AK-54
 AK-54 | |
| Place of origin |  Elatia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1955 - present |
| Used by | Elatian Army |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1953 |
| Produced | 1954 - present |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.6-3.8kg |
| Length | 882mm |
| Barrel length | 414mm |
| Cartridge | 7.62x39mm |
| Action | Gas operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | Semi-automatic |
| Effective firing range | 400m |
| Feed system | 30-rounds box magazine |
| Sights | adjustable iron sight |
The AK-54 ('Automata Karabeno 1954') is a model of combat rifle employed by Elatia. Having entered service in 1955, it continues to be used as the Elatian Army's standard issue service rifle.
Origin
Elatian infantry squads entered into the Belfro-Elatian War armed mainly with Olessun bolt-action rifles, 9mm submachine guns and magazine-fed light machine guns. As with many other armies during this period, they discovered that most firefights took place within 200m, and that the volume of suppressive firepower is often the decisive factor in winning engagements. Subsequent to the war, many younger officers advocated the wholesale introduction of assault rifles. This was resisted by the more conservative senior officers, who continued to see value in long-barreled infantry weapons. In 1948, it was decided that the K-48 semi-automatic carbine, chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge, would become the new service rifle of the Elatian military.
However, assault rifles were introduced into the Elatian Army through the back door, by being framed as a replacement for submachine guns. It was in this context that the later-ubiquitous design was copied. The Elatian infantry squad of the 1950's consisted of ten people, with one light machine gun, two AK-54 assault rifles, and six K-48 carbines. It was not until the late-60's that assault rifles finally completely supplanted the semi-automatic carbine as the main infantry weapon.
Variants
- AK-54: Original milled receiver variant with folding bayonet.
- AK-54B: Stamped receiver version produced from 1965. Most numerous variant. Produced with fixed, under-folding and wire-hanger stock types. Later batches use knife bayonet instead of folding bayonet.
- AK-54C: Carbine variant with 314mm barrel.
- AK-54F: Has synthetic furniture and improved folding stock. Produced from 1995.
- AK-54M: Has secured dust cover, accessory rails and folding or fixed telescoping stock. Produced from 2010.
AK-54S
The AK-54S Special Applications Carbine was introduced in the early-90's, primarily intended for use by special forces personnel in close assault missions. The carbine is chambered in the 9x39mm, a necked-up version of the standard service cartridge which combines the virtues of high stopping-power and armour piercing capability in a subsonic package for ease of integration with suppressors. These advantages come at the cost of the reduction of the weapon's effective range to within 200m. Because the rear sight is mounted directly onto the dust cover, the latter is secured into the receiver through the use of brackets located towards the rear of the weapon.