The AKM () is an
assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( rus, Михаи́л Тимофе́евич Кала́шников, p=kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, a ...
in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the
Kalashnikov rifle
A Kalashnikov (Калашников) rifle is any one of a series of automatic rifles based on the original design of Mikhail Kalashnikov. They are officially known in Russian as "Avtomát Kaláshnikova" ( rus, Автома́т Кала́шник ...
s. It was developed as a replacement to the
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
introduced a decade prior.
Introduced into service with the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
in 1959, the AKM is the most prevalent variant of the entire AK series of firearms and it has found widespread use with most member states of the former
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...
and its
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
n allies as well as being widely exported and produced in many other countries. The production of these rifles was carried out at both the
Tula Arms Plant
Imperial Tula Arms Plant (russian: Императорский Тульский оружейный завод, Imperatorskiy Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod) is a Russian weapons manufacturer founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia in 1712 in Tula, Tula Oblast a ...
and
Izhmash
JSC Kalashnikov Concern (), known until 2013 as the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (), is a Russian defense manufacturing concern and joint-stock company headquartered in the city of Izhevsk in the Republic of Udmurtia as well as the capital c ...
. It was officially replaced in Soviet frontline service by the
AK-74
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 U ...
in the late 1970s, but remains in use worldwide.
The AKM maintains the AK-47's wood
stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
, but has simpler individual parts that are favorable for
mass production
Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...
. Like the AK-47, many variants of the AKM exist such as the AKMS, AKML, and AKMP.
Design details
The AKM is an
assault rifle chambered in
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 ...
Soviet intermediate cartridge. It is a selective fire, gas operated with a
rotating bolt
Rotating bolt is a method of locking the breech (or rear barrel) of a firearm closed for firing. Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse developed the first rotating bolt firearm, the "Dreyse needle gun", in 1836. The Dreyse locked using the bolt handle r ...
, firing in either semi-automatic or fully automatic, and has a cyclic rate of fire of around 600 rounds per minute (RPM). The gas operated action has a large bolt carrier with a permanently attached long stroke gas piston. The gas chamber is located above the barrel. The bolt carrier rides on the two rails, formed on the side of the receiver, with a significant space between the moving and stationary parts.
Despite being replaced in the late 1970s by the
AK-74
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 U ...
, the AKM is still in service in some Russian Army reserve and second-line units and several east European countries. The
GRAU
The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated Russian acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the ...
officially designated the AKM as the 6P1
assault rifle.
Improvements over AK-47
![AKMS and AK-47 DD-ST-85-01270](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/AKMS_and_AK-47_DD-ST-85-01270.jpg)
Compared with the AK-47, the AKM features detail improvements and enhancements that optimized the rifle for mass production; some parts and assemblies were conceived using simplified manufacturing methods. Notably, the AK-47's milled steel receiver was replaced by a U-shaped steel stamping. As a result of these modifications, the AKM's weight was reduced by ≈ , the accuracy during automatic fire was increased and several reliability issues were addressed. The AK-47's chrome-lined
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
was retained, a common feature of Soviet weapons which resists wear and corrosion, particularly under harsh field conditions and near-universal Eastern Bloc use of corrosively primed ammunition.
The AKM's
receiver is stamped from a smooth
sheet of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
, compared with the AK-47 where the receiver was machined from heavier gauge steel. A rear stock trunnion and forward barrel trunnion are fastened to the U-shaped receiver using
rivets
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched o ...
. The receiver housing also features a rigid tubular cross-section support that adds structural strength. Guide rails that assist the bolt carrier's movement which also incorporates the ejector are installed inside the receiver through
spot welding
A spot welder
Spot welding (or resistance spot welding) is a type of electric resistance welding used to weld various sheet metal products, through a process in which contacting metal surface points are joined by the heat obtained from resistance ...
. As a weight-saving measure, the stamped receiver cover is of thinner gauge metal than that of the
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
. In order to maintain strength and durability it employs both longitudinal and
latitudinal
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...
reinforcing ribs.
Barrel
The AKM has a barrel with a
chrome-lined bore and four right-hand grooves at a 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in) or 31.5 calibers
rifling twist rate. The forward barrel trunnion has a non-threaded socket for the barrel and a transverse hole for a pin that secures the barrel in place. The AKM's barrel is installed in the forward trunnion and pinned (as opposed to the AK-47, which has a one piece receiver with integral trunnions and a barrel that is screwed-in). Additionally the barrel has horizontal guide slots that help align and secure the handguards in place. To increase the weapon's accuracy during automatic fire, the AKM was fitted with a slant cut
compensator that helps redirect expanding propellant gases upward and to the right during firing, which mitigates the
rise of the muzzle during an automatic burst when held by a right-handed firer. The compensator is threaded on to the end of the barrel with a left-hand thread. Not all AKMs have slant compensators; some were also fitted with the older muzzle nut which came from the AK-47. Most AKMs with muzzle nuts were older production models. The AKM's slant compensator can also be used on the AK-47, which had a simple nut to cover the threads.
Gas block
The gas block in the AKM does not have a cleaning rod capture or sling loop but is instead fitted with an integrated
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
support collar that has a cleaning rod guide hole. The forward sling loop was relocated to the front handguard retainer cap. The handguard retainer also has notches that determine the position of the handguards on the barrel. The AKM's laminated wood handguards have lateral grooves that help securely grip the rifle.
Gas relief ports that alleviate gas pressure in the piston cylinder (placed horizontally in a row on the gas cylinder in the AK-47) were moved forward to the gas block and placed in a radial arrangement.
Bolt carrier assembly
The AKM's bolt carrier has a lightening cut milled into the right side halfway before the handle. The handle has its profile slimmed down too. The stem of the AKM bolt is fluted in another measure to help reduce weight. The round, fluted firing pin of the AK-47 was also replaced with a flat one on the AKM. All pieces are typically painted black instead of left unfinished ("in the white").
Stock
The buttstock, lower handguard and upper heatguard are manufactured from
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 30 ...
plywood
Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...
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 materials ...
like the later model AK-47 furniture. Such engineered woods are stronger and resist warping better than the conventional one-piece patterns, do not require lengthy maturing, and are cheaper.
The wooden buttstock used in the AKM is further hollowed in order to reduce weight and is longer and straighter than that of the AK-47, which assists accuracy for subsequent shots during rapid and automatic fire. The wooden stock also houses the issued cleaning kit, which is a small diameter metal tube with a twist lock cap. The kit normally contains the cleaning jag to which a piece of cloth material is wrapped around and dipped into cleaning solution. It also contains a pin punch, an assembly pin to hold the trigger, disconnector and
rate reducer
Rate or rates may refer to:
Finance
* Rates (tax), a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom used to fund local government
* Exchange rate, rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another
Mathematics and science
* Rate (mathema ...
together while putting these back into the receiver after cleaning the weapon, and a barrel brush. The kit is secured inside the butt stock via a spring-loaded trapdoor in the stock's pressed sheet metal butt cap. The stock is socketed into a stepped shaped rear trunnion with single upper tang and two screws. The rear trunnion itself is held to the stamped receiver with four rivets (two on each side). Under folding models instead have a U-shaped rear trunnion that reinforces the locking arms and is held to the receiver with six rivets (see
Variants
Variant may refer to:
In arts and entertainment
* ''Variant'' (magazine), a former British cultural magazine
* Variant cover, an issue of comic books with varying cover art
* ''Variant'' (novel), a novel by Robison Wells
* " The Variant", 2021 e ...
for more info).
Recoil/return spring assembly
The AKM uses a modified recoil/return spring mechanism, which replaces the telescoping recoil spring guide rod with a dual "U"-shaped wire guide.
Trigger assembly
The AKM has a modified trigger assembly, equipped with a hammer-release delaying device (installed on the same axis pin together with the trigger and disconnector) commonly called a "rate reducer" or "hammer retarder" (russian: замедлитель срабатывания курка). In fact its primary purpose is not to reduce the rate of automatic fire; it is a safety device to ensure the weapon will only fire on automatic when the bolt is fully locked, as the hammer is tripped by the bolt carrier's last few millimetres of forward movement. The device also reduces "trigger slap" or "trigger bounce" and the weapon's rate of fire, which also reduces the dispersion of bullets when firing in fully automatic mode. The hammer was also changed and equipped with a protrusion that engages the rate reducer and the trigger has only one notched hammer release arm (compared with two parallel arms in the AK-47).
Sights
The AKM's notched rear tangent
iron sight
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly as ...
is calibrated in increments from and compared with the AK-47 the leaf's position teeth that secure the sliding adjustable notch were transferred over from the right to the left edge of the ramp.
The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field and has a slightly different shape with the "ears" being angled with the back of the base instead of strait and its bottom portion is more narrow compared with the AK-47. Horizontal adjustment requires a special drift tool and is done by the armoury before issue or if the need arises by an armourer after issue. The sight line elements are approximately over the bore axis. The "
point-blank range
Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...
" battle zero setting "П" on the 7.62×39mm AKM rear tangent sight element corresponds to a zero. For the AKM combined with service cartridges the 300 m battle zero setting limits the
apparent "bullet rise" within approximately relative to the line of sight. Soldiers are instructed to fire at any target within this range by simply placing the sights on the center of mass (the belt buckle, according to Russian and former Soviet doctrine) of the enemy target. Any errors in range estimation are tactically irrelevant, as a well-aimed shot will hit the torso of the enemy soldier.
Magazines
![Bulgarian SOF prepares for Combined Resolve II (14041726380)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Bulgarian_SOF_prepares_for_Combined_Resolve_II_%2814041726380%29.jpg)
The early slab-sided steel AK-47 30-round detachable box magazines had sheet-metal bodies and weigh empty.
[Dockery, Kevin (2007). Future Weapons. p. 102. .] The later steel AKM 30-round magazines had lighter sheet-metal bodies with prominent reinforcing ribs weighing empty.
To further reduce weight a light weight magazine with an aluminium body with a prominent reinforcing waffle rib pattern weighing empty was developed for the AKM that proved to be too fragile and the small issued amount of these magazines were quickly withdrawn from service. As a replacement steel-reinforced 30-round plastic 7.62×39mm box magazines were introduced. These
rust-coloured magazines weigh empty and are often mistakenly identified as being made of
Bakelite
Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, better known as Bakelite ( ), is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. The first plastic made from synthetic components, it was developed ...
(a
phenolic resin
Phenol formaldehyde resins (PF) or phenolic resins (also infrequently called phenoplasts) are synthetic polymers obtained by the reaction of phenol or substituted phenol with formaldehyde. Used as the basis for Bakelite, PFs were the first commerc ...
), but were actually fabricated from two-parts of AG-S4 moulding compound (a
glass-reinforced phenol-formaldehyde binder impregnated composite), assembled using an
epoxy resin
Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also coll ...
adhesive.
[Kokalis, 49] Noted for their durability, these magazines did, however, compromise the rifle's camouflage and lacked the small horizontal reinforcing ribs running down both sides of the magazine body near the front that were added on all later plastic magazine generations.
A second generation steel-reinforced dark-brown (colour shades vary from
maroon
Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown".
According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...
to
plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...
to near
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
) 30-round 7.62×39mm magazine was introduced in the early 1980s, fabricated from
ABS plastic. The third generation steel-reinforced 30-round 7.62×39mm magazine is similar to the second generation, but is darker coloured and has a matte non-reflective surface finish. The current issue steel-reinforced matte true black non-reflective surface finished 7.62×39mm 30-round magazines, fabricated from ABS plastic weigh empty.
Early steel AK-47 magazines are long, and the later ribbed steel AKM and newer plastic 7.62×39mm magazines are about shorter.
[Rifle Evaluation Study](_blank)
, United States Army, Combat Development Command, ADA046961, 20 Dec 1962
The transition from steel to mainly plastic magazines yielded a significant weight reduction and allow a soldier to carry more rounds for the same weight.
Note: All 7.62×39mm AK magazines are backwards compatible with older AK variants.
*10.12 kg (22.3 lb) is the maximum amount of ammo that the average soldier can comfortably carry. It also allows for best comparison of the three most common 7.62×39mm AK-style magazines.
Accessories
![NVA AKM Bayonet (2 of 2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/NVA_AKM_Bayonet_%282_of_2%29.JPG)
The AKM comes supplied with a different accessory kit that contains a M1959 6H4 or 6H3-type
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
and comes with synthetic or steel magazines. Both the 6H3 and 6H4 bayonet blade forms a wire-cutting device when coupled with its scabbard. The polymer grip and upper part of the scabbard provide insulation from the metal blade and bottom part of the metal scabbard, using a rubber insulator sleeve, to safely cut electrified wire. The kit also comes with a punch used to drive out various pins and a device that aids in assembling the rate reducing mechanism. The
GP-25
The GP-25 ''Kostyor'' ("Bonfire"), GP-30 ''Obuvka'' ("Footwear") and GP-34 are a family of Russian 40 mm under-barrel grenade launchers (''Granatomyot Podstvolnyj'') for the AK family of assault rifles. They were first seen by the West in ...
Grenade launcher can also be fitted onto the AKM. There is also the
PBS-1 silencer
The PBS-1 is a silencer designed for the 7.62x39mm AKM variant of Soviet AK-47 assault rifle in the Kalashnikov rifle family. It is in diameter and long.
History
The PBS-1 silencer, designed for use with the AKM to reduce the noise when fir ...
from the 1960s, designed to reduce the noise when firing, mostly used by Spetsnaz forces and the KGB.
Ammunition
The weapon uses the same ammunition as the AK-47: 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 ...
M43 intermediate rifle cartridge. The AKM mechanism's design principles and procedures for loading and firing are practically identical to those of the AK-47, the only difference being the trigger assembly (during the return stage of the bolt carrier on fully automatic mode) as a result of incorporating the rate reducer device.
Variants
![Tishina automatic grenade launcher](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Tishina_automatic_grenade_launcher.jpg)
The main variant of the AKM is the AKMS (S – ''Skladnoy'' – Folding), which was equipped with an under-folding metal shoulder stock in place of the fixed wooden stock. The metal stock of the AKMS is somewhat different from the folding stock of the previous AKS-47 model as it has a modified locking mechanism, which locks both support arms of the AKMS stock instead of just one (left arm) as in the AKS-47 folding model. It is also made of riveted steel pressings, instead of the milled versions of most AKS-47s, and is more inline like the fixed stock AKM. Due to the stamped receiver, it also has a reinforcement plate beneath the pistol grip spot welded in place to prevent damage to the receiver if the gun is dropped on its pistol grip as well as better absorb the recoil with the stock folded.
The AKM was produced in the following versions: AKMP, AKML and AKMLP, whereas the AKMS led to the following models – AKMSP, AKMSN and AKMSNP. It is designed especially for use by paratroopers–as the folding stock permits more space for other equipment when jumping from a plane and then landing.
The AKMP rifle uses subdued
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with the symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, but it readily reacts with nitrogen (rather t ...
-illuminated aiming points integrated into the front and rear sight. These sights enable targets to be engaged in low-light conditions, e.g. when the battlefield is illuminated with flares, fires or muzzle flashes or when the target is visible as a shadow against an illuminated background. The sliding notch on the sight arm is then moved to the “S” setting (which corresponds to the “3” setting in the AKM). The sight itself is guided on the sliding scale and has a socket, which contains a tritium gas-filled capsule directly beneath the day-time notch. The tritium front post installs into the front sight base using a detent and spring.
The AKML comes equipped with a side-rail used to attach a
night vision device
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
. The mount comprises a flat plate riveted to the left wall of the receiver housing and a support bracket fixed to the mounting base with screws. To shield the light-sensitive photo detector plate of the night vision sight, the weapon uses a slotted
flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
, which replaces the standard recoil compensator. The AKML can also be deployed in the prone position with a detachable barrel-mounted
bipod
A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix ''bi-'' and Greek root ''pod'', meaning "two" and "foot" respectively.
Bipod ...
that helps stabilise the weapon and reduces operator fatigue during prolonged periods of observation. The bipod is supplied as an accessory and is carried in a holster attached to the duty belt.
The AKMN comes equipped with a side-rail used to attach a night vision device. The model designated AKMN-1 can thus mount the multi-model night vision scope
1PN51 1PN51 ( rus, 1ПН51) is the GRAU index for a Soviet designed passive night scope for a range of Soviet designed small arms and grenade launchers. ''1PN'' is the GRAU index of night vision devices, where PN stands for ''Nochnoy Pritsel'' ( rus, Н ...
and the AKMN2 the multi-model night vision scope
1PN58
1PN58 ( rus, 1ПН58) is the GRAU index for a Soviet designed passive night scope for a range of Soviet designed small arms and grenade launchers. ''1PN'' is the GRAU index of night vision devices, where PN stands for ''Nochnoy Pritsel'' ( rus, Н ...
.
The AKMLP is a version of the AKML with tritium sights (as in the AKMP).
The AKMSP rifle is based on the folding stock AKMS variant but fitted with tritium night sights, as in the AKMP.
The AKMSN model is derived from the AKMS and features an accessory rail used to mount a night vision sensor as seen on the AKML and additionally a flash hider and bipod. The left arm of the AKMSN's folding stock is bent outwards in order to avoid the sight mount bracket during folding and the sling loop was moved further to the rear. Similarly to the AKMN-1, the AKMSN-1 can mount the multi-model night vision scope 1PN51
[ and the AKMSN2 the multi-model night vision scope 1PN58.][
A version of the AKMSN additionally supplied with factory tritium night sights is called the AKMSNP.
A version of the AKM with a modified lower handguard designed to accept the ]40 mm
40 mm grenade (also styled 40mm grenade) is a generic class-name for grenade launcher ammunition ( subsonic shells) in caliber. The generic name stems from the fact that several countries have developed or adopted grenade launchers in ...
wz. 1974 Pallad grenade launcher
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The mos ...
was developed in Poland and designated the karabinek-granatnik wz. 1974.
Foreign variants
East Germany
Produced locally. Examples include the MPi-KM (fixed stock) and MPi-KMS-72 (side-folding stock).
Peru
Diseños Casanave International LLC has made an upgraded version of the AKM known as the Diseños Casanave International LLC SC-2026, which has a retractable polycarbonate stock and a railed handguard. It has a range of 400 meters and weighs less than 4 kilograms.
DICI also makes the Diseños Casanave International LLC SC-2026C, a carbine version of the SC-2026 made for vehicle crews/personnel and for special forces operators.
Vietnam
The STL-1A was made by Z111 Factory
)
, romanized_name =
, former_name =
, type = State-owned enterprise
, traded_as =
, ISIN =
, industry = Arms industry
, genre =
, fate =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, founded = 1957
, founder =
, defunct =
, hq_location = ...
as early as 2015 by changing parts of used AKMs with new plastic handguards, folding buttstocks, pistol grips and muzzle brakes resembling the AK-74, with an attachment lug for use with an M203 grenade launcher. In 2018, an upgrade, known as the STL-1B was developed, which included Picatinny rails, since the 1A uses a side-type attachment.
Romania
The Pistol Mitralieră model 1963 (abbreviated PM md. 63 or simply md. 63) is a Romanian assault rifle chambered in 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, patterned after the AKM. It is exported as AIM.
Hungary
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
Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság ("Arms and Machine Manufacturing Company"), known as FÉG, is a Hungary, Hungarian industrial conglomerate founded on 24 February 1891 in Csepel (now part of Budapest). The company came under the ow ...
(FÉG) state arms plant in Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. It is currently used by the Hungarian Ground Forces
The Hungarian Ground Forces ( hu, Magyar Szárazföldi Haderő) is the land branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and is responsible for ground activities and troops including artillery, tanks, Armoured personnel carrier, APCs, IFVs and ground ...
as its standard infantry weapon, and by most other branches of 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 ...
.
China
The Type 56 (; literally; "Type 56 Automatic Rifle") also known as the AK-56, is a Chinese 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 ...
rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
(specifically Type 3) and AKM rifle
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 ...
s.[Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns''. Salamander Books Ltd. .] Production started in 1956 at State Factory 66 but was eventually handed over to Norinco
China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, doing business internationally as Norinco Group (North Industries Corporation), and known within China as China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (), is a Chinese state-owned defense ...
and PolyTech, who continue to manufacture the rifle primarily for export.
North Korea
The Type 68 also known as Type 68 NK, is a North Korean version of the AKM, adopted in 1968 to replace the Type 58. It has no rate reducer. It has its own bayonet, which is based on the AK-47 bayonet, but it has a different pommel mount for it. These bayonets were also issued in Cuba, which have green scabbards instead of tan scabbards, which is used the Korean People's Army.
Semi-automatic only variant
The WASR-10
Wassenaar Arrangement Semi-automatic Rifles (commonly referred to as WASR-series rifles) are a line of rifles sold in the United States by Century International Arms. The rifles are manufactured in Romania by the Cugir Arms Factory and are a semi- ...
is a semi-automatic only variant developed from the AKM series rifle but is not another version rather a derivative or variant due to significant changes. The lack of the dimple over the magazine well is a peculiar WASR feature helpful in identification of WASR series rifles
Wassenaar Arrangement Semi-automatic Rifles (commonly referred to as WASR-series rifles) are a line of rifles sold in the United States by Century International Arms. The rifles are manufactured in Romania by the Cugir Arms Factory and are a semi ...
.
The WASR series are manufactured in Romania by the arms-maker Cugir
Cugir (; German: ''Kudsir, Kudschir'', Hungarian: ''Kudzsir'') is a town in Alba County, Romania. Declared a town in 1968, it administers seven villages: Bocșitura (Hungarian ''Boksiturahavas'', German ''Potschitur''), Bucuru (''Bukuruhavas''/' ...
and widely imported into the United States for the sporting gun market by importer Century International Arms
Century International Arms is an importer and manufacturer of firearms that is based in the United States. The company was founded in 1961 in St. Albans, Vermont,
with offices in Montreal. In 1995, the company headquarters and sales staff moved t ...
who modifies them with TAPCO stocks. Century began installing the TAPCO Intrafuse AK G2 trigger group in 2007 to eliminate bolt slap trigger finger injuries.
Accuracy potential
The following table represents the Russian method for determining accuracy, which is far more complex than Western methods. In the West, one fires a group of shots into the target and then simply measures the overall diameter of the group. The Russians, on the other hand, fire a group of shots into the target. They then draw two circles on the target, one for the maximum vertical dispersion of hits and one for the maximum horizontal dispersion of hits. They then disregard the hits on the outer part of the target and only count half of the hits (50% or R50) on the inner part of the circles. This dramatically reduces the overall diameter of the groups. They then use both the vertical and horizontal measurements of the reduced groups to measure accuracy. This circular error probable
In the military science of ballistics, circular error probable (CEP) (also circular error probability or circle of equal probability) is a measure of a weapon system's precision. It is defined as the radius of a circle, centered on the mean, wh ...
method used by the Russian and other European militaries cannot be converted and is not comparable to US military methods for determining rifle accuracy. When the R50 results are doubled the hit probability increases to 93.7%.
* R50 means the closest 50 percent of the shot group will all be within a circle of the mentioned diameter.
In general, this is an improvement with respect to firing accuracy to the AK-47. The vertical and horizontal mean (R50) deviations with service ammunition at for AK platforms are.
Users
*
* [Jones, Richard D. ''Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010''. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). .]
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* : Used by Caatinga infantry
* : Produced locally.[Personal infantry weapons: old weapons or new hardware in the coming decades? – Free Online Library](_blank)
. Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-20.
*
*
*
*
* : Used by Salvador Allende
Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (, , ; 26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 3 November 1970 until his death on 11 September 1973. He was the fir ...
and his personal guard during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état
The 1973 Chilean coup d'état Enciclopedia Virtual > Historia > Historia de Chile > Del gobierno militar a la democracia" on LaTercera.cl. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
In October 1972, Chile suffered the first of many strikes. Among the par ...
and committed suicide with it.[Gander, Terry J.; Hogg, Ian V. ''Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996''. Jane's Information Group; 21 edition (May 1995). .]
* : Type 56
The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles.Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns''. ...
variant.
*
*
*
* : Produced locally under license. Also used Type 68s in the 1980s.
*
* : The Maadi is an Egyptian copy of the AKM, manufactured by Factory 54 of the Maadi Company for Engineering Industries in Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
for the Egyptian Army and for export sales.
* : ex-guerilla rifles used by the National Civil Police.
*
*
*
* : Holds stocks of imported AKM clones for wartime reserve service (the Chinese Type 56 known as the RK 56 TP and the East German MPi-KM as the RK 72) along with locally designed AK derivatives (the Rk 62
The RK 62 (from Finnish , 'assault rifle 62'), officially 7.62 RK 62 and commercially M62, is an assault rifle manufactured by Valmet and Sako. It is the standard issue infantry weapon of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The RK 62 was designed in 19 ...
and the Rk 95 TP).
* : 100 Polish made AKM rifles obtained for CENTIAL-51e RI training center
*
*
* : Used by Ministry of Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
units.
*
*
*
*
* : There is a Hungarian derivative of the AKM called '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 as ...
' manufactured by FÉG. The AK-63 comes with a fixed wooden or plastic stock, but there is a version with an under-folding metal stock called AK-63D.
* : Various models of AKM and AKM style rifle in use. A local variant developed and manufactured by the Rifle Factory Ishapore
The Rifle Factory Ishapore (also known as Ishapore Arsenal) is an Indian state-owned arms manufacturing unit located at Ichhapur in the state of West Bengal.
History
The first arms manufacturing facility on the site was a gunpowder factory, wh ...
.
* : From East German manufacturers in the Iran Army
, founded =
, current_form = (History of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic)
, disbanded =
, branches =
, headquarters = Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Tehran
, website ...
, Soviet and Chinese manufacturers in IRGC
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
and Iran Police
, mottotranslated = "Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity" ( Heraldry slogan)
, formedyear = 1991
, formedmonthday = April 1
, preceding1 = Shahrbani (1913–1991) Gendarmerie (1910–1991)Committee (1979–1991)
, e ...
.
* : From Soviet, German and Romanian manufactures.
**
* : Captured from Arab armies over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict
The Arab–Israeli conflict is an ongoing intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by the ...
.
*
*
* : Kenyan police responding to the 2013 Westgate shopping mall shooting, seen armed with AKM and variant rifles.
*
*
*
*
*
*
* : Armed and Security Forces of Mali.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* : Type 68 variant. The variant does not have a rate reducer.
*
* :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) and 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). Both Soviet and East-German made rifles formerly used by the defunct Panama Defense Forces
The Panama Defense Forces ( es, Fuerzas de Defensa de Panamá; FFDD) and formerly the National Guard of Panama, were the armed forces of the Republic of Panama. It was created in 1983 led by General Manuel Antonio Noriega and his general staff. ...
.
* : Type 56 variant.
* Paratroopers and military police only.
* : Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) ( Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the ...
. Several units being used by the First Scout Ranger Regiment.
*
* : Used for training and mobilization.
*
* : Produced locally as the PM md. 63.
* : Still in limited military and police use. Officially replaced in most Russian military units by the AK-74
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 U ...
. Some usage mainly in urban environments due to the ability to penetrate heavy cover.
* : including at least 450 Egyptian-supplied Misrs.
*
* Several variants based on the AKM built by Zastava Arms
Zastava Arms ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Застава oружје, Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It was founded in 1853 when it cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firear ...
factory, most notably the M70 and M70B.
*
*
*
*
**
* : 40,500 Russian-made bought from Ukraine in 2010, used by security forces.
*
*
* A small number of AKM's are used by the Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
for familiarization training, but they are not issued to combat units.
*
*
*
*
* Transnistria
Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...
*
*
*
** Lord Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...
* still in limited use, officially replaced in most Ukrainian military units by the AK-74
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 U ...
. AKMS used by Ukrainian Security Service
The Security Service of Ukraine ( uk, Служба безпеки України, translit=Sluzhba bezpeky Ukrainy}) or SBU ( uk, СБУ, link=no) is the law enforcement authority and main Intelligence agency, intelligence and security age ...
.
*
*
* Purchased in 2005.
* Russian AKM, Chinese Type 56
The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles.Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns''. ...
and North Korean Type 68 variants.[US Department of Defense, North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition, TYPE-68 (AKM) ASSAULT RIFLE, p. A-77.] Standard infantry rifle of the Vietnamese Army.
*
*
*
Former users
* Produced locally. Examples include the MPi-KM (fixed stock) and MPi-KMS-72 (side-folding stock).[Modern Firearms – AK-47 AKM](_blank)
. World.guns.ru. Retrieved on 2014-04-20.
*
* : used by the Dhofari rebels.
* :Used by the disbanded Panama Defense Forces
The Panama Defense Forces ( es, Fuerzas de Defensa de Panamá; FFDD) and formerly the National Guard of Panama, were the armed forces of the Republic of Panama. It was created in 1983 led by General Manuel Antonio Noriega and his general staff. ...
(PDF).
* : Captured AKM rifles were issued primarily to helicopter crews.
*
* Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus
The Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (russian: Конфедерация горских народов Кавказа) (until 1991 known as Assembly of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus) was a militarised political organisation i ...
* , captured rifles were used in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
and other conflicts.
* used by PAVN forces.
* , the ARVN
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; french: Armée de la république du Viêt Nam) composed the ground forces of the South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. It is estimated to have suffe ...
were supplied with captured AKM rifles.
* : Several variants based on the AKM built by Zastava Arms
Zastava Arms ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Застава oружје, Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It was founded in 1853 when it cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firear ...
factory, most notably the M70 and M70B.
Non-state users
It is used by many organizations defined as terrorist organizations.
* Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front ( es, Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional, FMLN) is a left-wing political party in El Salvador.
The FMLN was formed as an umbrella group on 10 October 1980, from five leftist gu ...
: Received Type 68s in the 1980s.
* Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army ( es, link=no, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de ColombiaEjército del Pueblo, FARC–EP or FARC) is a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian confl ...
*
Conflicts
1960s
* Cuban Revolution (1953-1959)
* Vietnam War (1955-1975)
* Laotian Civil War (1959–1975)
* Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974)
* The Troubles (Late 1960s–1998)
* Rhodesian Bush War (1964–1979)
* South African Border War (1966–1990)
* Six Day War (1967)
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Jun ...
* Cambodian Civil War (1967–1975)
* Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968)
1970s
* Chilean coup d'état (1973)
* Yom Kippur War (1973)
* Ethiopian Civil War (1974–1991)
* Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990)
* Angolan Civil War (1975–2002)
* Nicaraguan Revolution (1978–1990)
* Chadian–Libyan conflict (1978–1987)
* Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)
The Kurdish–Turkish conflict is an armed conflict between the Republic of Turkey and various Kurdish insurgent groups who have either demanded separation from Turkey to create an independent Kurdistan, or attempted to secure autonomy and gre ...
* Cambodian–Vietnamese War (1978–1989)
* Sino-Vietnamese War (1979)
* Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)
* Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989)
1980s
* Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988)
* Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009)
* United States invasion of Grenada (1983)
* Lord's Resistance Army insurgency (1987–present)
* First Liberian Civil War (1989–1997)
1990s
* Gulf War (1990–1991)
* Rwandan Civil War (1990–1994)
* Somali Civil War (1991–present)
* Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001)
* Georgian Civil War (1991–1993)
* Algerian Civil War (1991–2002)
* First Chechen War (1994–1996)
* Eritrean–Ethiopian War (1998-2000)
* Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003)
* Second Chechen War (1999–2009)
2000s
* War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
The War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict that began when an Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom, international military coalition led by the United States launched United States invasion of Afghanistan, an invasion of Afghanistan, ...
* First Ivorian Civil War (2002–2007)
* Iraq War (2003–2011)
* War in Darfur (2003–present)
* Mexican Drug War (2006–present)
* Russo-Georgian War (2008)
* Boko Haram insurgency (2009–present)
2010s
* Second Ivorian Civil War (2010–2011)
* Libyan Civil War (2011)
The First Libyan Civil War was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya that was fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups that were seeking to oust his government. It erupted with the Libya ...
* Syrian Civil War (2011–present)
* Central African Republic Civil War (2012–present)
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Central African Republic Civil War
, image =
, caption = Current military situation in Central African Republic
(For a detailed map of the current military situation, see ...
* War in Iraq (2013–2017)
The War in Iraq was an armed conflict between Iraq and its allies and the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) which began in 2013 and ended in December 2017. Following December 2013, the insurgency escalated into full-scale guerrilla warf ...
* Russo-Ukrainian War (2014–present)
* Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Yemeni Civil War
, partof = the Yemeni Crisis (2011–present), Yemeni Crisis, Arab Winter, War on terror, and the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
, image = Yemeni Ci ...
* Insurgency in Cabo Delgado (2017-present)
2020s
* Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020)
* 2021 Taliban insurgency
* Tigray War (2020–present)
* Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes (2021)
* Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
Gallery
File:Children In iraq-iran war3.jpg, An Iranian child soldier holding an AKM in the Iran–Iraq War.
File:Polish AKMS.JPEG, A Kbk AKMS fitted with a MILES laser training device in the hands of a Polish soldier in 1997.
File:AKM and MP5K.JPEG, Foreground: A member of the United States Air Force field-qualifying with a USSR AKM in Iraq.
File:AKMŁ NTW 4 92 3.jpg, AKM with NSP-3 night sight, and PBS-1 silencer
The PBS-1 is a silencer designed for the 7.62x39mm AKM variant of Soviet AK-47 assault rifle in the Kalashnikov rifle family. It is in diameter and long.
History
The PBS-1 silencer, designed for use with the AKM to reduce the noise when fir ...
.
File:2010-119-1 Rifle, Tabuk, Iraq (11586962026).jpg, Gold plated assault rifle built by Tabuk in Iraq to the specifications of the AKMS.
File:DF-SD-03-04442.jpg, Egyptian soldiers in training with an Egyptian-made Maadi.
File:Romanian AKM Soldier.JPEG, A Romanian sub-officer
Sub-Officer, or the equivalent in other languages, is a term used in many armed forces used to indicate ranks below commissioned officers. Sub-officer is equivalent to the term warrant officer in the British Commonwealth and the United States. H ...
with a PM md. 65.
File:LCpl Cheema on the AK-47.JPG, U.S. Marine firing an East German MPi-KMS-72.
File:A Indian CRPF QRT operator.jpg, An Indian CRPF
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a federal police organisation in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India. It is one among the Central Armed Police Forces. The CRPF's primary role lie ...
QRT operator with a Bulgarian AR-M1F41 modified with Israeli FAB Defense accessories
See also
* Comparison of the AK-47 and M16
The two most common rifles in the world are the Soviet Union, Soviet AK-47 and the United States, American M16 rifle, M16. These Cold War-era rifles have been used in conflicts both large and small since the 1960s. They are used by military, po ...
* Saiga semi-automatic rifle
The Saiga semi-automatic rifles (/ˈsaɪɡə/, Saiga) ( rus, сайга, r=Sayga) are a family of Russian semi-automatic rifles manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash), which also manufactures the original AK-47 and its variants, Sa ...
References
Citations
Cited sources
*
External links
*
Modern Firearms article
На замену АК-47…Юрий Пономарёв
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akm
7.62×39mm assault rifles
Kalashnikov derivatives
Rifles of the Cold War
Infantry weapons of the Cold War
Military equipment introduced in the 1950s
Assault rifles of the Soviet Union
Izhevsk machine-building plant products
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1959