The Russian gun-maker Kalashnikov Group will unveil its newest 5.56 mm AK-19 assault rifle at the largest arms exhibition of the Middle East, IDEX 2021, the company has said.
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The company, which a part of the Rostec State Corporation, claims its latest assault rifle has already generated interest among customers from the Middle-East countries which use 5.56×45 mm cartridge as standard ammunition. “In hot, humid climates and dusty conditions, AK-19 will provide effective all-day use, reliable operation and unpretentious maintenance,” the company statement added.
Dmitry Tarasov, the general director of the group, said that the company hopes its new model will address the demands of the new variant. “AK-19 uses the 5.56×45 mm cartridge adopted by NATO and widely used in the world. Thus, our newest assault rifle is fully oriented to the foreign market,” he said.
“Presenting AK-19 at the largest international armament exhibition IDEX, we are sure in the great interest in it on the part of foreign customers, the first applications from whom we are already receiving,” he added.
The light-weight assault rifle is based on the AK-12, which is the primary weapon of the Russian Armed Forces since 2018. AK-19 comes with a lightweight collapsing stock with improved ergonomics, a new rear sight, and a flash suppressor with the ability to quickly mount a silencer, with a barrel length of 415 millimeters and a weight of 3.350 grams.
Outfitted with Picatinny rails, AK-19 comes with a telescoping buttstock of the original design, along with a new diopter sight and a quick detachable device for silent and flameless fire.
The twist rate is specified to be 1.7 inches, common for the modern 5.56x45mm chambered rifles. Strikingly, the stock shown in the video released by the company in August is much different from the telescopic stock generally shown on the AK-12 – which the company has claimed to be improved over previous models.
Kalashnikov also claims that the rifle has improved ergonomics and a new muzzle device, which can allow mounting quick-attach suppressors. The magazines too, are similar new polymer-built with windows denoting the number of rounds left.
The Russian company has made several iterations of the AK-12 platform, distinctively having the front sight combined with the gas block – which was derived from the development of the AK-100 series.
The Indian Army has finalized the AK-203 to replace the INSAS rifles. Following the Modi government’s ‘Make In India’ initiative, Kalashnikov agreed to set up a factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi. However, the deal is yet to fructify as the cost negotiations still continue between the company and the Indian government.
With A-19, Kalashnikov hopes to make a dent in the global market for assault rifles in the developing countries, especially outmaneuvering the western gun-makers. It’s no surprise then that the Russian gun-maker has decided to choose the IDEX, the leading Middle-Eastern exhibition to promote its latest innovation to the global market. It hopes to evoke interest among the foreign customers whose requests the company has been receiving for quite some time.
