[3] As a product of the Z111 Factory, it is wholly an upgrade version for the AKM rifle, but is commonly compared to an AK-103.

[3] It was originally announced in 2015 that the Z111 Factory would begin producing STL-1A rifles[4] in an occasion to celebrate Vietnamese National Day for Vietnamese defense industry accomplishments.

Although the rifle itself is an upgrade of the AKM that highly resembles a Vietnamese AK-103,[3] it's upgraded in many areas such as new polymer handguards, folding stock, a new ergonomic pistol grip and muzzle brake based on the AK-74 with side-mounted rails to attach scopes.

[7] At the Indo Defence Expo 2018 event, a new variant which combined the STL-1A and the Galil ACE was announced under the name GK3.

[8][9] Introduced as a technology demonstrator, STL-1A and its variants were never seen enter mass production and issued by the Vietnam People's Army as the PAV adopted the STV rifles as the new standard issue service rifle.