Infantry Weapons

AK-103-2 assault rifle

Also known as
  • AK-103-2
  • AK103-2
  • AK 103-2
  • AK-103 three-round-burst variant

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 2009 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.

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons
Image source: AK-103 2.png

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia
Type
7.62x39mm assault rifle variant
Service note
1990s design; documented in Lake Chad conflict reporting in the 2020s
Designer
Mikhail Kalashnikov design lineage / Izhmash
Designed
Early 1990s AK-100 series
Produced
1990s-present AK-103 family
Developed from
AK-74M

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
Variants

The AK-103-2 is an AK-103-family suffix variant inside the export-oriented AK-100 series; reference sources treat AK-100 as a family label rather than a standalone rifle designation.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AK-103 assault rifle, 7.62x39 mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAK-103 assault rifleBase 7.62x39 mm AK-103 rifle

Full-length AK-100-series rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm, derived from the AK-74M layout and fitted with the solid folding stock and optical sight rail typical of the series.

Sources: A Tale of Two Rifles, Small Arms Survey AK-100 series

AK-103-1Semi-automatic AK-103 suffix variant

Small Arms Survey identifies the -1 suffix as denoting semi-automatic, self-loading-only AK-100-series weapons.

Sources: Small Arms Survey AK-100 series

AK-103N2Night-sight AK-103 suffix variant

Small Arms Survey identifies the N2 suffix as a variant fitted for the 1PN58 night sight.

Sources: Small Arms Survey AK-100 series

AK-103N3Night-sight AK-103 suffix variant

Small Arms Survey identifies the N3 suffix as a variant fitted for the 1PN51 night sight.

Sources: Small Arms Survey AK-100 series

Ammunition Fired

The AK-103-2 is documented as a 7.62 x 39 mm rifle and accepts AK magazines in that calibre.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
7.62x39mm cartridge, Intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions7.62x39mm cartridgeIntermediate rifle cartridge

ARES identifies the AK-103-2 as chambered for 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition and notes that it accepts existing AK magazines in that calibre.

Sources: A Tale of Two Rifles

Launcher Compatibility

The GP-34 is documented as compatible with the AK-103 family; the available sources support this as a family-level relationship, not a documented Boko Haram configuration.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
GP-34 underbarrel grenade launcher, 40 mm underbarrel grenade launcher, Infantry WeaponsGP-34 underbarrel grenade launcher40 mm underbarrel grenade launcher

Modern Firearms says the GP-34 can be installed on the AK-103, while ARES and Small Arms Survey identify the AK-103-2 as an AK-103 / AK-100-series variant with the same 415 mm rifle format.

Sources: GP-34 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher - Modern Firearms, A Tale of Two Rifles, Small Arms Survey AK-100 series

Timeline

AK-103-2 assault rifle Key Events

  1. AK-100-series development context

    ARES places the AK-103 in the AK-100 export family derived from the AK-74M pattern but chambered for 7.62x39 mm ammunition.

    Sources: A Tale of Two Rifles

  2. Libyan AK-103-2 contract evidence

    ARES reports that shipping documents, packaging, and imagery indicated large AK-103-2 orders under a 2004 Libyan contract, later relevant to regional proliferation.

    Sources: A Tale of Two Rifles

  3. Lake Chad visual identification

    War Noir identified at least two AK-103-2 rifles in footage or imagery from a Lake Chad attack attributed to Boko Haram militants.

    Sources: Lake Chad Boko Haram AK-103-2 visual identification

  4. Nigerian court reporting on AK-103 supply attempt

    Premium Times and Channels Television reported allegations that AK-103 rifles and 7.62 mm ammunition were moved from Diffa toward a Boko Haram recipient; the reporting did not identify the AK-103-2 subvariant.

    Sources: FG arraigns five men for terrorism, attempted supply of smuggled arms to Boko Haram, Court Sentences Five Linked To Attack To 25 Years Imprisonment

Media

AK-103-2 assault rifle Videos

AK-103-2 assault rifle Images

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: AK103 GP 34.jpg
AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons - view 2
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 3
Source: AK-103 assault rifle with GP-34 grenade launcher at Engineering Technologies 2012
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.
AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familyAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 catalog they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Hamas fighters in Gaza, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, Boko Haram-linked militants in the Lake Chad basin, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.
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.
Type 56-1 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm under-folding-stock assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsType 56-1 assault rifle7.62x39mm under-folding-stock assault rifleThe Type 56-1 is the under-folding-stock member of China's Type 56 Kalashnikov-pattern rifle family, chambered for 7.62x39mm ammunition and built for compact carriage by infantry and irregular forces. Modern Firearms and museum records identify it as a Chinese Type 56-family rifle made by state arms factories and NORINCO, while field and interdiction reporting links Type 56-1 rifles to Boko Haram seizures in Niger and Iran-backed supply channels for Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen.

Sources

A Tale of Two RiflesPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports AK-103-2 background, manufacturer lineage, variant distinction, AK-100-series relationship context, Libya-origin proliferation context, magazine compatibility, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Small Arms Survey AK-100 seriesPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports AK-100-series family context, the AK-103-2 variant listing, 7.62 x 39 mm AK-103 caliber, 415 mm AK-103 barrel length, and the -2 suffix as a three-shot-burst model. | Accessed: 2026-07-04GP-34 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher - Modern FirearmsPublisher: Modern Firearms | Note: Supports AK-103-family launcher compatibility by listing the GP-34 as installable on the AK-103 and showing it mounted on a 7.62 mm AK103 rifle. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AK103 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: 2026-07-04Lake Chad Boko Haram AK-103-2 visual identificationPublisher: War Noir | Note: Supports 2009 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: 2026-07-04FG arraigns five men for terrorism, attempted supply of smuggled arms to Boko HaramPublisher: Premium Times | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency related supply context: Nigerian prosecutors alleged an attempted movement of 15 AK-103 rifles from Diffa toward a Boko Haram member in Nigeria, but the article does not identify the AK-103-2 subvariant. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Court 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: 2026-07-04Weapon 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: 2026-07-04AK-103 2.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary AK-103 illustration, released as CC0 public-domain dedication. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AK103 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: 2026-07-04Izhmash 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: 2026-07-04AK-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: 2026-07-04