(The MTK90 Series Rifles)
The realization of the Jubilee Series AK-74 rifles has a long personal history behind it. First of all, it is the story of Lieutenant General Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov’s life and his legacy. His continuous dedication and hard work has benefitted countless number of people around the world. Through this tireless work, he has put forth one of the most applauded designs of the 20th century, the Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK) rifle.
On a more personal note, my fascination with ingenious AK rifles dates as far back as 1970’s. I have collected, studied, and worked with various AK designs almost my entire adult life. As an American firearms collector, importer, and manufacturer I felt that it was almost my duty to make sure that I do my part to both celebrate and bring more awareness to Dr. Kalashnikov’s legacy and his work, the AK rifle. And what is the best way of achieving that if not to offer a special edition rifle that encapsulates the entirety of Dr. Kalashnikov’s life and work and that is backed by his endorsement.
The year of 2009 had proved to be the perfect year to take on this project – the time was ripe. This year we celebrate two very important anniversaries. First, on November 10th the great designer, Mikhail Timofeevich celebrated his 90th Birthday. Second, this year we all celebrated the 35 years of AK-74, a huge milestone in the history of AK rifles. These events coincided with my wish to finally turn this project into reality. Encouraged with our good relationship and support of our good friends from Russia, the legendary Izhmash Factory (the production home of the AK rifles), Legion Ltd (the special branch of Izhmash Factory specialized in custom and high quality manufacturing), Dr. Kalashnikov, and the Interregional Public Fund named after M. T. Kalashnikov, we moved forward.
Besides honoring Mikhail Timofeevich, raising awareness about AK rifles, and accomplishing a personal goal, this project was set to abolish the barriers of animosity between the West and the East. It was prime time that the negative stigma that is associated with the AK rifle was eliminated. The AK rifle was never designed for evil purposes, but as Dr. Kalashnikov said, “he was dedicated to design a rifle to protect his homeland from the evils around the world.” This had a special meaning for Dr. Kalashnikov, since he took a very active role in fighting the NAZI Germany’s invasion of Russia. I believe this project acted as an olive branch between the two countries and strengthened the understanding and boosted the cooperation of people and organizations from both sides.
Lastly, but most importantly, this project was set to help two very important organizations that work around the clock for and on behalf of the rest of us. Interregional Public Fund named after M. T. Kalashnikov from Russia and National Rifle Association from the United States are a world apart. However, they share a common goals and ideas and enjoy mutually respected working relationship. A large portion of proceeds from this project is and has been donated to these two organizations.
Interregional Public Fund after M. T. Kalashnikov looks after the historical museum of Kalashnikov and helps other weapons museums around Russia. They are dedicated to educating people and providing resources and information about Dr. Kalashnikov, his work, and keeping this legacy alive. The Fund also works closely with veterans of the Great Patriotic War and other designers and engineers who have dedicated their lives to achieving so much. The Fund lends them helping hand for their day to day lives and monetary support.
We all know about the tremendous work that NRA does for us. They fight in many fronts every day to keep our individual rights to bear arms. That is why a large donation was made to the NRA-ILA branch to fight legislative battles for this cause.
To show our genuine appreciation to these two organizations, we have also donated one unit from the Jubilee Series Gold Edition rifles to each organization. The unit given to the Fund will be displayed in various museums around Russia to generate interest and raise awareness about the causes that the Fund is dedicated to. The unit given to the NRA will be permanently displayed in National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia.
This very limited production of 500 rifles includes 100 Gold Edition and 400 Silver Edition rifles. There has been a tremendous amount of extra work and attention to details put on every single unit, making these 500 rifles one of the finest examples of AK’s in the world. We have put all of our expertise and years of experience into turning this project into a unique experience, and we have enjoyed every moment of this great journey along the way.
All the components used in the Jubilee Series rifles are hand selected and inspected for perfection. All the metal surfaces are coated by astonishing glossy black finish, which was developed specifically for these rifles. The right side of the receiver features engravings showing its dedication to the 90th Anniversary of Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov, 35 Years of AK-74, and carry Izhmash Factory logo and Dr. Kalashnikov’s signature. The engravings are filled with beautiful gold or silver color fillings, giving these rifles their compelling looks. Select components of the rifles (the trigger, bolt carrier, rear sight slide with button, pivot pins, recoil assembly, and magazine catch) are fine polished and coated by either Titanium Nitride for glowing gold color or by Hard Chromium for silver color. All the units come in black polymer furniture matching the original Mil-Spec standard.
Every unit in the Jubilee Series rifles is supported by a Certificate of Authenticity issued and endorsed by Lieutenant General Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov. The first 100 certificates that accompany the Gold Edition of this series are hand-signed by Dr. Kalashnikov. The Gold Edition rifles are packaged in a premium grade, custom fitted brown color genuine leather cases that were specifically designed and manufactured for this special project. They are complemented by two unique brochures published by the Interregional Public Fund named after M. T. Kalashnikov that have never before been available in the United States. Illustrating the life and work of M. T. Kalashnikov these brochures help tell the story of the man and his desire to protect his homeland.
The certificates accompanying the Silver Edition rifles bear a facsimile of Dr. Kalashnikov’s signature. They are packaged in high-quality black synthetic leather custom cases designed for this rifle, and carry the logo of our company, Arsenal, Inc. Intended for the serious collectors, these rifles will turn into historic units the moment they leave our facility. We are confident that they will find their deserved place in the private collections and museums around the country, and even the world, and will be passed down the generations as an icon of great achievement, ingenious design, and pride in one’s workmanship.
