It is no secret that Russian troops are closely watched from abroad. Not only by intelligence agents, but also by warriors of the pen – for example, from The National Interest magazine. This conservative publication with a militaristic bias puts the security of the US borders at the forefront. Therefore, The National Interest experts try to keep up with the latest weapons of all armies around the world, and are willing to generously share their knowledge with anyone interested. Recently, they compiled a rating of weapons preferred by the Russian military. And we will tell you about the top five places on this list in all the details.
5. SAKO TRG 42
Finnish weapons are respected by military personnel from all over the world. They have a well-deserved reputation for reliability and, most importantly, accuracy. The Finnish army has always emphasized accuracy, so their military industry tries to meet the demands.
One of the most popular Finnish-made weapons among law enforcement agencies is the Sako TRG sniper rifle line. This is a magazine-fed rifle with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt, an optical sight and a sighting bar.
Although in the Russian army this weapon is used mainly by anti-terrorist units, snipers in reconnaissance troops have also been spotted with the Sako TRG on numerous occasions. The second most popular among them is the Austrian sniper rifle Steyr SSG 08.
The reason is in the indicators by which the Sako TRG leaves behind the domestically produced SV-98 and Orsis rifles. Alas, Russian developers have not managed to finally solve the problems with the bolt, which are present even in one of the latest models of the high-precision sniper rifle line, the Orsis T-5000.
Let's add that in addition to high quality and excellent characteristics, Sako TRG is also cheap (at least much cheaper than domestically produced analogues). However, recently the position of Sako TRG on the Russian arms market has slightly weakened, since in 2018 the troops began to be supplied with the modernized SV-98 model in large quantities. Will Sako TRG lose popularity among the Russian military? Time will tell.
By the way, if desired, any civilian can get at his own disposal practically the same rifle that the Russian special forces use. It is considered a sporting and hunting weapon and costs a little more than 400 thousand rubles.
4. HK MP5
The MP5 family has a rich and glorious history: its first representative was born in 1966 and was almost immediately adopted by the police and border troops. Since then, the family has expanded, new modifications have appeared for special circumstances, but the classic MP5 model has not yet "gone out of fashion".
The advantages of this popular firearm among the Russian military include both the ease of use (according to reviews, it has an unusually good grip and safety position), and the length of the barrel, despite its overall compactness, as well as variability. The capabilities of the MP5 can be significantly improved by using different types of sights and a flashlight. Overall, it is a solid, durable, and robust design that can be easily assembled and disassembled for cleaning.
Russia was no exception. MP5s entered service with FSB units, including the Alpha and Vikhr special forces. Of course, they have been upgraded (equipped with red dot sights and other accessories). True, import substitution has also begun in the military sphere – troops have recently begun to be armed with a domestically produced submachine gun called the Vityaz-SN, also known as the PP-19-01. The reason is probably the lower price of the Vityaz.
The National Interest experts are not favorable to the replacement, believing that the domestic submachine gun is much inferior to its German counterpart in terms of shooting qualities. Friendly shooting competitions between units of the Belarusian Alpha using the HK MP5 and the Russian Alpha with the Vityaz confirm the point of view of American journalists.
3. PKP "Pecheneg"
Although the Kalashnikov machine gun has not become a living legend, like his rifle, however, according to experts from The National Interest, it is more technically advanced. Despite its weight - 8.2 kg on a bipod or 12.7 on a tripod, which is much less than its 7.62 mm counterparts - the machine gun does not lose accuracy and controllability. And the Pecheneg is a modernized version of that same machine gun.
The bipod and barrel have been improved: special ventilation windows have been made in the casing so that during shooting (which releases a lot of thermal energy), cold air can flow through them for cooling. This increases not only the wear resistance and strength of the barrel, but also the accuracy of shooting.
The Pecheneg is mainly used by special forces, and its "parent", the Kalashnikov machine gun, is still in service with the Russian army. It would be a sin not to use this simple and reliable design, which has not yet been surpassed in terms of characteristics.
Over the decades since the creation of the Kalashnikov machine gun, several modifications of this weapon have been produced:
- with bipods,
- modernized version with a smooth barrel,
- tank machine gun, "Badger" with a low-noise barrel,
- and the same “Pecheneg” with improved cooling.
According to Western gun enthusiasts, the main drawback of the Kalashnikov machine gun is that the belt is not detachable, but has a fixed length. Therefore, in addition to shooting, the shooter also has to manage the empty belt on the left side so that it does not get stuck anywhere. However, from the military's point of view, this is not a drawback at all - after all, the belt can be reused!
2. Glock 17
Although the Glock 17 pistol is one of the favorite weapons of the Russian military, it was originally developed for the Austrian army. The goal of the Glock designers was to create a simple, reliable and durable weapon that was also easy to service and maintain. The goal was achieved, and immediately after the demonstration and military tests, the company ordered so many weapons that its own could not cope; it was necessary to involve subcontractors.
Since then, the Glock 17 has been making a triumphant march across the globe; currently, it is used by over 30 countries. In addition to the police, it is also loved by special forces and elite security forces.
The Russian military industry tried to imitate the Glock 17 as best it could, creating the GSh-18. Like the Glock 17, it has a polyamide frame (lightweight), a double-action striker trigger, and the GSh-18 inherited the ease of maintenance from the Austrian pistol. However, it seems that the original could not be surpassed, since the Glock 17 is still in service with elite special forces, such as the Alpha unit.
1. AK-74M
At the top of the list of preferences of the Russian army and special forces is a weapon whose leadership is beyond doubt. This is the famous assault rifle, another brainchild of the brilliant Soviet engineer-designer Mikhail Kalashnikov. The weapon turned out to be so good that it became extremely popular and actually turned into a living legend.
Currently, the Russian armed forces are dominated by a modified version of that very same assault rifle, the AK-74M. It differs from the original in that it has a two-chamber muzzle device, which has increased the accuracy of fire without sacrificing the advantages of its “ancestor” — reliability, light weight, and low recoil. It has also become possible to install a Picatinny rail on it — a rail mount on which you can hang all sorts of accessories like flashlights, bipods, and sights.
True, recently there have been voices that the old man is starting to give in and it is time to choose something to replace the AK-74. The main contender is the AK-12 produced by the Izhevsk arms factory.
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