POTD: The AK’s Almost Forgotten Replacement

The AN-94 was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s to replace the AK-74M. Like all contenders for Russia’s next-generation assault rifle it has faded into obscurity. It features a novel delayed recoil mechanism called “blowback shifted pulse.”. I have never read a satisfactory explanation of how the “blowback shifted pulse” works, but from what I understand the entire barrel action moves inside the stock and somehow a pulley system is employed during recoil. In the photo you can see the barreled action and pulley.

Kalashnikov still exhibits the AN-94. The above photo from taken by Giorgio last week at IDEX. But to my knowledge no country has ever adopted it.