unicorn of a firearm. Nikonov's creation is certanly an interesting piece in the small arms history and this 35min footage of his "Abakan" has to be the best in youtube right now. Truly a Christmas gift from GarandThumb.

[@johngross8300]

This was an amazing watch. Their excitement and my now 17 other bing search results. Merry Christmas - this was awesome!

[@Wolflung]

@GarandThumb Y’all deleting my replies or am I trippin

[@darksu6947]

​@@WolflungI would imagine that it's KZbin deleting them. I can barely say anything without getting a message from them saying I'm on the verge of getting my account banned. It's ridiculous.

[@Wolflung]

@@darksu6947 I thought it might be KZbin as well. Doesn’t seem very Garand Thumby to delete comments. Weird tho, never got any warning messages or anything.

[@Wolflung]

@@darksu6947 all I was saying was that this thing really is as cool as it seems. That two round burst feels unreal.

[@ill76er11]

Definitely the best Garand Thumb video ever!!

[@KeymoreNick]

About the front sight post you are absolutely right. As Euro-Asian patent for AN94 says - there goes glow in the dark element. Slot goes under number 79 in the Euro-Asian patent if you will search for.

[@airbornecodwarzone5352]

That is a scary gun. Look how good it was at close quarters. It is incredible

[@TheAnnoyingBoss]

PSA needs to make a clone

[@bidenisasnake9932]

No, It's just black.

[@airbornecodwarzone5352]

@@bidenisasnake9932 lol I don’t mean left leaning scary I mean scary if I’m on the other end.

[@riley2133]

It's truly a shame that the AN-94 never really saw mass production or that much service. Just by watching you shoot it, I could tell just how incredibly that rifle handles and shoots.

[@TheBikeOnTheMoon]

The gun is deemed too complicated compared to the AK, meaning more production cost and more maintaining time and effort, complexity also can cause more malfunction, especially during winter and muddy environment. It may be good for sports and individual owners but definitely not for war.

[@dv8322]

Why is it incredible? It's an AK with a two-round burst. Does it shoot that much better than a M16 with three round burst? Seems good close in but pretty useless at distance.

[@etzwei7994]

@@dv8322 You clearly don't understand how the hyperburst works. It's WAY better than an M16 with a 3 round burst. I dare ya to get that kind of grouping with an M-16 with a 3-round burst. It's not "just" an AK with a 2-round burst. The key feature of the hyperburst is shooting 2 shots before you even FEEL the recoil, hence the rounds land consistently together. The point of hyperburst isn't to hit 2 shots at the same exact place. It's to compensate and increase hit probability, so if you shoot hyperburst at long range, you have a higher chance of hitting a target with that slight dispersion compared to semi auto and certainly with full auto.

[@quasmoke3553]

​@@dv8322 Watch the video bro. They did BILL drill under 1 second reliably using this gun. That's crazy fast.

[@ImPedofinderGeneral]

spetsnaz used it, conventional army of millions of conscripts can't afford mass production of this(rockets and shells doing most of the job so its in priority)+ can't use it effectively in mud rain frost and with lack of maintenance

[@SmallArmsSolutions]

The technical name for the operating system of the AN94 is Gas Operated Blowback Shifted Pulse. This is what the Soviets referred to this rifle as. Nice to see Dan Shea is allowing his rifle to be tested. I recognize the rifle from his collection from several years back.

[@LifeisGood762]

Whaaat!? Once he mentioned the canted magazine I couldn't stop looking at that. Had to rewatch the intro shooting for a better view. It's canted a LOT! Super cool rifle.

[@blinko1388]

Garand Thumb: “Somebody needs to remake this in the U.S. Like right now” Palmetto State Armory: “Hold my beer”

[@bettycocker2226]

they would have to rebrand because theres no way they could sell them at PSA prices. or if they did, it would not be worth buying.

[@Ray-kg9gq]

they should not rebrand screw the market. soon US will adopt recoiless kinetic energy firearms.

[@Redfvvg]

After that, don't tell us that Russians can only fake ;-)

[@mauganra2589]

This is exactly what I was thinking

[@kumat0ra672]

@@bettycocker2226 Sadly the NFA exists.

[@DragoBoss]

When you get past all the propaganda clutter, you understand just how genius Russian engineering is, both when they try to make something complicated and something simple, but robust. As a military analyst, I got the chance to get acquainted with several Russian defense industry engineers and those guys are just the next level.

[@CoolAndrew89]

I certainly can't deny that the engineering is cool, but from a layman's POV, I kinda feel like all that effort was kind of unnecessary. The gun was intended to be Russia's main weapon, with the hyperburst meant to ensure that a typical soldier is more likely to actually hit their target in a battle, from my understanding. It kind of reminds me of the US' whole ACR program from back in the 80s, meant to find a replacement for the M16 that was meant to be twice as accurate, but that just ended up being a big waste of money, with the M16 still being in service. Meanwhile, the AN-94 hypothetically achieves that, while being like 6-7 times more expensive than an AK-74 and requiring it's own set of parts and tooling. Even GT estimates that only like a few thousand were made. Has the AN-94's benefits outweighed the cost to produce and field them? (Also, it's really archaic and has a big drawback with recoil that the AN-94 completely nullifies, but it kinda reminds me of the Winchester SALVO Rifle prototype from the 50s, where they achieved the whole "fire two bullets at once" thing by just sticking two barrels onto the end of a FAL that fired 5.56mm)

[@DragoBoss]

@@CoolAndrew89 yeah, absolutely. I was talking merely from a technological point of view. As for the cost-effectiveness aspect, it's terrible for anything that's not special forces. And even that would be limited to airborne type forces that go in and out fast. The average trench guy is far better off with an AK-74M, AK-12/15 or even the old AKM. In addition, they have newer stuff like the "Kord" AR that has the counterbalance system (based on AEK-971) and that's a bit less effective than the AN-94, but also way less complicated and almost as robust as the AK platform.

[@Maxone3828]

Самое смешное это то что мы думаем тоже самое про вас

[@lafeelabriel]

Oh it's a wonderful piece of engineering for sure. Problem is, and any dissasembly will soon show this, it is way too complicated for military use.

[@DragoBoss]

@@lafeelabriel exactly. The US military had the same issue with the XM8 or the Germans with the G11. Admittedly, the AN-94 went much further than both of those. However, the point definitely stands. It's way too complicated for the wear and tear of intensive combat. Even the more conventional assault rifles such as the G36 have issues with robustness and reliability.

[@f4ckutube]

I think that the benefit of the hyper burst over full auto is more pronounced with more powerful rounds. Would be interesting to see how the system performs with 7.62x39 and if it can be upscaled to 7.62x51 and higher.

[@brotherwulfgar]

Watching him shoot it was actually incredible. That gun is potentially the most lethal thing you could put in an army grunt’s hands. Clearing a building with that thing would be absolute mayhem. Every time the trigger is pulled, 2 shots in nearly the same instance are sent and it continues full auto if need be?? That’s insane. If you could load a higher caliber version of that with something armor-piercing it would be the perfect ambush weapon for places all over the world

[@frost8077]

That rifle carried me through S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky, which they renamed to AC-96/2. Once you give it a scope and upgrades, it works for any situation.

[@Skorpse]

It absolutely slaps in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. both vanilla and modded. The hyperburst mode is such a joy to have. The iron sights are not great but like you said, once you put a scope on it, it's amazing.

[@Zugbarrh]

The gunslinger mod with the tritium on the irons makes them useable but otherise I agree@@Skorpse

[@subifudriftkings]

I thought it looked familiar! It’s not my favorite tho. Always jamming on me

[@hodginsma]

Don’t forget Larry Vickers went to Russia and tested both the AN-94 and the AEK-971 as well as the AK-12 which was still in development at the time I believe.

[@KansasMando762]

Edit: I went and checked the date the videos where posted, his first AN-94 vid is almost 10 years old. It is odd the amount of extremely rare and in-development prototype weapons he’s done, yet not a lot of people really know about it.

[@aquila3958]

I remember him trying to shoot the AN-94 which jammed and they told him they couldn’t fix it on the range because it involved the complex bullet elevator

[@who9416]

and now hes in jail

[@AlexAlex-ph4hc]

Ak-12 is already using in army

[@blueprintoc3453]

@@who9416 Which he shouldn't be.

[@MtnLife-sv9fu]

Haven't seen you this excited in a long time. Pretty Bad Ass rifle. Keep on keepin on...

[@MrMoscowrus]

Hi Michael! The editorial office of Kalashnikov magazine has a sample of the AN-94 with a milled cover and Picatinny rail. It would be interesting to see a review with long-range shooting

[@dyltopher]

This weapon was a favorite in multiple videogames back the early 2010's, Black Ops 2 being the most iconic portrayal in my opinion. I can't believe the barrel actually recoils like that! So cool.

[@Ripa-Moramee]

Yeah the black ops 2 one was really weird, it was full auto all the time but the first two shots you fired when pressing down the fire button would shoot very quickly, then every shot after that fired at what, 600 rpm?

[@anglerfishtanking]

​@Ripa-Moramee the "new" AK in MW3 actually works the same, just a shame it doesn't look *anything* like the real AN-94

[@gar2chan]

Loved Black Ops 2. Underrated COD for sure.

[@raiinydayz1889]

@@Ripa-Moramee why weird if its exactly how the gun works?

[@Ripa-Moramee]

@@raiinydayz1889 I mean the an-94 is overall just weird lol

[@dictolory]

POV: you clicked on this faster than the firerate

[@seppailmarinen5357]

That was a sub 1 second draw from the pocket (not including the pooping)

[@nathanzylla4961]

i clicked faster than switching to your secondary.

[@WindowLickingDeer]

​@@nathanzylla4961 Clicking on Mike's AN-94 video is always faster than reloading.

[@c_lo01]

Id love to see the SloMo guys do a video on this and see how far apart or close the rounds travel together.

[@omgrussian]

When you mentioned Battlefield, I heard you loud and clear. I absolutely loved using it in Bad Company 2, where it was undeniably powerful. I was a menace with it, I made other players legitimately upset because I would always get the drop on them with the hyper-burst, which could be "spammed" in, how do I say it, semi-automatic-burst-only faster than pure 600 RPM full automatic. Burst, Heads, Metal "Doink" Hit Sound, Kill. Man, that game was great.

[@shmeckle666]

Nothing like bc2 before or since. What a perfect military FPS multiplayer gaming experience. And, of course, “war tapes”. And, again, of course the sniping mechanics m,m,m,mmm. Hardcore always being the only way to play the game.

[@irakennington9701]

For reference: that 1800 RPM for that hyperfire is nearly twice the ROF of an M240B on its fastest gas setting, which is 950 RPM. That's close to the ROF of an M134 on low, which is 2k RPM

[@BananaRama1312]

Isnt that crazy for a mg

[@spoohater6949]

I think they mean thw rof of the an 95 hyperfire modes is closer to the m134

[@nocturnalspecialties642]

We used 3500 rpm motors and 6000 rpm motors on the M134. 1900 is still pretty dang fast for a reciprocal

[@deathfromabove2250]

Current M240s don't have adjustable gas anymore. It sucks

[@machina_spirit]

The pre-nerf AN94 was a major vibe in Bad Company 2. Doming snipers w the 4x acog while tearing dudes to shreds in CQC. Good times

[@akselpervolainen3556]

ахах ахах

[@judsongaiden9878]

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Anomaly, not only does the 2-round hyper-burst work properly, but you can put a GP-25 and a 1P29 scope on the AN-94.

[@michael3088]

basically DMR with an Assult Rifle setting xD

[@hazy-]

BFBC2 best battlefield game

[@whatisdinnerfuck]

​@judsongaiden9878 The AN-94 happens to be my EDC in Anomaly right now ❤

[@user-ij4ov7nu2k]

wow super interesting and awesome video. I especially like the unique weapon system videos

[@tinaann3323]

Very cool! I have to admit I just spent 1/3 of your video trying to figure out what the hell is the design on the top(just under your neck) of your carrier over the rectangular box.

[@domd5376]

Russian Engineer: "You've already fired one bullet" Russian Lt: "We've shot one yes, but what about 2nd bullet??"

[@cristianlotti5328]

You get twice as much bullet per bullet when firing a bullet

[@Ungood-jl5ep]

@@cristianlotti5328 2x thrusts per squeeze

[@preciousroihomeshoppingnet7908]

He doesn't know about 2nd bullet?

[@kimchi2780]

I had the pleasure of holding but not shooting one of these in Kyrgyzstan. Buddy of mine is in a pretty high spot in the Kyrgyz Military and he said there are around 40 still left in their forces. He did mention that when the Russians gave them to them they were told to not use them unless it was an emergency and they were extremely unreliable.

[@notgray88]

What were you visiting Kyrgyzstan for? Not that I doubt your story just curious. I love Kyrgyzstan great place to get some delicious horse meat. Probably my favorite food you can't find anywhere in the USA.

[@kimchi2780]

@notgray88 my wife is from there.

[@user-xp7wn1cs2n]

what is reliable? Kyrgyz dung maybe?

[@wewebilll]

​@@kimchi2780wait.... I heard that a indian rapper get killed by this gun..... Did pakistan make copy of this gun?

[@jonellhaney7162]

😂 John Wick enters the chat..."Uhh, I gotta thing to do gimme 300rds with that please."

[@krunostarcevic]

Dream rifle right there, thank you for this gem.

[@GetFochdYT]

Find someone in life who looks at you like Mike looks at the AN-94 and you will truly find lifelong happiness

[@Austin-jl5pb]

This makes the AEK971 seem simple. It’s honestly kind of crazy that this is a video. In all the years of KZbin and how long this gun has been out there it’s amazing that this a legitimately a first look into a moon rock rare gun.

[@seanchristian572]

If only he could rock the AEK-971

[@Adierit]

What's honestly more impressive is that it's a design of the USSR that everyone likes that actually works. More often then not, USSR equipment rarely lives up to the hype.

[@Michael-ht4wt]

​​@@AdieritТочно так же как и у других стран😅

[@Klovaneer]

@@Adierit ussr design that actually works? what kind of drugs are you on my dude?

[@sbar]

​@@KlovaneerHollywood bro. Does that to a person. 🤔

[@Jasruler]

Some holy grail tier stuff going on in this vid. Well done.

[@pepefroglive]

The first time I heard about the AN-94 was in the video game Socom Navy Seals. That 2 round burst makes it rare and different than any other rifle.

[@williamdahl6262]

Flat out amazing! As a gunsmith and a mechanical historian I found this jaw dropping. Unbelievable split times better than I imagined. Also, the ranged trials are at a minimum 85% more effective than what you would get in a conventional FA system. For someone to be dropped (be it without proper training on that specific system) a gun and yet that system performed so well, it’s such an amazing credit to the design of that platform. This is it, the current pinnacle of reciprocating mass operating systems. For those of you who currently want to know where this is, it is the exact same place that the Mauser K98 (current production military and civ arms) was to the M1 Garand (AN94) in WWII.

[@issstari954]

I do know of a way to get a parts kit but it would take alot of money and effort to turn it into a functional rifle but it's totally possible

[@hurrdurrmurrgurr]

@@karlwithak. If you have the specs go ahead and make a video with your own AN94.

[@worldoftancraft]

Gewehr 98, sir pubg gamer.

[@Miguel-jm2pf]

@@karlwithak.Are you only using cost of raw materials or actually throwing R&D into that cost? Cost of materials is not “how much” something costs to make.

[@nathanabbe383]

I can only think of one rifle more rare than the AN94. The APS underwater assault rifle. But I'm sure getting your hands on one and actually being able to test it is nearly impossible. Great video, Mike.

[@KaRaPyZzZ_87]

Вы правы, АПС невозможно купить, она поставляется только в специальные подразделения спецназа.

[@nathanabbe383]

@@KaRaPyZzZ_87 but is it still in service???

[@panterka.f]

​​@@nathanabbe383 its a very specialized weapon, but its most definetely still in use.

[@sithknight7740]

⁠​⁠@@nathanabbe383A version of it is, they use a version that's basically an underwater Groza that uses a special 5.45 round that's built to operate underwater and above water, ditching the darts. It's called the ADS.

[@KaRaPyZzZ_87]

@@nathanabbe383 Конечно. Стоит на вооружении в составе боевых подводных подразделений спецназа.

[@mumzly1]

I've been obsessed with the AN-94 since Battlefield 3 too. This is a dream gun for me.

[@danomyster4746]

You have to admit the Russians know ingenuity

[@swimssnakeyadventures9127]

I don't usually see Mike smile like this, this whole video is A++

[@Mr.Truemannz]

no its 18+

[@QueasyMcSqueezy]

God the pulley system on this is still out of this world. The fact the gun fires two rounds before the bolt reaches its stopping point is insane.

[@maxime_vhw]

Such a trippy gun. Looks and sounds like a single shot but its a burst. Thats some crazy russian engineering

[@gallegostoledo]

I'm kinda impressed of how the sound is really close to the one at COD whenever its fired. I could closed eyed guess its the AN94 from just playing so much COD.

[@713bigounce]

The AN-94 and AEK-971 got me out of some tight spots on Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3, they were so fun to play with lmao

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

Oh yeah AEK with iron sights and front grip on hardcore

[@kiserschaus]

Those 2 games have the best fps warm n fuzzies❤

[@vasilije94]

This is by far the most ambitious rifle ever made that actually worked. What a crazy idea. To bad it was too expensive, especially in the 90s when Russia had literally no money at all. A lot of ideas were simply scrapped into oblivion due to collapse of Soviet Union. And for the complexity part, yea it is complex. I would take AK over literally any weapon in the "apocalypse scenario". But for some units with good logistics this seemed like it could work.

[@LOLHAMMER45678]

G11 is more ambitious for the caseless round alone- but AN-94 is way up there

[@Cocokingable1]

It is absolutely UNREAL that an AN-94 is not only in the USA but that you guys got to actually run it. Theses guns are so insanely rare its not even funny. I will forever be insanely jealous, AN-94 is my favorite AK variant ever made.

[@Fred_the_1996]

It's not an ak variant

[@BenSuzuki]

Ian definitely does dive into it further it's awesome. Forgotten Weapons for the win!

[@ColonelEagle]

This was my go-to in Bad Company 2. With an ACOG and Magnum rounds, this thing was basically a counter-sniping weapon.

[@user-ty5ep9qf6o]

And when pushing lmb fast hear like some kind of micro uzi or ingram shooting. Brrrrrrrr

[@NeonMako]

RIP BFBC2 😢

[@teejin669]

BFBC2 was the goat. I mainly played all the cods with my friends, and loved them, but I cant deny my time playing BC2 was the best shooter experience I ever had.

[@Sarpro72]

Recently went back and played through the campaign for old times sake. Just incredible. Favorite game of all time.

[@westwing23]

I didnt know how awesome AN-94 was until you showed it to us, its an honor to watch the AN-94 be able to shine in your hands.

[@PrestoPresteinn]

Глядя на этот автомат, вы - американцы можете осознать, на сколько наша, русская оружейная мысль превосходит вашу!

[@jansenart0]

You need to subscribe to forgotten weapons.

[@user-kg1zu2zq6q]

Почему был? Он и сейчас на вооружении.

[@EternalNico1]

@@user-kg1zu2zq6qit’s very rarely used, you’ll never see many videos of it.

[@Rey-vm9it]

te polley just made i one of my fav guns... i remember playing it, but i didnt know that the gun was so impressive yet so mechanically interesting.

[@valkyrie40k]

I am so jealous of this video, I have come back to watch it 3 times.

[@nikitaavanasjev5139]

I can't believe this video exist now, I am russian and this is my favourite weapon ever, especially from a mechanical point of view. It's a shame it became so rare. This could've been a new standard for weapon design, the mechanism is insane and very interesting. I'm very happy you guys could such a video to us, and it makes me happy that you were as excited for this as I am. Good job 👍🏻

[@edwardscott3262]

Every country seems to go through a phase of wanting to design an Uber no expense spared rifle. After they are done everyone realizes that small arms produce such a tiny percentage of casualties it's not even worth it. A better hand grenade, a better mortar shell or a better fragmentation bomb aren't as cool and don't get as much attention but would make any military better off than any small arm they could ever possibly design.

[@jacobkooster7348]

In Russia is it more feasible to find one to shoot? Like in America there are gun ranges in Vegas with ever machine gun you could dream of to shoot, except this one.

[@Thaidory]

AK-12 has a 2 round burst. It's first edition was sloppy but there is an updated edition coming up in 2024. Bonus points it will be buyable on a black market in Ukraine.

[@joshuajoaquin5099]

​@@Thaidorythe two round burst seems unnecessary. I recall that soldiers even the Kalashnikov company themselves deemed it not needed but alas its just Ministry of Defense specifications

[@joshuajoaquin5099]

​@@jacobkooster7348 its strict. You can only do this during open day in the military bases according to my friend and if you are special guy they can invite you to the company. Sadly its not heavily available year round.