Minizhaba — a Breakthrough Collaboration by KPYK and the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Minizhaba results from over six months of meticulous development and collaboration between KPYK engineers and Ukrainian military personnel. While the first production-ready units share only the KPYK logo with earlier test versions, they remain true to the original engineering principles and strict performance criteria defined at the outset of development.

In line with КРУК's philosophy of driving constant innovation within Ukraine’s defense and firearms industry, Minizhaba was developed using cutting-edge metal printing technology with an aerospace-grade material.

The design would have been impossible without the use of additive manufacturing. Our development process did not involve copying or iterating on existing designs — instead, Minizhaba was built entirely from the ground up. This approach allowed us to iterate rapidly, dramatically shortening the design–test–feedback–refinement cycle.

KPYK products are always developed with one goal in mind: to provide shooters with a high-performance tool that enhances effectiveness and becomes a real force multiplier. That’s why we stepped beyond common materials and turned to Inconel 718 — a nickel-chromium superalloy rarely encountered in small arms applications but widely used in the aerospace industry, and when we claim this, it’s not just about material grade; this alloy is often used in jet engine nozzles.

Inconel 718 offers exceptional corrosion resistance and withstands extreme heat without fatigue or deformation — properties essential for high-performance suppressors. It's lighter than steel and more heat-resistant than titanium. Combined with 3D metal printing, this allows us to exploit the material’s unique characteristics fully.

Unlike titanium, Inconel 718 does not degrade or warp under sustained fire. It heats up quickly, but just as quickly dissipates that heat — a fact confirmed through extensive testing. With a working temperature threshold of over 700°C, it is virtually impossible to exceed its thermal limits under any realistic rate of fire. Practically speaking, maintaining such temperatures would require extreme ammunition expenditure and protective welding gloves to handle the firearm. For the user, this means complete confidence in the system's thermal headroom.

One of the key challenges of using a sound moderator is the increased fouling and backpressure it can introduce to the firearm’s operating system. While many modern suppressors address this with complex gas-venting systems, they often do so at the cost of added bulk and weight.

Minizhaba takes a different approach. Leveraging the characteristics of advanced materials and precise 3D engineering, we redirect hot, carbon-laden gases through purpose-designed external channels. This achieves three critical goals:

• Maximum flash suppression

• True low backpressure for reliable cycling

• Significantly reduced fouling during suppressed fire

Additionally, the internal structure of the MiniZhaba ensures superior heat distribution and faster cooling across the device.

In summary, the Minizhaba is the first device of its kind on the Ukrainian market and marks the debut of an entirely new product line. Versions for intermediate calibers such as 5.56x45mm and 5.45x39mm are now available for order and field testing, with full-power caliber models set to follow soon.

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