Designed by Gennady Nikonov and put into production in 1994, the Avtomat Nikonov-94 was intended to be Russia’s next rifle, but its mechanical complexity, cost to produce, and complex manual of arms all weighed against it in the battle to be issued en masse. But it is in production and gets used by Russian operators like the dudes of Spetsnaz.
Mostly because it’s so damn bomber. The rifle has a maximum firing rate of 1,800 rounds a minute and is capable, in two-round burst mode, of putting two bullets into the same hole. For both effectiveness on soft and armored targets, it’s unbeatable. It has three firing modes, plus safe: semi-automatic, two-round burst, and fully-automatic, the first shot being a high-speed burst and the subsequent shots cycling at a less-rifle-melty 600 RPM.
While Russian sources have claimed that the rifle is very reliable, it’s clear from this video that, like any rifle no matter how gifted, can and will jam. In this case we get a glimpse of why this rifle isn’t in wide-spread use: when it goes down, it goes down hard.
Looking forward to more over at the Vickers Tactical YouTube channel.
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