Russian ingenuity: Homemade anti-drone ammo for AK rifles

Both sides in Ukraine are searching for effective anti-drone solutions. Jammers are unreliable due to changes in control frequencies, drones controlled via fibre optic cable, and experiments with drones based on artificial intelligence algorithms.

As a result, kinetic solutions that physically eliminate drones have become the standard, with the most common being smoothbore shotguns. However, this is not always sufficient, prompting the Russians to produce homemade anti-drone cartridges for use in AK rifles. Below, you can see the production process and a field test.

The production footage shows that the process begins with removing the projectile from a cartridge and replacing it with an anti-drone projectile. This new projectile consists of six lead pellets (likely 0.14 inches) packed into a heat-shrink tube and sealed with a heat gun.

This creates a type of buckshot ammunition for the primary rifle. The effectiveness is unknown, but the rifle functions properly with this ammunition. One important note made by the Russians is the need to remove the muzzle brake, as it can cause a blockage in the barrel, decreasing accuracy. Firing another shot in this situation could lead to catastrophic damage to the weapon and potentially injure the shooter.

While the overall effectiveness of this type of ammunition is uncertain, its effective range is several dozen yards. During tests, the distance to the target was likely about 33 yards, at which point the pellets could still penetrate an aluminum target, simulating a drone. Although the results are less effective than those of shotguns, this method eliminates the need to carry two different weapons, requiring only a magazine change and the removal of the muzzle device. A quick coupling would be beneficial in this aspect.