Assault rifle AR-M5 FTB from the Bulgarian company Arsenal
Many global companies today are on the path of production and distribution of small weapons (carbines and assault rifles) based on the world brand - Kalashnikov assault rifle. This trend manifested itself several years ago, the site reports http://www.all4shooters.com.
Thanks to the close contacts of the Soviet Union with the Warsaw Pact countries, these countries were able to produce small arms based on the basic principles developed by the great Russian armorer. After the process of manufacturing small arms was established in Eastern Europe, first the Soviet Union, and then Russia, they experienced all the “charms” of weapon competition. I had to look for options for domestic products to replay foreign products for various parameters. Perhaps, even then in Russia they began to regret that the Soviet authorities at one time gave Eastern Europeans the opportunity (on the basis of a license) to manufacture weapons based on the AK and AKM principle.
Various variations of the Kalashnikov automaton of foreign production cannot be called fully reliable. Numerous tests indicate that their quality is inferior to the machines of the Russian assembly. But experts believe that the time is not far off when foreign manufacturers of weapons based on AK technology can outrun Russia as well. To prevent this from happening, Russia is also developing new high-quality small arms systems.
One of the companies engaged in the manufacture of small arms on the basis of AK and AKM in Eastern Europe is the Bulgarian company Arsenal with headquarters in Kazanlak.
The name of this company some time ago surfaced in the media also in connection with a fire in warehouses. The fire was even tied up with the desire to destroy some kind of evidence revealing the direction of arms supplies.
The weapon production of the Bulgarian Arsenal is sold not only in the territory of Bulgaria itself, but is also actively exported. The products are distinguished by the fact that it has a Kalashnikov assault rifle base and a high quality, which small-arms operators in different countries of the world have managed to evaluate.
The company "Arsenal" went the way of manufacturing the receiver without the use of metal sheet molding. The method of Arsenal specialists consists in milling and subsequent special processing of the metal.
With the help of this particular method, early AK models were made in the Soviet Union. And if the majority of world companies decided to move away from such a method in order to save, in Bulgaria they remained true to the principles of quality. At the same time, weapons from Arsenal are only slightly more expensive than similar weapons obtained in the process of forming a sheet of metal.
At the Paris exhibition EUROSATORY-2014, the Bulgarian company presented a number of new products. These are carbines and assault rifles based on the same AKM. It seems to be nothing new, but in fact the products from Kazanlak deserve attention.
One of the presented assault rifles is the AR-M5 FTB, which has the version with the caliber 7,62 mm and 5,56 mm (NATO). This rifle was originally designed for use by fighters of special units, since its scale is substantially smaller than that of many analogues. The total length of the AR-M5 FTB is 84 cm. Depending on the type of butt, the length may increase to 94 cm. The barrel of such a rifle has a length of 320 mm, including a special 4 chamber muzzle brake compensator. The weight of the rifle from the Bulgarian gunsmiths is about 3,9 kg. This is without taking into account the store filled with cartridges.
The AR-M5 FTB assault rifle is also distinguished by the fact that it has a special bracket for side mounting of standard AK optics. The upper guide for equipping the rifle with additional accessories is a proven Picatinny rail. This is a full-size plank, under which a huge number of accessories for small arms are produced today.
The rifle has a pistol grip and an adjustable butt. Both the handle and the stock are made of polymeric material reinforced with fiberglass.
Such material today is called "Nylon 6". Arms of arms ordered by the company "Arsenal" in Israel from the company "FAB DEFENSE".
If the arrow butt is not needed when shooting, then this part of the rifle can be simply removed. In this case, the rifle can be equipped with various butts such as M4.
On the pistol grip in the rifle of the Bulgarian gunsmiths there is a switch of fire modes that can be installed in one of the 4-x positions. The main switch, when in the automatic fire position, activates this device. The main switch itself is a large lever mounted on the right side of the receiver - the usual position for those who use AKM. If with three modes of fire is understandable, then the fourth may raise questions. In fact, nothing complicated. The fourth mode of fire characteristic of modern weapons. This is a fire in short bursts - on an 3 shot.
The Bulgarian rifle assault rifle uses stores characteristic of Kalashnikov rifles and machine guns chambered for 7.62x39mm or for the NATO caliber 5.56X45mm. The company said that there is the possibility of using stores and western production.
Thanks to the close contacts of the Soviet Union with the Warsaw Pact countries, these countries were able to produce small arms based on the basic principles developed by the great Russian armorer. After the process of manufacturing small arms was established in Eastern Europe, first the Soviet Union, and then Russia, they experienced all the “charms” of weapon competition. I had to look for options for domestic products to replay foreign products for various parameters. Perhaps, even then in Russia they began to regret that the Soviet authorities at one time gave Eastern Europeans the opportunity (on the basis of a license) to manufacture weapons based on the AK and AKM principle.
Various variations of the Kalashnikov automaton of foreign production cannot be called fully reliable. Numerous tests indicate that their quality is inferior to the machines of the Russian assembly. But experts believe that the time is not far off when foreign manufacturers of weapons based on AK technology can outrun Russia as well. To prevent this from happening, Russia is also developing new high-quality small arms systems.
One of the companies engaged in the manufacture of small arms on the basis of AK and AKM in Eastern Europe is the Bulgarian company Arsenal with headquarters in Kazanlak.
The name of this company some time ago surfaced in the media also in connection with a fire in warehouses. The fire was even tied up with the desire to destroy some kind of evidence revealing the direction of arms supplies.
The weapon production of the Bulgarian Arsenal is sold not only in the territory of Bulgaria itself, but is also actively exported. The products are distinguished by the fact that it has a Kalashnikov assault rifle base and a high quality, which small-arms operators in different countries of the world have managed to evaluate.
The company "Arsenal" went the way of manufacturing the receiver without the use of metal sheet molding. The method of Arsenal specialists consists in milling and subsequent special processing of the metal.
With the help of this particular method, early AK models were made in the Soviet Union. And if the majority of world companies decided to move away from such a method in order to save, in Bulgaria they remained true to the principles of quality. At the same time, weapons from Arsenal are only slightly more expensive than similar weapons obtained in the process of forming a sheet of metal.
At the Paris exhibition EUROSATORY-2014, the Bulgarian company presented a number of new products. These are carbines and assault rifles based on the same AKM. It seems to be nothing new, but in fact the products from Kazanlak deserve attention.
One of the presented assault rifles is the AR-M5 FTB, which has the version with the caliber 7,62 mm and 5,56 mm (NATO). This rifle was originally designed for use by fighters of special units, since its scale is substantially smaller than that of many analogues. The total length of the AR-M5 FTB is 84 cm. Depending on the type of butt, the length may increase to 94 cm. The barrel of such a rifle has a length of 320 mm, including a special 4 chamber muzzle brake compensator. The weight of the rifle from the Bulgarian gunsmiths is about 3,9 kg. This is without taking into account the store filled with cartridges.
The AR-M5 FTB assault rifle is also distinguished by the fact that it has a special bracket for side mounting of standard AK optics. The upper guide for equipping the rifle with additional accessories is a proven Picatinny rail. This is a full-size plank, under which a huge number of accessories for small arms are produced today.
The rifle has a pistol grip and an adjustable butt. Both the handle and the stock are made of polymeric material reinforced with fiberglass.
Such material today is called "Nylon 6". Arms of arms ordered by the company "Arsenal" in Israel from the company "FAB DEFENSE".
If the arrow butt is not needed when shooting, then this part of the rifle can be simply removed. In this case, the rifle can be equipped with various butts such as M4.
On the pistol grip in the rifle of the Bulgarian gunsmiths there is a switch of fire modes that can be installed in one of the 4-x positions. The main switch, when in the automatic fire position, activates this device. The main switch itself is a large lever mounted on the right side of the receiver - the usual position for those who use AKM. If with three modes of fire is understandable, then the fourth may raise questions. In fact, nothing complicated. The fourth mode of fire characteristic of modern weapons. This is a fire in short bursts - on an 3 shot.
The Bulgarian rifle assault rifle uses stores characteristic of Kalashnikov rifles and machine guns chambered for 7.62x39mm or for the NATO caliber 5.56X45mm. The company said that there is the possibility of using stores and western production.
Information