DRAGUNOV "MA" PROTOTYPE ASSAULT CARBINE

EVGANIY DRAGUNOV, the engineer of the, probably, most famous sniper rifle in the world, directed the engineering of this compact carbine in the year 1977. Its main charachteristics are:

CALIBER: 5'45x39mm-Soviet
CAPACITY: 30 rounds
BARREL LENGHT: 212 Millimeters
WEIGHT EMPTY: 2,1 Kilograms

The MA carbine features an upfolding buttstock; the lower receiver and the pistol grip are all in one with the totally plastic-made frame of the weapon. The upper part of the MA carbine and its sights are made in fiberglass-reinforced polyammide. The barrel is equipped with a flash hider; the fire selector switch is little, and it is placed on the right side of the weapon.

Though the MA carbine never saw mass production, it was used as a basis for the currently produced (and currently issued to Russian Special Forces) SR-1 MA "Vikhr" sub-carbine, which main difference from the DRAGUNOV "MA" carbine is that the "Vikhr" feeds from 25-rounds translucid plastic magazines and fires the 9x39mm russian ammo, which is a necked-up version of the .7'62x39mm-Soviet cartridge.

Photo and information from: PIERANGELO TENDAS