AEK-971 — Kovrov-designed assault rifle with a counter-balanced bolt carrier to eliminate cyclic recoil impulse, enabling significantly better automatic fire accuracy. Selected alongside the AN-94 in trials; adopted by Russian Rosgvardia. The balanced-recoil mechanism reduces muzzle rise dramatically. Type: Rifle Action: Gas-Operated Caliber: 5.45x39mm Capacity: 10 Year introduced: 1978, Russia Weight: 104 oz Overall length: 43.5" Status: Active Military use: Yes Intended use: military, law_enforcement