As you know, a good weapon always has a lot of "clones". Some of them are released under license, some are simply impudently copied. In addition, really good samples very often become the basis for other models, which are offshoots of the main tree of weapon development and sometimes become so popular that many people forget what weapons they were based on. In the fifth article about the relatives of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, we will try to trace what happened to this weapon in Poland, as well as what exactly the Kalashnikov assault rifle turned into in the end.
It all began, as with many other countries, with the fact that Poland became one of the Warsaw Pact countries, which meant that the 7, 62x39 cartridge became the main patron for the Polish army. Since the Poles did not have a decent weapon for this ammunition, and it was not possible to quickly expand production, the first time, namely from 1952 to 1958, Kalashnikov assault rifles were supplied to Poland by the Soviet Union. So, since 1952, a variant of weapons with a fixed butt under the designation RMK was supplied to Poland, and after 1957, the supply of weapons with a folding butt PMKS was established. Only in 1958 was the production of a Kalashnikov assault rifle launched in Poland under a license received from the Soviet Union. It was then that the first Polish-made Kalashnikov assault rifles appeared.
One of the oldest weapons factories Lucznik in the city of Radom took over the production of weapons, in addition to this, an engineering plant in Poznan was involved. Despite the fact that the weapon was absolutely no different from the samples supplied by the Soviet Union, the names of the machines were changed and I must say that the new names were more accurate and correct. So the version with a fixed butt was named Kbk-AK, respectively, a weapon with a folding butt was designated as Kbk-AKS. For export, these samples of weapons were not supplied and were used only within the country. The length of an assault rifle with a fixed stock is 870 millimeters, the length of a weapon with a folding stock is 878 and 645 millimeters for an unfolded and folded stock, respectively. The weight of a weapon with a fixed butt is 3.87 kilograms, for a variant of an assault rifle with a folding butt 3.82 kilograms.
The Poles quickly realized what a miracle they got into their hands in the form of a license for the production and modernization of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. In addition to the fact that this weapon was excellent in itself, it also represented an endless base for new types of assault rifles. But they decided to start small - the implementation in weapons of the possibility of using over-caliber grenades. So in 1959 the gunsmiths Khodkevich and Dvoyak presented their own modification of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which was able to “throw” grenades quite well. The weapon was named Kbkg wz. 60. The main difference between this assault rifle and Soviet copies was that the weapon had the ability to turn off the discharge of powder gases from the barrel, thereby making a weapon with manual reloading, which was the main point when using over-caliber grenades. The weapon was equipped with a LON-1 grenade launcher. The weapon could use almost the entire range of shots from fragmentation to smoke, throwing them at a distance of 100 to 200 meters, depending on the characteristics of the shot. Sights for firing weapons like a grenade launcher were a folding bar with a glass level. A notable moment in this weapon is that to reduce the recoil when firing from a grenade launcher, a rubber butt pad is put on the butt, which is fixed with leather straps by two metal mounts on both sides of the butt. When firing from a weapon like a grenade launcher, a separate magazine with a capacity of 10 blank cartridges is used. In addition to reducing the capacity of the store, it also differs from the original in that it has an insert that does not allow you to load combat ammunition into it. The length of the machine is 1075 millimeters, its weight is 4.65 kilograms.
Despite the creation of this type of weapon, the Poles did not disdain to receive a production license from the Soviet Union again, this time the production of the Polish AKM was established. The weapon received the names Kbk-AKM and Kbk-AKMS for an assault rifle with a fixed and folding butt, respectively. The length of an assault rifle with a fixed butt was 870 millimeters, its weight was 3.45 kilograms. A weapon with a folding stock had a maximum length of 878 millimeters, and with a folded stock, its length was 645 millimeters. The weight of the machine was 3.42 kilograms.
The project of an assault rifle with the ability to fire over-caliber grenades also did not stand still. So in 72, more advanced fragmentation grenades appeared, in connection with which the sighting devices of the weapon were redesigned. The machine was renamed Kbkg wz. 60/72, but did not receive distribution, since a forty-millimeter grenade launcher came in its place. The length of the weapon remained the same and was equal to 1075 millimeters, but the weight increased to 4, 85 kilograms. The machine was fed from the same stores with a capacity of 30 and 10 rounds, and began to rush grenades at a distance of up to 240 meters.
After switching from a cartridge of caliber 7, 62 to cartridge 5, 45, Poland no longer received a license from the Soviet Union for the production of AK74 and decided to create its own machine gun entirely. But how completely Polish is he? Yes, his name does not even contain a mention of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but one has only to glance at this assault rifle and it immediately becomes clear that this is a real AK, or rather its modification. We are talking about the Tantal machine. Despite the fact that this weapon cannot be called completely Polish, it is impossible to deny the fact that the Poles have thoroughly worked with it and this, in general, benefited the machine.
Work on the weapon chambered for 5, 45x39 took a very long time by any standard. Only in 1991, wz.88, or simply Tantal, began to enter service. The long term of work on the weapon is justified by the fact that in this model of the machine they tried to simultaneously combine both maximum compatibility with previous samples, and the replacement of ammunition, as well as the introduction of new capabilities of the weapon. Work on this machine began in 1980, and by 1985 the first prototype appeared. It took the designers another 6 years to eliminate all the shortcomings of the weapon that were identified during the tests.
The AK74 served as the basis for the weapon, but the Poles focused on making the weapon as interchangeable as possible with the AKM in parts. First of all, this was an economic justification, since the AKM was already produced in Poland, or rather its version in the Polish version. The Tantal machine gun appeared thanks to Bogdan Shpadersky, who was the head of this project. The most important feature of this weapon is that it has the ability to fire with a cutoff of three rounds. In AK-shaped weapons, this was far from uncommon at that time, and many designers added the ability to cut off when firing at their weapons. Due to the fact that the weapon received another fire mode, the weapon controls had to be redone. So in place of the usual fuse switch-translator of fire modes, only the fuse remained. The ability to choose to shoot single, three-round or burst was reassigned to a different control and even to the other side of the weapon. However, the location of the fire translator switch, although not entirely familiar, is quite convenient for switching with the thumb of the right hand. In order for the weapon to retain the ability to fire over-caliber grenades, the weapon received a flame arrester different from the Soviet model, but this was no longer so relevant, since by the time the weapon was adopted, under-barrel grenade launchers had become widespread.
It is interesting that preparations began in Poland for the transition to ammunition 5, 56 from 5, 45 back in 1989, it was then that work began on adapting the Tantal assault rifle for a new ammunition. As a result of this, the new model was already ready for production in 1990, but due to the fact that it still did not meet the requirements of the NATO standard, it did not leave the walls of the plant, remaining only an experienced weapon.
The last of the Polish Kalashnikov assault rifles chambered for 5, 45x39 had a length with an unfolded stock of 943 millimeters, with a folded stock - 748 millimeters. The barrel length of the weapon was 423 millimeters, and the weight of the machine gun was 3, 37 kilograms. This sample was distinguished by the rate of fire, which increased to 700 rounds per minute.
Since Poland "flew" with the creation of weapons chambered for 5, 56, then for some time ammunition 5, 45x39 was used. At the same time, one full-size Tantal machine gun was clearly not enough to arm the army, so it was decided to complete work on the creation of another sample, which is a shortened version of the Tantal machine gun, under the name Onyks. Like all other similar samples, this machine is intended primarily for arming the crews of combat vehicles, airborne troops, special forces, police, and so on. This time, one reduction in the length of the barrel was not enough, and the entire structure had to be reduced, literally by millimeters, for the sake of the overall result. An interesting point is that the flash suppressor in the weapon allows the use of so-called rifle grenades, and what is more interesting, in this sample they retained the ability to fire with a cutoff of 3 rounds, although, in my opinion, in this sample this is definitely an extra function.
The sights of the assault rifle consist of a rear sight and a front sight, and the rear sight is made overhead and is designed for a firing range of 100, 200 and 400 meters. The controls are arranged in much the same way as in the Tantal vending machine.
In the same way as Tantal Onyks tried to adapt to cartridge 5, 56, and quite successfully, nevertheless, the machine itself did not meet NATO requirements, therefore, like the Tantal in the version chambered for 5, 56, it remained only experienced and was not mass-produced. Mass production of Onyks was established only in 1993, and soon a new model of weapons appeared.
The mass of the Onyks is 2.9 kilograms. The length of its barrel is only 207 millimeters, the total length with the butt unfolded is 720 millimeters, with the folded 519 millimeters. The rate of fire is 700 rounds per minute.
Despite the fact that Poland did not manage to join NATO at low cost, no one abandoned this idea, and in 1994, a deeper modernization of the Tantal assault rifle began under the new patronage and requirements of NATO. As a result of this modernization, as many as 4 versions of weapons were produced under the name Beryl, but naturally they did not appear at the same time. The modernization was carried out relatively quickly, and already in 1996 the weapon was completely ready. Despite the fact that outwardly the Beryl machine gun has a lot of differences from the Tantal, it does not fundamentally differ from it, but, of course, the automatics have been recalculated and all elements related to the change of ammunition from 5, 45 to 5, 56 have been replaced. was created on the basis of a Kalashnikov assault rifle, then Beryl can be considered a continuation of the development of this weapon, but already in the Polish version.
The first variants of the machine were Beryl and Mini-Beryl. They differed from each other in the length of the barrel and the reduction in the length of the receiver, as well as the location of the sighting devices. So the length of the Beryl assault rifle with the butt unfolded was 943 millimeters, with 742 millimeters folded. The barrel length of the weapon is 457 millimeters, and the weight is 3.36 kilograms without cartridges. The machine is powered by detachable box magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds. The rate of fire is 700 rounds per minute. The Mini-Beryl variant has a total length of 730 millimeters with the stock unfolded and 525 millimeters folded. The barrel length of the weapon is 235 millimeters, and the weight of the machine without ammunition is 3 kilograms. It feeds from magazines with a capacity of 20 or 30 rounds. The rate of fire is 700 rounds per minute. The difference in the lengths of the barrels of the assault rifles significantly affected the speed of the bullet. So in the version of the Beryl weapon it is 920 meters per second, in the Mini-Beryl version it is equal to 770 meters per second. With not the smallest dimensions of the machine with the Mini attachment and its weight, it is seriously inferior to its older brother.
After successfully passing tests and correcting small nuances in the weapon, the Beryl and Mini-Beryl assault rifles were put into service in 1998. Just like in the Tantal assault rifle, a lever installed on the right side of the weapon plays the role of a safety switch, the fire mode translator is located on the left above the pistol grip and has three positions: "Automatic fire", "Fire with a cutoff of 3 rounds" and "Single fire ". The receiver of the weapon was changed, the cover of which began to provide for the possibility of installing quick-release mounting plates of the "picatinny" type for the use of various additional sighting devices. The weapon received a plastic forend, on which three additional mounting straps can be installed directly on top, for an additional handle for a laser designator, a flashlight, and so on. The folding butt of the weapon very much resembles the same part of the Belgian FNC assault rifle. In addition, the weapon can be equipped with a folding removable bipod, which is simply put on the barrel of the machine gun when firing from a prone position, which significantly affects the accuracy of fire, but it takes more time to prepare the weapon. It is also interesting that a bayonet-knife was provided for this machine.
In addition to the two variants of the automaton described above, there is also a third one, which occupies an intermediate position between the two extremes. This is a variant called Beryl Commando. Its length with the butt unfolded is 895 millimeters, with 690 folded, with a barrel length of 357 millimeters. The weight of the machine without cartridges is 3.2 kilograms. The muzzle velocity of the bullet is 870 meters per second. There is also a civilian version of the weapon under the name Beryl IPSC. It was made completely by analogy with the full-fledged Beryl, but it is deprived of the possibility of firing with a cut-off of three rounds, as well as automatic fire, in all other parameters it completely repeats its combat progenitor, except that it is slightly heavier - 3.5 kilograms.
But after the establishment of production, weapons did not stop developing. So, based on the feedback from those who participated in the operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, it was proposed to change something in the weapon. The changes were not the most significant, but still had some benefits. So, for example, the weapon had a buttstock, which was regulated along its length, although it had only three positions, which, however, could be easily corrected with skillful hands and a drill. In addition to the butt, it was proposed to use transparent magazines to control the amount of remaining cartridges, as well as equip the weapon with a folding front sight, which was done in all weapon variants except the Beryl-Mini model.
But the development of weapons did not stop there either. In 2007, options were proposed with a telescopic butt, similar to that of the M4. In addition to the butt, the weapon also received a new transparent magazine of a more durable design, as well as a forend, made this time with built-in picatinny-type fastening strips. An interesting point is that the weapon kit now has an additional handle that is installed behind the lower mounting bar. So the weapon took on features that combined the characteristic features of the AK and the features of the M4.
But this was not the end of the history of the Kalashnikov assault rifle in Poland. After being heavily modified in the Beryl variant, it was further modified in a new weapon - the Jantar assault rifle. The new machine appeared as part of an experiment, the purpose of which was to create a weapon in a bullpup layout and to consider the possibility of widespread use of such a machine. The Jantar was developed on the basis of Beryl, with special attention paid to ensuring that the weapon was as compatible as possible with the old machine gun. Mikhail Binek was in charge of the development.
The first version of the weapon appeared in 2002, and it was a still far from completed sample, which could still shoot and the main characteristics of the new weapon were laid in it. This sample was designated as BIN. The weapon was very specific, mainly because of its appearance, but you shouldn't find fault with the first firing model. The assault rifle proved to be much superior in accuracy than Beryl, while more compact dimensions were noted separately, although the designer made the weapon slightly longer in order to reduce the number of negative reviews about the inconvenience of reloading, the close ejection of the cartridge case near the shooter's face, and so on. Despite the efforts of the designer, negative reviews were present anyway, they related to the inconvenient location of the fuse switch / fire translator, weapon balancing, and so on, in short, the shortcomings were almost the same as in all bullpup assault rifles. But the weapon received the "go-ahead" for further development, the result of which was not long in coming.
In 2005, the first Jantar appeared, the weapon had a length of 743 millimeters with a barrel length of 457 millimeters. Its weight was 3.8 kilograms. The machine was fed from detachable magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds 5, 56x45. The bullet speed was 920 meters per second, the rate of fire was 700 rounds per minute. The weapon did not manage to get rid of its main drawback, which is not the most convenient location of the controls, but this time they were at least made similar to the Beryl assault rifle. So on the right side of the machine was a large fuse switch, and on the left was a translator of fire modes, of which, as in the Beryl machine, there were three: "Automatic fire", "Fire with a cut-off of 3 rounds", "Single fire". It is interesting that the machine gun did not have its own sighting devices, instead of them a picatinny-type mounting bar was installed on top of the weapon, on which the sighting devices were attached.
The project of this machine itself was not considered as a project to replace the Beryl machine gun or a project to create a new additional weapon, it was just an experiment to feel the advantages and disadvantages of the machine gun in the bullpup layout with your hands at all stages of production, and then as a result of this production. In other words, the main purpose of this weapon was to show the main advantages of bullpup assault rifles, to identify their shortcomings, and also to give designers experience in the design of such weapons. In short, the machine gun was not adopted by the army.
These are such interesting samples, created on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, were developed in Poland. This weapon, in fact, is a separate branch of AK development, therefore, to me personally, these machines are most interesting, since you can see how other designers looked at this or that question. Well, how much better or worse any model is than the corresponding AK model in time, everyone will compare for himself separately.
