STK-54: Difference between revisions
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== History ==
[[File:Image 2022-06-07 183150978.png|left|thumb|400x400px|ETK-244 Prototype chambered in 6.5x42mm.]]
The first prototype of the STK-54, the ETK-213, chambered in the standard 6.5x42mm M42 cartridge, was designed in 1949 as a response to the growing number of designs capable of fully automatic firing by Mirhaimian small arms designer Kilian Mainne Domman nar Giker'ha, the designer of the semi automatic TK-38 in service with the Mirhaimian Realm Defence Forces. Domman stated that the Volkian AR series, notably its distinctive gas-operated mechanisms, had a significant influence on the STK-54's design.
The prototype failed to capture the interest of Mirhaimian military commanders at the time, who saw the deployment of such a design to replace the relatively new semiautomatic rifle design in service as unnecessary waste. However, given the apparent efficacy of similar weapons in service with other forces, Domman's prototypes were once again considered in competition with a variety of other designs. With minimal funding from the Guards Infantry Ordnance Board, Domman continued work on the rifle with a small team of engineers towards 1952 when the ETK-244 prototype was presented to the GIOB for testing and field trials.
At the Empress Freida Ke'sed Testing Grounds, the ETK-244 prototype was tested in a competitive service rifle competition conducted by the GIOB. Tests were conducted from the end of the 1952 to the early 1953, and eventually led to the ETK-244 prototype being adopted as the STK-54 with heavy modifications to external components.
By 1993, all STK-54 models were superseded by the STK-92 platform chambered in the newer 6.5x39mm cartridge. The weapon is still kept in service by some rear-line services, including the Artillery and Armored Corps, until around 2007.
The STK-54 (7.62x51mm) was manufactured under license by Defense Interprise "Kommunardi" for use by the Sarvian military.
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