Russian Army ends purchase of Kalashnikov Rifles

[xl_target]

I'm assuming they just mean the AK-47 model (?)

Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov told Russian media that the army already had too many of the weapons in its stores.

A new model is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

News of the army’s decision is reportedly being kept from the rifle’s designer, Mikhail Kalashnikov, now 91.

“We do not want to take it upon ourselves to tell him,” an unnamed member of his family told Russia’s Izvestia newspaper.

“It might kill him.”

A spokesman for the rifle’s developer, the Izhmash plant in central Russia, told Izvestia newspaper that a new model would be ready for demonstration by the end of the year.

http://www.gundigest.com/firearm-gun-in ... kov-rifles
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15076757

[dr.jayakumar]

even if the russian army doesn't need,many countries still rely on this gun.
moreover AK is not the end of assault rifles,technology is meant to improve in every field and so is this.
when Mikhail k made this rifle,he knew there would be better ones later,so i don't think it would hurt him.Russian army giving up AK might sentimentally ruin him,i feel.ak will be there for ever whether russia has it or not.
it is one of the best guns ever made.
regards

[xl_target]

even if the russian army doesn't need,many countries still rely on this gun.
moreover AK is not the end of assault rifles,technology is meant to improve in every field and so is this.
when Mikhail k made this rifle,he knew there would be better ones later,so i don't think it would hurt him.Russian army giving up AK might sentimentally ruin him,i feel.ak will be there for ever whether russia has it or not.
it is one of the best guns ever made.
regards

True, Doc but I don't know if it was one of the best guns ever made but definitely one of the best assault rifles ever made.

[MoA]

I guess its time to move on.
The geopolitical scenario in the world does no longer warrant the use of the kitchen utensil in the Russian Army I guess. Lest see what they come up with next.

[lonetrigger]

World will never give up on Kalashnikovs, neither will Russia.

"Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov told Russian media that the army already had too many of the weapons in its stores". If CGS admits there are too many weapons with them, I WONDER how many. Militaries never have enough.

Also, "A new model is expected to be ready by the end of the year" so they probably mean AK-47. No body knows for sure many of each model in between fill the Russian Military stores.

Also I am very skeptical about BBC when it comes to Russia or China and the rest of the World that is not NATO.

[MoA]

Considering that the likes of Viktor Butt made billions stealing these weapons from the ex-Soviet Union and they were not missed one can only guess.

Keep in mind that the glut of ex-Soviet bloc weapons ranging from the Nagant to the SKS to the AK is just an indicator of the mentality the Soviets had.

I would be surprised if the Russians actually had an accurate inventory of the small arms or any arms including CBNR weapons in their hands.