page_title: AEK-971
section_title: Design details
hierarchical_section_title: AEK-971 / Design details
caption_attribution_description: English: AEK-971 in real life
context_page_description: The AEK-971 is a Russian selective fire 5.45×39mm assault rifle that was developed at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant by chief designer Sergey Koksharov in the late 1970s and 1980s.
  The A-545 is a successor variant of the AEK-971 that was announced on 23 December 2014, which features numerous internal and external improvements over its predecessor.
context_section_description: The AEK-971 is based on previous AK rifles in internal design and layout, but features a Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS) that enhances the traditional Kalashnikov long stroke gas piston operating system by reducing the negative effects of recoil. Balanced recoil systems were previously applied in the AO-38 and AL-7 experimental assault rifles and in the AK-107 and AK-108. BARS works by shifting mass toward the muzzle of the rifle as the bolt and bolt carrier recoil rearward by way of a counter-weight that negates the impulse of the gas piston and bolt carrier, resulting in more controllable automatic fire. For the AEK-971 automatic firing accuracy is improved by 15-20% in comparison with the AK-74M.
  The AEK-971's iron sights features an adjustable notched rear tangent rear sight calibrated in 100 m (109 yd) increments from 100 to 1,000 m (109 to 1,094 yd) and a hooded front post. Each AEK assault rifle is fitted with a Warsaw Pact side-rail bracket for mounting optics.
  The travel distance of the reciprocating parts of the AEK-971 is less than compared to the non-balanced recoil AK-pattern designs, thus increasing its cyclic rate of fire significantly. The original cyclic rate of fire of the early prototype model was 1,500 rounds per minute (RPM) and was later decreased to 900 rounds per minute (RPM) for the production model.
  The AEK-971 is fed through standard 5.45×39mm 30-round or larger box magazines used by the AK-74, RPK-74 and other similar 5.45×39mm Russian weapons.
caption: An early prototype model of the AEK-971
exif: {"Image XResolution": "7559/200", "Image YResolution": "7559/200", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "Paint.NET v3.5.10"}