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| from Guns & Ammo April 2007 |
Best Of The Avtomat Breed?
Arsenal's 5.56mm SLR-106FR
By David Fortier
The SLR-106FR is a rugged, high-quality 5.56mm Kalashnikov built on a stamped sheetmetal receiver. Available magazines include five-, 10-, 20- and 30-rounders. Photo by Mustafa Bilal
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"Nyet," I replied in vain to my SPETZsNAZ hosts as I was forced into yet another toast. Trying to clear my vision, I had some more bread and salami amid a chorus of laughter and celebration. It was September 2001, and three friends and I were sitting in a bleak office at a Russian MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) base with a five-man SOBR (Special Troops of Rapid Deployment) team. Part of the team had just returned from service in Chechnya, so they were celebrating while we chatted about small arms.
After a heated discussion on the M16A2, the topic turned to the 5.45x39mm AK-74Ms they had slung. Handing me a spotless rifle, they all quickly began to speak at length as to why it was the finest assault rifle in the world.
The rotating bolt and heavy, long-stroke piston and carrier are key to the reliability of Kalashnikov's design.
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"You can beat a man to death with the buttstock, and look, you cannot even tell," one said, showing me the stock of his rifle. "Let's see you do that with an M16A2!" another chimed in. Concerning the accuracy of the weapon, a third stated, "A few days ago I was shooting down phone lines in Chechnya with this rifle. How much more accurate does it need to be?" Another spoke of how well the 5.45x39mm round made live Chechens into good Chechens.
And, as to be expected, they all had stories of the amount of abuse the rifle could shrug off while continuing to function. Handing the SPETZsNAZ trooper back his weapon, it was obvious that they all had supreme confidence in their issue assault rifle.
Although many consider the 1991-vintage AK-74M (Avtomat Kalashnikov 1974 Modernized) the zenith of the Kalashnikov family of assault rifles, I am not so quick to agree. As good as the 5.45x39mm AK-74M is, I feel the Russians developed a slightly better rifle in 1993, the AK-101. Little more than an AK-74M rechambered for the West's 5.56x45mm cartridge, the AK-101 is a better rifle, I believe, simply due to the chambering. Although the 5.45x39mm cartridge is a fine round and does have its strong points such as case design and economical cost, the 5.56mm is simply a better and more versatile cartridge. When it comes to exterior ballistics, terminal performance and accuracy, anything the 5.45x39mm cartridge can do, the 5.56x45mm can do better.
Although IZHMASH-produced AK-101 rifles will likely never be available in the United States, Arsenal Inc. of Las Vegas, Nevada, has brought to life an excellent Bulgarian copy. Called the SLR-106FR, it is an impressive rig. The majority of the rifle is manufactured by Arsenal Co. Ltd. of Bulgaria, with certain components produced by Arsenal Inc. of Las Vegas to make the rifle legal here in the United States.
As most Americans are unfamiliar with the Bulgarian arms manufacturer Arsenal Co. Ltd., here's a very brief look at its history. The company's roots extend back to 1878 when Prince Dondukov established a special factory to meet the needs of the newly formed Bulgarian army. In 1948 when the factory passed from the Defense Ministry to the Ministry of Industry, it received the simple designation of Factory-10.
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This is article appears in the G&A Special Interest Magazine, COMBAT ARMS, which is available on newsstands now. For more articles like this, make sure to pick up your copy of COMBAT ARMS today or purchase it online, by clicking HERE. |
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