Russian “balanced” assault rifle that has proven itself in a special military operation
Russia, May 14, 2025 – Information about the use of specific domestic models of small arms in the zone of special military operations appeared earlier. However, not so long ago, a new photo of the A-545 assault rifle with balanced automation appeared.
If the A-545 index means nothing to you, then perhaps you are familiar with the name AEK-971. The assault rifle in question is the heir to the ideas and engineering solutions laid down in the times of the USSR in this product of the Kovrov gunsmiths. In general, in open sources, the A-545, somewhat simplified, is often called the “modernized AEK-971”. Is this true and what is the history of this weapon in general?
The assault rifle submitted to the Ratnik research and development competition looked very different from its predecessor. Weapons engineers did a lot of work to improve the ergonomics and operational characteristics of the weapon. In the photo above is the AEK-971, below is the A-545.
The history of the AEK-971 began when research and development was launched in Abakan by the decision of the Commission of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on military-industrial issues No. 280 of 08/27/81. The idea was that it was necessary to increase the accuracy of the assault rifle and the accuracy of automatic fire and when firing from awkward positions: standing, kneeling, etc. The winner of the Abakan research and development project, the AN-94 Abakan itself, received the GRAU index and went into production… And in general, that’s all. It was produced a little, fought a little, but did not gain any love in the troops and did not go beyond the boundaries of “small, expensive, heavy”. In order to achieve the same accuracy characteristics when conducting automatic fire, everything else was actually sacrificed. Compared to the Kalashnikov system, it is not just complicated, but also very difficult. Here you can also add ergonomic features, such as a magazine that is not mounted vertically down, but with a deviation to the right. This means that a person who is used to reloading an AK will not be able to immediately attach a magazine to the AN-94. Add to this a more than impressive weight (a loaded assault rifle is more than half a kilogram heavier than a loaded AK-74).
How is the increase in accuracy when conducting automatic fire achieved? A balancer was added to the automation unit, which has the same mass as the bolt. The bolt and the balancer are connected through gears and a gear inside the bolt. The pistons of the frame and the balancer play the role of the front and rear walls of the gas chamber. At the moment of firing, under the influence of gases, they begin to move simultaneously in opposite directions with the same speed, and the impulses of their movement cancel each other out.
Although the system did not provide such indicators as the AN-94, it turned out to be simpler. It is not surprising that law enforcement agencies paid attention to the assault rifle. Its small-scale production and purchases by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation began. In the hands of fighters of various units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it fought in both Chechen wars.
The story of our hero begins in 2010 with the research and development of the Ratnik company. In addition, according to the original requirements, two assault rifles were to be developed for 5.45×39 mm and 7.62×39 mm cartridges. Kovrov engineers reworked their thirty-year-old design. The principle of recoil compensation has not changed, but outwardly the assault rifle has changed a lot according to the requirements.
Kovrov assault rifles passed tests in 2014 and are recommended for use in service, and Izhevsk assault rifles are recognized as not meeting tactical and technical specifications. However, in 2015 everything changed, the winners were the AK-12 and AK-15, and the A-545 and A-762 lost the competition. What happened? Somewhere they write that the test results in 2014 became a bucket of cold water on their heads for the effective managers of the Kalashnikov concern and they came to their senses, somewhere they write that they did not come to their senses, but turned on the administrative resources to the fullest, but be that as it may, the Kovrov assault rifle with balanced automation went overboard again. But not quite…
In 2018, the RF Armed Forces adopted the A-545 assault rifle with balanced automation under the designation GRAU 6P67 and the name “Kord”. In 2019, information appeared that it would enter service with special forces units, and in 2020 we learned from the news that the weapon had already entered service with special forces units of the Eastern Military District.
Photos of the A-545 from the special military operation zone have already slipped through. However, the last photo makes it clear that the product of the Kovrov gunsmiths continues to successfully fight in the hands of special forces fighters. There are practically no reviews of this weapon from the combat zone. Such are the specifics of those who fight with these weapons, and their work itself. It is only known that special forces with the A-545 look with envy at their colleagues with Kalashnikov assault rifles, since they do not have access to so many commercial accessories for their “tool”. Manufacturers of commercial “body kits” simply do not know such a highly specialized and rare system as the A-545. Nevertheless, this is clearly a trifle against the background of other advantages of the assault rifle.
Alexander Sycev
