K-3 (rifle)
Encyclopedia
The K-3 is an Armenian
bullpup
assault rifle
chambered for 5.45x39mm
ammunition with a selective fire
system, selecting between semi-automatic mode
, burst mode
, and full automatic fire mode
. Little is known about the production and variants of these firearms, as its production is veiled in secrecy, but it is evident they are being used by the Armenian Special Forces, as was displayed in a recent military parade.
Conceived by the Military Industrial Department of the Armenian Ministry of Defence, the K-3 has been produced in a basic iron-sight form, with the option of mounting a standard PSO-1
×4 telescopic sight, also produced in Armenia.
K-3 is said to inherit all of the AK-74
's advantages in terms of durability and fire-power. Yet K-3 supersedes AK-74 in terms of minimisation of recoil, accuracy, ergonomics, balancing and mobility.
Due to the position of its ejection port, the K-3 can only be fired right-handed.
The muzzle of the barrel has an attachment that allows firing of rifle grenades
. The new version of K-3 allows firing of grenades without the need for any separate attachments - the grenade can be fired by simply placing it on the barrel. Most of the furniture is nylon-based hard plastic, as is the 30-round curved box magazine, based on that of the AK-74
rifle series.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
bullpup
Bullpup
Bullpups are firearm configurations in which the action is located behind the trigger group and alongside the shooter's face, so there is no wasted space for the buttstock as in conventional designs. This permits a shorter firearm length for the same barrel length for improved maneuverability, and...
assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
chambered for 5.45x39mm
5.45x39mm
The Soviet 5.45×39mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 for use with the new AK-74 assault rifle. It gradually supplemented then largely replaced the 7.62x39mm round in service....
ammunition with a selective fire
Selective fire
A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...
system, selecting between semi-automatic mode
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
, burst mode
Burst mode (firearm)
In automatic firearms, burst mode or burst fire is a firing mode enabling the shooter to fire a predetermined number of rounds, usually 2 or 3 rounds and 100+ on anti-aircraft weapons, with a single pull of the trigger. This firing mode is commonly used in submachine guns, assault rifles and carbines...
, and full automatic fire mode
Automatic firearm
An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
. Little is known about the production and variants of these firearms, as its production is veiled in secrecy, but it is evident they are being used by the Armenian Special Forces, as was displayed in a recent military parade.
Design
First unveiled in October 1996, the K-3 5.45 mm assault rifle is based on the Kalashnikov action, reconfigured into a bullpup layout. By October 1996, over 40 examples of the K-3 had been manufactured in Armenia, although series production had yet entered mass production.Conceived by the Military Industrial Department of the Armenian Ministry of Defence, the K-3 has been produced in a basic iron-sight form, with the option of mounting a standard PSO-1
PSO-1
The Soviet PSO-1 telescopic sight was at the time of its introduction , the most technically advanced telescopic sight ever designed for a mass-production designated marksman or sniper rifle...
×4 telescopic sight, also produced in Armenia.
K-3 is said to inherit all of the AK-74
AK-74
The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...
's advantages in terms of durability and fire-power. Yet K-3 supersedes AK-74 in terms of minimisation of recoil, accuracy, ergonomics, balancing and mobility.
Due to the position of its ejection port, the K-3 can only be fired right-handed.
The muzzle of the barrel has an attachment that allows firing of rifle grenades
Rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
. The new version of K-3 allows firing of grenades without the need for any separate attachments - the grenade can be fired by simply placing it on the barrel. Most of the furniture is nylon-based hard plastic, as is the 30-round curved box magazine, based on that of the AK-74
AK-74
The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...
rifle series.