Infantry Weapons

AK-308 rifle

Also known as
  • AK-308
  • 7.62 mm Kalashnikov AK-308
  • Kalashnikov AK-308
  • AK308
  • AK-308 Model 2025

The AK-308 rifle is Kalashnikov Concern's 7.62x51 mm NATO-pattern battle rifle, applying the AK-12 / AK-15 layout to a full-power cartridge and later appearing in UN reporting on firearms used by criminal gangs in Haiti.

AK-308 rifle, 7.62x51 mm battle rifle, Infantry Weapons
Image source: AK308.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia
Type
7.62x51 mm battle rifle
Service note
Presented in 2018; updated production model announced in 2025
Designer
Kalashnikov Concern
Designed
2018
Produced
Updated production model announced in 2025
Developed from
AK-12 / AK-15 family; 2018 prototype reporting also described an AK-103 baseline with AK-12 elements

Specifications

Caliber
7.62x51 mm NATO / .308 Winchester
Operation
Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Overall length
940 mm
Barrel length
415 mm
Weight
4.3 kg
Magazine capacity
20 rounds
Aiming range
800 m
Design Notes

The AK-308 is useful to read as a full-power-cartridge branch of the modern Kalashnikov rifle family rather than as a legacy AKM derivative. Kalashnikov describes the rifle around the 7.62x51 mm cartridge, a 20-round magazine, and an 800 m aiming range.

Family position

The rifle follows the AK-12 / AK-15 layout while moving to the NATO-pattern 7.62x51 mm cartridge class.

Feed system

Kalashnikov lists a 20-round magazine, distinguishing the rifle from intermediate-caliber AK-12 / AK-15 magazine patterns.

Variants

Public sources use AK-308 for Kalashnikov's 7.62x51 mm rifle line. Current Kalashnikov catalog context ties it to the AK-15 / AK-12 family, while 2018 show reporting described the prototype around an AK-103 baseline with AK-12 or AK-12 / AK-15 elements.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AK-308 prototypeArmy-2018 prototype / initial public designation

Kalashnikov demonstrated the 7.62 mm AK-308 at Army-2018; contemporary reporting described the 7.62x51 mm prototype as combining AK-103 baseline features with modern AK-12 or AK-12 / AK-15 elements.

Sources: AK-308 Prototype Reveal, Kalashnikov Unveils Latest AK Assault Rifle, Kalashnikov unveils new AK-308 assault rifle

AK-308 catalog rifle7.62x51 mm export rifle

Kalashnikov's catalog identifies the AK-308 as a 7.62 mm rifle chambered for 7.62x51 cartridges and tied to the modern AK-15 design line.

Sources: AK-308

AK-308 Model 2025Updated export model

Kalashnikov announced an updated 7.62 mm AK-308 after qualification testing; accessible reporting describes refinements to the forend, receiver-cover rail, stock, magazine, and sighting arrangement.

Sources: AK-308 Updated Production, Kalashnikov Reveals Upgraded AK-308 Rifle Compatible with NATO Ammunition

Ammunition Fired

Kalashnikov identifies the AK-308 as chambered for 7.62x51 rifle cartridges.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, NATO-standard rifle and machine-gun cartridge, Munitions7.62x51mm NATO cartridge7.62x51 mm rifle cartridge

Kalashnikov identifies the AK-308 as chambered for 7.62x51 rifle cartridges, which is the cartridge-family link used on this catalog page.

Sources: AK-308, AK-308: Specs

Timeline

AK-308 rifle Key Events

  1. AK-308 publicly unveiled at Army-2018

    Defense reporting from Army-2018 described the public unveiling of the AK-308 as a 7.62x51 mm addition to the latest Kalashnikov rifle family.

  2. AK-308 photographed at Army-2022

    A Wikimedia Commons exhibition photograph records an AK308 7.62x51 NATO rifle at Army-2022 on August 20, 2022.

  3. Updated AK-308 production announced

    Kalashnikov said it would begin production of an updated AK-308 after qualification testing, keeping the rifle in the 7.62x51 mm export-oriented chambering.

  4. UN report identifies AK-308 rifles in Haiti

    The final UN Human Rights Council report on Haiti listed AK-308 rifles among the firearms used by criminal gangs in Haiti.

Media

AK-308 rifle Videos

AK-308 rifle Images

AK-308 rifle, 7.62x51 mm battle rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: AK308.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
.308-caliber precision rifle, Bolt-action or semi-automatic precision rifle class, Infantry WeaponsInfantry Weapons.308-caliber precision rifleBolt-action or semi-automatic precision rifle class.308-caliber precision rifles are scoped small arms chambered in .308 Winchester, 7.62x51mm NATO, or closely related .30-caliber service cartridges, depending on the model and markings. The class spans law-enforcement, military, sporting, and long-range precision roles. In the 2022 Haitian Gang Conflict entry, the sourcing supports illicit trafficking of .308 rifles into Haiti and gang-linked demand for higher-powered rifles, but it does not identify a specific model or prove a documented firing incident.
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.

Sources

AK-308Publisher: Kalashnikov Group | Note: Official manufacturer page for the AK-308, including chambering, dimensions, and production background. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AK-308: SpecsPublisher: Kalashnikov Group | Note: Official specifications page listing the AK-308's caliber, barrel length, overall length, magazine capacity, and weight. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AK-308 Prototype RevealPublisher: Kalashnikov Group | Note: Official announcement that Kalashnikov displayed the 7.62 mm AK-308 prototype at the Army-2018 forum. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Kalashnikov Unveils Latest AK Assault RiflePublisher: RealClearDefense / IHS Jane's 360 | Note: Syndicated Jane's excerpt supporting the AK-308 public unveiling date at Army-2018 and its 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Kalashnikov unveils new AK-308 assault riflePublisher: Shephard Media | Note: Army-2018 defense reporting describing the first public showing of the AK-308 and the prototype's AK-103, AK-12, and AK-15 design references. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AK-308 Updated ProductionPublisher: Kalashnikov Group | Note: Official announcement for the updated AK-308 following qualification tests, supporting the variant and timeline context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Kalashnikov Reveals Upgraded AK-308 Rifle Compatible with NATO AmmunitionPublisher: Defense Mirror | Note: Reporting on the 2025 AK-308 modernization, including retained 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering and visible design refinements. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Situation of human rights in HaitiPublisher: United Nations Digital Library | Note: Final A/HRC/58/76 report directly identifies AK-308 rifles among firearms used by criminal gangs in Haiti during the 2022 Haitian Gang Conflict. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AK308.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the AK-308 exhibition photograph; the file page identifies the work as own work and licenses it under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AK308 Battle Rifle Army-2022 2022-08-20 2387.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance for the AK-308 exhibition photograph; the file page identifies the work as own work and licenses it under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01