Armas de infantería

Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM

Los fusiles de la familia AK-47/AKM son armas ligeras de patrón Kalashnikov derivadas del AK-47 soviético y de la modernización AKM de 1959, normalmente recamaradas para 7.62 x 39 mm. En el catálogo posterior a 2015 aparecen con disidentes de las FARC en Colombia, pandillas en Haití, combatientes del PKK, exploradores del GNA en Libia, insurgentes en Mali, fuerzas del Estado Islámico en Iraq y Siria, militantes en el Sinaí, unidades de las RSF en Sudán, combatientes de Hamas en Gaza, combatientes talibanes en Afganistán, militantes vinculados a Boko Haram en la cuenca del lago Chad y cadenas de suministro vinculadas a los hutíes en Yemen.

Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM, Familia de fusiles de asalto de fuego selectivo, Armas de infantería
Image source: U.S. Navy Seizes 1,400 Assault Rifles During Illicit Weapons Interdiction

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Unión Soviética; producido y copiado ampliamente a nivel internacional
Type
Familia de fusiles de asalto de fuego selectivo
Service note
Familia de diseño de la Guerra Fría que aún circula en conflictos contemporáneos
Designer
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Designed
Década de 1940; el AK-47 fue aceptado por el Ejército Soviético en 1949
Produced
1948 hasta el presente en producción original, bajo licencia y copiada de la familia AK

Specifications

Calibre común
7.62 x 39 mm M43 para los fusiles AK-47, AKM, AKMS y de la familia Type 56 enumerados aquí
Sistema de funcionamiento
Operado por gas, pistón de carrera larga con cerrojo rotativo
Sistema de alimentación
Normalmente cargador de caja desmontable de 30 cartuchos
Longitud total
Aproximadamente 87 cm para el ejemplo de AK-47 de la colección del Smithsonian
Longitud del AKMS
907 mm con la culata extendida; 657 mm con la culata plegada en los datos de la familia AKM de Small Arms Survey
Cadencia cíclica de la familia AKM
Aproximadamente 600 disparos por minuto en los datos de la familia AKM de Small Arms Survey
Velocidad inicial de la familia AKM
715 m/s en los datos de la familia AKM de Small Arms Survey
Rol típico
Arma individual portátil de infantería para fuego directo semiautomático o automático
Variants

Esta página de familia cubre la línea de patrón Kalashnikov de 7.62 x 39 mm desde el AK soviético original hasta la rama AKM y AKMS con cajón de mecanismos estampado y derivados chinos cercanos Type 56.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AK-47Base original soviética de la familia con culata fija

El registro de la colección del Smithsonian describe el AK-47 como el fusil operado por gas de Mikhail Kalashnikov basado en el cartucho M43 y señala su aceptación por el Ejército Soviético en 1949.

Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle

AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAKMModernización soviética con cajón de mecanismos estampado

Small Arms Survey y GunRF describen el AKM como el fusil Kalashnikov modernizado de 1959 con cajón de mecanismos prensado o estampado y la misma familia de cartuchos 7.62 x 39 mm.

Sources: Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives), GunRF AKM and AKMS assault rifles

AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAKMSVariante AKM con culata plegable inferior

Small Arms Survey identifica el AKMS como la rama AKM con culata plegable e indica dimensiones plegada y extendida mientras conserva la misma familia operativa de 7.62 x 39 mm.

Sources: Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives)

Type 56 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsType 56 assault rifleRama china de producción de patrón AK

Modern Firearms describe el Type 56 como un fusil chino de patrón AK recamarado para munición 7.62 x 39 mm, con producción temprana de cajón mecanizado y posterior de cajón estampado bajo la misma designación.

Sources: Type 56

Type 56-1 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm under-folding-stock assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsType 56-1 assault rifleRama china Type 56 con culata plegable

Modern Firearms identifica el Type 56-1 como el miembro con culata plegable de la familia Type 56, mientras que Small Arms Survey lo trata como un derivado cercano de la familia AKM.

Sources: Type 56, Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives)

Munición disparada

La familia AK-47/AKM está vinculada al cartucho intermedio soviético que se convirtió en el recamarado estándar de muchos fusiles de patrón Kalashnikov.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
7.62x39mm cartridge, Intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions7.62x39mm cartridgeCartucho intermedio de fusil

El registro del AK-47 del Smithsonian dice que Kalashnikov presentó un fusil operado por gas basado en el cartucho M43, y Small Arms Survey enumera munición 7.62 x 39 mm M1943 para los derivados de la familia AKM representados aquí.

Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle, Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives)

Timeline

Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM Key Events

  1. Kalashnikov presenta un diseño de fusil operado por gas

    El registro del Smithsonian dice que Mikhail Kalashnikov envió planos a la Comisión Principal de Artillería en Moscú para un nuevo fusil operado por gas basado en el cartucho M43.

    Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle

  2. El AK es aceptado en el servicio soviético

    El registro de la colección del Smithsonian identifica la aceptación del AK-47 por el Ejército Soviético en 1949.

    Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle

  3. Comienza la producción china del Type 56

    Modern Firearms describe el Type 56 como la familia china de fusiles de patrón AK y sitúa su adopción e inicio de producción a mediados de la década de 1950.

    Sources: Type 56

  4. La modernización AKM entra en servicio soviético

    Small Arms Survey y GunRF describen el AKM como el fusil Kalashnikov modernizado de 1959 con cajón de mecanismos prensado o estampado.

    Sources: Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives), GunRF AKM and AKMS assault rifles

Media

Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM Videos

Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM Images

Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM, Familia de fusiles de asalto de fuego selectivo, Armas de infantería - view 1
Source: Commons AK-47 and Type 56 Image
Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM, Familia de fusiles de asalto de fuego selectivo, Armas de infantería - view 2
Source: Commons Polish AKMS Image
Familia de fusiles AK-47/AKM, Familia de fusiles de asalto de fuego selectivo, Armas de infantería - view 3
Source: Commons Illicit Arms Captured by the USN Image
Related Weapon Systems
AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKM7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Adopted in 1959, it reduced production burden compared with earlier milled-receiver AK rifles and became a widely licensed baseline for later 7.62mm Kalashnikov-pattern weapons. CAR and ARES field documentation continues to place AKM and AKM-pattern rifles in modern conflict stocks, from Islamic State recoveries in Iraq and Syria to Taliban captures in Afghanistan.
Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsGalil assault rifleSelective-fire assault rifle familyThe Galil is an Israeli Kalashnikov-derived assault rifle family originally produced by Israel Military Industries and later modernized by Israel Weapon Industries as the Galil ACE line. Recent conflict reporting places Galil or Galil ACE rifles in irregular small-arms stocks from the Lake Chad Basin to FARC dissident operations in Colombia and trafficked gang arsenals in Haiti, where they appear as portable infantry weapons rather than heavy support systems.
AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKMSFolding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKMS is the under-folding-stock member of the Soviet AKM assault-rifle family, retaining the stamped receiver, long-stroke gas system, select-fire controls, and 7.62x39mm chambering while shortening the rifle for airborne troops, vehicle crews, and compact carry. Conflict Armament Research and ARES documentation places AKMS-family rifles in Islamic State stocks around Kobane and in a 2022 Ukrainian police seizure from an alleged Russian saboteur, showing how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles remain visible in modern war.
PKM/PK, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsPKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, remote weapon stations, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide licensed-production base make the family a recurring infantry fire-support weapon in recent conflicts, with documented rows here covering Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Lake Chad, Gaza, Afghanistan, and Turkey's conflict with the PKK.
Type 56 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsType 56 assault rifle7.62x39mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifleThe Type 56 is China's 7.62x39mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifle family, adopted in 1956, built in very large numbers, and exported widely through state, surplus, and illicit channels. Its early rifles followed the Soviet AK-47 with milled receivers, later production used AKM-style stamped receivers under the same designation, and many examples are recognizable by a permanently attached folding spike bayonet. In the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, Small Arms Survey and Stimson reporting link Chinese Type 56 rifles to weapons seized from Boko Haram members and to materiel captured during the 2016 Bosso camp attack in Niger.

Sources

FARC dissidents brandish new weapons and call for Duque resignationPublisher: The City Paper Bogotá | Note: Supports 2016 Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict direct conflict-use: the article contrasts FARC dissidents' 2019 return-to-arms video showing old AK-47s with later weapons imagery. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Haiti: Gangs have 'more firepower than the police'Publisher: UNODC | Note: Supports 2022 Haitian Gang Conflict direct conflict-use: UNODC reported that Haitian gangs were using trafficked Russian AK-47s amid the current armed-gang conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Kurdish fighters burn weapons in significant step towards peace with TurkeyPublisher: Sky News | Note: Supports 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict direct conflict-use: PKK fighters placed AK-47 assault rifles into a July 2025 disarmament ceremony in Iraq during the conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Russia, Turkey are sending fighters and weapons into LibyaPublisher: The Washington Post | Note: Supports 2014 Second Libyan Civil War direct conflict-use: Tripoli-government scouts were armed with AK-47s on a reconnaissance mission during the 2019-2020 civil war. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Al-Qaeda-linked militants launch coordinated attacks across MaliPublisher: The Washington Post | Note: Supports 2012 Mali War direct conflict-use: JNIM and allied fighters used AK-47s during coordinated attacks across Mali in April 2026. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Troops recover 30 guns abandoned by Maute groupPublisher: SunStar Philippines | Note: Supports 2017 Battle of Marawi direct conflict-use: AK-47 rifles were used by IS-aligned Maute militants, with two AK-47 rifles recovered from weapons believed abandoned by the Maute group near its last position in Marawi City. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Sending in the Cavalry: The Growing Militarization of Counterterrorism in Southeast AsiaPublisher: National Defense University Press | Note: Supports 2017 Battle of Marawi direct conflict-use: AK-47 assault rifles were fielded by pro-ISIL militants in Marawi alongside heavier weapons during the urban battle. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Weapons of the Islamic StatePublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, 2014 War Against the Islamic State, and 2013 War in Iraq direct conflict-use: CAR documented Soviet and Russian AK-47 and AKM assault rifles among Islamic State weapons in Iraq and Syria. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Army kills 8 militants in large-scale operation inside North SinaiPublisher: Daily News Egypt | Note: Supports 2011 Sinai Insurgency direct conflict-use: militants used AK-47 assault rifles in the North Sinai attack described in the article. | Accessed: 2026-06-21New weapons fuelling the Sudan conflictPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Supports 2023 Sudan War direct conflict-use: Amnesty International published imagery of an RSF unit in Nyala carrying imported AK-pattern rifles. | Accessed: 2026-06-21AP Hamas weapons analysisPublisher: AP News | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: AP analysis reports Hamas fighters using AK-47 assault rifles from China and Russia. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Taliban Fighters Threaten CNN Crew With AK-47sPublisher: Business Insider | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict-use: CNN footage reported by Business Insider showed Taliban fighters in Kabul with an AK-47 during the August 2021 takeover and evacuation period. | Accessed: 2026-06-21U.S. Navy Intercepts More Than 2,000 Assault Rifles Shipped from IranPublisher: U.S. Naval Forces Central Command | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct conflict-use: AK-47 assault rifles were supplied to Houthi-linked forces via a maritime route from Iran to Yemen used to traffic weapons to the conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-20U.S. Navy Seizes 1,400 Assault Rifles During Illicit Weapons InterdictionPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct conflict-use: AK-47 assault rifles were transferred toward Houthi-linked forces on a route used to traffic weapons unlawfully to Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-06-20CENTCOM Forces Intercept More Than 2,000 Assault Rifles Shipped from IranPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct conflict-use: more than 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles were being supplied to Houthi-linked forces along a route from Iran to Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Seized At Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to the HouthisPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct conflict-use by describing thousands of assault rifles and other weapons destined for the Houthis between 2015 and 2024. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Maritime Interdictions of Weapon Supplies to Somalia and YemenPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports background on illegal dhow shipments destined for Yemen and the broader maritime interdiction context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Weapon Supplies Fueling Terrorism in the Lake Chad CrisisPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct conflict-use: AKM assault rifles were documented among weapons seized from JAS/Boko Haram and ISWAP-affiliated militants in the Lake Chad area. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AK-47 Automatic RiflePublisher: Smithsonian Institution | Note: Supports AK-47 background, designer context, acceptance into Soviet service, and collection measurements. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives)Publisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports AKM and AKMS close-derivative identification and specs including 7.62 x 39 mm caliber, 30-round magazine, gas selective-fire operation, 600 rds/min rate, 715 m/s muzzle velocity, and AKMS folded and extended dimensions. | Accessed: 2026-07-01GunRF AKM and AKMS assault riflesPublisher: GunRF | Note: Supports AKM adoption date, AKMS folding-stock designation, 1959 AKM-family modernization context, and 7.62 x 39 mm cartridge relationship. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Type 56Publisher: Modern Firearms | Note: Supports Type 56 family background, Chinese production context, Type 56-1 under-folding stock identification, operating system, 7.62 x 39 mm chambering, and baseline specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Commons AK-47 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports primary image provenance for a public-domain U.S. federal government AK-47 image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons AK-47 and Type 56 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for a public-domain U.S. government comparison of a Chinese Type 56 and Soviet AK-47. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Polish AKMS ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for a public-domain U.S. defense image of an AKMS-pattern rifle in use during training. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Illicit Arms Captured by the USN ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Navy image of seized illicit arms including Type 56-1 assault rifles. | Accessed: 2026-06-20