AMD-65 (
Hungarian: ''Automata Módosított Deszant
egyver1965''; Automatic Modified Paratrooper
eapon is a
Hungarian-manufactured licensed variant of the venerable
selective fire AKM rifle for use by that nation's
armored infantry and
paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
("descent") units within the
Hungarian Defence Forces
The Hungarian Defence Forces ( hu, Magyar Honvédség) is the national defence force of Hungary. Since 2007, the Hungarian Armed Forces is under a unified command structure. The Ministry of Defence maintains the political and civil control over ...
. The rifle's design is suited for outdoor use as an infantry rifle but can also be used from within the confines of an
armored vehicle
Military vehicles are commonly armoured (or armored; see spelling differences) to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, shells, rockets, and missiles, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured ...
as a fire support weapon. This is possible due to the side-
folding stock
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached ...
of shaft design that makes it more compact. The 12.6-inch
barrel is also relatively short for the
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
cartridge
Cartridge may refer to:
Objects
* Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition
* ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device
* Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators
Other uses
* Cartridge (surname), a ...
. The operating mechanism doesn't require a gas expansion chamber at the
muzzle, as in the
AKS-74U
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet ...
to ensure reliable functioning, but does use a specially designed
muzzle brake
A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...
. It reduces muzzle
flash
Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional aliases
* Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed:
** Flash (Barry Allen)
** Flash (Jay Garrick)
** Wally West, the first Kid F ...
but makes the weapon louder.
The AMD-65, along with the earlier AKM-63, have been largely replaced in Hungarian military service by the
AK-63
The AK-63 (also known in Hungarian military service as the AMM) is a Hungarian variant of the AKM assault rifle manufactured by the Fegyver- és Gépgyár (FÉG) state arms plant in Hungary. It is currently used by the Hungarian Ground Forces ...
, a more traditional AKM copy with a lower manufacturing cost.
Features
Compared to the
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...
plywood laminates
Lamination is the technique/process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance, or other properties from the use of the differing materia ...
that are used on the AKM's buttstock, lower and upper handguard, no wood is used in the manufacture of the AMD-65. The front handguard area is made of perforated
sheet metal
Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes.
Thicknesses can vary significantly; ex ...
and typically has a gray plastic vertical
foregrip
A vertical forward grip or foregrip is a vertical pistol grip mounted on the fore-end of a long-barrel firearm, designed for grasping by the frontal support hand (or "off hand").
Use
Forward grips aid in the maneuverability of the firearm, ...
attached to assist in controlling
fully automatic
An automatic firearm is an auto-loading firearm that continuously chambers and fires rounds when the trigger mechanism is actuated. The action of an automatic firearm is capable of harvesting the excess energy released from a previous discha ...
fire from this short weapon. In addition, the vertical foregrip has been canted forward to lessen interference with magazine changes. The vertical foregrip is physically identical to the rear grip, with the former mounted backwards with respect to the rear. There are, however, wooden grips available which can serve in place of the common gray plastic version. While these wooden grips are also authentic, in the regular Hungarian army and air force, use of wooden grips is extremely rare.
In Hungarian service, the weapon is mainly used with
magazines
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...
which can hold 30 rounds (standard magazine) but a special variant (popularly known in the past as "officer's magazine") is also available, which can only hold 20 rounds – an unusual feature in many other countries, who more often use the standard 30-round or 40-round magazines. The weapon is better suited to a 20-round magazine, as it can be locked into the receiver without interfering with the forward handgrip and it is easier to handle the weapon in tight quarters. The 30-round magazine does fit with some slight interference and it can be also fitted with the 40-round magazine.
In theory, the short barrel is stiffer and more inherently accurate, but the poor quality of commonly available ammunition negates this advantage.
AKM-63
Another Hungarian AKM variant was used as Hungary's standard service rifle before being replaced by the
AK-63
The AK-63 (also known in Hungarian military service as the AMM) is a Hungarian variant of the AKM assault rifle manufactured by the Fegyver- és Gépgyár (FÉG) state arms plant in Hungary. It is currently used by the Hungarian Ground Forces ...
. It is a standard-length
AKM
The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior.
Introduc ...
variant, with a standard buttstock and full-length barrel. The front sight is in the standard location. However, the front and rear pistol grips and sheet metal handguard are similar to those of the AMD-65.
Modernisation - AMD-65M
During the late 2000s, a modernization program started for the AK-63.
![AMD-65M behajtott válltámasszal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/AMD-65M_behajtott_v%C3%A1llt%C3%A1masszal.jpg)
The modernisation included
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was ...
s, new handgrips, underbarrel grenade launcher, new sights, and flashlights.
* CAA CBS+ACP telescopic
stock
*
Brügger & Thomet
B&T AG (formerly Brügger & Thomet AG; sometimes rendered B+T) is a Swiss defence supplier specializing in the design and manufacturing of firearms and tactical components such as sound suppressors and rail systems. The company is based in Thun, ...
BT-21428 gas block
* Side mount (unknown type)
*
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
M320 Grenade Launcher Module
M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is the U.S. military's designation for a new single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher system to replace the M203 for the U.S. Army, while other services initially kept using the older M203. The M320 uses the same ...
*
Aimpoint CompM2
The CompM2 is a battery-powered, non-magnifying red dot type of reflex sight for firearms manufactured by Aimpoint AB. It was first introduced in the U.S. Armed Forces in 2000, designated as the M68 Close Combat Optic (M68 CCO; NSN: 1240-01-411 ...
sight (B&T BT-21741 QD ring 30 mm ultrahigh heavy type)
*
Aimpont 3×Mag sight (B&T BT-211115 Flip-side QD base mount, B&T BT-211113 Flip-side QD ring)
*
Insight Technology
Insight Technology, Inc. is an optical device manufacturer based in Londonderry, New Hampshire, USA.
Insight Technology builds firearm accessories such as tactical flashlights and laser aiming modules, for military and civilian markets. The com ...
AN/PEQ-2 Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Light (TPIAL)
laser sight
A laser sight is a device attached or integral to a firearm to aid target acquisition. Unlike optical and iron sights where the user looks through the device to aim at the target, laser sights project a beam onto the target, providing a visual ...
* CAA BP Grip with bipod
* CAA AG47 handgrip
Users
![Afghan border police aiming a weapon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Afghan_border_police_aiming_a_weapon.jpg)
*: Used by Cuban forces in Angola, stocks captured and reused by UNITA.
*: Used by the
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police (ANP; ps, د افغانستان ملي پولیس; prs, پلیس ملی افغانستان), is the national police force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across ...
.
* : 1186 rifles were delivered in 2008
*
* : Used by several factions during the Lebanese Civil War, 1975-1990.
*
* : Used by
Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie
The Royal Gendarmerie ( ar, الدرك الملكي المغربي, ad-darak al-malikiyy al-maḡribiyy, french: Gendarmerie royale marocaine) is the national gendarmerie force of the Kingdom of Morocco, and comes under the joint-authority of ...
.
* : Used by FRELIMO and RENAMO forces during the civil war, 1975-1991
* : Used by
National Border Service
The National Border Service, also called SENAFRONT (abbreviation for es, Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, link=no) is a police force specialized in the land border area and branch of the Panamanian Public Forces. Its mission is to protect Panama' ...
(SENAFRONT),
National Aeronaval Service
The National Aeronaval Service of Panama, also called SENAN (abbreviation for es, Servicio Nacional Aeronaval), is a branch of the Panamanian Public Forces which is responsible for carrying out naval and air operations. Its role is to perform pro ...
(SENAN) and
Institutional Protection Service (SPI).
*
Jane's Defence Weekly, Volume 16
'. Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd, 1991, Collected Issues 1990-91. pp. 48–49.
*
*
* :
Sudan People's Liberation Army
*
* : Used by
American special forces such as the
Army Green Berets in Afghanistan.
* : Used during Vietnam War.
Non-state actors
*
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
*
Former users
*
Availability in the United States
Many AMD-65s were exported to the United States and sold in kit form following the destruction of the receiver, which legally rendered the weapon to the status of a non-firearm. In order to be legally reassembled, the parts must be rebuilt on a US-made receiver which lacks the provisions for certain parts which would make it capable of
automatic fire. In its original short-barreled form the completed weapon is regulated as a "
short-barreled rifle
Short-barreled rifle broadly refers to any rifle with an unusually short barrel. The term carbine describes a production rifle with a reduced barrel length for easier handling in confined spaces. Concern about concealment for illegal purposes ha ...
" (SBR) under the National Firearms Act in the United States. The addition of a permanently attached barrel extension of the correct length will render the firearm legal for general use, subject to additional stipulations. These include a certain number of US-made parts in the finished rifle. This count is required in order to comply with
U.S.C. 922 (r); a statute which regulates imported rifles with certain features that the
BATFE defines as not being suitable for sporting purposes. Some individuals choose to build AMD-65s without a buttstock, thus legally classifying the resulting new firearm as a "pistol" and eliminating the need for a muzzle extension (as well as the parts for 922r compliance). However, this route requires the removal of the forward grip, unless the gun is registered under the NFA as an "AOW" (any other weapon) or has an overall length greater than .
In summary, the semi-automatic version of the AMD-65, when re-manufactured as detailed above, is now legal for civilian use in most states.
Use by foreign military and private security companies
The AMD-65 has been exported to the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and Gaza, as well as in Afghanistan. An increasing number of western security forces, including contract employees of the former
private military company
A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
Blackwater Worldwide (now known as "
Academi
Blackwater was an American private military company founded on December 26, 1996 by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009 and known as Academi since 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors ...
") who are serving in the latter two countries, use highly modified AMD-65s rather than conventional
5.56mm based
carbines
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and light ...
and
rifles
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with bo ...
.
The combination of a larger caliber and shorter size provides better penetration during short range combat. The metal front handguard lends itself well to a relatively easy refit with multiple picatinny rails/MIL-STD-1913 rails, allowing
red-dot optics,
tactical lights and other accessories to be easily attached then used. The wire buttstock rod can be reshaped to load 75-round
RPK
The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...
drum magazines with ease even with the stock folded, and the weapon's internal mechanism can be tuned with aftermarket recoil dampers for smoother behaviour in full-auto mode.
Gallery
File:AMD65training.JPG, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Cory J. Becker, of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, shows Afghan National Police recruits different firing positions using an AMD-65 assault rifle on Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, June 3, 2008.
File:Female Afghan police officers qualification 2010.jpg, Afghan National Police women qualify on the AMD-65 rifle during the tactical training program portion of the police basic training course at Kabul Military Training Center, April 13, 2010.
File:ANP shooting range-2009.jpg, A group of Afghan National Police (ANP) train on the shooting range with the AMD-65 at Camp Shouz in Herat Province of Afghanistan.
File:Female Afghan National Police Cadets Train (4790009464).jpg, An Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police (ANP; ps, د افغانستان ملي پولیس; prs, پلیس ملی افغانستان), is the national police force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across ...
officer training with shooting using an AMD-65, in July 2010.
See also
*
AK-63
The AK-63 (also known in Hungarian military service as the AMM) is a Hungarian variant of the AKM assault rifle manufactured by the Fegyver- és Gépgyár (FÉG) state arms plant in Hungary. It is currently used by the Hungarian Ground Forces ...
*
AMP-69
*
IMI Galil
The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
*
List of assault rifles
References
External links
The AK siteSmall Arms of the World, 1983True history of AMD-65 from the Hungarian AK site
{{Weapons of Hungary, state=autocollapse
7.62×39mm assault rifles
Rifles of the Cold War
Hungary–Soviet Union relations
Infantry weapons of the Cold War
Kalashnikov derivatives
Assault rifles of Hungary
Fegyver- és Gépgyár firearms
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s