FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 235 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1997
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 is a Polish compact assault carbine chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, developed by Fabryka Broni Radom as a shortened derivative of the full-size FB Beryl wz. 96 assault rifle. Adopted by the Polish Armed Forces in 1997, it pairs a 235mm barrel with a side-folding stock to give vehicle crews, paratroopers, and special-operations soldiers comparable firepower to the parent rifle in a far smaller package. Built on the same gas-operated, long-stroke piston AK-pattern action with a rotating bolt, the Mini-Beryl retains select-fire capability, a chrome-lined barrel, and a top Picatinny rail for optics. It accepts both proprietary and STANAG-compatible 20- and 30-round magazines, making it an agile NATO-standard personal weapon.
Built for tank crews, drivers, and paratroopers who needed real assault-rifle firepower in a package that would not snag in a cramped hatch, the Mini-Beryl crams the Polish Beryl's full select-fire action behind a stubby 235mm barrel and a folding stock that collapses it to just 525mm.
The Mini-Beryl trades barrel length for compactness: its 235mm barrel reduces muzzle velocity to roughly 770 m/s versus the full Beryl's ~920 m/s, lowering muzzle energy and practical effective range. The realistic combat effective range is on the order of 200-300m despite the 1000m figure sometimes quoted as a maximum. It is sometimes designated kbk wz. 96 (karabinek krotki) to distinguish it from the full-length kbs wz. 96 rifle. The weapon shares its magazines, controls, and most parts with the parent Beryl, simplifying training and logistics.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Fabryka Broni Lucznik - Radom
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Poland
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1997
- Variant of
- Compact
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 235 mm
- Overall length
- 730 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
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
- 770 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1192 J
- Effective range
- 300 m
- Maximum range
- 1000 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 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.
Chrome lined barrel
Rotating bolt
Select fire
Folding stock
Stanag magazine compatible
Picatinny rail top
Compact carbine
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 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 3.00 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 730 mm | 920 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 235 mm | 449 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96
How much does the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 weigh?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 weighs 3.00 kg (6.61 lb) empty.
What caliber is the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 hold?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 is 730 mm (28.7 in) long overall, with a 235 mm (9.25 in) barrel.
Who makes the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 is made by Fabryka Broni Lucznik - Radom (Poland).
When was the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 introduced?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 was introduced in 1997.
How does the FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 operate?
The FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96 uses a gas operated long stroke 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
- Polish Armed Forces
- 1997
- Lithuanian Armed Forces
- Lithuania
- Nigerian Armed Forces
- Nigeria
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
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/mini-beryl' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "mini-beryl", "name": "FB Mini-Beryl wz. 96", "manufacturer": { "id": "fb-radom", "name": "Fabryka Broni Lucznik - Radom", "countryCode": "PL", "foundedYear": 1922, "website": "https://fabrykabroni.pl", "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 03:40:45", "version": "e6e5937015da3c7035ea07c9409d7500b412e3d7efc6f4185883ba6d163a9be8" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "PL", "year_introduced": 1997, "barrel_length_mm": 235, "weight_empty_g": 3000, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}