Infantry Weapons

AKMS

The AKMS is the under-folding-stock variant of the Soviet AKM assault rifle, retaining the AKM's stamped receiver, gas-operated selective-fire action, and 7.62x39mm chambering while giving airborne, vehicle-mounted, and compact-carry users a shorter folded profile. In the Russia-Ukraine War, ARES documented a specific AKMS seized by Ukrainian police from an alleged Russian saboteur, illustrating how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles still appear alongside newer small arms.

Russia-Ukraine WarRussia

Conflict side: Russia
Built by: Izhmash
Built in: Soviet Union

AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Profile

Type: Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle
Conflict side: Russia
Origin: Soviet Union
Service note: Introduced after the AKM entered Soviet service in 1959; still encountered in modern conflicts through legacy stocks and derivatives.

portable small armsassault riflekalashnikov7.62x39mm

Service History

In service: Soviet service from the AKM era; retained globally in legacy stocks and reserve use.
Used by: Soviet Armed Forces, Russian forces and affiliated personnel
Wars: Russia-Ukraine War

Production History

Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov design lineage
Designed: 1950s AKM family; AKMS folding-stock variant followed the 1959 AKM adoption
Built by: Izhmash
Built in: Soviet Union
Produced: Soviet production from the AKM production era, with licensed and derivative production abroad
Number built: Part of the widely produced AKM family; AKMS-specific totals vary by producer and are not consistently published
Variants: AKMS, AKMSN night-sight variant, Licensed and derivative folding-stock AKM-pattern rifles

Specifications

Caliber: 7.62x39mm M1943
Action: Gas-operated, selective fire
Weight: 3.53 kg unloaded for AKMS
Length: 907 mm stock extended; 657 mm stock folded
Barrel Length: 436 mm, muzzle to bolt face
Feed: 30-round detachable box magazine
Rate of Fire: About 600 rounds per minute
Muzzle Velocity: 715 m/s

Conflict Usage

Russia-Ukraine War: Side: Russia
ARES documented an AKMS rifle among weapons seized by the National Police of Ukraine from an alleged Russian saboteur in Zaporizhzhia on 9 March 2022; the source treats this as a seizure record rather than evidence of broader unit issue.

AKMS Images

AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 1

AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 2

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Sources

Kalashnikov AKM (& close derivatives)Publisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports AKM-family background and AKMS technical specifications including caliber, folded and extended length, unloaded weight, feed system, rate of fire, and muzzle velocity. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 AKMSPublisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Supports AKMS variant background, folding-stock role, 7.62x39mm caliber, and Izhmash manufacture for a documented Soviet AKMS example. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Weapons & equipment seized from alleged Russian saboteurs in Ukraine (2022)Publisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports the Russia-Ukraine War note for an AKMS seized by the National Police of Ukraine from an alleged Russian saboteur in Zaporizhzhia on 9 March 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Polish AKMS.JPEGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain U.S. Department of Defense image used as the primary AKMS image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 AKUNDrifle.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Open-license AKMS wz. 1981 image used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-20