Russia's Rare A-545 in Ukraine
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- čas přidán 15. 04. 2023
- The Russian A-545 is perhaps the rarest of assault rifles in use in Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale invasion last year there have only been a handful of potential sightings of the rifle which features an internal recoil mitigation system.
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armourersbench.com/2023/04/16...
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Thanks for watching! Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - armourersbench.com/2023/04/16/russias-rare-a-545-in-ukraine/
Why do you talk like you have lost the will to live?
@@Mrtweet81 он просто съел сала
Seeing that rifle being fired full-auto, and barely any muzzle climb, is pretty awesome.
Muzzle break help a lot
@@dravenmaster7859 Yeah, Ive heard that the break does the majority of the work. I also heard that the ak 107 is not a usuable weapon due to it needing to be constantly oiled. I wonder if this gun has the same problem.
I also heard the rumours that it's counter mechanism are not justify the complexity.
5.45x39 are already a low recoil round and with a good muzzle brake and a nicely tune gas system will almost laser beam the rifle.
Well at least it's cool.
The added cost and complexity doesn't seem to buy much improvement.
@@TheArmourersBench Ninehole Reviews just did a good video on a US-made AK74 variant/clone, and it seemed to have the recoil of an airsoft gun - as you say, is the increased complexity and cost worth it for marginal improvement?
When an AK and an MP-5 love each other very much, this happens.
Good one lol!
very much. If less love is involved, you get the ak212
?? How so?
Ak9 or PP-19 Vityaz is the Russian mp5.
@@re_xngxpta7535 that’s called domestic abuse
The AEK-971 was a blast to use in Battlefield 4 🥳
That 2 round burst was awesome.
@@DaveDahuh The AN-94 has the two round burst and was in Bf4. It was the slower firing one and AEK was fast Af
@@santanaaguilar1962 the AEK had burst, semi, and full. Lol
@@imadequate3376 Three round burst lol
@santana aguilar still a burst, and at least in BF3 you could trigger spam and go basically auto in burst.
AN94 and AEK were arguably some of the best ARs in BF3
I have an early 1990's Polish AK74 which uses the 5.45x39 round and it really is a smooth gun. I imagine with the new anti-recoil feature it must feel like shooting a .22 rifle..
Do you have a Tantal? They are quality ak pattern rifles.
Couldn't you mitigate more recoil with a inline stock? I know that the regular stock of Aks have a hinge in it that exasperates the recoil.
@@erroneous6947 yes I believe it was also called a tantal rifle. I like the versatility of it too. It has a bipod mount and can also be adapted to use a 25 or 40 mm grenade launcher.
@@DaveDahuh mine has a folding stock and the recoil is not bad at all. A 7.62x39 AK47 has much more recoil.
@@PatriotMike-sb9oj Yeah the folding stock versions are better for recoil since they don't have that hinge in the stock. The stock is more in line with the barrel so the recoil only goes straight back where as with the wooden stock the recoil goes back and up.
Amazing thinking back, the AEK 971 was in BF Bad Company 2…obscure rifle now. Back then even more so. Hats off to the devs of that game.
Great gun in-game
@@TheArmourersBench yeah--was a pretty good starter gun
This isn’t the oddest AK lookalike, but it’s up there.
Ever seen a groza?
@@DaveDahuh Groza is an actual AK, just bullpuped and given a carry handle since that looked hi-tech in the 90s.
Prettiest one, imo
@@yum9918 nah that goes to the Beryl
Howzabout South African Truvelo Raptor?
Larry Vickers preferred the AEK971 to the AN94 in a video done 7 or 8 years ago. I hope Larry’s doing ok.
I think he's done with CZcams, since I seen some of his gun colection been sold on rock island .
@@Hidalguense did he turn into a democrat
@@commiesnzombies no
He had some type of problems with atf
@@Hidalguense He said in one of his videos that he had Cancer couple of years ago but did good after chemo. Hope the man is doing fine. Loved his videos.
@@DDtch6669 yes, I know. But atf showed up at his house and took hi is guns.
Thank you for mentioning the AN94 in this video. I was curious about what the differences were since they seem to have to have a lot of the same features
AN94 fires doubes at 1800 rpm, and barrel doesnt climb before the second round is out. АЕК-971 / А-545 - 800-900 rpm, and probably more dispersion for doubles.
Mechanically they are super different. Watch the forgotten weapons an94 video. It’s insanely complicated
I'll have a video on the AN-94 and how it works in the future! As mentioned Ian has a good video on it, it uses a pulley system as opposed to the rack and pinion used in the A-545.
@Michael R I did watch the video in question, and thus why I know that they have similar features. Never mentioned that it had the same mechanism of action anywhere in my post.
Нет, они очень не похожи, поверь
I'm still mad that I never got the chance to get a factory inert AN94.
@@AdamBorseti Shame the British MoD bought probably all of them then Crimea happened before possibly any could be restocked.
I don't know if the recoil control is sound but how the rifle is put together is something to be explore. Finally not having a dust cover optic mount but one that's fixed to the receiver.
Imagine if they combined the counter-recoil system of the AEK with the constant-recoil system from the Ultimax 100.
Would be very unreliable. Constant recoil systems only work with a specific load. And they only work on open bolt full auto. So first Bolt moves forward counterweight moves backwards. Then the round fires; bolt moves backwards and counterweight moves forward. Thats a shit ton of movement. Too many complicated systems = too many possibilites of failure.
The purpose of constant recoil is making the bolt never touch the back via long bolt travel and a heavy bolt carrier. The purpose of counter recoil system is using a counterweight to mitigate the inertia of the bolt hitting back. A combined constant recoil and counter balance recoil would be a open bolt longer bolt travel counter recoil system with all drawbacks of both. A heavy bolt carrier being mitigated with a heavy counterweight would cause incredible vibration in the system. Forget accuracy. And it will have very slow rate of fire. Basically an aa12 with a ak107 style counter recoil system. It would be pointless.
@@thekraken1173The constant recoil system already has a reliability fix with the idea used in the AA-12: Normal spring up front, super stiff spring, separated by a buffer from the normal spring, in the back.
0:40 the guy definitely knows how to handle his rifle 😂
This is a 5.45 cartridge right ? Is it even worth it to install this system on a gun that should be quite controllable on full auto already ? Most of the time you'll be firing this in semi auto too, just a good muzzle device that pushes down the barrel and pulls the gun forwards should be good enough right ? Otherwise its just additional weight and more complexity for a rare situation, i wonder if the system can cause a jam, even though the rest of the gun works...can you easily clear those gears in a combat scenario ? Maybe it could be good for commandos that clear rooms and could squeeze an advantage out of this in tight spaces, as well as keep it functional ?
As far as I know, the recoil control system doesn't operate like that in full auto, and only the first 2 rounds, or in two round burst do.
The point is more that, usually you use the rifle in semi-auto, so you can place good shots on target. The idea is that if you can have a similar recoil, and fire two rounds very quickly (at twice the normal full auto rate) then you get two rounds on target, instead one.
Is the juice worth the squeeze? That's a lot of machinery to mitigate the recoil of the 5.45x39 cartridge. 🙄
It has 4 times tighter groups than AK-12 if shot 2 round bursts standing
And 7.5 tighter groups compared to AK74
@@jjustdancerr8119 looks unrealistic.
@@tetispinkman9135
Acc. to the Ratnik's "Протокол испытаний опытных образцов 5,45-мм автоматов", which tested 20 rifles of each (6P67 and 6P70) type shooting 2 round bursts at 100 metres targets, standing, unsupported, average linear size of groups was ~50 and ~100 cm (measured by 2 sigmas)
By reverse engineering the size of a similar group in case of AK74 rifle, using the Phit, amount of ammo spent, distance etc. given in the rifle's manual (Наставление по Стрелковому Делу), one can get a result of 140 cm
Phit depends on the square size of the group (cm^2) and not the linear one (cm)
If counted by norms of equal distribution throughout the group, the size of the groups are as following:
6P70 - ~10.000 cm^2
6P67 - ~2.500 cm^2
6P20 - ~19.600 cm^2
6P70/6P67 = 4 times larger group in case of 6P70
6P20/6P67 = 7,84 times larger group in case of 6P20
Since Feb 24 last year I've watched 10 to 20 videos a day from Ukraine. Seen the AK74 in use many times. My first impression was how little recoil and muzzle rise the 74 has. The 5.45 cartridge is far preferred over the 7.62x39. In recent months I'm seeing more and more M4's at the front, along with a smattering of SCAR's. Probably other lesser known rifles but poor quality video made identification impossible.
@@LuvBorderCollies Grots (2nd generation from what I've seen) are also quite common, talking about the 5.56 assault rifles
CZ BRENs, M16s of different production, are present too
In single fire mode there as almlost no difference compared to 74/12, but in full auto and burst fire recoil is much more controlable and hit probability is superior, i would really like to se 6P68 (A762) being tested since most of us know how it looks like to control full auto in AKM.
It is inferior in single fire compared to AK-12 and ~same in single fire compared to AK74
PHit of 6P67 is superior to AK-12 at distances below ~300 metres
After that, the situation is opposite
As for the 7.62, it doesn't give much effect
That was proven even in the USSR and explained by the fact that in case of 7,62 by 39 the muzzle recoil (not the bolt assembly recoil) is too much of a factor
That was also proven by the IzhMash in 2011 - early 2012, when they've started participating in the Ratnik program
For 5,45 rifle they've chosen AK-107 as their competitor, but instead of sending AK-109 for trials they've chosen AK-103-3
Because AK-109 didn't provide enough superiority over AK-103-3
@@jjustdancerr8119 Thanks for the answer, that makes lots of sense now, good muzzle compensator is better solution for 7.62x39 than it seems.
@@MrSuba47 I wonder if it would be effective for more ‘hot’ rounds like 7.62 NATO
What a beautiful system!!! My new dream gun!!
I think I had the same issue that most people have had with this rifle. It adds a lot of complexity to gain recoil mitigation to a rifle system that does not need recoil mitigation. Anyone who has fired a fully automatic AK-74 or variant will contest on how controllable it is. Recoil mitigation makes a lot more sense for 7.62x39, but there is not a lot of reasons to pick that cartridge over the 5.45, and most of those limited reasons would require a situation with limited supply lines, so a more solider proof rifle would also be a plus in those cases. So in short, a solution looking for a problem.
However, A-545 is a rifle designed from scratch, and that is why it has some pros, that can justify production, especially compared to 2016 AK-12 variant: more stable rail mounts on receiver and handguard, ambi fire selector, weight
@@beibotanov The AK-12...so sad. It has everything in its design it needs to be to be one of the best AK-74 style rifles, and yet it just is not. Very sad. Thankfully over here in the civilian world, we get to play with what the AK-12 should had been, ha.
@@Jesses001 AK-12 is still better than any M16 variant and poorly designed modern rifles, such as Grot or FN SCAR in 5.56 - doesn't break optics, doesn't unscrew itself, doesn't spit the gas plug to seed dread into hearts of the foe. AK-12 is good, actually, although definitely not excellent or on par with good modern designs such as Bren. And it's getting better, overcoming rushed nature of it's adoption.
Which world is civilized, however, is a different and much more arguable question.
@@beibotanov Well if you like it, than that is all that matters. Enjoy your rifle.
@@Jesses001 it's too bad their 2016 AK-12 was never adopted due to cost. The current one seems more like an AK-74M that comes with rails lol
thanks for your good eye !amazing video as always
I wonder why they ever felt the need to invest in a complicated recoil mitigation system. It seems to undo what AK platforms are mainly known for which is reliability and simplicity. Although I guess I can see the application for situations where surgical precision is paramount.
Kovrovians just hang tight to the only idea differentiating their assault rifles to KK's developments - boring, very flawed, however, quick to set mass production. Of course, without the counterweight A-545 would be a better rifle than it is now and than AK-12, because it is designed from scratch, and that is why it has some pros, that have justified production, especially compared to 2016 AK-12 variant: more stable rail mounts on receiver and handguard, ambi fire selector, weight
Rare to see a video that doesnt go full "SIDE X BAD OMG".
Keep it up 👍
Just trying to stay objective with these videos. Thanks for watching.
The disadvantage of this rifle, in my opinion, is the high rate of fire, because the cartridges run out quickly (of course, if you shoot in automatic mode), more maintenance of the rifle, accuracy and price.
It’s a shorter gun, probably meant for cab action.
Barrel whip is pretty good considering its skinny barrel- A LOT better than my SVT-40!
The Kalashnikov channel has a video about the AK-107 and AK-109 which uses the same anti-recoil system.
LOOKING FORWARD FOR AN UPDATE FOR THIS A-545 AK!!!!!!!)))
This device allows for good control over burst fire. This is very good when shooting at moving targets, such as drones.
Great video!
Thanks Levi!
The slow motion footage can be found in video " Военная приемка «Сбалансированный автомат» "
This brings back memory.
Parts kit available yet?
Almost entirely sure I saw footage of an AN-94 being used by a Chechen fighter early on in the conflict, no idea how to find the specific video now but if I come across it again I'll send it your way.
That would be very much appreciated, thanks!
Interesting--a bit odd to see such a rare rifle that early in the escalation--but hey--lucky drop ig
This actually looks really nice. I hope this runs well
Awesome piece of work! Be interesting to fire ! THX.
An old guy I used to work for said he used to have a fujitsu semi automatic shotgun with a recoil compensation mechanism, but have never been able to figure out what the model name/number is. Apparently the counterweight was gas operated, he said it would jump a bit but would barely kick back. Like fire it off the table without holding it lack of kickback.
Well done DI Moss.
When I think about it, a foot soldier doesn't need that kind of accuracy... Literally they need to have bigger ammo spread rather than precise one. From what is seen from Ukraine, a soldier usually fires in a general direction, rarely requiring precision aim. Otherwise this weapon is sleek. How composed and classical it looks, at the same time not seriously lacking behind any global competitors.
nah man you still need accurate fire. The spread already comes by itself
@@meisterproper8304 Yeah, but all other rifles have good accuracy as well, just not extremely high as others, more complex ones such as this. So the additional accuracy is not worth the technical issues drama.
Would be curious if to see how it performs with heavier cartridges the 6.5 Grendel which Russia's Serbian bros are apparently testing out if not already being adopted for their new M19 rifle that features quick-barrel change, I guess it makes more sense for the AK - 7.62x39 world. Other than that, Just typing out randomly in mind; SHAK-12 / ASH-12 and 12.7x55mm .264 LICC, potential "Russian SCAR" AM-17 (based on Dragunov's MA).
Seem like the Russians are always playing catch up or are heavily influenced by Nato cartridges.
I'd love to shoot one of these. I have to wonder how much advantage the balanced recoil is on such a mild-recoiling cartridge?
Ian from Forgotten Weapons has a video on a civilian gun using this same balanced action. According to him, it doesnt do much for the massive amount of complexity it adds.
It improves group size of automatic fire (2 shots, standing unsupported) by 4 times compared to AK-12 and by ~7 - 8 times compared to AK74
@@DarkestVampire92 Ian's opinion is not the best source
SR-1's balanced recoil design is different from 6P67's one, Ian haven't provide any numbers and he only had 1 rifle to shoot
Compared to actual trials of 20 rifles of each type, which were run in different conditions and analysed mathematically, it's quite a different story
@@jjustdancerr8119 which just begs the question. How often does a mudfoot need to use suppressing fire? Even with balanced recoil aimed single shots are more accurate and efficient.
Most recoil comes from the bolt action so this makes a huge difference☝️ similar to using a lightweight BCG in an AR 🗽
Very cool rifle
Love the content
Thank you!
Good testing ground.
hate thoses on locker
4:35 is not 45 end magazine... Just 2 regular one strapped together with isolation tape.
Head over to armourersbench.com to get a closer look at the photo. I still think it's an RPK mag wrapped. The base is a floor plate. No sign of a another mag a la jungle mags.
One of my dream guns
They need to put these in more games
Love the look of the a545
It's definitely a good looking rifle.
I have an IWI Galil 5.45 and it has become my favorite rifle to shoot. If you can find ammo it's become crazy expensive due to some brain dead character in DC. Good thing I loaded up earlier.
Galil ace design looks so much like this
On forgotten weapons they tested a similar recoil system and found it doesn't really make a difference. The 5.45 is a small round with hardly any recoil anyway and when you add a muzzle break, there's hardly any climb or recoil. The system might work, but, it needs to be tested with a higher caliber round.
is there a 7.62 caliber or is it also a small caliber ?
@@Fr4NCL1n small caliber. I think it's called the ak 107 or 105.
Looks like a mix of an HK-33 and an AK, very cool
This was a very informative video. Knowing about small arms and who uses them can be useful. In 2014, when the “little green men” appeared in Crimea without any insignia, I was certain they were Russian soldiers despite Putin’s claim that they were locals, and you could get the gear they had at a surplus store, because some of them were carrying Pecheneg machine guns, the latest iteration of the PK machine gun, and was certain Russia had exported few if any of those at the time.
After watching Vicker's Tactical video of the AEK-971, Damn i really wanna shoot one, Or own one for that matter.
it's super weird, looks like a freak MP5 and Daewoo K1 crossbreed
very interesting
If you've watched the Forgotten Weapons AN-94 video you would understand why the AN-94 isn't used.
I wonder when we’re going to see the AN-94 in the conflict, whose going to be holding it and where could it be spotted?
What I would do for one of these…
Thank you
Thanks for watching
Jaeger Z999 has a great Short of live fire A-545
That AK barrel flex is crazy, and with an MP5 style lower hopefully it doesn't have the same horrible trigger.
Most pictures of the A-545 feature a retractable stock. Has the A-545 ever been fitted with the classic fixed or folding AK stock?
Well the original AEK had a side folder and some of the early developmental guns prior to that had fixed stocks but I don't believe I've ever seen seen an A-545 with a fixed or side folder.
there is actually *one* photo of a possibly captured AN-94 in a back of the trunk. we can only see the stock of the weapon system though so it cannot be definite.
Yeah, I know of it but can't say for sure if it is one so didn't want to include it. That butt plate sure does look right though haha. We may yet see one!
@@TheArmourersBench haha, fair enough, keep up the good work!
I need this thing!
At least they got the battle tested.
Not many rifles got this honor.
Most rifles have been used in battle.
And theirs no honor in battle, especially not in an illegal invasion.
@@baneofbanes
There are also still many firearms that haven't seen war action.
No invasion is legal by its definition, but everybody invaded one another at some point of history, it's just facts so put that crap aside.
@@0bserver416 1: And msot rifles arent among them. Rifles are made for warfare.
2: Doesnt make it an honor regardless. And no not all invasions are illegal.
@@baneofbanes You don't know a shit about what ukraine is, what nation it is, history between it and Russia, their cultures. I would even assume that you didn't even know about this country before the war or AT LEAST before 2014. So cut that crap and shut up, you're no expert in that region's politics, mentality and relationship
A-5.45’s have been issued to all crew members manning T 14 Armatas.
Wow all 3 guys got them?
That’s a really thin profiled barrel.
Ya forgot to mention the suppressor seen in pics at amongst 3:43...
It has one but I don't know the designation of it. There's also some new photos on the accompanying blog at armourersbench.com that show it quite well. Thanks for watching
we probably dont see many pics of these because the spec ops units that use these wouldnt be so willy nilly about posting pics of videos of themselves online, likely the same reason why we havent seen any pics of the AN-94 and SVch marksman rifles in Ukraine
Certainly a factor.
1:02 I HATE HOLDING ZERO I HATE HOLDING ZERO I HATE HOLDING ZERO
balance recoil gun,good
Isn’t the counter-piston impacting the front sight block a bad idea?
You would definitely think so?
Conceptually interesting but is the complexity worth the results? I’m seeing a lot of comments suggesting that the muzzle brake is what is actually preventing the climb to a large degree.
Yeah, I think the benefit ratio is probably too small to justify the cost. Thanks for watching.
Not for Infantry.
Razvedos is not a SOF veteran but a veteran from the MVD (Ministery of internal Affair). So he is actually a Police Force veteran, who served in the Caucasus.
Good to know, thanks.
it kind of looks like what would happen if an mp5 and a vepr had a baby....and drank alot mid term.
always thought the an94 was very cool and wondered why the tech wasn't pursued more but this answers my question. wonder who I'd have to bribe to get my capitolist hands on one
Is the data package out in the wild?
These almost got imported around 2015 or 2016 to the us in semi auto.
This and the AN94 are the most interesting AK rifles by far.
Но оба этих автомата не имеют никакого отношения к АК...
Neither the AEK nor the AN94 is an AK
@@dwishs The AN94 is made by the Kalashnikov Concern company. I don't follow? I understand it's clearly not an AK47 variant but still, can you elaborate?
@@BigBossIvan Yes, the AN-94 is made in the same factory as the AK, but it is a completely different platform created by a different designer, Nikonov. Kalashnikov Concern company makes many different weapons, but that doesn't make them all AKs. AK is a platform, not a manufacturer. AEK is produced at Degtyaryov Plant and created by Koksharov. It has nothing to do with AK at all.
Top!!👍😉🙏🤟
The gun when MP5 and AK decide to had kid
I wonder how AK and adjacent rifle users feel about using optics made for AR pattern rifles and the ridiculous height over bore/ chin weld that it causes? The AN94 with the EOTech looks particularly awkward.
From experience, it really isn't bad
this looks very very weird to breakdown, when they took the bolt out my inner private threw up
It seems to be an area of significant focus for Russia. They have multiple rifles and programs focusing on recoil mitigation. I don’t really see that as a focus in other countries. I wonder if the people in government are remembering their conscript days using 7.62 and think it’s an area in need of improvement whereas the 5.45 is not as affected by it ?
Just unlocked this in Battlefield 2042🔥
I wouldn't be surprised if their are a few AN-94's floating around in Ukraine.
More than a few we have seen quite a few of them captured from wagner, an-94’s are old news at this point
If you have any images of them would love to see them. I haven't seen them myself.
No I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few too. The imagery from the conflict that we get is just a small fraction of what's going on.
@@TheArmourersBenchthere was a picture of one in the trunk of a car with a bunch of other guns.
Yes, I saw that one, the butt plate looks very 94!
Even with its comped gas system it seems a better designed rifle than the AK12
Ohhhh daaaamnn...
Кучность автоматической стрельбы очередями при применении сбалансированной автоматики возрастает на 20%.
When your life depends on a reliable machine.... add a lot more moving parts.
All that recoil mitigation and not even an IR laser sight. The fact that this is a special forces weapon makes me think that Russian SOF doesn't have very good night fighting capabilities.
Welp I'd wait for the AEK-971 rifles soon. As in the KORD variant rifles 😂
Why are you making fun of then for using one of their newest rifles?
More moving parts is more things to break...
I love prototypes
a good one.!
Crudely beautiful
I mean you get double the barrel reverb but i guess percision isnt its MO
similar to an ak 107 ..counter balanced... an94 hyperburst
veery cool but way to complicated..
M4s can be tuned with a few mods.. to completely reduce recoil...
and be reliable
N x
Like a AK-107. There are even civilian versions on the marked.
An inserting rifle. I cant help but think that the AK-74 is such a fantastically low recoil rifle that i suspect the juice is not worth the squeeze. I really like the AK74 and also the 20 inch M16 designs because both are so easy to shoot and also they feel very well balanced. While the M4 is clearly a useful upgrade or replacement for the M16, I fail to see how the same is true of the A-545. So I am left wondering, what role does this rifle fill for the Russian military?
It doesn't fill a role for the military, it fills a role for law enforcement.
Anyone know if any Ots Grozas been being used or found?
@@Babo49_49 Interesting, that makes sense. Has to be at least one in circulation.
the AN-94 (Assault-rifle, Nikonov, 1994) was the Abakan Trials (1980-1994) winner back in 1994 but never went in full scale production even being a great and revolutionary rifle. Problem? that we know of i) complex manufacturing, ii) even more complex use and demanded a lot of time for a grunt to become "fluent" with the rifle, iii) high manufacturing prices, also because of it's design complexity. The AEK-971 (5.45) was part of phase one and phase two, right before the AN-94 being chosen as the best gun (inheriting the BARS system from the AEK-978 - not made by the same company as the AEK-971 and also was not part of phase 2). Because of price and less difficult use some AEK-971 where produced after being concluded that the rifle was not worthy of further developments. But friends or money talked louder and the AN-94, to my knowledge, never saw mass production and the "sons" of the AEK-971 did both in 5.45x39 and in lesser numbers 7.62x39 to equip some elite units - regular grunt would take a long time to understand how to properly use and maintain both the A-545 and A-762 or (aka) 6P67 KORD 5,45 and 6P68 KORD 7,62. This two rifles also inherited the BARS system, maybe even perfected. Cheers