Introduction

The AS Val is a silenced assault rifle of Soviet origin. It was developed in the 1980's to be used in urban combat and the reconnaissance role. The name AS stands for "Avtomat Special'nyj", which is Russian for "special automatic rifle". The nickname "Val" means "shaft" and refers to the prominent silencer. The AS Val stems from the VSS Vintorez silenced sniper rifle and has a 70% parts commonality.

Design

The AS Val is based on a Kalashnikov receiver and uses a similar long stroke gas mechanism. The large box magazine holds the 9x39mm round which was developed specifically for this weapon. The most striking feature of the AS Val is the long integrated silencer with small polymer forearm. A metal tubular folding stock sets the AS Val apart from the VSS Vintorez. Standard Kalashnikov type iron sights are fitted. Various type of optical sights may be fitted.

Firepower

The AS Val fires the powerful subsonic 9x39mm round that was specifically designed for this weapon. 20 round magazines are most common, although 10 or 30 round models are available. The fire selector allows for semi-automatic fire and automatic fire at 900 rpm. The maximum effective range is 400 meters, although 200 to 300 meters is the practical range.

Users

The AS Val is used by various reconnaissance and special elements of the Russian armed forces. It has also been adopted by various law enforcement and internal security units. In various recent internal conflicts the AS Val proved to be very suitable for urban combat.

The AS Val is assault rifle with integral suppressor. It is produced in only one version, although the VSS Vintorez silenced sniper rifle may be considered a variant as it shares 70% of the parts.

The AS Val is easily identified by the long integrated silencer, Kalashnikov style receiver, large box magazine, short black furniture and tubular folding stock. It is often used without optics, although reddot sights, 4x PSO-1 scope or night vision optics may be fitted.

Over the years a wide range of furniture has been developed. These include clamps and tripple rails sections that allow for various accessories to be fitted, including verticals grips, bipods, reddot sights, lasers and lights.