[DEFEA 2025] Armenian Maktes Arms T-AB 2A DMR Rifle
At the DEFEA 2025 exhibition in Athens, Greece, the Armenian company Maktes Arms is presenting its new semi-automatic designated marksman rifle called the T-AB 2A. Just like the bullpup rifle I previously wrote about, this DMR is modular and allows the user to change barrel length and caliber.
According to the press release:
The barrel of the rifle is removable, which allows having different barrel lengths and/or chamberings such as 7.62x51 NATO, 6.5 Creedmoor, and other short-action cartridges, making it possible to easily tailor the rifle to the user's requirements and application needs.
T-AB 2A appears to be an original design that looks similar to Swiss B&T APC308 and other rifles of the same class. Safety selector, magazine release, and bolt catch are ambidextrous. The rifle uses SR-25/LR308 magazines and the standard AR-15 stock.
Currently, the snipers in the Armenian military rely on the aging fleet of Soviet made Dragunov sniper rifles. Over the years, Armenian companies attempted to create various sniper rifles, such as Kalashnikov-based K-11 and K-11M, and bolt-action ASR-300, however, those weapons were not mass-produced.
The emergence of these two rifles, T-AB 1A bullpup and T-AB 2A DMR, indicates that private companies in Armenia are finally making a successful effort to create a domestic firearms industry.
Armenia did not inherit any firearms manufacturing capabilities from the Soviet Union, but it always required small arms due to the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan.
For a while, Armenia relied on Russia for the procurement of new small arms, even starting assembly of AK-103 assault rifles in 2020. But it seems that the changes in the political environment make this path unsustainable for Armenia, and it plans to rely on its own industry in the near future.
Below you can find the list of specs of features of the Maktes Arms T-AB 2A rifle:
Features:
- Folding and adjustable stock
- Ambidextrous controls
- Adjustable gas system
- Removable barrel
- Free-floated barrel
- Multi-caliber
- Tool-less disassembly
Specifications:
- Action: Gas operated with short stroke piston and rotating bolt lockup
- Gas system settings: Normal, Adverse, Suppressed
- Caliber: 308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO), 6.5 Creedmoor
- Twist rate: 1:254mm (308 Winchester), 1:203 (6.5 Creedmoor)
- Barrel length: 457mm, 508mm (308 Winchester), 508mm, 559mm (6.5 Creedmoor)
- Firing modes: Semi-auto
- Bore: Stainless steel, chrome lined or nitrided
- Muzzle threads: 5/8x24
- Muzzle device: A2-style flash hider
- Accuracy: 2MOA
- Magazines: LR308/SR25
- Magazine release: Ambidextrous
- Charging handle: Ambidextrous, non-reciprocating
- Optics mount: Top Picatinny (1913) rail
- Sling mount: QD sling swivel sockets
- Handguard: Polymer or aluminum, free-floated with M-LOK slots and Picatinny rails
- Pistol grip: AR-15 compatible
- Trigger pull weight: 1.5-3kg
- Length of pull: 340-400mm
- Length: 1015-1075mm (with 508mm barrel)
- Width: 60mm
- Height: 210mm
- Weight: 4.5kg
Pictures by Maktes Arms, www.maktes.am
Vladimir Onokoy is a small arms subject matter expert and firearms instructor. Over the years he worked in 20 different countries as a security contractor, armorer, firearms industry sales representative, product manager, and consultant. His articles were published in the Recoil magazine, Small Arms Review, Small Arms Defence Journal, and Silah Report. He also contributed chapters to books from the "Vickers Guide: Kalashnikov" series. Email: machaksilver at gmail dot com. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vladimir-Onokoy-articles-and-videos-about-guns-and-other-unpopular-stuff-107273143980300/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vladonokoy/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/machaksilver
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As a fellow Armenian I didn't even know we had an indigenous small arms company (that wasn't making AKs).
Very cool! I gotta check them out when I head back to the motherland later this year.
Great article Vlad!
2 MOA isnt that great for DMR. Was the rifle tested with standard rounds or Match Grade Ammunition? Still this is a step forward for them. The Dragonovs were good rifles for their time but things have changed a lot since it was designed and built.