It's growing on me I guess.  

Still not nearly as attractive as an AK-74... or AKM, or AK47 or...

More effective or not, that's one ugly SOB.

I love the part about it has to be kept clean and is complicated to take down and re-assemble.

Sounds like they're about to go through what we did with the early m-16's.

This is one fugly rifle.....it looks like after they finished the design development, someone said...."what about the pistol grip?  Who forgot the pistol grip!!!"









Advantages

  The "Abakan" is very accurate at the 2 round burst mode. Furthermore the penetration power is increased by the second shot which hits almost the same place a the first. Ability to use underbarel grenade launcher and the bayonet-knife at the same time. Low recoil power.

Disadvantages

  Unlike the AK-74 the AN-94 "Abakan" isn't simple at all in assembling, disassembling, and maintenance. Furthermore has lower reliability in unpleasant conditions and need accurate care. It is expensive to train solider to use the "Abakan", it takes long and it's maintenance itself is expensive comparing with the AK-74. The rifle has quiet bad ergonomics while the pistol handle and inclined in a vertical plane magazine are uncomfortable to use. The buttstock folding into the right side closes the trigger and a safety-lock when it is in folded position. This negative feature allows to fire only when the buttstock is pulled off for the right handed shooters.


So.........my answer......Get a SEAK !!!

KF

With all those things going for it, perhaps the russians would be better off adopting the M-16 pattern.  At least its not hideously ugly.

The next chance I get to pick one up off a dead SLAG/Rusky spin-off  corpse....I'll post a "range-report". Fair enough?

Sounds good!!

The Nikonov is not nearly so ugly after you hammer a 30 round mag through one on full auto....

The sights are good, the rifle is accurate, and impressively controllable, the magazine be off to the right is hardly noticed.  Plus when fired on full auto it does not become too hot to handle nearly as fast as the AK family.  Also, it did not appear to be so complicated in the take down as they talk about.  It's Russian, and still fairly straight forward with input from combat use in Chechnya.

Down side?  I for one thought it was too porky with too much weight forward.  It felt heavy and sluggish in the hands.  The selector was also a pain to operate do to its design and location.

That said it was a delight to fire........

Quoted: The Nikonov is not nearly so ugly after you hammer a 30 round mag through one on full auto.... The sights are good, the rifle is accurate, and impressively controllable, the magazine be off to the right is hardly noticed.  Plus when fired on full auto it does not become too hot to handle nearly as fast as the AK family.  Also, it did not appear to be so complicated in the take down as they talk about.  It's Russian, and still fairly straight forward with input from combat use in Chechnya. Down side?  I for one thought it was too porky with too much weight forward.  It felt heavy and sluggish in the hands.  The selector was also a pain to operate do to its design and location. That said it was a delight to fire........

I appreciate the first-hand 411, D.  That it is a peach to fire does not IMO make up for the other shortcomings.  It just doesn't look right, the way an AK or FAL looks right.  And more often than not, if it looks right, it runs right.  Sort of a modification of the KISS principle.  JMO.

Noah

All that technology and the Russians STILL don't understand the importance of ergonomics!