Legendary Russian arms maker unveils new combat rifle

The Russian maker of the AK-47 unveiled a new rifle on Aug. 20, 2018, called the AK-308, which it is expected to demonstrate at the Army-2018 Forum on Aug. 21, 2018.

"The weapon is based on the AK103 submachine gun for the cartridge 7.62x51 mm with elements and components of the AK-12 automatic machine," Kalashnikov Concern said in a press statement on Aug. 20, 2018.

"At the moment, preparations are under way for preliminary testing of weapons," Kalashnikov added.

The AK-308 weighs about 9 1/2 pounds with an empty 20-round magazine, Kalashnikov said. The gun also has a dioptric sight and foldable stock.

At this point, it's unclear whether the Russian military will field the new AK-308, but it certainly seems like a possibility.

In January 2018, the Russian military announced it would replace its standard issue AK-74M rifles with AK-12 and AK-15 rifles.

AK-15 rifle.

(Kalashnikov photo)

The AK-74M fires a 5.45x39 mm round, has a 30-round magazine, and weighs about 8.6 pounds when fully loaded.

On the other hand, the AK-12 shoots a 5.45x39 mm caliber round, and the AK-15 shoots a 7.62x39 mm round, according to Kalashnikov. Each of those two weapons with an empty 30-round magazine weigh about 7.7 pounds.

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