KMZ A-545 Assault Rifle

Specifications

Year: 2014
Manufacturer(s): Degtyarev Plant - Russia
Roles: Frontline/Assault;

Action: Gas-Operated; Rotating Bolt; Selective Fire
Caliber(s): 5.45x39mm
Sights: Iron Front and Rear; Optional Optics
Overall Length: 960 mm (37.80 in)
Barrel Length: 420 mm (16.54 in)
Weight (Unloaded): 7.28 lb (3.30 kg)

Muzzle Velocity: 2,885 feet-per-second (879 meters-per-second)
Rate-of-Fire: 900 rounds-per-minute
Effective Range: 1,640 ft (500 m; 547 yd)

Operators: Russia (evaluation)

The KMZ A-545 is a direct successor to the earlier AEK-971 line of assault rifles debuted during the latter stages of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The original design stemmed from work seen in the late-1970s and the series went on to forge for itself a stable collection of variants which went on to see combat service in the war against Chechnya. It was announced by Russian authorities in late-2014 that the A-545 would be introduced for service with select operational units during 2015 alongside the competing AK-12 series (detailed elsewhere on this site) - the eventually winner of the lucrative Russian Army contract to be announced at a later date.

The A-545 is chambered for the 5.45x39mm Soviet rimless cartridge and relies on a gas-operated action (the gas cylinder seated over the barrel in a Kalashnikov-type fashion). The weapon feeds from 30-round, curved detachable box magazines, sports a collapsible, twin-strut shoulder stock, and the muzzle is capped by a peculiar, multi-perforated brake. The receiver's appearance is more "Western" than the blocky look furnished by previous Soviet Cold War-era assault rifle offerings. Iron sights are standard fittings (front and rear) but more accurized, ranged fire can be accomplished through the mounting of optics of many types. A section of Picatinny rail is seated over the receiver for this very purpose. Smaller rail sections are also featured along the upper handguard sides to mount additional tactical accessories such as flashlights and laser aimers. The fire selector arrangement is fully ambidextrous.

The related A-762 is an offshoot of the same AEK-971 line but chambered for the 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridge instead. Its form and function mimic that of the A-545 to an extent.

Variants / Models

• A-545 - Base Series Deisgnation
• A-762 - Variant chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge.