The rifle that mastered recoil by shifting its own mass

Countries & Cities · Published 13 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Most assault rifles fight against the physics of recoil, but the AEK-971 works with them. By using a counter-weight to shift mass toward the muzzle during fire, it achieves a level of automatic accuracy that challenges the traditional standards of the Kalashnikov family.

Developed at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant (KMZ) in the late 1970s and 1980s by Stanislav Ivanovich Koksharov, the AEK-971 was designed to compete in a USSR Ministry of Defense competition. While it lost the primary production contract to the AN-94, it was selected for field trials due to its superior weight and manufacturing simplicity. Weighing roughly 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) less than the AN-94, this version uses a 3-round burst setting, unlike the 2-round burst found on the original prototype.

The core innovation is the Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS). Unlike standard long-stroke gas pistons, BARS uses a counter-weight to negate the impulse of the gas piston and bolt carrier as they move rearward. This shifts the rifle's mass toward the muzzle during the firing cycle, making automatic fire significantly more controllable. This mechanism improves automatic firing accuracy by 15-20% compared to the AK-74M.

The lineage of the AEK-971 has evolved into high-end special operations tools. The 6P67 KORD (based on the AEK-971) and 6P68 KORD (based on the AEK-973) were adopted by the Russian military in January 2018. These variants feature advanced improvements like Picatinny rails, ambidextrous selectors, and rotary rear drum apertures. While the AEK-971 served in smaller batches for the Ministry of Justice, its descendants are now primary tools for the Spetsnaz and special operations forces.

Technical specifications of the AEK-971 include a cyclic rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute (reduced from a 1,500 rounds per minute prototype) and a 100 m (109 yd) calibrated notched rear tangent sight. It remains compatible with standard AK-74 and RPK-74 pattern 5.45×39mm magazines, ensuring it maintains a link to the broader Soviet-era logistical framework while offering modern performance.

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