Tantal wz.88
Fabryka Broni Radom · Assault Rifle · Discontinued · 1989
Also known as: kbk wz.88, karabinek wzor 1988, Tantal
Overview
The Tantal wz.88 (kbk wz.88, karabinek wzor 1988) is a Polish 5.45x39mm assault rifle developed at OBR Radom and produced by Fabryka Broni Radom in the late 1980s. A modernized derivative of the Soviet AK-74, it is a gas-operated, long-stroke piston rifle with a rotating bolt and shares some components, including magazines, with the AK-74. Distinctive features include a folding wire stock that folds to the right, a separate fire-selector on the left receiver allowing semi-automatic, three-round burst and full-automatic fire, an extended muzzle brake-compensator able to launch rifle grenades, and a detachable bipod. It served as the Polish Army's standard rifle until being superseded by the 5.56mm NATO Beryl wz.96.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3690 g (130.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 943 mm (37.13") |
| Folded Length | 748 mm (29.45") |
| Barrel Length | 432 mm (17.01") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 884 m/s (2900 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1389 J (1024 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 255 mm (10.04") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.45x39mm · primary — also known as 5.45 Soviet, 5.45x39mm M74
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Burst 3, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Selector Lever
- Features: Folding Stock, Muzzle Brake, Rifle Grenade Launcher, Detachable Bipod, Three Round Burst, Polymer Furniture, Night Sight Rail
Variants
- Onyks wz.89 — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- Polish Armed Forces · adopted 1989 · as kbk wz.88 Tantal
Production
Production years: 1989-1994
Limited production run before replacement by the 5.56mm NATO Beryl wz.96
Origin
Country of origin: Poland
Designer: B. Szpaderski (OBR Radom)
Discontinued: 1994
Notes
Unusual among Kalashnikov derivatives in offering a dedicated three-round burst mode via a secondary selector independent of the main safety lever. Production was relatively limited before Poland's NATO accession drove the switch to 5.56x45mm NATO.
Background
Developed under the codename Tantal (tantalum) at OBR Radom from the early 1980s, the wz.88 was Poland's bid to field a domestic small-caliber rifle alongside the Warsaw Pact's adoption of the 5.45x39mm cartridge. Its service life was cut short by the end of the Cold War and Poland's pivot toward NATO ammunition standards.