Girsan unveils new Turkish AK-47-based rifle prototype at Enforce Tac 2026.

Girsan, known as a supplier of pistols to the Turkish Armed Forces and U.S. Special Forces, presented a prototype rifle based on the AK-47 platform at Enforce Tac 2026.

At Enforce Tac 2026 in Germany, Girsan, the main supplier of pistols to the Turkish Armed Forces, unveiled a prototype rifle based on the AK-47 platform. The Turkish company told Army Recognition that it is targeting a market launch in 2027 for this future project. However, technical specifications and intended customer segments were not disclosed at that stage.
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The AK-47 platform combines unmatched battlefield reliability with manufacturing simplicity, global logistics compatibility, cost-effectiveness, and long-term upgrade adaptability. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The rifle, a future project built on an AK-47 platform, was explicitly introduced to Army Recognition as a prototype rather than a finalized production model, indicating that development is ongoing ahead of its targeted commercial release. This rifle will mark a notable departure from Girsan's traditional focus on pistols such as the MC P35 and its established shotgun lines, toward a rifle segment that remains influenced globally by Kalashnikov-derived patterns. No caliber, barrel length, operating refinements, or pricing information were disclosed alongside the prototype, and no customer segment was formally identified at that stage. As the unnamed rifle was shown as a prototype, design validation, configuration finalization, and industrialization phases remain undefined to date.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Giresun, Türkiye, Girsan Makina ve Hafif Silah Sanayi Ticaret A.Ş. operates as a private weapon manufacturer producing pistols, shotguns, and related components. The company initially gained market traction in the mid 1990s with steel-framed semi-automatic pistols influenced by established European service handgun patterns, including the Yavuz 16 series derived from the Beretta 92 system chambered in 9×19 mm. Over the following three decades, Girsan expanded its production capacity through CNC-based infrastructure and cold-hammer-forged barrel processes, while maintaining quality management certifications such as ISO 9001:2015 and AQAP 2120. Its growth strategy combined domestic sales with export expansion, enabling a distribution to more than 55 countries across civilian, law enforcement, and military markets. The firm progressively broadened its engineering scope from metal-framed handguns to polymer-framed striker-fired pistols and semi-automatic shotguns, positioning itself as one of Türkiye’s internationally active handgun producers.

At the national level, Girsan is the main supplier of pistols to the Turkish Armed Forces and provides handguns to Turkish police and internal security units through domestic procurement channels. Internationally, its MC P35 pistol, a modernized Browning Hi Power handgun chambered in 9×19 mm, was selected for official use by the U.S. Special Forces, with procurement managed through U.S. Army acquisition structures. In addition to these notable customers, the Turkish company exports to a wide range of military and law enforcement customers across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas under government contracts that vary by country. A significant share of Girsan's production is directed to the civilian commercial market, particularly through the establishment of Girsan USA in Florida to manage distribution and compliance across North and Latin America. This dual orientation toward state procurement and civilian sales defines the company’s revenue base and shapes its production planning, explaining its development of a new rifle based on an AK-47 pattern.

Girsan’s current product lineup is centered on semi-automatic pistols, complemented by semi-automatic shotguns and related accessories. For instance, the Regard series follows the Beretta 92 locking system in 9×19 mm configurations, while the MC P35 series replicates the single-action Browning Hi Power layout with updated materials and sights. The MC1911 series is offered in .45 ACP, 10 mm Auto, and 9×19 mm, maintaining the single-action 1911 architecture with steel frames. Polymer-framed striker-fired pistols, such as the MC28 and MC9 series, target duty and concealed carry segments, typically chambered in 9×19 mm with double-stack magazines. In the shotgun category, the MC312 and MC3512 are semi-automatic 12-gauge systems, including 3.5-inch chamber variants for extended load compatibility, and the company also produces magazines and accessory components to support its firearms, extending the catalog across duty, defensive, and sporting segments.

When designers consider an AK-47 rifle pattern as the basis for a new weapon, like Girsan, mechanical simplicity and operational durability are primary factors. The original AK-47, created by Mikhail Kalashnikov, employs a long stroke gas piston system with a rotating bolt locking into a trunnion mounted within the receiver and comparatively loose internal tolerances. This configuration, introduced in 1949, allows a continued function under exposure to sand, mud, carbon fouling, and limited lubrication, reducing stoppage rates in adverse environments. The system contains a limited number of major moving parts and permits straightforward field stripping without specialized tools. Standard configurations chamber 7.62×39 mm cartridges, typically feeding from 30-round detachable box magazines, while cyclic rates are generally in the range of 600 rounds per minute, with effective engagement distances commonly cited at 300 to 400 meters for point targets.

Manufacturing factors also influence the selection of an AK-47-derived architecture. The AKM variant introduced stamped sheet steel receivers, reducing machining time and production cost compared to earlier milled receivers. Global output of Kalashnikov-pattern rifles is estimated to exceed 100 million units, creating a broad industrial base for spare parts, magazines, and ammunition, particularly the 7.62×39 mm cartridge. The simplicity of the receiver geometry and operating system reduces the number of precise machinings compared to many Western contemporaries, enabling large-scale manufacturing in varied industrial environments. This production philosophy lowers industrial entry barriers, enabling both state arsenals and private manufacturers to establish assembly lines by using stamped steel receivers and simplified tooling.

Ease of training and sustainment represents another recurring advantage of AK-47-type rifles. The manual of arms is direct, with charging, magazine insertion, and safety manipulation following a consistent pattern across variants. Field maintenance requires minimal technical expertise, as it can be performed without specialized tools by removing the receiver cover, recoil spring assembly, bolt carrier group, and gas tube in a limited number of steps, while replacement parts are widely available due to decades of production across the globe. The design has also demonstrated adaptability to modernization, with contemporary derivatives integrating polymer furniture, accessory rails, and alternative calibers while retaining the core gas-operated mechanism, right side safety lever, and a paddle-style magazine release. This balance between legacy operating principles and incremental updates allows manufacturers to meet current user expectations without redesigning the underlying system.

Rifles based on the AK-47 platform now encompass a wide international family that extends beyond the original 1949 model. Core Soviet and Russian developments include the AKM, AK-74, AK-74M, AK-100 series, AK-12, AK-15, AK-19, and AK-308, retaining the core gas system while incorporating polymer stocks, accessory rails, and alternative calibers over time. Licensed and unlicensed variants produced globally include China’s Type 56, North Korea’s Type 68 and Type 88, Poland’s PMK and Tantal WZ88, Romania’s PM md. 63 and md. 65, and Finland’s RK series derived from the RK 62. Indirectly influenced systems such as the Israeli Galil and South African Vektor R4 trace mechanical lineage to the Kalashnikov mechanism through intermediate designs. This global proliferation underscores the durability of the AK operating concept and its continued relevance in new rifle development initiatives such as Girsan's.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.