The AK-12 Prototypes

The AK-12 project is coming to its unevitable and predictable end. While the game developers and gun enthusiasts were modelling the first prototype of the AK-12, the Kalashnikov Concern (formerly IzhMash) made another one, and then another one, and then ANOTHER one.

The earliest 2013 prototype had the hilarious "ПОЗА" safety/selector ("pose" in Russian) and plenty of sloppy photoshopped variants for different calibers and barrel lengths. The selector and ugly pistol grip were later improved. This is THE variant everyone knows, since this model managed to appear in numerous videogames, such as Call of Duty: Ghosts and Advanced Warfare, Battlefield 4, Killing Floor 2, etc. It also has a butt-ugly airsoft version.

In 2014, another model showed up, this time in at least two calibers for real. It had the LEAST intuitive fire mode selector I've ever seen. It was also the first variant to feature an enlarged magazine release and two-round burst mode.

In 2015, the horrible selector was thankfully fixed, the gas block/barrel/front sight assembly was redesigned, but mostly it remained unchanged. This model even made it to airsoft versions produced in Russia!

Finally, the genius engineers at the Kalashnikov Concern decided that nobody wants a reversible charging handle, or ejection port for that matter. The same decision was made for the ambidextrous safety/selector. Oh, even the enlarged mag release was omitted. But wait, what am I even talking about? They simply SCRAPPED whatever AK-12 advances they made, and presented a classic AK with tacticool furniture and two-round burst mode thrown in, after they won the contest they made up themselves anyway. Hey, this model is actually featured in Payday 2!

I just hope that common sense prevails and they don't actually put it into mass production. The regular army does not really need Picatinny rails, since they can't customize their rifles anyway. Whatever the Russian government and their friends spend our ever-increasing taxes on, this is definitely not something we need.

Update 2018-04-12: minor detail and coloration improvements, new proprietary magazine for the 2013 proto, the 2016 proto's front is more detailed than it deserves to be.