| AO-46 | |
|---|---|
 An AO-46 model at the TsNIITochMash Museum in Klimovsk, Russia | |
| Type | Carbine/Assault Rifle Personal defense weapon |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Peter Andreevich Tkachev |
| Designed | 1969 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) |
| Length | 655 mm (25.7 in) stock extended / 458 mm (18.0 in) stock folded |
| Barrel length | 245 mm (9.7 in) |
| Cartridge | 5.45×39mm |
| Caliber | 5.45 mm |
| Action | Gas-operated,Select-fire |
| Rate of fire | 700 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 715 m/s |
| Maximum firing range | 400 m |
| Feed system | 15-round box magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights |
TheAO-46 was a gas-operated5.45×39mm caliber, compactcarbine/assault rifle prototype. It features a folding stock and the trigger is located just in front of the magazine, which doubles as a pistol grip. In order to minimize the length of the gun, gas for automatic operation was collected not out of the barrel, but directly from theflash suppressor in the muzzle.[1] Despite having the latter feature, the combination of a relatively powerful cartridge and short barrel produced a flash comparable to that of asawed-off shotgun.[2]
The weapon was an unsolicited design byPeter Andreevich Tkachev working atTsNIITochMash. Although not accepted for service, this design, in combination with report of the US use of theXM-177 in Vietnam led theGRAU to start the competition known asProject Modern, which led to the adoption ofAKS-74U for service.[1][2]
Although the Soviet doctrine did not have an equivalent concept, the AO-46 design corresponds to the Western concept ofpersonal defense weapon (PDW).[3]
