I.O. Inc. Importing Polish Beryls, AK Variants in 5.56 NATO (VIDEO)

Inter Ordnance (I.O.) Incorporated is happy to announce that they’re now an importer of Polish Beryl rifles. These modernized AK-pattern rifles were designed in 1996 and chambered in 5.56 NATO for the Polish military to replace their very highly-regarded Tantal rifles.

Branded after the armory that made them, these rifles will be called “Archer” rifles after the Łucznik arms factory in Radom, which in Polish means “Archer.”

Besides being chambered in 5.56 NATO there are other changes to the AK pattern that are found on Beryl rifles. First is an ambidextrous safety lever that can also be used as a manual bolt-hold-open if you need it. The barrel is finished with an improved flash hider, and measures 18 inches long with a 1:9-inch twist.

The Beryl rifles also have polymer grips and handguards as well as extended bolt handles and magazine releases. Beryl rifles have two different stock styles, adjustable telescoping stocks, similar to those on AR-pattern rifles, as well as folding tube-framed stocks seen on many updated AK rifles. The Archer will be imported with both styles of stock.

One optional Beryl feature that is sadly missing from the I.O. Archer rifles is the topcover Picatinny rail, the feature the Beryl rifle is most famous for. Many Beryls have a single accessory rail that attaches to the front barrel trunnion/rear sight block and locks into a lug mounted on the tang near the rear stock. It’s a very stable way to mount optics to an AK-pattern rifle, although there are some American options that work just as well.

We also hope I.O. is importing magazines, because 5.56 magazine options are somewhat limited compared to 7.62x39mm magazines, and those factory polymer magazines are top-notch.

This is a early version of the Archer and some of the specifications mentioned have changed.

I.O. has not released the price on these rifles but we expect them to command a premium over other AK-pattern rifles, and come in at a bit over $1,000. These Polish rifles are well-known for their performance and build quality. They are, of course, modified for USC 922R compliance in Charlotte, N.C. with American-made parts including a semi-automatic fire control group.