Rostec unveils ShAK-12 counter-terror 12.7mm assault rifle for close combat.

How can a commando hit a terrorist if he is protected by powerful body armor or is under cover? To this end, the High-Precision Complexes holding company has developed the ShAK-12 assault rifle system, designed specifically for close combat during anti-terrorist operations in urban areas. This is a unique submachine gun that can be used to automatically fire powerful 12.7 mm cartridges.
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The ASh-12 submachine gun, which has already received the nickname "meat grinder for terrorists", is one of the few successful models of automatic weapons in the world with a caliber of 12.7x55 mm (Picture source: Rostec)

It is believed that the birth of the ShAK-12 assault rifle system was a tragic occasion: a terrorist attack in Beslan in September 2004, during which a large number of special forces soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded. Based on the experience of this and other operations, the Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia instructed to develop a melee weapon capable of hitting an enemy using bulletproof vests, including heavy ones, or shelter for protection. One of the important conditions of the terms of reference was the high stopping power of the weapon, that is, the ability to hit the target with a minimum number of shots even if the enemy, for example, a terrorist, is under the influence of psychotropic drugs that increase the pain threshold. ShAK-12 is a unique submachine gun that can be used to automatically fire powerful 12.7 mm cartridges.

The executor of the order is the Central Design Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO) - a branch of the Design Bureau of Instrument Engineering. Academician A.G. Shipunova (part of the Rostec High-Precision Complexes holding) - developed the ShAK-12 system for special forces based on the VKS large-caliber sniper rifle, called the Exhaust. These two types of weapons are related by a large caliber of 12.7 mm and the same layout.

The ASh-12 assault rifle, which is part of the ShAK-12 system, and the VKS rifle are made according to the original scheme, which in international weapons terminology is called "bullpup", which literally translates from English as "bulldog puppy". The term comes from the American shooting slang of the 1930s, but the first rifles with a handle in front of the magazine appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. In the USSR, such a weapon could have entered service with the army in 1946-47, but then the “bullpup” TKB-408 machine gun lost the rivalry to the famous AK-47. A breakthrough in the technology came in 1977, when the armies of Austria and France adopted the Steyr AUG and FAMAS rifles respectively.

A feature of this scheme is the displacement of the main elements of the firing mechanism to the rear of the rifle, while the trigger is located in front of the magazine. This arrangement makes it possible to make the weapon about 25% shorter without reducing the length of the barrel and loss of firing efficiency. This is especially important for weapons that are used in urban environments, indoors and in confined spaces.

ShAK-12 with a silencer, effective at a distance of up to 200 meters (Picture source: Rostec)

Bulletproof vest and brick wall - not an obstacle

It must be said that the ShAK-12 is not only an assault rifle, but a whole weapons system developed by TsKIB SOO to solve special tasks during assault operations. It also includes several types of ammunition and various accessories, providing tactical versatility of the system.

Depending on the task, the shooter chooses one of the types of ammunition. The first is the PD-12 cartridge with a short and heavy lead bullet weighing 32 grams and subsonic speed. This ammunition is used with a silencer and is effective at a distance of up to 200 meters for quickly and silently incapacitating a lightly protected enemy.

The second type of ammunition is the PS-12A cartridge with a light supersonic bullet with an aluminum core, hitting a target at a distance of up to 100 m. It is he who has exceptional stopping power, capable of hitting even a drugged terrorist the first time. It is important that this bullet does not have the ricochet effect, so the shooter is less likely to harm his colleagues or civilians.

The third type is the PS-12B cartridge with an armor-piercing steel bullet weighing 16 grams with an effective firing range of 300 m. It is designed to hit targets protected by heavy armor or hiding behind an obstacle. With the first shot, a special forces soldier can break through, for example, a brick wall, and with the second, hit the enemy.

Depending on the task, the shooter chooses one of the types of ammunition (Picture source: Rostec)

Meat grinder for terrorists

The weapon box is made of stamped steel, the stock is made of impact-resistant plastic. Picatinny rails allow mounting any optics on the machine. The system includes several muzzle devices. A short tactical silencer, which also functions as a flash suppressor, reduces sound and muzzle flash, making it difficult for the enemy to detect the shooter. A full-size silencer is used for firing heavy subsonic bullets where maximum covert work is required. In this case, the assault rifle can be used without a silencer.

At the sight of such a powerful weapon, it may seem that the recoil from a shot, especially from firing bursts, must be very strong. Nevertheless, for an experienced shooter, working with the ASh-12 is not difficult - the recoil will not be stronger than when firing from the PKM - 7.62-mm Kalashnikov machine gun. In addition, the ASh-12 is a short-barreled machine gun, so it throws up much less when firing.

ShAK-12 is a powerful weapon for counter-terrorism and other security operations in the conditions of settlements, buildings, and structures, where it is necessary to ensure the maximum safety of the civilian population. The ASh-12 submachine gun, which has already received the nickname "meat grinder for terrorists", is one of the few successful models of automatic weapons in the world with a caliber of 12.7x55 mm.

Defense News April 2023