AKM

AKM
The AKM is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior.
Introduced into service with the Soviet Army 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 and its African and Asian 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 and Izhmash. It was officially replaced in Soviet frontline service by the AK-74 in the late 1970s, but remains in use worldwide.
The AKM maintains the AK-47's wood stock, but has simpler individual parts that are favorable for mass production. 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 Soviet intermediate cartridge. It is a selective fire, gas operated with a rotating bolt, 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.
Improvements over AK-47
Compared with the AK-47, the AKM features detailed 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 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, compared with the AK-47 where the receiver was machined from a solid block of steel. A rear stock trunnion and forward barrel trunnion are fastened to the U-shaped receiver using rivets. 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. As a weight-saving measure, the stamped receiver cover is of thinner gauge metal than that of the AK-47. In order to maintain strength and durability it employs both longitudinal and latitudinal 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 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 headguard are manufactured from birch plywood laminates 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 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 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". 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 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" 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
The early slab-sided steel AK-47 30-round detachable box magazines had sheet-metal bodies and weigh empty. 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 (a phenolic resin), but were actually fabricated from two-parts of AG-4S moulding compound (a glass-reinforced phenol-formaldehyde binder impregnated composite), assembled using an epoxy resin adhesive. 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 to plum to near black) 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.
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
The AKM comes supplied with a different accessory kit that contains a M1959 6H4 or 6H3-type bayonet 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 Grenade launcher can also be fitted onto the AKM. There is also the PBS-1 silencer 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 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
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-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. 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, which replaces the standard recoil compensator. The AKML can also be deployed in the prone position with a detachable barrel-mounted 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 and the AKMN2 the multi-model night vision scope 1PN58.
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 wz. 1974 Pallad grenade launcher 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/MPi-KMS-72 (side-folding stock). East German guns used brown Bakelite furniture in place of wood.
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 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 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 (FÉG) state arms plant in Hungary. It is currently used by the Hungarian Ground Forces as its standard infantry weapon, and by most other branches of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
China
The Type 56 (literally; "Type 56 Automatic Rifle") also known as the AK-56, is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles. Production started in 1956 at State Factory 66 but was eventually handed over to Norinco 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 in the Korean People's Army.
Semi-automatic only variant
The WASR-10 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.
The WASR series are manufactured in Romania by the arms-maker Cugir and widely imported into the United States for the sporting gun market by importer Century International Arms 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 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
: Produced locally.
: Used by Salvador Allende and his personal guard during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and committed suicide with it.
: Type 56 variant.
: Produced locally under license. Also used Type 68s in the 1980s.
: Used by pro-Russian separatists
: The Maadi is an Egyptian copy of the AKM, manufactured by Factory 54 of the Maadi Company for Engineering Industries in Cairo 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 and the Rk 95 TP).
: 100 Polish made AKM rifles obtained for CENTIAL-51e RI training center
: Used by Ministry of Interior units.
: There is a Hungarian derivative of the AKM called 'AK-63' 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.
: From East German manufacturers in the Iran Army, Soviet and Chinese manufacturers in IRGC and Iran Police.
: From Soviet, German and Romanian manufactures.
: Captured from Arab armies over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
: Kenyan police responding to the 2013 Westgate shopping mall shooting, seen armed with AKM and variant rifles.
: Used by pro-Russian separatists
: Armed and Security Forces of Mali.
: Type 68 variant. The variant does not have a rate reducer.
:Used by National Border Service (SENAFRONT) and National Aeronaval Service (SENAN). Both Soviet and East-German made rifles formerly used by the defunct Panama Defense Forces.
: Type 56 variant.
Paratroopers and military police only.
: Philippine Army. 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. 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 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 for familiarization training, but they are not issued to combat units.
Transnistria
Lord Resistance Army
still in limited use, officially replaced in most Ukrainian military units by the AK-74. AKMS used by Ukrainian Security Service.
Russian AKM, Chinese Type 56 and North Korean Type 68 variants. 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).
: used by the Dhofari rebels.
:Used by the disbanded Panama Defense Forces (PDF).
: Captured AKM rifles were issued primarily to helicopter crews.
Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus
, captured rifles were used in Vietnam and other conflicts.
used by PAVN forces.
, the ARVN were supplied with captured AKM rifles.
: Several variants based on the AKM built by Zastava Arms 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: Received Type 68s in the 1980s.
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Conflicts
1960s
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Laotian Civil War (1959–1975)
Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996)
Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974)
Eritrean War of Independence (1961–1991)
The Troubles (Late 1960s–1998)
Rhodesian Bush War (1964–1979)
South African Border War (1966–1990)
Six Day War (1967)
Cambodian Civil War (1967–1975)
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968)
1970s
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)
Cambodian–Vietnamese War (1978–1989)
Sino-Vietnamese War (1979)
Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)
Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989)
Insurgency in Aceh (1976-2005)
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)
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)
Syrian Civil War (2011–present)
Central African Republic Civil War (2012–present)
War in Iraq (2013–2017)
Russo-Ukrainian War (2014–present)
Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado (2017-present)
Ethiopian civil conflict (2018–present)
2020s
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020)
2021 Taliban offensive
Tigray War (2020–2022)
Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes (2021)
Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)
Banjska attack (2023)
War in Amhara (2023)
Gallery
See also
Comparison of the AK-47 and M16
Saiga semi-automatic rifle
References
Citations
Cited sources
External links
AKM rate reducer (and full-auto sear) functional routine
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