Balanced Recoil Concept – Overhyped or a Gamechanger? 

By Lynndon Schooler

Kalashnikov Concern SR-1 balanced recoil 5.56 sport rifle. Photo credit: Lynndon Schooler

Over the years, numerous efforts have been made to improve the controllability and accuracy of firearms, notably automatic weapons. One such approach is the Balanced Action, which predates World War I. By incorporating a synchronized counter-recoiling balancer, designers aimed to reduce the recoil impulse generated by the weapon’s moving parts by balancing the operating system. This system was intended to lessen the felt recoil, ultimately enhancing accuracy and controllability during bursts and automatic fire. However, this improvement also increased the firearm’s design complexity. The Soviet and later Russian approach to increasing hit probability has been centered on reducing recoil. The Balanced Automatic Recoil System (BARS), also known as balanced action or balanced recoil, is a method that has garnered praise for its potential advantages over traditional firearms. Despite decades of development efforts, substantial advancements in firearm technology have yet to be realized, but the potential of the BARS system continues to intrigue.

Source: The Firearm Blog