Quote Originally Posted by Biggus View Post
Show me the photographs of the purported AK100 series rifles that aren't AK74Ms. The earlier pic in this thread has already been clearly identified as a 5.45 variant with a rifle length barrel, therefore it is an AK74M. I'd very much like to see other pictures.

Accessories fitted are not exclusive to any particular variant. A buttpad on an AK105 will go on a 74M, or a 74 for that matter. If you're referring to a field dressing being taped or tied to the stock, this has been done by AK users since at least the 1970s.

Your data on actual production figures is flawed or outdated. There's a factory in Ethiopia right now pumping 103s out, there's a factory in Venezuela, and there's a large number in use with Venezuelan forces. The Indians are negotiating production, the Pakistanis use them, and there are other users too. They are quite common in Libya, they're turning up in Syria. The Bulgarians have been producing clones for several years now. All variants in the very least are not solely used by the Russians. AK104s are used by Venezuela. AK105s are used by Armenia. AK101s and 102s haven't been adopted by anyone. It's hardly a rare series of weapons.

The Interior Minister might be a very reliable guy, but in this case I haven't seen evidence to suggest he is right. If the Russians were going to roll in with obviously Russian-army-only weapons, he'd have been talking about their 9x39mm weapons as well. Right now, they're doing it with weapons that have adequate deniability.
The quote refers to weapons produced inside Russia---the Russian special units and the Ministry do not use weapons built under licensing agreements made outside Russia.

If one looks at the history of the 100s it was a competition between two arms manufacturers as the Russian Army wanted a "new rifle for a new Army" after realizing they had in the depots/and in Army units enough AK74s and older models to give every Russian citizen a rifle.

After testing both competitors they did not get to a decision and the 100 series lingered and thus released for licensing/export to recoup their development investments.

Out of all this confusion in the decision process one stood out and stood out for it's accuracy in auto and semi fire the AN94 even though it is a weapon that is a little clumsy in the handling.

Check where the AN94 disappeared to after the competition tests--Army special units and the Ministry of the Interior.

Would actually trust the comments especially made by a SBU/Minister of Interior who has years in the SBU as someone who can discern weapon types and would in fact recognize them.

Just a side comment---special units world wide--if they train on one particular weapon they deploy with that weapon and in the current turmoil and swirling masses in the various eastern Ukrainian cities with masses of all types of AK74variants a small special unit team's hand carried weapons will simply disappear in the midst and not be automatically recognized as such---that is why his comment is important.