The AK-103 is a Russian assault rifle designed by

small arms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

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, ...

History

The AK-103 was officially offered for export in March 1993

Design details

It is an AK-100 derivative of the AK-74M that is chambered for the 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge, similar to the AKM. The AK-103 can be fitted with a variety of sights, including

night vision Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night v ...

and

telescopic sight A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a '' reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate ...

s, plus a knife-

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 ...

or a

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 mo ...

like the GP-34. Newer versions can fit

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, allowing more accessories to be mounted. It uses plastic components where possible instead of wood or metal, with such components being the

pistol grip On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pis ...

, handguards, folding stock and depending on the type, the magazine. Protective coatings for corrosion resistance of metal parts. Forearm, magazine, butt stock and pistol grip are made of high strength shatterproof plastic. The AK-104 is a compact version of the AK-103. It has a muzzle brake derived from the older AKS-74U combined with a shorter barrel. It is chambered for 7.62×39mm ammunition.

Magazines

The current issue steel-reinforced matte true black nonreflective 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
, 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.
Note *: 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 platform magazines.

Variants

The semi-automatic only variant of the AK-103 is designated the AK-103-1, and the three round burst is designated the AK-103-2.

STL-1A

A Vietnamese version known as the

STL-1A The STL-1A (or also called the STL-A1) rifle is an assault rifle made in Vietnam. It is produced at the Z111 Factory. The rifle is an improved copy of the AKM rifle, but is commonly compared to an AK-103. The rifle is chambered in 7.62x39mm. ...

is made by Factory Z111 and is used by the

People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wi ...

. Another modernized version called the STL-1B is currently planned. It first appeared in the 2018 Indo Defence Expo & Forum.

KR-103

The KR-103 is a semi-automatic clone of the AK-103 made by

Kalashnikov USA RWC Group LLC, doing business as Kalashnikov USA (KUSA), is a privately-owned American company that designs, manufactures and markets Kalashnikov-styled firearms for law enforcement, military and commercial markets. Russian-made Kalashnikov rifl ...

Users

* : Used by the Parachute Commando Regiments * : The licensed production of the AK-103 started in July 2020. * : The Gafat Armament Engineering Complex produces the AK-103 rifle in Ethiopia. Supplements the AKM and AK-47 in the

Ethiopian Armed Forces The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) ( am, የኢፌዲሪ መከላከያ ሠራዊት, Ye’īfēdērī mekelakeya šerawīt, lit=FDRE Defense Force) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out t ...

. It was reported in 2014 that the deal didn't go through at all. * : The sale of an undisclosed number of AK-103s for use by sections of the Iranian special forces and marines and use by

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 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 ...

special forces. The IRGC is reported to be using the AK-103. * : Seen in the hands of

anti-Gaddafi forces The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organized and armed militia groups, participants in the Libyan Civil ...

and loyalists in numerous photos. The rifles in use are the AK-103-2 version. * : Used by Namibian Marine Corps *: Unlicensed Clone "PK-21" in production by

Pakistan Ordnance Factories , type = State-owned company , industry = Firearms, Defense, Machinery , fate = , successor = , founded = , founder = , defunct = , hq_location_city = Wah Cantonment, Punjab , hq_location_country = Pakistan , area_served = world ...

. *: Used by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. *: Used by

Spetsnaz GRU Spetsnaz GRU or Spetsnaz G.U. (formally known as Special Forces of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces () is the special forces (''spetsnaz'') of the G.U., the foreign military-intelligence agency of the Armed ...

and Ministry of Internal Affairs. * : A license to produce AK-103 rifles was granted to Saudi Arabia in 2017. * : First 30,000 AK-103 rifles were received in June 2006. Made under license by CAVIM with initial licensing fee payments made in 2006 and the transfer of Russian-made AK-103s to Venezuela in 2008. CAVIM's AK-103 factories opened officially in 2012 without the necessary manufacturing equipment. CAVIM-made AK-103s were delivered to the

Venezuelan Army The Venezuelan Army, officially the National Army of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Ejército Nacional de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is one of the six professional branches of the Armed Forces of Venezuela. Also known ...

in 2013. Due to trouble with the plant with the Russian contractor failing to meet deadlines with a case of fraud, which forced CAVIM to finish the rest of the construction, full-scale production started by 2019. * : 500 AK-103s for the Uruguayan National Guard.

Non-state actors

* Guardians of Religion Organization * MUJAO used an ex-Libyan AK-103-2 in Agadez and Arlit attacks in 2013.

Gallery

File:AK-103 assault rifle with GP-34 grenade launcher at Engineering Technologies 2012.jpg, AK-103 with GP-34 Grenade Launcher. File:A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) service member fires a rifle during an annual rifle qualification on the island of Girifushi, Maldives, Jan. 15, 2014 140115-M-BO337-022.jpg, Maldives National Defense Force soldier with an AK-103 File:U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Richard Johnson, with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, teaches speed reloading techniques to Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) support service members before their annual 140116-M-BO337-016.jpg, U.S.

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

teaching a reloading technique with the AK-103 to Maldives National Defense Force members

References

External links

Modern Firearms - AK-103

Izhmash page on the AK-103
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ak-103 7.62×39mm assault rifles Kalashnikov derivatives Assault rifles of Russia Kalashnikov Concern products Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1993 ru:АК-103