Bulkin's TKB-415 assault rifle - the main competitor for the Kalashnikov assault rifle in the 1940s

How many times has the question of a competitor to the Kalashnikov assault rifle in Russia been raised? All sorts of options were named, including the AEK modifications and the Bulkin assault rifle. However, for decades, the AK has remained virtually out of competition, which indicates its close to the ideal combination of "price-quality" for mass applicability in the army. At the same time, some competitors of the Kalashnikov assault rifle occupied their own niche, which was determined by a set of their functional features.

The original competitor for the rifle weapons Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 40s became TKB-415 (aka AB-46), the aforementioned machine gun of Alexei Bulkin, a Tula gunsmith designer. Alexey Alekseevich took part in the competition for the creation of small arms for an intermediate cartridge.

The final competition began in the victorious 1945. At the same time, according to a number of indicators, it was the Bulkin assault rifle that was in the lead for more than a year and a half, showing excellent results in accuracy of fire. But in the end, the AB-46 did not manage to win the competition due to the fact that the survivability of individual parts and mechanisms, as it turned out in the end, was lower than that of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. In the end, the TKB-416 product remained at the level of experimental development.

Details about Bulkin's gun are presented in a video on the Kalashnikov channel:

Comments

[beeper]

It was very interesting to watch and listen!
Live, in the dynamics of the disassembly and assembly of the sample, you can notice those nuances that are unclear on the static photo of the disassembled Bulkin machine gun - at last I saw his shutter drive.
In particular, I drew attention to the fact that the gas piston with the rod is stationary relative to the bolt carrier and the bolt carrier itself sits quite tightly on the receiver guides.
Of course, the split part of the stem is not very technologically advanced in processing and is an "excellent" stress concentrator under cyclic shock loads - in the AK this structural element is made more competently and much simpler (and it also takes into account the inevitable "jambs" in the production of machine parts in war time).

I always remembered the words of Mikhail Kalashnikov that, for the sake of reliable operation of automation in difficult conditions, to provide it with the necessary supply of kinetic energy, the speed of the bolt carrier with the bolt at the extreme point of recoil should have been at least 5 meters per second, but the respected Ruslan Chumak knows better -three so three!

So the role of the rotary lever at the base of the front sight has not been clarified, is it a gas tube lock, or is it such an adjustment and blocking of the gas outlet?!
The aiming line is also quite short, even taking into account the fact that Aleksey Bulkin did not shorten the barrel (as at the last stage of the competition it was shortened by Kalashnikov and Zaitsev in their rearranged assault rifle sample) and carried the gas outlet further to the muzzle, to an area with a lower pressure of powder gases.
This design approach with the priority of accuracy over reliability, and, accordingly, an insufficient (for reliable operation in difficult conditions) supply of energy of the moving parts of the automation, and ruined, in general, a good (for shooting gallery and parades), "Bulkin machine", otherwise and a sort of "target AR" would appear in the Soviet Union - an automatic carbine with good accuracy, but requiring careful self-care ?!

On the example of the Bulkinsky shutter locking drive, it is clear how much it is inferior to a similar assembly of the Kalashnikov-Zaitsev design.
In AK, the locking stops and the leading cam for locking the shutter are located in the same transverse plane, and the arm of the drive lever, relative to the axis of rotation of the shutter, is approximately twice as large as in AB, i.e. and the torque it develops is just as much higher, all other things being equal (and if we take into account the lower energies of the AB automation parts, then the AK has an even greater advantage in the reliability of locking and unlocking the shutter and "starting" the sleeve in the chamber, especially under difficult operating conditions).
In addition, the "blind axis" of the AB locking drive rubs against the screw copying surface of the shutter with a larger area, and therefore the energy loss is also greater here, especially if the parts are dirty and frozen.
And the slot for the movable cocking handle is not protected from dirt in any way - in mass production it would be necessary to invent and implement something cardinal to solve this problem.
As in my opinion, the translator of types of fire (and its intermediate position is a fuse or not ?!) is too small and not very convenient. IMHO.
So, the design advantages of the tested AK sample over the tested AB sample are obvious!
I wonder how effective the DTK "a la PPSh" was when firing, how much dust it "raised" and what was the sound at the same time, was it "hitting the ears" much ?!

[John22]

The museum worker continues to amaze: - the receiver is open on top! Bulkin repeated in the machine gun the bolt rotation scheme similar to the Lewis machine gun scheme. A lot of unnecessary words, but zero specifics.

[Fibrizio]

He is a museum worker, it is possible that he has never shot in his life. What "Baba Klava" conveyed to him when she retired, she tells with a stick in her hands.
For the most part, a Russian person is not familiar with weapons, he has nowhere to get acquainted with them. If he was in the army, he held the AK in his hands, and then he held more than he shot.
We have neither the culture of weapons, nor their availability.

[paul3390]

We have neither the culture of weapons, nor their availability.

As for culture - I agree that for accessibility - is someone stopping you from going and buying weapons ?? For example, I have 5 barrels, and personally, my hobby is only hindered by the unfortunate lack of money for my Wishlist ..

[Fibrizio]

I have 4 units. Nobody interferes.
But using it is not just expensive, but horses are expensive.
The only exception to this rule is any travel riffraff and feather (but this is 99% fraction)
For the price of a moose, you can buy old Zhiguli on the move (well, yes, rusty, but sat down and drove off), that's what I mean.
Shooting ranges are also not cheap. And firing in the forest is such a thing, you can swoop down, especially in densely populated regions, and it's good if not a mushroom picker).
The stand, too, let's be honest, one run will rise about five (150 times, you want to bang).

[paul3390]

With shooting ranges and shooting ranges - yes, I agree, a complete scribe ... For the whole of St. Petersburg - one rifled shooting range !!! Gloom .. Alas - for some reason the authorities do not want to do anything with this, although the entire district is pitted with former military training grounds .. No - until we have an analogue of the state NSA, everything will be so. But the native state seems to be shudderingly afraid of any association of citizens with weapons, even for peaceful purposes ..

[Fibrizio]

I would say otherwise, he is simply not interested in it. The domestic market revived a little when exports to the states were banned and some of the imported cartridges disappeared. But all this is so of course, little things. In fact, ownership (not storage, namely use) in the Russian Federation is difficult (due to restrictions) and expensive.
While all our cartridge, gunpowder, and arms factories are on state orders, they also do not need to lobby for something. They drive rubbish, the state accepts it.
And the client physicist will also ask you for quality.
By the way, with accessibility, I also did not twist my heart. Imports after a jump in the exchange rate in '14 were not cheap. Bolted CZs will be different from a hundred in a year, and this is a basic level for the world (like a mosinka for us). Arches are also from a hundred, everything is expensive. Even all sorts of monstrous hammer kalashoids over 50 (not all, but many).

[paul3390]

That's right .. I won my SKS for a ducat, and now - they are already 20 .. What has changed - the trunks are coming from army warehouses, and not from the factory, why is it now twice as expensive? Capitalism, sir ...

[Fibrizio]

By the way, the trunks are already basically a remake, hence the price. Every year there are fewer and fewer enclosed, and the quality is getting worse (maybe the remnants are already, and there is a re-barrel).
But 20 is okay, inflation. But what to do with him? I had him until pink in 366TKM, oh, and I fucked him. I understand perfectly why he was replaced by AK.

[paul3390]

SCS has not been released for a long time .. I took mine purely for aesthetic and nostalgic reasons ..

[vahpus]

However, for decades, the AK has remained virtually out of competition, which indicates its close to the ideal combination of "price-quality" for mass applicability in the army.

There is nothing particularly good for the army neither in the AK, nor in the AK-74 and their "families".
But to do something better than the Germans did for the USSR, it is impossible, there is no one. So the army uses assault (only) "Kalash". Although she should have used another, more suitable weapon for her.

[Fibrizio]

Well, you already wrote frank game, no offense. The fact that the stg-44 is a prototype of everything that now shoots and is called an assault rifle is a fact, it's like saying that all PPs with an open bolt scheme are ripped off each other. All modern AR, older G3 and all its prototypes are a development of the idea inherent in 44, but this does not mean that the Germans did it.
For "that" time, the machine gun was very good, especially considering that the Americans had the M14 before the Vietnam War.
That’s a mystery to me, why we didn’t put a ring sight on the AK. I also shot from different open ones, the accuracy from it changes dramatically (and it's easier to aim).

[vahpus]

Quote: Fibrizio

this is a development of thought inherent in 44, but that does not mean that the Germans did it.

StG44 was not made by the Germans?
Who are the Anunnaki?
But I wrote not about the StG44, but about the AK-47.

Quote: Fibrizio

For "that" time, the machine was very good

This is probably why nowhere in the world, except for the incompetent USSR, this Vanderwaffe was not cloned. Yes, and in the USSR from the SA, he (AKM) in the 70-80s was asked with the help of a knee under the ass.

Quote: Fibrizio

that the Americans had an M14 before the Vietnam War.

You needlessly forget the American Thompsons.
A bunch of M14s with Thompsons was much better than the AK.

[mat-vey]

Quote: Fibrizio

The fact that the stg-44 is a prototype of everything that now shoots and is called an assault rifle is a fact

"..... the term" assault phase rifle "was used by the American designer Isaac Lewis, the creator of the machine gun of the same name, in relation to a line of experimental automatic rifles created in 1918-20 for a standard American rifle cartridge .30 M1906 (.30-06, 7.62x63mm) These automatic rifles were designed with the same “fire on the move” concept as the Browning BAR M1918 automatic rifle.

The authors of this concept are considered the French, who proposed to strengthen the armament of the infantry with automatic rifles suitable for firing from the shoulder or from the belt from the hands, on the move or from short stops. The purpose of these automatic rifles was to support infantry, armed with conventional magazine rifles, directly during an attack on enemy positions.

The first mass-produced weapon of this class can be considered the Shosha's 1915 Fusil Mitrailleur CSRG Mle.1915 "machine gun". Soon after, the Russian automatic rifle of the Fedorov system of the 1916 model appeared, later called the "automatic". And finally, in 1918, the already mentioned automatic ones appeared ... "

[mat-vey]

Quote: vahpus

However, for decades, the AK has remained virtually out of competition, which indicates its close to the ideal combination of "price-quality" for mass applicability in the army.

There is nothing particularly good for the army neither in the AK, nor in the AK-74 and their "families".
But to do something better than the Germans did for the USSR, it is impossible, there is no one. So the army uses assault (only) "Kalash". Although she should have used another, more suitable weapon for her.

What ... again?
Security question - what is DP-27 ..

[The leader of the Redskins]

Thank. Interesting video.

[Operator]

Quote: pishchak

the arm of the drive lever, relative to the axis of rotation of the shutter, is approximately twice as large as in AB

More than 3,4 times - the unsuccessful AB bolt group is similar to the Browning design used in the Remington Model 8 serial self-loading rifle of the 1905 model, the AK successful bolt group - to the SKKP experienced self-loading carbine of 1944 (copies of the American M1 Garand rifle of the 1936 model).

The sliding bolt of direct action itself was invented by Mannlicher in 1888 and, in an improved form, was used in the serial M1895 manual reloading rifle of the corresponding year.

In the arms business, everyone borrows the best solutions from everyone - but with a different understanding of the intricacies of design

[mat-vey]

Quote: Operator

a successful AK bolt group - to an experienced SKKP self-loading carbine of 1944 (a copy of the American M1 Garand rifle, model 1936).

Again twenty-five - where is the "copy"? Idea - yes, the structure is only twice as light in weight ...

Quote: Operator

unsuccessful shutter group AB is similar to Browning's design

The first Schwarzlose patent back in the 190th century ...
As soon as the equipment in the industry appeared capable of "ideas" in metal to implement these ideas and materialized .. and until there are new opportunities in production, so these ideas will be used, but "- but with a different understanding of the intricacies of the design"