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Encyclopedia · AK-47 family · 1959–1977 (Soviet production)

AKM

Also known as Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanny, Modernized AK

A 1971 Soviet AKM, both sides. Note the stamped receiver and slant compensator.
A 1971 Soviet AKM, both sides. Note the stamped receiver and slant compensator.AKM automatkarbin, Ryssland - 7,62x39mm - Armémuseum.jpg by Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The modernized AK adopted on 8 April 1959 and the most common Kalashnikov of all. A stamped receiver cut weight to about 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) and made the rifle faster and cheaper to build. The Soviets made about 10 million before switching to the AK-74, and licensed copies were built across the Warsaw Pact. Almost every semi-automatic AK sold in the US today, from the Romanian WASR-10 to Zastava's ZPAP M70, follows the AKM pattern. The folding-stock AKMS was added in 1962.[2][4][10][28]

How to identify the AKM

Stamped receiver with a small dimple above the magazine well (instead of a long milled cut), rivets along the receiver, a ribbed top cover and, on most rifles, a slanted muzzle compensator.[1][2][4]

What changed

  • Stamped steel receiver: about 1 kg (2.2 lb) lighter than the milled AK
  • Barrel pressed and pinned into the trunnion
  • Ribbed top cover
  • Hammer rate-reducer in the trigger group
  • Bayonet lug; slant muzzle compensator from 1965
  • Laminated wood furniture; brown plastic pistol grip on late rifles
[1][2][4][10][28]

Specifications

Cartridge7.62×39mm (M43)[2][3]
ActionGas-operated, long-stroke piston, two-lug rotating bolt[3]
Fire modesSemi-auto and full auto (military); semi-auto only (civilian copies)[3][28]
Overall length34.6 in (880 mm); AKMS 25.2 in (640 mm) folded[4]
Barrel length16.3 in (415 mm)[3][4]
Weight, empty7.3 lb (3.3 kg)[4]
Magazine30-round detachable box[3][4]
Cyclic rateAbout 600 rounds per minute[3][4]
Bullet and velocity (57-N-231 ball)About 120–124 gr (7.75–8.05 g) steel-core bullet at 2,330–2,380 ft/s (710–725 m/s)[2]

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7.62x39 ammoMSRP per round: median $1.30See 7.62x39 loads →

Full history and family tree

The AKM is covered in depth on the AK-47 page: history, how it works, the full variants table, the family tree, the AK-47 vs AKM table, US legal history and FAQ.

Sources

  1. Jonathan Ferguson and N. R. Jenzen-Jones. An Introduction to Basic AK Type Rifle Identification (Research Note No. 6). Armament Research Services (ARES), 2014 Accessed 2026-10-02.
  2. Maxim Popenker. The History of Russian Avtomat: Evolution of the Kalashnikov AK. Sureshot Armament Group, 2023, pp. 29–65 Accessed 2026-10-02.
  3. Maxim Popenker. Kalashnikov AK-47 / AK assault rifle (USSR). Modern Firearms Accessed 2026-10-02.
  4. Maxim Popenker. Kalashnikov AKM / AKMS assault rifle (USSR). Modern Firearms Accessed 2026-10-02.
  5. Mikhail Degtyarev. AK before AK: the first Kalashnikov rifles. Kalashnikov magazine Accessed 2026-09-27.
  6. Modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle (AKM). Kalashnikov Museum and Exhibition Complex via Culture.ru Accessed 2026-09-27.
  7. P. E. Fitch. Review: Century Arms WASR-10 Rifle. Shooting Illustrated (NRA), 2024 Accessed 2026-10-02.

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