First unveiled in the Russian Army Expo 2017 alongside the

AMB-17 The AMB-17 (russian: Aвтомат Малогабаритный Бесшумный, translit=Avtomat Malogabaritnyj Besshumnyj, translation=Suppressed Small-sized Automatic Rifle, awaiting GRAU designation), is an integrally suppressed assault ...

, the AM-17 (russian: Aвтомат Малогабаритный, translit=Avtomat Malogabaritnyj, translation=Small-sized Automatic Rifle, awaiting

GRAU The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated Russian acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the ...

designation), is an assault rifle that uses standard

intermediate cartridge An intermediate cartridge is a rifle/carbine cartridge that has significantly greater power than a pistol cartridge but still has a reduced muzzle energy compared to fully powered cartridges (such as the .303 British, 7.62×54mmR, 7.92×57mm ...

5.45×39mm The 5.45×39mm Cartridge (firearms), cartridge is a Rim (firearms), rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 by the Soviet Union for use with the new AK-74. The 5.45×39mm gradually supplemented and then ...

7N10 cartridge. It was developed and manufactured by in the late 2010s by Kalashnikov Concern based on the Yevgeny Dragunov MA Compact Rifle. The weapon is intended for use as a close quarters weapon, primarily for

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

and

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...

units of the

Russian Interior Ministry The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; russian: Министерство внутренних дел (МВД), ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia. The MVD is responsible for law enfor ...

Russian National Guard The National Guard of the Russian Federation (russian: Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации , translit = Federal'naya sluzhba voysk natsional'noy gvard ...

, and

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...

to replace the AKS-74U.

Design details

Operating mechanism

The AM-17 unlike previous firearms in current use by the Russian military differentiates itself by employing two receivers that connect on a hinge instead of a single stamped receiver with a lid. To do this the upper receiver itself is made from polymer and steel reinforcements, while the lower receiver along with its magazine housing is made entirely from polymer and connected to the upper receiver by two captive take down cross-pins reducing the weight of the firearm significantly and allowing for easier access into the internal operation. The gas operated action within is a short stroke gas piston and rotary bolt which locks with three radial lugs on the bolt head similar to historic 9x39mm carbines such as the

VSK-94 The VSK-94 (russian: Войсковой Снайперский Комплекс, translit=Voyskovoy Snayperskiy Kompleks, translation=Military Sniper Complex, GRAU designation 6В8) is a 9x39mm suppressed designated marksman rifle designed in 19 ...

. The bolt carrier within the upper receiver is almost streamline by design raising it towards the bolt group reducing both bolt friction and felt user recoil.

Features

The weapon has an integrated upper full-length MIL-STD/1913 Picatinny railing, polymer side-folding and adjustable (telescoping) shoulder stock, and longitudinal slots in the walls of the upper receiver allowing for ambidextrous controls in both the fire selector and charging handle.

Users and service history

* : The AM-17 is in limited use with FSB, FSO,

, and VVS specifically for firearms testing and has yet to complete acceptance trials.

References

* {{reflist

External links