Korobov TKB-059
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.50 kg
- Introduced
- 1966
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Korobov TKB-059 is a automatic assault rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm, produced by Tula Arms Plant since 1966. Featuring a 90-round magazine capacity, this assault rifle offers generous firepower for duty use and home defense. At 4500g (158.7 oz), this is a substantial firearm whose weight contributes to reduced felt recoil and enhanced stability during precision shooting. The steel frame provides a solid, premium feel with the durability to withstand decades of regular use and thousands of rounds. Safety features include manual safety selector, reflecting modern design standards that prioritize safe handling and operation. This firearm represents its manufacturer's commitment to delivering a well-engineered, reliable product that serves the needs of discerning shooters seeking quality, accuracy, and dependable performance from a proven platform. With over 313 years of firearms manufacturing experience, Tula Arms Plant brings established expertise in metallurgy, machining, and quality control to every product in their lineup, ensuring each firearm meets the standards expected by today's demanding market of knowledgeable shooters and professionals.
German Korobov was one of the Soviet Union's most prolific and unconventional firearms designers, creating dozens of experimental prototypes at the Tula Design Bureau from the 1940s through the 1970s. The TKB-059 represented perhaps his most radical concept: a handheld volley gun that fired three-round salvos faster than any human could react to recoil. While conventional wisdom held that simpler was better for military small arms, Korobov relentlessly pursued innovative mechanisms including bullpup layouts, lever-delayed blowback actions, and multi-barrel salvo systems. None of his designs were ever adopted by the Soviet military, which consistently favored Kalashnikov's proven platform.
The TKB-059 evolved from Korobov's earlier 'Device 3B' (Pribor 3B) prototype of 1962, which served as a proof-of-concept test bed for the salvo-fire principle. Initial tests showed that the three-barrel salvo fire did offer noticeably increased hit probability per trigger pull compared to the standard AKM. The weapon uses a vertically-sliding breechblock controlling all three chambers simultaneously, with spent casings ejected downward. Despite promising hit-probability results, the design was never adopted due to its weight (4.5 kg empty), complexity, unusual ammunition feed system, and the Soviet military's preference for proven, simpler designs. Barrel length data is not available in surviving documentation. The weight of 5.8 kg loaded includes the full 90-round triple magazine.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Tula Arms Plant
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1966 to 1966
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Overall length
- 690 mm
- Height
- 190 mm
- Width
- 45 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.50 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 5.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 90
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 715 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2019 J
- Effective range
- 300 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 1800 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.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Bullpup configuration
Triple barrel
Select fire- Salvo fire
Downward ejection
Vertically sliding breechblock
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 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 4.50 kg | 3.60 kg | Among the heaviest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 690 mm | 880 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 57 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 200 mm | 415 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 90 | 30 | Among the largest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Korobov TKB-059
How much does the Korobov TKB-059 weigh?
The Korobov TKB-059 weighs 4.50 kg (9.92 lb) empty and 5.80 kg (12.79 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Korobov TKB-059?
The Korobov TKB-059 is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the Korobov TKB-059 hold?
The Korobov TKB-059 holds 90 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Korobov TKB-059?
The Korobov TKB-059 is 690 mm (27.2 in) long overall, with a 200 mm (7.87 in) barrel.
Who makes the Korobov TKB-059?
The Korobov TKB-059 is made by Tula Arms Plant (Russia). It was designed by German Alexandrovich Korobov.
When was the Korobov TKB-059 introduced?
The Korobov TKB-059 was introduced in 1966 and discontinued in 1966.
How does the Korobov TKB-059 operate?
The Korobov TKB-059 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.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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/korobov-tkb-059' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "korobov-tkb-059", "name": "Korobov TKB-059", "manufacturer": { "id": "tula-arms-plant", "name": "Tula Arms Plant", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1712, "website": "https://en.tulatoz.ru", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:38", "version": "592802e23491a27ab089d44b73cd0f97f7cf62eeb752639057d7004eb2b4c252" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "SU", "year_introduced": 1966, "barrel_length_mm": 200, "weight_empty_g": 4500, "action_type": "gas_operated"}