The Guns & Ammo Network

AK-12 in My Basement? Part I

by Marco Vorobiev • April 4, 2012 • 11 comments

Photos by Brendan Vorobiev

Marco Vorobiev was a member of the elite Soviet Spetsnaz in Afghanistan in the 1980s. He’s a U.S. citizen now and conducts training courses that draw on his special forces training. He’ll have a new installment every Wednesday.

Everybody is by now blogging away about Russia’s new fifth-generation assault rifle, the AK-12. I myself am guilty of it. A couple of weeks ago, I offered my opinion of the new gun. Now that I had some time to think about it and analyze it, I wanted to see what the Russians actually produced.

As I mentioned before, the new AK-12 is nothing more than refined and truly modernized AK-74: an already sound and proven platform with upgrades that make sense today.  However, I am sure that the producer of the AK-12 rifle, the Russian arsenal Izhmash, did not come up with the upgrades on its own. More likely they had to play catch up or were risking being left in a dust. So, where did they get the idea? From the same place all the operators do. Here in the USA.

With than in mind, I embarked on yet another quest: trying to replicate AK-12 or rather its features a using basic AK-74, the accessories that are widely available and as few tools as possible.

My subject for this experiment came from I.O., Inc., which just recently introduced new AK-74s built with a U.S.-made receiver and non-chromed barrel and genuine Bulgarian parts. The gun arrived in its box accompanied by owner’s manual and cleaning kit. It was dressed in Russian plum furniture, with the exception of a burnt orange Bulgarian pistol grip.

It really did not matter as most of it will have to come off for my experiment. As usual I took it apart. Everything was in its place. After reassembly I cycled the gun a few times and dry-fired it. The rifle functioned as it should. The TAPCO trigger was light and crisp. The I.O., Inc. AK-74 was good to go.

A quick trip to the range revealed that the new rifle shot well without any stoppages and I was able to produce 2.5 to 3-inch groups consistently.

So, I was set and well on my way to seek the truth.

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AK-12 in my Basement? Part I

Be sure to check out Part II and Part III of this series!

In Long Guns, Uncategorized • Tagged ,
  • Crabby

    That bolt looks very similar to the SIG 556's bolt maybe you could modify the Sig bolt?

    • anan

      i’m an indian living in europe ; as my point of view,,, the new ak 12 combat rifle vastly an amazing disigne , makes lightining it self among all it apprecients who sitting in their top of toes , as well as we known it famous glorius history , reliablity & durablity that makes this rifle more daring even opposite soldiers , with this new modification the rifle goes itself next generation features and polyvalent uses in all critical condition and bad wheather situation . those modification make it handlling and maintaining with it ‘s optic accessories so easly , with diffrent varient of calibres and diffrent length of barrels, ak 12 would be entered in service by end of 2012 or 2013 , before all of that russian weaponary engineers must concern this rifle to maintaining much easyly, as it ‘s accessories features with new picatinny rails ,they can also introduce an easely removable screwing threads gun barrels to replace another one into the chamber with diffrent calibre with diffrent length.same as an universal BOLT CARRIER with multi platform gas pistons for all type of ak 12 plat forms such as ak 12 assault rifle, ak 12 carbine, ak 12 U,ak 12 smg , or ak 12 pistol gun or even ak 12 LMG too. with suitable calibre bolts for suitable calibre rounds like as american new ACR rifle ,further more only with universal CHAMBER/ RECEIVER . you ISHMACH experts can modified multi flatform magasine block/ magasine hatch for all type of ak rifles…. thease features only missing in this awsome next generation AUTOMATE KLASNIKOV , hope you russian engineers would be solved this problem also soon.

  • doc Young

    The controls sure are different from my AK-47!! I wonder if they're quieter? If you can get 2.5-3.0" groups right out of the box, how much more can you refine them? My mini-14 shoots to 1.5"@100yds using 62grmatch, but I doubt that I can get that good with regular 55gr ammo, what grain ammo did Marco use? I agree with Crabby that bolt does look similar to the Sig556, maybe Izmash did a littlee "creative licenseing" work??????

    • john

      Doc its 5.45×39 not 5.56

    • Chris

      Doc: For the record. Russian AK-47s are always in 7.62x39mm. while the AK-74 is in 5.45x39mm. Since the AK-12 was redisigned as a AK-74 this means that john is dead right, sorry.

  • Russ Barclay

    If the 12 remains true to the AK lineage it will always go bang when you pull the trigger, and it won't miss. That's pretty much everything in a nutshell.

  • SFC. Randy

    2.5- 3 inch groups? Better hope what ever your aiming at is real close… That's pretty weak standards for any weapon.

    • Paul

      In my experience, most firefights take place in less than a 100 yards. Why are you engaging at 100 yards or farther? Also. for an AK, 2.5-3.0 groups at 100yards ain't bad. I had an AK-74 and it is a good dependable weapon. I just didn't like having another mouth to feed.

    • Paul

      This ain't the olympic's buddy.

  • howie clark

    inches not feet

  • Cristobal Pagan

    How about a SBR kit. I would prefered left folding and a chrome barrel. Still, I will give it a 100% plus.