Infantry Weapons

AK-47/AKM rifle family

AK-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.

AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons
Image source: U.S. Navy Seizes 1,400 Assault Rifles During Illicit Weapons Interdiction

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union; widely produced and copied internationally
Type
Selective-fire assault rifle family
Service note
Cold War design family still circulating in contemporary conflicts
Designer
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Designed
1940s; AK-47 accepted by the Soviet Army in 1949
Produced
1948-present across original, licensed, and copied AK-family production

Specifications

Common caliber
7.62 x 39 mm M43 for AK-47, AKM, AKMS, and Type 56-family rifles listed here
Operating system
Gas-operated, long-stroke piston with rotating bolt
Feed system
Typically 30-round detachable box magazine
Overall length
About 87 cm for the AK-47 example in the Smithsonian collection
AKMS length
907 mm stock extended; 657 mm stock folded in Small Arms Survey AKM-family data
AKM-family cyclic rate
About 600 rounds per minute in Small Arms Survey AKM-family data
AKM-family muzzle velocity
715 m/s in Small Arms Survey AKM-family data
Typical role
Portable individual infantry weapon for semi-automatic or automatic direct fire
Variants

This family page covers the 7.62 x 39 mm Kalashnikov-pattern line from the original Soviet AK through the stamped-receiver AKM and AKMS branch and close Chinese Type 56 derivatives.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AK-47Original Soviet fixed-stock family baseline

The Smithsonian collection record describes the AK-47 as Mikhail Kalashnikov's gas-operated rifle based on the M43 cartridge and notes Soviet Army acceptance in 1949.

Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle

AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAKMStamped-receiver Soviet modernization

Small Arms Survey and GunRF describe the AKM as the 1959 modernized Kalashnikov rifle with a pressed or stamped receiver and the same 7.62 x 39 mm cartridge family.

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

AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAKMSUnder-folding-stock AKM variant

Small Arms Survey identifies the AKMS as the folding-stock AKM branch and gives folded and extended dimensions while retaining the same 7.62 x 39 mm operating family.

Sources: Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives)

Type 56 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsType 56 assault rifleChinese AK-pattern production branch

Modern Firearms describes the Type 56 as a Chinese AK-pattern rifle chambered for 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition, with early milled and later stamped-receiver production under the same designation.

Sources: Type 56

Type 56-1 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm under-folding-stock assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsType 56-1 assault rifleChinese folding-stock Type 56 branch

Modern Firearms identifies the Type 56-1 as the folding-stock member of the Type 56 family, while Small Arms Survey treats it as a close AKM-family derivative.

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

Ammunition Fired

The AK-47/AKM family is tied to the Soviet intermediate cartridge that became the standard chambering for many Kalashnikov-pattern rifles.

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

The Smithsonian AK-47 record says Kalashnikov submitted a gas-operated rifle based on the M43 cartridge, and Small Arms Survey lists 7.62 x 39 mm M1943 ammunition for the AKM-family derivatives represented here.

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

Timeline

AK-47/AKM rifle family Key Events

  1. Kalashnikov submits a gas-operated rifle design

    The Smithsonian record says Mikhail Kalashnikov sent drawings to the Main Artillery Commission in Moscow for a new gas-operated rifle based on the M43 cartridge.

    Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle

  2. AK accepted into Soviet service

    The Smithsonian collection record identifies Soviet Army acceptance of the AK-47 in 1949.

    Sources: AK-47 Automatic Rifle

  3. Chinese Type 56 production begins

    Modern Firearms describes the Type 56 as China's AK-pattern rifle family and places its adoption and production start in the mid-1950s.

    Sources: Type 56

  4. AKM modernization enters Soviet service

    Small Arms Survey and GunRF describe the AKM as the 1959 modernized Kalashnikov rifle with a pressed or stamped receiver.

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

Media

AK-47/AKM rifle family Videos

AK-47/AKM rifle family Images

AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: Commons AK-47 and Type 56 Image
AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: Commons Polish AKMS Image
AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - 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