MA-72
| MA-72 | |
|---|---|
 Render of the MA-72 | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Khoroshchiy |
| Service history | |
| In service | retired |
| Used by | Khoroshchiyian Republican Army |
| Wars | War of The Three States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Boryenka Moroz |
| Designed | 1967 |
| Manufacturer | Maroz Arms |
| Produced | 1972 - 1987 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.85 kg (8.5 lb) |
| Length | 943 mm (37.1 in) stock extended 728 mm (28.7 in) stock folded |
| Barrel length | 405 mm (15.9 in) |
| Cartridge | 5.45×39mm |
| Cartridge weight | Gas-operated |
| Rate of fire | 1800 (2 rounds burst) or 600 (full auto) rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 900 m/s (3,000 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 700 m (770 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 850 m (930 yd) |
| Feed system | 30, 45-rounds detachable box magazine 60-round casket magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights 700 mm (28 in) sight radius, optional optics |
The MA-72 (Slavic: МА-72) is a Khoroshchiyian-designed assault rifle manufactured by the Khoroshchiyian Arms Manufacturer, Moroz Arms. It was designed in 1967 to be purposed as the main battle rifle of the Khoroshchiyian Republican Army.
The MA-72 has the unique feature of delaying felt recoil for the first two rounds. This increases hit probability under the most adverse combat conditions. The MA-72 offers a unique two-shot burst function at a stated 1800 rounds per minute.
After the end of the War of The Three States, the guns were later scrapped by Zloveshchiy except for a few that still remain. 100 of which lays in the hands of Pavulturilor after being imported.
Design and Operation
The most conspicuous identifying feature of the MA-72 is its magazine which is canted several degrees to the right of center (when viewed from a firing position). This design feature is necessary to accommodate the unique ammunition feed mechanism. The MA-72 is chambered in the same 5.45×39mm M74 cartridge as the PA-93, and it utilizes a rotating bolt to lock the action. Boryenka Moroz and his engineers used the Slavic term смещенный импульс свободного затвора (Smeschennyi Impuls Svobodnogo Zatvora) to describe the rifle's method of operation, meaning "recoil shifted pulse".
When a round is fired, residual energy from the propellant charge in the cartridge acts upon the safely locked breech and bolt carrier. Simultaneously, a quantity of powder gases driving the bullet through the barrel is tapped and acts upon the piston in the gas tube located above and parallel to the barrel. The movement of the piston and its connecting rod acts upon the locking bolt, causing it to rotate and allow the breech to safely open. This initiates the extraction and ejection cycle for the first spent cartridge. After the first round has been fired, the bolt and carrier group move toward the rear, ejecting the first casing towards the front of the ejection window. The movement of the Carrier is directly connected to a pulley system which is connected to a small metal rod on the rear side of the magazine well. The rod pushes a second round into the firing position. Once this action has completed the bolt and carrier group will stop and move back towards the front of the gun before it has hit the rear of the receiver. When the bolt has fully locked it will fire the second round. This whole process happens very quickly, and it is how the 2 round burst works. For any follow-up rounds, the hammer - in fact a horizontal striker, as opposed to the rotating hammer of the AK rifle - is held until every full recoil cycle is finished, to prevent the rifle firing at the extremely high rate continuously. This means that after every bullet the bolt and carrier group will travel the whole distance of possible travel, resulting in a more manageable rate of 600 RPM.
