| AKM | |
|---|---|
 The AKM assault rifle | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin |  Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Soviet war in Afghanistan Iran-Iraq War Chechen War War in Afghanistan Iraq War Mexican Drug War and various other conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Mikhail Kalashnikov |
| Designed | 1950s |
| Manufacturer | Izhmash Tula Arms Plant others |
| No. built | More than 10,278,300 |
| Variants | AKMS AKMP AKML AKMLP AKMSP AKMSU AKMSN AKMSNP |
| Specifications (Updated information) | |
| Mass | AKM: 3.1 kg (6.83 lb) w/unloaded magazine AKML: 3.80 kg (8.4 lb) AKMS: 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) AKMSN: 3.77 kg (8.3 lb) AKMS: 3.8 kg (8.4 lb) with full magazine 30-rnd magazine: 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) 6H4 bayonet: 0.32 kg (0.71 lb) |
| Length | AKM, AKML: 880 mm (34.6 in) AKMS, AKMSN: 920 mm (36.2 in) stock extended / 655 mm (25.8 in) stock folded |
| Barrel length | 415 mm (16.3 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm M43 |
| Action | Gas operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | Cyclic rate of fire: 600 rds/min Practical rate of fire: Semi-auto 40 rds/min Full-auto 100 rds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 715 m/s (2,346 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 350 m (383 yd) |
| Feed system | 10, 20, or 30 round detachable box magazines. Also compatible with 40 round box magazines and 75-round drum magazines from the RPK. |
| Sights | Rear sight notch on sliding tangent, front post 100–1,000 m sight adjustments Sight radius: 378 mm (14.9 in) |
The AKM is a Soviet assault rifle that was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1950s and adopted in 1959 by the Soviet army to replace the AK-47. The difference between the AK-47 and the AKM is that the AK-47 is short and the AKM is long and the other difference is that the AK-47 has a regular muzzle and the AKM has a sharp muzzle.
