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AR-M1

Assault Rifle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The AR-M1 is a Bulgarian assault rifle designed primarily for export. It is a modernized Bulgarian development of the AK, which itself is a copy of the earlier Soviet Type-3 milled receiver AK-47.[4]

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There are two versions of the AR-M1. One chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO, and the other in the Soviet 7.62×39mm cartridge.

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History

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During the late 1950s, the Bulgarian People's Army was equipped with AK-47s imported from the Soviet Union. However, by the early 1960s, the Bulgarian government became interested in producing the AK assault rifle domestically.[4] Assembly of AKs, initially from imported Soviet parts, began at the Arsenal AD state arsenal in Kazanlak.[4] By the mid 1960s, the Kazanlak facility was equipped to begin licensed production of the weapon type and its associated parts. Kalashnikov rifles assembled and later manufactured in Kazanlak received the designation AKK.[4] A derivative with a folding stock was also produced under license as the AKKS.[4]

After the dissolution of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in the early 1990s, the Kazanlak factory became a joint-stock company known as Arsenal AD.[4] Arsenal offered several modernized variants of the AKK for export, which were rebranded as the AR series.[4] The AR pattern rifles are AKKs with different furniture and a few unique features, such as polymer stocks and handguards, as well as several external parts copied directly from the AK-74 including new flash hiders, sights, gas blocks, bayonet mountings and bayonets.[4] AR-M1 receivers are milled, rather than stamped (unlike the AKM), and are virtually indistinguishable from those of the early pattern Soviet AKs.[4]

A derivative of the AKKS is also offered for export as the ARF.[4]

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Variants

The following are/were manufacted by Arsenal AD.[5]

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Users

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An Indian CRPF QRT operator with an AR-M1F41 modified with Israeli FAB Defense accessories.

Notes

  1. The -F model features a folding stock.

References

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