AEK-999 Barsuk
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 605 mm
- Weight, empty
- 8.74 kg
- Introduced
- 1999
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AEK-999 Barsuk is a Russian general-purpose machine gun developed during the 1990s at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant as a product-improvement of the Kalashnikov PKM. Chambered in 7.62x54mmR and fed from a belt, it is a long-stroke gas-piston, open-bolt design fitted with a partially fluted barrel for reduced weight and improved heat dissipation, a mirage top cover, a more effective muzzle brake, and a polymer forend with a barrel-mounted folding bipod. Intended to improve the PKM in the light machine gun and squad automatic weapon roles, it lost military trials to the competing Pecheneg, and only small batches were produced for special forces of the Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The AEK-999 was the Kovrov plant's bid to keep the PKM competitive against TsNIITochMash's Pecheneg in 1990s Russian GPMG trials; nicknamed 'Barsuk' (Badger), it lost the contest but a handful reached Russian internal-security special forces.
Often referred to by the nickname 'Barsuk' (Badger). Military production ceased around 2006 after the design lost out to the Pecheneg, though some examples remained in MVD service.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- V.A. Degtyarev Plant
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1999 to 2006
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 605 mm
- Overall length
- 1188 mm
- Weight, empty
- 8.74 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 825 m/s
- Effective range
- 1500 m
- Maximum range
- 3800 m
- Rate of fire
- 650 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Open bolt
Long stroke gas piston
Fluted barrel
Mirage top cover
Muzzle brake
Folding bipod
Quick change barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 261 machine guns | 8.74 kg | 10.50 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1188 mm | 1156 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 605 mm | 605 mm | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the AEK-999 Barsuk
How much does the AEK-999 Barsuk weigh?
The AEK-999 Barsuk weighs 8.74 kg (19.27 lb) empty.
What caliber is the AEK-999 Barsuk?
The AEK-999 Barsuk is chambered in 7.62x54mmR.
How long is the AEK-999 Barsuk?
The AEK-999 Barsuk is 1188 mm (46.8 in) long overall, with a 605 mm (23.8 in) barrel.
Who makes the AEK-999 Barsuk?
The AEK-999 Barsuk is made by V.A. Degtyarev Plant (Russia).
When was the AEK-999 Barsuk introduced?
The AEK-999 Barsuk was introduced in 1999 and discontinued in 2006.
How does the AEK-999 Barsuk operate?
The AEK-999 Barsuk uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Internal Troops of Russia (MVD)
- Russia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/aek-999-barsuk' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "aek-999-barsuk", "name": "AEK-999 Barsuk", "manufacturer": { "id": "degtyarev-plant", "name": "V.A. Degtyarev Plant", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1916, "website": "https://zid.ru/eng/", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:34", "version": "ac807406e17be3398daab052ade6f6273a433d08248675a03f17b05d82bcd7c4" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "RU", "year_introduced": 1999, "barrel_length_mm": 605, "weight_empty_g": 8740, "action_type": "gas_operated"}