AMB-17 - why and why
A fighter of the Espanyola volunteer brigade with an AMB-17.
Soldiers of the Espanyola volunteer brigade in the special military operation zone were the first to receive the latest AMB-17 assault rifle. In the unit, the machine gun will essentially undergo military tests. The machine gun was demonstrated to journalists at one of the training grounds, and a brigade fighter demonstrated firing from it.
A still from a video demonstrating the AMB-17.
The AMB-17 is essentially a variant of the AM-17 assault rifle. Both of them were first demonstrated back in 2017 at the Army Forum. If anyone is aware of the suffering of JSC Concern Kalashnikov regarding Ksyukha (a separate material can be made about this, maybe more than one), then it was precisely as part of the development of a replacement for the AKS-74U that the AM-17 appeared.
AMB-17 and AM-17.
AMB-17 is a small, lightweight and silent machine gun, which seems to be supposed to replace the Vintorez/VAL tandem. The machine gun is essentially a reworking of Evgeny Dragunov’s own design, or more precisely, the layout diagram of his machine gun. The Dragunov AM assault rifle was developed as part of the development work initiated by TsNIITOCHMASH, “a small-sized assault rifle with extensive use of plastic.”
In order to reduce the height of the receiver and make disassembly more convenient, the design of the machine uses a separate pusher with the bolt frame. Apparently, this is one of the solutions that attracted Kalashnikov designers already in the 1st century, because a lower receiver means ease of working with optics. Look at how fighters with AKs with standard stocks hold their heads up, aiming through the same 87PXNUMX, and you will understand what we are talking about.
An early example of AMB-17. It differs in body kit parts from the sample submitted for military testing, and uses a Vintorez/VAL magazine.
The project continued to be refined for six years, after which the AMB-17 finally reached the front.
The Kalashnikov had more than one approach to the projectile. Back in the early 2000s, an assault rifle chambered for 9x39 mm, the AK-9, appeared. At first it was simply a conversion of the AKS-74U for a different ammunition. In 2009, a version of the AK-9 appeared based on the concern’s “hundredth series” assault rifles. Later, a variant was announced based on the AK-12 assault rifle, or rather, its very first version.
Dmitry Medvedev holding an AK-9, unified with “hundredth series” assault rifles, Izhevsk, 2008.
None of the above ever went into production or entered service. The idea in this case was generally good - an assault rifle capable of solving the same problems as Vintorez/VAL, but with greater unification with standard army assault rifles.
The new AMB-17 does not have such an advantage. This is a system made largely from scratch, and is not unified with the AK-12 in terms of details, both the mechanism and the body kit. At the same time, the early assault rifles that Kalashnikov demonstrated were powered by standard Vintorez/VAL magazines.
The machine gun that ended up in service with the troops has an original magazine, apparently inherited from the current AMB-17 from the AK-9. That is, the unification with any systems currently in service is, by and large, zero.
AM-17 and AM Dragunov systems. General layout solutions can be guessed unmistakably.
Is there now an urgent need to change the Vintorez/VAL systems?
Yes, in general, no. They fully perform the tasks for which they were created.
In addition, the systems are being modernized and have already gotten rid of many of their shortcomings inherent in the initial projects, such as: low magazine capacity, outdated sighting mounting system, inability to use additional elements that improve ergonomics, etc.
The ergonomics of the new machine gun are definitely better than those of the Vintorez/VAL family, but it’s not so bad as to warrant developing and adopting a new system. Moreover, some of the problems are being successfully solved, for example, a more ergonomic stock was installed on the VSSM (modernized Vintorez).
AM-17 is also there and shoots. But not at the front, but in the hands armory bloggers. Blogger RAZVEDOS on the territory of the Russian University of Special Forces named after. V.V. Putin.
Is there a need to increase the production of systems chambered for 9x39 mm, especially enough to put another model into service?
In general, no. There are a lot of things missing at the front, a lot of things we would like more of, but there seems to be no acute shortage of 9x39 mm caliber systems. Their tasks are very specific.
A soldier of the army special forces of the RF Armed Forces with a VSSM rifle in the area of the SVO.
The Espanyol fighter says that the machine gun can be an excellent second weapon for a sniper pair. But is there any point in using a small-sized assault rifle with a caliber of 9x39 mm, and not 5,45x39 mm? By and large, no.
Moreover, the AMB-17 cannot be a universal weapon; it uses very specific ammunition. In fact, the 9x39 mm tandem and Vintorez were created for one specific task - to silently shoot a sentry at a distance of up to 400 meters. Just a “regular” machine gun caliber would be more universal. Fortunately, there is now a huge variety of PBS, standard and “can” sights, and commercial sights.
So the “replacement for Ksyukha” AM-17 would be more relevant at the front, especially since the crews of various equipment also seem to be waiting for it.
There is an AKS-74U at the front, but not there, not everyone has enough.
Perhaps the fact is that Vintorez/VAL are produced not by Kalashnikov Concern JSC, but by other enterprises of the domestic military-industrial complex. Why shouldn’t they occupy the niche of army special silent weapons? Moreover, now Kalashnikov has an ace in the hole in the form of the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, including those who monitor the implementation of state defense orders, the former general director of Kalashnikov Concern JSC.
Vintorez/VAL is not the only system chambered for the 9x39 mm cartridge in the SVO zone. A fighter of the 11th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade of the Airborne Forces in the Northern Military District zone with the OTs-14 “Groza” complex. In the 1990s, several systems for 9x39 mm ammunition were born.
Be that as it may, let’s hope that the operation of the AMB-17 will provide additional information and experience to our gunsmiths, and most importantly, will help our soldiers bring the final victory closer.
The modernized “VAL” of our fighter in the North Military District zone attracts attention with a 30-round magazine.
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