The AL-9 (АЛ-9) is a prototype Soviet assault rifle. It is most notable for being one of the contenders of the Abakan competition.

History

Designed in 1984 by Victor Kalashnikov, son of Mikhail Kalashnikov of AK-47 fame, the AL-9 was submitted as one of the first eight entrants into the 1985 Abakan competition; the other seven entrants would be the TKB-0111, TKB-0136-3M, TKB-0146, AEK-971, APT, AS and the AEK-978. For unknown reasons, the AL-9 was pulled out of the competition around 1986 and replaced by the AKB, also designed by Kalashnikov; the AKB did not fare well as it was deemed not viable to continue work on it. After designing the AL-9 and AKB, Kalashnikov would go on to designing the far more successful PP-19 Bizon.

Design Details

The AL-9 is quite obviously based on an AK-patterned rifle. The weapon can fire in two-round bursts, as well as fully-automatically.

Trivia

• The AKB is sometimes misidentified as a 1984 AL-9.

References