A Soviet Experiment - The Kalashnikov Assault Carbine

Summary

Soviet Izhmash engineers developed an experimental "Assault Carbine" between 1952 and 1956, aiming to combine the SKS's semi-automatic accuracy with the AK's full-automatic capability. The 1952 prototype featured a milled receiver, a 19-inch barrel, measured 38.4 inches, and weighed 9.4 pounds, but the project ultimately failed trials and was not adopted due to industrial priorities favoring the simpler, mass-producible AK.