ARCTURUS AK12K Tactical Carbine AEG

The Real AK-12

The AK-12 rifle was conceived by the IZHMASH factory, which later became a part of Kalashnikov Concern as a private venture. The original AK-12, based on the AK-200 prototype was a response to the "Ratnik" program initiated by the Russian military in search of a new rifle as well as other infantry equipment to issue to their soldiers in the 21st century. 

The original AK-200 based AK-12 was withdrawn from the runnings for the new rifle after it was found to have a range of defects, and a new prototype, known as the AK-400, began testing. The AK-400 was much closer to the original Kalashnikov design and was seen as a "safe bet" when compared to the AK-200. 

The controls are positioned for familiarity to AK users, though the new AK-12 now sports a receiver rail and railed handguard, a 2 round burst mode and a side-folding and retractable stock using a buffer tube like system to allow for comfortable use when wearing body armour, something AK74 variants lacked. The AK12K is the short-barreled variant of the full sized AK12, intended for issue to mechanised infantry, special forces, and those with a need for a shorter rifle. 

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The Arcturus AK12K follows in the footsteps of the highly successful Arcturus AK line, offering authentically replicated Airsoft AK designs constructed almost entirely from steel, just like the real thing. Following on from their original AK12 release, Arcturus has answered our prayers and now offer the short-barreled AK12 for those who prefer a more compact weapon or those looking to create an authentic Russian "motorised rifle" unit loadout. 

Starting at the tip of the outer barrel we can find an AK12K style muzzle device, which follows a similar design to the M4/AR15 birdcage in function with a series of ports around the circumference, but with the classic Russian aesthetic which fits the AK12K perfectly. If you are a bit more of a Spetsnaz type of player you may be thinking of mounting one of those lovely new PBS style tracer suppressors, the good news is this won't be a problem thanks to the 14mm CCW male threading concealed beneath the flash hider. The outer barrel is constructed from steel, which is a great start, though there is a lot more steel to come on this rifle!

Moving rearwards we come to the front sight/gas block, which is constructed from steel with a textured surface finish matching the hard-wearing paint used for Russian manufactured AK rifles. This is a nice touch for realism, as nothing gives the game away quite like an AK front sight looking a bit too smooth and "Airsoft-y". The front sight blade can be adjusted up and down to set the elevation and is protected on either side by protective wings built into the front sight/gas block. At the bottom of the gas block, we can see a bayonet lug which is another nice added touch for realism, but we doubt you'll need this for skirmishing! 

Following the front sight we come to the gas tube, which runs parallel with the barrel all the way back to the receiver, with the handguards surrounding it. The gas tube has a slightly different finish to the front sight, which is another awesome detail Arcturus included to distinguish the stamped steel construction of the gas tube from the milled steel of the front sight. Details like this are what separate an Arcturus AK from others, and will really please realism fans!

As we reach the handguard we can take note of something very un-AK-like. The handguards no longer have handguard caps, as they are now free-floated! This may not mean much for Airsofters but it sure makes the difference in the real world, as many blame the handguard design for the AK platform's lower inherent accuracy. Now the AK plays catch up! The handguard includes a 20mm Picatinny rail built into both the top and bottom, allowing for a vertical or angled foregrip to be installed, and saving space for a PEQ laser or tactical flashlight on the top. Either side of the handguard also includes removable 20mm Picatinny rail sections, which can provide extra space for more mission essential kit, or be removed for a slick handguard and some minor weight savings. 

The receiver of the AK12K is closely based on the original AK design, but with some notable modernisations which equip the AK12K for 21st-century combat. The receiver and top cover are both constructed from steel, and sport realistic markings on either side. The left side of the receiver includes mock rivets and pins in all the correct places, together with "6 Л70" and 5.45x39 engraved below. Over on the right side, we can find the 4 position fire selector, appropriately marked with Cyrillic lettering for each mode, and a "2" for the 2 round burst position. This extra selector position only provides an additional fully automatic position, and does not provide a burst mode but was included on the AK12K to keep it faithful to the real rifle. 

The top cover is a more modern hinged design, which allows a repeatable and reliable zero with any optical sight mounted to the 20mm Picatinny rail running along its length. This top cover really is rock solid, and feels more like the monolithic receiver of a SCAR than the top cover of an old school AK. The top cover rail is riveted tightly to the top cover itself, guaranteeing no wobble will develop and your optic will sit straight and true.

This rail is one of the best things about the new AK12 design, and saves you messing around with side rails and various other aftermarket solutions to give your AK some nice glass to aid your goal of sending the enemy back to respawn! Included in the box is a rail mounted rear tangent iron sight, which can be installed if you arent using an optical sight, or as a backup in case your main sight goes down mid battle. This sight functions exactly the same way as the original AK tangent sight, with the added benefit that it can be positioned wherever you need it on the rail. 

The battery compartment of the AK12K is located beneath the receiver top cover of the AEG and can be accessed by removing the receiver retention pin and pulling the top cover off to the rear. The retention pin can be found at the front of the top cover, and requires the lever on the right side to be rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise when looking at the rifle with the right side facing you. With the lever rotated and pointing upwards, you can now pull the pin out to the right where it will remain captive in the trunnion block. Following this, the top cover can be pulled backwards and removed towards the rear of the rifle. Inside you will find a Deans battery connector to which you connect your battery of choice. We recommend a 7.4V 1450mAh LiPo battery for the best fit in the Arcturus AK12K. To reinstall the top cover you must index the pins found inside the cover at the rear inside the hooks at the rear of the receiver, after which the pinholes can be realigned and the pin pushed back through and rotated to lock inside its recess in the handguard. 

The HOP-up unit of the Arcturus AK12K can be found inside the ejection port, behind the mock bolt carrier, and is accessible when the bolt carrier is pulled and held to the rear. This unit is a newly designed rotary style HOP-up for the AK platform, replacing the original slider adjuster design to provide more direct force on the top of the HOP bucking, eliminating lateral movement for greater shot to shot consistency, and less side to side deviation when more HOP-up is applied.

This device allows you to vary the amount of backspin applied to your BBs and tune the AK12k for your ammo weight of choice, and the new design shows that Arcturus are not content to leave things as they are, and seek to innovate rather than making sticking with the tried and tested but potentially less effective slider HOP. Following your adjustment, you can release the mock bolt carrier and let it fly home and enjoy the satisfying metallic "clank" you can only get from a steel AK bolt carrier.

When it comes to the controls of the AK12K, not much has changed for the latest AK variant which still sports the familiar AK selector position and ambidextrous magazine release located at the bottom of the receiver. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The selector lever is an extended design featuring an additional tab which allows the shooter to control the selector with the trigger finger, allowing for the AK to be quickly switched from "safe" to "semi" without removing your hand from the pistol grip.

Like the selector lever, the mag release is constructed from steel and follows the standard AK form allowing for left and right-handed use, and the dynamic mag-flip emergency reload if you don't mind damaging a magazine from time to time. The pistol grip is another notable improvement over the original AK. and is an ergonomic design with comfortable finger grooves and a slightly straighter grip angle to allow for more comfortable use when the stock is collapsed all the way. 

As we arrive at the rear of the receiver we come to the folding mechanism for the stock of the AK12K. This stock offers 5 positions of length adjustment, allowing the rifle to be set up for any body type or loadout, and can also be folded to the left side for storage, transportation or close quarters work. 

The button to fold the stock can be found on the left rear of the receiver, in the same location as the folding stock button of an AKS-74, and when this button is pressed the stock can be folded to the left where it will automatically lock under spring tension. To deploy the stock from the folded position, all you need to do is grab it and fold it open, avoiding the additional catch of the AKS-74 series and allowing for faster stock deployment with less fine motor movement needed. 

The stock can be adjusted in a similar manner to that of an M4/AR15, by pressing down the adjustment lever found within the A-frame of the stock. Locating the adjustment lever here means there is no chance of it snagging on your gear and inhibiting your movement in-game. At the front of the stock, we are treated to a QD sling socket which can be used with a QD sling swivel (not included) and the front sling mount to set your rifle up for a two-point sling. 

At the rear of the stock, we can find a rubber butt plate for additional comfort, complete with linear texture to ensure the stock grips your shoulder perfectly for optimal control over the rifle. This butt plate can be removed by pulling the spring retained pin found near the toe of the stock, and sliding the butt plate off its dovetail. Beneath you will find a handy storage compartment within the stock tube of the AK12K, which is well suited to storing a spare battery, maintenance equipment, or a tactical emergency snack to keep you fueled on to victory. 

Internally, the AK12K has some impressive features usually reserved for upgraded AEGs. The inner barrel is a tightbore 6.01mm, granting superb accuracy when coupled with the newly designed rotary HOP-up unit. The gearbox is wired with 15AWG wiring with a microswitch trigger, offering superb electrical efficiency and preventing the trigger contacts from being worn out with excessive semi-auto use. The gearbox boasts a wide selection of upgraded parts with emphasis on smooth running, including a bearing piston head, bearing cylinder head, 8mm steel bushings and a polycarbonate piston with a full rack of steel teeth. The motor pinion gear is also mounted on a bearing, allowing for perfect meshing and smooth running in the long term, with a lessened need to adjust the motor height. 

Included with the AK12K are two AK12 style magazines, complete with a modern design aesthetics matching the updated rifle and sporting ribs on the exterior for additional grip to make the mags either to draw from pouches. The rifle includes one wheel wound high capacity mag which holds 500 BBs, and a 30/130 BB adjustable capacity magazine. To adjust the capacity of your adjustable magazine, simply slide the baseplate of the magazine off to the rear by pressing the button at the centre. The magazine internals should then be removable through the bottom of the mag. With the mag internals removed you'll find the capacity selection button on the right side, which requires a push inwards, then sliding into the capacity position of choice. The magazines also have a reprofiled base to allow for "mag podding", a modern technique which uses the magazine of the rifle as an additional point of control, in a similar manner to a bipod. 

Whether you run a Russian loadout or you are an AK platform fan, the Arcturus AK12K would be a fine addition to your kit. This rifle takes the old-school AK design and keeps the good bits, but adds some nice ergonomic enhancements to make the rifle more functional on the modern battlefield, and is equipped with a plethora of 20mm rails to allow optics, lights and lasers to be mounted without needing any of the bolt-on solutions needed for the original AK to be fully kitted out. The hefty weight and feel of this AEG make it a great choice if you like a realistic feel for your primary weapon, or if you appreciate authentic steel construction. 

Features

• Full metal construction
• 20mm Picatinny railed receiver 
• Hinged top cover - Modern AK design
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit
• Retractable side folding stock
• Sling mount on the barrel
• QD sling socket on the stock
• Ambidextrous magazine release
• Ergonomic pistol grip with finger grooves
• Rubber butt plate for optimum grip
• 4 Position selector switch - SAFE-AUTO-AUTO-SEMI
• 20mm Picatinny railed handguard
• 6.01mm Tightbore inner barrel pre-installed
• An impressive proportion of steel - Only the flash hider is alloy!
• Includes a high capacity magazine and an adjustable capacity magazine

Package Includes

• Arcturus AK12K Tactical Carbine AEG
• 500rnd High capacity magazine
• 30/130rnd Adjustable capacity magazine
• Deans to mini-Tamiya connector
• Rear tangent iron sight
• User manual 

Special Instructions 

Please note, due to the design of the AK12K scratches will develop in certain areas from normal use. This is unavoidable, and many of our AK12K AEGs already have these scratches from the factory due to the testing and QC process. 

An example of such scratches is the AK "selector lever scratch", a scratch which develops beneath the AK style fire selector from use. 

These scratches are part of a realistic AK look and will develop over time regardless of whether they are present initially or not. Please consider carefully before making your purchase.