History of the Rifle
The Tantal tells the story of a rifle that bridged the gap between Cold War communist Poland and the beginning of the Third Polish Republic. Poland has always been known as one of the best small arms manufacturers of Eastern Europe, and even today, Polish AKs demand a premium.
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In 1988, the Polish Wz. 88 was introduced, later designated the Tantal, as Poland names its military rifles after elements from the periodic table. The rifle’s concept was birthed in the early 1980s as the Poles sought to keep up with the Soviet military, which adopted the 5.45x39mm cartridge to replace the longstanding 7.62x39mm AK. The 5.45’s better ballistics and lighter recoil impulse rivaled the 5.56 NATO round of the West.
A Unique AK Design
The Tantal is a 5.45 AKM that looks as unique as any AK ever produced. The tip of the rifle features an AK-74-style of chamber brake with an elongated spigot design that was meant to mount rifle grenades. It is interesting because, at the time, under-barrel grenade launchers were common for both the Soviets and NATO, making rifle-mounted grenades a bit archaic for the era.
Moving back from the muzzle, the second biggest eyecatcher is the seemingly mismatched upper and lower handguards. The upper handguard is a plum-colored polymer, while the lower handguard is made of Bakelite.
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While it appears that someone added aftermarket mismatched parts, this is the way the rifle came from the factory. While I do not know the reason for the mismatched colors, I do know that the upper handguard and gas tube are proprietary parts, unique only to the Tantal. Yet, the lower handguard is standard AKM dimensions and can be replaced with any surplus lower handguard.
Controls
Moving to the receiver, the next most notable difference lies with the safety. The right side of the receiver utilizes a traditional AK safety lever, while the left side of the receiver has a three-position switch. In its military configuration, Tantal featured three fire modes: semi-auto, three-shot burst, and full auto. It is worth noting that the Tantal is the only three-shot burst AK that I am aware of, as the other burst AKs operated on a two-shot system.
The selector switch on the left side of the receiver was designed to operate independently of the safety, much like the French FAMAS. This meant that the safety only ensures "safe" and "fire," while the switch determines the fire mode. This is another departure from the traditional AK, as any AKM or AK-74 would have had a full-auto selector position on the actual safety lever. Since this is a semi-automatic domestic conversion, the selector switch on this Tantal was reworked to operate the safety lever.
The last visible difference from any other AK lies in the folding stock. The original Wz. 88 was intended to have a different folding stock with a more comfortable design. However, the Poles realized the dimensions of the new stock would make the rifle too long to fit into the racking systems that they already had installed in their vehicles and facilities. To save money on replacing other equipment, they settled on this wire stock design that is the same length as the previous rifle’s butt stock.
My Experience and Range Time
The unique-looking Tantal is one of the best AKs that I have had the chance to shoot. Several years ago, I got a smoking deal on a Tantal, and it is the 5.45 rifle that I have the most experience with. On the range, 5.45 AKs set themselves apart from their 7.62 older brothers. The rifle is soft-recoiling, easy to shoot drills and controlled pairs, and you don’t lose your sight picture as easily as you do with a 7.62 AK.
The Tantal is no exception, as it performs as beautifully as any other 5.45-chambered AK. The stock may not be the most luxurious thing in the world, but it is sparingly comfortable considering how it looks. The rifle has all the traditional AK features and it feels familiar, but the 5.45 chambering just makes it so much fun.
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I’m a huge 5.45 nerd, and I think the caliber is one of the better intermediate cartridges on the market. It is currently expensive, due to world events and restrictive legislation, but that does not deter me from loving the 5.45 and its performance.
Short-lived Fame
Ultimately the Tantal did not last long in service, as it was adopted in 1991 and it was replaced by the 5.56-chambered Beryl in 1997. Poland entered a new era by joining NATO in 1999, solidifying the reign of 5.56 in the nation’s military.
Although short-lived, the Tantal has an interesting history and is still one of my favorite 5.45 AKs on the market. The quality, performance, and reliability all reflect the Polish standard for small arms.
Everyone should have a 5.45 in their life, so if you see a Tantal pop up for a reasonable price, I think it’s well worth it.
