FEG AMP-69

History of FEG AMP-69

The influence of the Soviet Union on the development of small arms in the countries of the Western bloc is evident in the designs that emerged during the Cold War (1947-1991). Fegyver-es Gepgyar, or FEG, is already a well-known local producer of small arms in the Hungarian country, having established an industry-oriented business in Csepel (Budapest) as early as 1891.

During the Cold War, the company produced many replicas or designs influenced by the famous AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, the weapon of choice for fighters around the world.

The AMP-69 became one of the locally developed offshoots of the classic Kalashnikov gun model and came out in 1969. Assault rifles more or less mimic the style of Kalashnikov guns, with their angular receivers, large selector levers, and over-down-air cylinder-cylinder arrangements. As expected, the inside of the weapon has the pneumatic action of a rotating bolt mechanism, while it is fed from a 5 or 30 round detachable magazine set in front of the trigger group. The trigger ring is the usual oversized square and sits in front of the ergonomically designed pistol grip.

However, a simpler shoulder rest is in play, consisting of a folding tube that sits on the right side of the receiver when stowed. Adjustable iron sights are standard optical (offset to the right) and can be mounted on the receiver for accurate shooting at a distance.

The barrel picks up rifle grenades, turning regular fighters into grenadiers, and can now fire indirect support fire that helps drive enemy elements into cover. However, the light weight and ease of use of support weapons like the Soviet RPG series ultimately limited the tactical usefulness of this grenade launch capability.

RPGs are more powerful and have a longer range.

This Hungarian assault rifle is designed for the standard 7x. Bottleneck 62x39mm rimless cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge was introduced in 1944 during World War II (1939-1945) combat when "intermediate ammunition" was gaining momentum - providing the shooter with a "bridge" between full-powered rifle ammunition cartridges" (commonly found in "battle rifles" such as the US M1 Garand) and smaller, less powerful submachine gun/pistol rounds (such as the 9mm Parabellum).

The 7.62x39mm, believed to be influenced in design by the German 7.92x33mm "Kurz" rifle cartridge used in the StG-44 assault rifle ("father of all assault rifles"), was far from widespread after its introduction. AK-47, SKS semi-automatic rifle, RPD/RPK light machine gun and other famous products.

The AMP-69 was eventually replaced in the Hungarian lineup in the early 1980s by the much improved AK-74 series of assault rifles. However, the AMP-69 remained in local service until around the early 1990s and provided notable service for decades.

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