The Russian OC-14 "Groza" assault rifle turned out to be such an unusual and compact weapon that it attracted the attention of American firearms expert Michael Jones. During testing, he noted the rifle's extremely small size, high maneuverability, and unusual design, although he also pointed out a number of ergonomic issues.
The OC-14 "Groza" was created in the early 1990s based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle and became one of the most unconventional projects in Russian small arms. The main feature of the design was the bullpup configuration, where the magazine and trigger mechanism are located behind the trigger. This allowed for a significant reduction in the weapon's length without shortening the barrel.
The American reviewer tested a variant of the rifle chambered in .300 Blackout with subsonic ammunition and noted that the weapon retains the familiar features of the AK platform but has an extremely unusual balance and size.
According to him, the main advantage of the "Groza" is its compactness. Most of the mass is located closer to the shooter's body, making the rifle comfortable to hold and quick to transition between targets. During firing, the expert also noted good controllability and relatively soft recoil.
However, the tests also revealed weaknesses in the design. The specialist drew attention to the unfamiliar placement of controls, the difficulty of working with the magazine, and the peculiarities of the grip. In addition, due to the specifics of the gas-operated system, the shooter may feel the impact of powder gases, especially when firing left-handed.
Separately, the expert evaluated the possibility of installing a suppressor and additional equipment. In his opinion, it is precisely in the most compact configuration that the "Groza" demonstrates its main feature – the ability to obtain a full-fledged automatic weapon in a very short body.
Despite its controversial ergonomics and limited distribution, the OC-14 "Groza" remains one of the most unusual Russian small arms designs. The American expert called the rifle a unique example of engineering exploration, which shows how far one can go in an attempt to make a weapon as compact as possible.
Created almost 30 years ago, the system never became a mass-produced weapon, but it still generates interest due to its rare design and unusual combination of size, power, and capabilities of the AK platform.