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The OTs-14 'Groza' ("Thunderstorm" or "Terror") is a bullpup-configured, modular assault rifle system developed during the early 1990s by V. Telesh and Ju. Lebedev at the TsKIB SOO (Central Design Bureau for Sporting and Hunting Arms). Like its predecessor project the OTs-12 'Tiss', the design of the 'Groza' is based on the AKS-74U, and was an attempt to integrate all the best features from the various close quarter combat weapons in service into one singular unit. OTs-14 units have a great amount of interchangeable parts with the standard AK-74U.
As a modular firearm, the 'Groza' can cope with many different many cartridge types such as the Soviet 7.62x39mm M43, 5.45x39mm M74, 5.56x45mm NATO and 9x39mm SP-5/6. The modular design allows the rifle to be quickly refitted to chamber different caliber munitions for any given mission types. It also allows for quick swapping of configurations in the field, filling roles from a short range carbine to a longer range DMR. The MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) at the time was only interested in the 9x39mm subsonic firing configuration known as the Groza-4, so during the ongoing conflicts in Chechnya, only the Groza-4 kits were produced. Though the 7.62x39mm firing Groza-1 kit was manufactured later on after finding procurement client(s).
The 'Groza' works on the same internal operational principle as the AKS-74U, but the gas-operated, rotating bolt mechanism is arranged in a bullpup configuration instead. The compact bullpup design gave the 'Groza' increased portability and improved balance, with some proposing that the rifle can be fired single-handily without issues. A number of features related to the layout of the weapon controls were retained from the AK-74U. The Groza-4 variant makes use of the 20-round magazines originally developed for the earlier 'Tiss' project, and the 'Groza' is able to be fired at a rate of 700 rounds per minute. Meanwhile, the Groza-1 is fed using AK-47/AKM 30-round magazines and is able to achieve a 750 rounds per minute rate of fire.