Kalashnikov rifle

"Kalashnikov rifle" is a term referring to a family of assault rifles based on Mikhail Kalashnikov's original design. It is officially known in Russian as avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: автомат Калашникова, lit.'Kalashnikov's automatic [rifle]'), and informally as kalash.

Background

AK rifles were originally manufactured in the Soviet Union by Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash). Rifles similar to the Kalashnikov and its Soviet variants were later produced in many countries friendly to the Soviet Bloc, with rifles based on its design such as the Galil ACE and the INSAS also being produced. The Kalashnikov is one of the most widely used firearms in the world, with an estimated 72 million rifles in global circulation.

List of AK rifles

The original Kalashnikov rifles and their derivatives, as produced in the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation.

Rifles derived directly from the original AK

The rifle's simple design makes it easy to produce, and the Soviet Union readily leased plans of the firearm to friendly countries, where it could be produced locally at a low cost. As a result, the Kalashnikov rifles and their variants have been manufactured in many countries, with and without licenses. Manufacturing countries in alphabetical order include:

Albania

Aside from the ASH-78, the ASH-82, the Albanian AKS-47 copy, was in production.

Several other versions of the AKMS have been produced mainly with short barrels similar to Soviet AKS-74U for special forces, tank and armored crew and for helicopter pilots and police.

There have also been modified ASh-82 (AKMS) with SOPMOD accessories, mainly for Albania's special forces RENEA and exports.

Armenia

Azerbaijan

The AK-74M is locally produced under license in Azerbaijan as the Khazri.

Bulgaria

China

Croatia

Cuba

The AKM is locally produced under license in Cuba.

East Germany

Egypt

Ethiopia

The Et-97/1 is a locally manufactured AK-103 variant at the State-run Gafat Armament Engineering Complex.

Finland

Hungary

Iraq

Nigeria

The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria has been producing AK rifles as the OBJ-006.

North Korea

North Korea has been producing AK rifles as its standard issue weapons.

Pakistan

Aside from Khyber Pass copies (near the border of Afghanistan), Pakistan has been producing AK rifles as the PK-10.

Poland

Romania

Sudan

The MAZ is the Sudanese licensed copy of the Chinese Type 56 made by Military Industry Corporation.

Turkey

The SAR 15T/308(V2) is a locally produced and modernized version of the AK platform by defense contractor Sarsilmaz (Sarsılmaz Silah Sanayi A.Ş.).

Ukraine

United States

Vietnam

• AKM-1
• AKM-VN (AKM) assault rifle
• TUL-1 (RPK) light machine gun

Venezuela

The AK-103 is locally manufactured in Venezuela.

Yugoslavia/Serbia

Similar rifles

The following rifles were either based on the Kalashnikov design, or have a different design but are superficially similar in appearance:

Argentina

Bulgaria

China

Czechoslovakia

India

Israel

South Africa

Accessories

Sights

• PSO-1

Silencer

• PBS-1 silencer

Bayonets

• 6KH2 bayonet
• 6KH3 bayonet
• 6KH4 bayonet
• 6KH5 bayonet
• 6KH9 bayonet

Grenade launcher

• GP-25

Comparative characteristics of AK rifles

In the United States

The Kalashnikov weapon design has become increasingly more popular in the American firearms industry. There are specific competitive shooting matches that require the use of its weapon variants like the Red Oktober match held just outside of St. George, Utah. It is a match designed for the use of ComBloc style weapons, but the Kalashnikov design is extremely heavy within the participants' arsenals.

Due to sanctions to Russia preventing the import of arms, a number of companies started producing clones of the Kalashnikov family of weapons. In particular, the company Kalashnikov USA was created specifically for this purpose. Companies such as Palmetto State Armory and Century Arms also produce Kalashnikov clones.

See also

• AK-100 (rifle family)

Citations

General and cited references

• Gulevich, I. D., ed. (1967). [7.62 mm AK] (in Russian) (3rd ed.). Moscow: Voenizdat.
• Monetchikov, Sergei Borisovich (2005). [The History of Russian Assault Rifle]. Entsiklopediya Russkoi Armii (in Russian). Izdatel'stvo "Atlant 44". ISBN 5-98655-006-4. Archived from on 16 May 2013.
• Vilchinsky, I. K., ed. (1983). [7.62 mm AKM (AKMS)] (PDF) (in Russian) (3rd ed.). Moscow: Voenizdat. Archived from (PDF) on 7 May 2023.

Further reading

• Brayley, Martin J. (2013). . Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-84797-526-3. OCLC .
• Chivers, C. J. (2010). The Gun. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780743270762. OCLC . (registration required)
• Ezell, Edward Clinton (1986). . Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811709167. OCLC .
• Hodges, Michael (2007). . San Francisco: MacAdam/Cage Pub. ISBN 978-1-59692-286-0. OCLC .
• Long, Duncan (1 September 1988). . Boulder, Col.: Paladin Press. ISBN 978-0-87364-477-8. OCLC .
• Poyer, Joe (2006). . Tustin, Cal.: North Cape Publications. ISBN 978-1-882391-41-7. OCLC .
• Rottman, Gordon L. (2011). . Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-835-0. OCLC .
• Vorobiev, Marco (2016). . Iola, WI: Gun Digest Book. ISBN 978-1-4402-4647-0. OCLC .[permanent dead link]

External links

• Media related to Kalashnikov rifles at Wikimedia Commons