AL-7

Assault rifle

AL-7
AL-7 in Izhmash museum
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Production history
Designer	Yury Aleksandrov
Manufacturer	Izhmash
Specifications
Mass	8.6 pounds^{[citation needed]}
Length	36.5"^{[citation needed]}

Cartridge	5.45×39mm
Action	Gas operated, rotating bolt
Muzzle velocity	2,491 F/S^{[citation needed]}
Effective firing range	1100–1500 yards ^{[citation needed]}
Feed system	30 round box magazine
Sights	Iron

The AL-7 is a Soviet assault rifle designed by Izhmash engineer Yury Aleksandrov in the early 1970s. The AL-7 uses a type of operation developed by Pyotr Tkachyov of TsNIITochMash (Central Institute for Precision Machine Building) in the mid-1960s known as Balanced Automatics first used on the AO-38 assault rifle. The Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS) replaces the traditional Kalashnikov gas piston operating system, reducing the negative effects of recoil and allowing more efficient use of automatic fire. BARS works by shifting mass toward the muzzle of the rifle as the bolt and bolt carrier recoil rearward.

The AL-7 and its BARS system were never adopted by the Soviet Army. The project was overshadowed by the acceptance of the AK-74 due to cost considerations. The passage of time has allowed manufacturing technology to advance, finally making the AL-7 concept economically viable, presenting itself in the form of the AK-107 and AK-108 rifles.

Other rifles that use the balanced automatics system are the AEK-971, AO-38, SA-006, AKB and AKB-1.

References

Legends and Reality of the AK by Charlie Cutshaw and Valery Shilin [1]
Shadowrun and Firearms Alexandrov Kalashnikova 107 and 108 [2]

USSR/Russia	AK-47 AKM AK-74 AKS-74U AK-101 AK-102 AK-103 AK-104 AK-105 AK-9 AK-12 AK-15 AK-19 AK-203 AK-205
Warsaw Pact	AK-63 AKM-63 Kbk AKM / Kbkg wz. 1960/72 MPi-KM MPi-AK-74N PA md. 86 PM md. 63/65 PM md. 90

Classic	AK-107/108/109 AL-7 AN-94 AR-M1 APS-95 AS Val ČZ 2000 EMER-K1 Excalibur INSAS IMI Galil (Vektor R4 · FFV 890) IWI ACE (Galil Córdova · STV) Madsen LAR MCIWS NGM-81 RK 62 Type 56 Type 58 Wieger StG-940 Saiga semi-automatic rifle SG-540 SG 550 STL-1A Trichy WASR-series rifles Zastava PAP series
Bullpup	A-91 Grad AR K-3 Malyuk OTs-14 Groza Truvelo Raptor Type 86S M82 Vektor CR-21 Vepr

Carbines

20–25 cm (8–10 in) barrel	AG-043 AKMSU AK-9 AKS-74U AR-M4 SF OTs-12 Tiss OTs-14 Groza SR-3 Vikhr 9A-91 AM-17 (firearm)
25–33 cm (10–13 in) barrel	AK-102/AK-104/AK-105 AMD-65 AMP-69 KALANTAK MPi-AKS-74NK PA md. 86 Carbine PM md. 80 PM md. 90 Carbine Truvelo Raptor C Type 56C

Machine guns

Sniper rifles

Submachine guns

Shotguns

Special purpose

Competitors

Project Abakan
SA-006
AKB
AKB-1
AB-46
VAHAN
AO-62
AO-63
AO-222

Brands

Galil	ACE (assault rifle/carbine) AR (assault/battle rifle) ARM (machine gun) Galatz (sniper rifle) MAR (carbine) SAR (carbine) SR-99 (sniper rifle)
Zastava	M70 (assault rifle) M72 (machine gun) M76 (sniper rifle) M77 (machine gun/battle rifle) M80 (assault rifle) M85 (carbine) M90 (assault rifle) M91 (sniper rifle) M92 (carbine) M21 (assault rifle/carbine)
Valmet/SAKO	RK 62/RK 62 76 (assault rifle) RK 71 (assault rifle) M78 (machine gun) M82 (bullpup assault rifle) RK 95 TP (assault rifle) Petra/Hunter (hunting rifle)
FB Radom	FB Beryl (assault rifle) FB Mini-Beryl (short-barreled rifle) FB Tantal (assault rifle) FB Onyks (short-barreled rifle) Radom Hunter (civilian rifle) Radom Sport (civilian rifle)