Infantry Weapons

AK-103-2 assault rifle

The AK-103-2 is the three-round-burst export variant of the Russian AK-103, a 7.62x39mm AK-100-series rifle derived from the AK-74M layout but chambered for the older AKM cartridge. In the Boko Haram Insurgency context, available open-source evidence is limited: the specific AK-103-2 identification comes from visual reporting of Boko Haram militants around Lake Chad, while separate Nigerian court reporting documents alleged AK-103 rifle trafficking from Diffa toward a Boko Haram recipient.

Boko Haram InsurgencyBoko Haram and ISWAP

Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Built by: IzhmashKalashnikov Concern
Built in: Russia

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons

Image source: AK-103 2.png

Profile

Type: 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant
Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Origin: Russia
Service note: 1990s design; documented in Lake Chad conflict reporting in the 2020s

portable small arms assault rifle7.62x39mmkalashnikov

Service History

In service: Export rifle variant documented in illicit and state inventories
Used by: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Wars: Boko Haram Insurgency

Production History

Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov design lineage / Izhmash
Designed: Early 1990s AK-100 series
Built by: IzhmashKalashnikov Concern
Built in: Russia
Produced: 1990s-present AK-103 family
Variants: AK-103, AK-103-1, AK-103-2, AK-103N2, AK-103N3

Specifications

Cartridge: 7.62x39mm
Action: Gas-operated, selective-fire Kalashnikov action
Fire modes: Safe, semi-automatic, three-round burst, and fully automatic on the AK-103-2 variant
Overall length: 943 mm with stock extended; about 705 mm with stock folded
Barrel length: 415 mm
Weight: 3.6 kg with empty magazine; about 4.1 kg with loaded magazine
Feed system: 30-round detachable 7.62x39mm AK-pattern magazine
Muzzle velocity: 715 m/s
Cyclic rate: About 600 rounds per minute

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency: Side: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent small-arms firestrike
Open-source visual identification from a Lake Chad attack attributed to Boko Haram described militants using armed boats with at least two uncommon AK-103-2 rifles; broader 2026 Nigerian court reporting separately alleged an AK-103 rifle consignment was being moved from Diffa to a Boko Haram member.

AK-103-2 assault rifle Images

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons - view 1 — Source: AK-103 2.png

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons - view 2 — Source: AK103 GP 34.jpg

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons - view 3 — Source: Izhmash Rifles - AK-103 with GP-34 Grenade Launcher and AK-104

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons - view 4 — Source: AK-103 assault rifle with GP-34 grenade launcher at Engineering Technologies 2012

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Sources

A Tale of Two RiflesPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports AK-103-2 background, manufacturer lineage, variant distinction, Libya-origin proliferation context, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 AK103 7.62mm Kalashnikov Assault RiflePublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports AK-103 family specifications, including cartridge, weight, sighting range, muzzle velocity, rate of fire, and magazine capacity. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Lake Chad Boko Haram AK-103-2 visual identificationPublisher: War Noir | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use claim: AK-103-2 rifles were identified as used by Boko Haram militants in a Lake Chad attack; evidence is open-source visual identification rather than official recovery documentation. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 FG arraigns five men for terrorism, attempted supply of smuggled arms to Boko HaramPublisher: Premium Times | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency related supply context: Nigerian prosecutors alleged 15 AK-103 rifles were supplied to a Boko Haram member from Diffa into Nigeria, but the article does not identify the AK-103-2 subvariant. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Court Sentences Five Linked To Attack To 25 Years ImprisonmentPublisher: Channels Television | Note: Supports related Boko Haram AK-103 trafficking context from Nigerian court proceedings, including the Diffa-to-Borgu route and 7.62mm ammunition; it does not identify the AK-103-2 subvariant. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Weapon Supplies Fuelling Terrorism in the Lake Chad CrisisPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports Lake Chad weapons-context background for materiel seized from Boko Haram/JAS and ISWAP-linked groups around Diffa and Lake Chad. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 AK-103 2.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary AK-103 illustration, released as CC0 public-domain dedication. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 AK103 GP 34.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for an AK-103 with underbarrel grenade launcher, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 with VRT permission. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Izhmash Rifles - AK-103 with GP-34 Grenade Launcher and AK-104Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for Izhmash AK-103 and AK-104 display rifles, confirmed from Flickr under CC BY-SA 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 AK-103 assault rifle with GP-34 grenade launcher at Engineering Technologies 2012Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for an AK-103 display rifle photographed at Engineering Technologies 2012, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21