Kalashnikov rifles (), also known as the AK platform, AK rifles, or simply the AK, are a family of

assault rifle An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', F.A. Moyer '' ...

s based on

Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov (10November 191923December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, Military engineering, military engineer, writer, and small arms designer. He is most famous for developing the AK-47 assau ...

's original design. They are officially known in Russian as ''avtomat Kalashnikova'' (), and informally as ''kalash'' in Russian. They were originally manufactured in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Kalashnikov Concern JSC Kalashnikov Concern (; ), known until 2013 as the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (; ), is a Russian Arms industry, defense manufacturing Concern (business), concern and joint-stock company headquartered in the city of Izhevsk in the Republic ...

(formerly

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 capita ...

). Rifles similar to the Kalashnikov and its Soviet variants were later produced in many countries friendly to the

Soviet Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

, with rifles based on its design such as the

Galil ACE The IWI Galil ACE, also marketed as the IWI ACE is a series of assault rifles and battle rifles developed and manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), produced in 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×39mm and 7.62×51mm NATO calibres. Design deta ...

and the

INSAS The INSAS, or Indian Small Arms System, is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG). These weapons were developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment and manufactured by ...

also being produced. The Kalashnikov is one of the most widely used

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

s 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:

Similar rifles

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

FARA 83 The FARA 83 (; "Argentine Republic Automatic Rifle") or FAA 81, "Argentine Automatic Rifle" () was a rifle locally designed and developed for the Argentine Army in the 1980s. It is one of the first indigenously designed assault rifles in South Am ...

(Argentina) *BD-08 (Bangladesh) *

AR-M1 The AR-M1 is a Bulgarian assault rifle designed primarily for export. It is a modernized Bulgarian development of the AK, which itself is a copy of the earlier Soviet Type-3 milled receiver AK-47. There are two versions of the AR-M1. One chamb ...

(Bulgaria) *

Type 56 The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle. It is a licensed derivative of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically the Type 3 variant). The Type 56 rifle was adopted by the People's Liber ...

, Type 81 (China) * Vz. 58 (Czechoslovakia) *

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 ...

(also called Valmet M76, Rk 62 76 or M62/76), Valmet M78 (light machine gun),

RK 95 TP The RK 95 TP (from Finnish , 'Assault Rifle 95 folding stock'), officially 7.62 RK 95 TP and commercially known as the M95, is a 7.62×39mm Finnish assault rifle adopted in relatively small numbers by the Finnish Defence Forces in the 1990s. T ...

(Finland) *

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. History Although the AMD-65 had been the Hungari ...

AMD-65 The AMD-65 ( Hungarian: ''Automata Módosított Deszantfegyver 1965''; Automatic Modified Paratrooper Weapon 1965) is a Hungarian-manufactured licensed variant of the selective fire AKM rifle. Usage The Hungarian Defence Forces issued the ...

(Hungary) *

INSAS rifle The INSAS, or Indian Small Arms System, is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG). These weapons were developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment and manufactured by ...

(India) *

IMI Galil The IMI Galil () is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili (inventor), Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was fir ...

IWI ACE The IWI Galil ACE, also marketed as the IWI ACE is a series of assault rifles and battle rifles developed and manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), produced in 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×39mm and 7.62×51mm NATO calibres. Design detail ...

(Israel) * Bernardelli VB-STD/VB-SR (Italy) *

FB Beryl The karabinek szturmowy wzór 96 "Beryl" (English: ''assault rifle pattern 1996 "Beryllium"'', abbreviated kbs wz. 96) is a Polish 5.56mm assault rifle, designed and produced by the FB "Łucznik" Radom, Fabryka Broni Radom. The rifle r ...

FB Tantal The ''karabinek wzór 1988'' (Carbine Model 1988) Tantal is a 5.45×39mm assault rifle designed and produced in Poland in the late 1980s. Development Design work on the new rifle officially began in 1984 at the government-owned ''Ośrodek Bad ...

(Poland) *

Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965 The Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965 (abbreviated PM md. 63 or simply md. 63) is a Romanian 7.62×39mm assault rifle. Developed in the late 1950s, the PM md. 63 was a derivative of the Soviet Union, Soviet AKM produced under license. It was the ...

(Romania) *

Zastava M70 The Zastava M70 ( sr-Cyrl, Застава М70) is a 7.62×39mm assault rifle developed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by Zastava Arms. The M70 was an unlicensed derivative of the Soviet Union, Soviet AK-47 (specifically the Type ...

(Serbia, Yugoslavia) *

Zastava M21 The Zastava M21 is a series of 5.56×45mm NATO rifles developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms in Serbia. Description The M21 is based on the Kalashnikov rifle, chambered in the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The current models use a 1.5mm thick st ...

(Serbia) *

Vektor R4 The Vektor R4 is a South African 5.56×45mm assault rifle. History It entered service as the standard service rifle of the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1980. In South African service, the R4 replaced the R1, a variant of the 7. ...

Truvelo Raptor Truvelo Armoury is a South African firearms manufacturer. It is a division of Truvelo Specialised Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd. Based in Midrand (Johannesburg) the company produces a range of rifles and other small arms for military, law enforcement and ...

(South Africa) * MPi-KM (East Germany) * MPi-KMS-72 (East Germany)

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.

References

Citations

General and cited references

* * *

External links

* {{Authority control Assault rifles Assault rifles of the Soviet Union Infantry weapons of the Cold War Rifles of the Cold War Soviet inventions