Kalashnikov unveiled the AK-308M battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51 ammunition, featuring improvements identical to those on the AK-12M1 service rifle.
Despite the ongoing war, Kalashnikov is still working on new products for export, with a recent example being the AK-308M battle rifle as an improvement to the export-oriented AK-308.
The Firearm Blog reported that Kalashnikov will soon start the production of the new version of the AK-308 battle rifle.
AK-308 is one of the export variants of the AK-12 service rifle and chambered in 7.62x51 NATO ammunition. Russia itself does not use battle rifles but rather 7.62x39 mm AKs and 7.62x54 mm SVD marksman rifles alongside the 5.45x49 mm AKs, as 7.62x54 mm battle rifles would fall cumbersome compared to 7.62x51 mm ones. Considering the current political landscape, the AK-308M is likely intended for countries that operate both Russian and NATO-standard weaponry but desire a battle rifle with the AK interface.
Changes include a new handguard that is longer and appears to have some trim. This would provide better front-end ergonomics compared to the shorter and somewhat thicker handguard of the baseline AK-308.
The stock adopts a less skeletal frame and is comparable to stocks found on RPK-pattern light machine guns. Stocks like this are mostly preferred for light machine guns and marksman rifles to improve the handling during firing as a way of damping.
Previously, Kalashnikov introduced the AK-12M1 as an improvement on the baseline AK-12 by trimming down unnecessary weight and simplifying the overall design after feedback from the field.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
