The AK-308 with 2025 upgrades. Photo credit: Kalashnikov Concern
Kalashnikov Concern have announced that they will soon start the production of the modernized AK-308, an AK-pattern rifle chambered in 7.62×51. Designed in 2018, this battle rifle is primarily made for export. Let’s see what has been changed in the design of the AK-308.
Kalashnikov Concern @ TFB:
- Kalashnikov Concern’s New 7.62×39 RPL-7 Light Machine Gun
- Kalashnikov Concern’s New SV-21 Bolt Action Rifle
- Kalashnikov Concern Introduces 5.56x45mm Version of AK-12 Called AK-19
- The Russian RPL-20 Light Machine Gun
The 2025 changes and upgrades of the AK-308 design include the elongated handguard that reaches almost to the end of the gas tube and should allow for a more comfortable grip and better control of the weapon. The adjustable stock is borrowed from the AK-12 but features a bottom machine gun extension for more comfortable shooting with the more powerful cartridge. The new-style AK-12 pattern aperture rear sight is shorter than the early AK-12 sights and occupies less space, thus allowing to have more top Picatinny rail slots for optics mounting. The 20-round magazine now has witness windows showing the remaining amount of ammunition in 5-round increments.
The modernized AK-308. Photo credit: Kalashnikov Concern
The barrel length of the modernized AK-308 rifle is 415mm (16.33”). The overall length is 885mm to 945mm (34.85” to 37.2”) depending on the position of the stock. The length with a folded stock is 705mm (27.75”). The overall weight of the rifle with an empty magazine is 4.3 kilograms (about 9 lbs 8 oz).
If I were in the market for a 308 AK, I’d probably go with the Sureshot Armament Group SPEAR 308WIN, which is essentially a milled receiver AK-308 with SAG upgrades. That is, if I had an unlimited budget, because the SAG 308 AK is much more expensive; on the Russian civilian market, the Sureshot SPEAR costs almost four times more than the Saiga-308, the civilian AK-308.
Sureshot SPEAR 308WIN. Photo credit: Sureshot Armament Group
