The bullpup style firearm is based on the 12.7mm VKS large-caliber sniper rifle and developed by Russian arms manufacturer Central Design Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons and Rostec holding company, High-Precision Complexes.

Three ammunition types have been developed including a subsonic lead bullet for use with a silencer at ranges up to 200 metres, an aluminium core supersonic bullet less likely to harm hostages at ranges up to 100 metres, and an armour-piercing steel bullet designed to penetrate heavy armour or walls with a range of 300 metres.

“(The armour-piercing steel bullet) is designed to hit targets protected by heavy armour or hiding behind an obstacle,” a Rostec spokesperson said.

“With the first shot, a special forces soldier can break through, for example, a brick wall, and with the second shot, he can already hit the enemy.

“ShAK-12 is a powerful weapon for counter-terrorism … where it is necessary to ensure maximum safety of the civilian population. The submachine gun, which has already received the nickname ‘meat grinder for terrorists’, is one of the few successful models of automatic weapons in the world with a calibre of 12.7x55mm.”

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The design was heavily influenced by the Beslan school siege from September 2004, the hostage attack that lasted three days and ended with the deaths of 333 people including 186 children and 10 special forces personnel.

As such, the firearm reportedly features higher stopping power, a shorter stamped steel, and plastic frame for improved use in confined environments, picatinny rail for attachments, short tactical or full-length silencer, and larger projectile to sufficiently impact adversaries under the influence of psychotropic drugs that increase the pain threshold.

High-Precision Complexes has also begun work on a moderisation program for the RPO-A Shmel rocket-assisted infantry flamethrower in service with the Russian army.

That anti-fortification weapon casts a projectile-rocket filled with flammable mixture, which distributes a cloud of the mixture on impact and is detonated by a cumulative charge.

Robert Dougherty

Robert is a senior journalist who has previously worked for Seven West Media in Western Australia, as well as Fairfax Media and Australian Community Media in New South Wales. He has produced national headlines, photography and videography of emergency services, business, community, defence and government news across Australia. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Public Relations and Journalism at Curtin University, attended student exchange program with Fudan University and holds Tier 1 General Advice certification for Kaplan Professional. Reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.