Frag Out! Magazine

IT OFTEN HAPPENS THAT A CERTAIN FIREARM MODEL IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND INEXPENSIVE, YET FAILS TO GAIN MUCH POPULARITY BECAUSE SOMETHING „BETTER" IS AVAILABLE FOR A SIMILAR PRICE. PEOPLE FIGURE THEY CAN ALWAYS PICK ONE UP LATER IF NEEDED, SO THE PURCHASE IS PUT OFF WITH A SHRUG OF „WHY DO I NEED THIS NOW?" T hen, suddenly, a moment arrives when that gun va- nishes from stors, becomes a sought-after rarity, and begins commanding absurd prices. This is exactly what happened with the Polish 5.45 wz. 88 Tantal assault rifle. At first, it was just „there," then it abruptly disappeared, and now it only surfaces on the secondary market at astronomical price po- ints. The history and various ups and downs of this Polish AK-74 lo- ok-a-like might be found in the net, so I will only briefly remind you that it was created in the late 1980s as a successor to the AK/AKM/AKMS carbines. Poland decided to deve- lop its own carbine chambered in 5.45x39 mm to avoid the necessi- ty of purchasing a license for the AK-74, which had recently entered service with the Soviet Army. At that time this caliber was beco- ming the standard across the War- saw Pact armed forces. After nearly a decade of compli- cations involving design phases, changes, and refinements, the Tan- tal entered service just after the fall of communism in 1991. It was phased out a mere three years la- ter following the decision to adopt 5.56x45 NATO round as the new standard cartridge for the Polish Army and the adoption of the kbk wz. 96 Beryl as the new primary ri- fle of the Polish Armed Forces. The Tantals were withdrawn from units and replaced by the new mo- del; they remained in service lon- gest with the Polish UN contingent on the Golan Heights. For all intents and purposes, the life of the wz. 88 in the Polish Army ended in 2004, when 5,000 units out of a total pro- duction run of 20,000–25,000 were transferred to the new Iraqi Army. Currently, it is nearly impossi- ble to determine how many rifles went abroad via licensed export (they were reportedly even spot- ted during the war in Ukraine), how many were scrapped, how many were converted deactivated display pieces, or how many ended up with private companies and were sold on the civilian market—or stashed in the corner of a warehouse wa- iting for the opportunity to be sold for „insane money." If anyone doubts this happens, let me remind you of the story of the „Suka" (AKS-74U), which cost $1000 a few years ago and now, if available at all, costs anywhere from $3000 to $4000. And I know who still has some stashed for sale... In any case, a few years ago, the Tantal was available off-the-shelf for even less than $1000 here in Po- FIREARMS

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