AKM
The iconic “AK47” pattern, the Soviet AKM was the stamped steel model that has been used and copied around the world.
The History
During the Second World War the Soviet Red Army was equipped primarily with a combination of 7.62x54mm Mosin Nagant bolt action rifles and 7.62x25mm PPSh submachine guns. These were, in many ways, equivalent to the bolt action rifles and submachine guns used by the Germans, although it should be noted that the Soviets made larger use of semi-automatic rifles than any other country save the United States. With the conditions of the battlefields of the conflict, it was apparent that an entirely new weapon was required.
The rear sight of the AKM, graduated from 100 to 1,000 meters. Note also the charging handle and the gas tube takedown catch on the right of the sight base
The Soviets had already begun to experiment with a new intermediate cartridge by 1943, the 7.62x39mm, appropriately designated the M43 cartridge. Development on a carbine and a light machine gun in the new chambering would commence during the war, but the direction of weapons technology would be reset with the German STG44, the first true example of an assault rifle.
The front sight is situated on a tall block, tapered at the rear. The sight itself is a simple post protected by two curved wings
After being wounded in battle in late 1941, the story of the AKM would begin when tank commander Mikhail Kalashnikov was wounded and found himself hospitalized. During this time Kalashnikov, a natural with mechanical devices, set about creating a better weapon for his comrades in the field. His first weapon design was a submachine gun, and while rejected by the Red Army, it earned Kalashnikov a new posting, assigned to the Soviet small arms development program, where he was introduced to the 7.62x39mm cartridge and set about producing a carbine chambered for it.
The AKM is fitted with the so-called “slant brake”, a simple compensator that helps the user control the recoil impulse of the rifle. Soviet troops nicknamed it the “whistle” due to its shape
Kalashnikov’s carbine would also fail to be adopted by the Red Army, with the SKS being selected over it for service. Despite this failure a requirement was issued in 1946 for an assault rifle, and Kalashnikov returned once again with a new weapon based on the carbine design, and after further simplifications it was adopted by the Soviet Armed Forces in 1949 as the Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947, or AK47 as the new standard issue weapon for the Red Army.
The safety engaged, doubling as a dust cover. The selector markings are also visible, with the first setting for fully automatic (not functional here) in the middle and semi-automatic on the bottom
Despite originally using stamped sheet metal for its receiver, production difficulties almost immediately resulted in the rifles being produced with a milled receiver. Ten years after initial introduction those issues were resolved, resulting in the stamped steel variation entering full production as the AKM (Avtomat Kalashnikova modernizírovannyj), or AK Modernized, in 1959. This model would become the ubiquitous “AK47” that would see almost a hundred million produced over the ensuing decades by Soviet arsenals as well as other manufacturers across the Eastern Bloc, the third world, and even in the West.
The safety lever in the semi-automatic position
The AKM would be the standard issue weapon of the Soviet Army for the bulk of the Cold War, being replaced gradually by the improved 5.54x39mm AK74 starting in 1974, although it remains popular with specialist forces in Russia for its harder hitting cartridge. It also was produced to arm Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War, although most have since replaced it with NATO standardized arms. It remains the most commonly encountered weapon in the hands of irregular forces as well as poorer nations around the world today due to its extreme simplicity and ease of use by even untrained fighters.
The trunnion markings, consisting of the Soviet Tula Arsenal mark (a star), the year of production and the serial number
The Design
The AKM is a gas operated assault rifle chambered in the 7.62x39mm cartridge. The time has come here for two disclaimers:
The rifle seen here is not actually an assault rifle, but is rather a US legal 922r compliant semi-automatic rifle constructed using a parts kit from a Soviet AKM built by James River Armory.
An assault rifle is by definition a weapon that:
Chambers an intermediate cartridge
Feeds from a detachable magazine
Is capable of multiple fire modes (semi-automatic, fully automatic, burst, etc,)
The AKM feeds from a 30 round detachable box magazine constructed of stamped sheet metal. The rifle operates using a port in the barrel, which directs some of the propellent gases expelled during firing into the gas tube running above the barrel, actuating a gas piston attached to the bolt carrier. This action rotates and unlocks the bolt, and further forces the bolt carrier group to the rear, extracting and ejecting the empty cartridge casing and eventually causing it to strike the ejector and eject it. The bolt carrier group also recocks the hammer during this process. A return spring on a telescoping rod then pushes the bolt carrier group forward, stripping another cartridge from the magazine, chambering it and locking the action.
The AKM fieldstripped for general maintenance
The weapon features wooden furniture, including the buttstock, pistol grip and handguards, all made of laminated wood. This strong construction is created by layering thin strips of wood together, creating a situation similar to the strength of telephone book.
The sights of the rifle consist of a simple leaf sight with a 300 meter battle setting before being adjustable from 100 to 1,000 meters, mating with a winged post front sight.
The AKM bayonet (A Romanian version seen here), which could be mated with its scabbard to be used as a wire cutter. A rubber insulator was kept on the scabbard for use in cutting barbed wire (missing here)
This Example
The example in the collection here is is a 1969 Soviet Tula Arsenal parts kit assembled in the US on a semi-automatic-only receiver by James River Armory. It is as close as one could hope for regarding an original, Soviet AKM. It is essentially a new firearm, with the receiver and barrel both new US made parts (although to original specifications, including markings). The serial numbers on most parts match, with the exception of the return spring.
A 7.62x39mm cartridge, in this case a steel cased Russian produced commercial cartridge.
Opinions
The AKM is an iconic weapon, and no collection of Cold War firearms is complete without one. I have developed a love for the Kalashnikov rifles, but must say I do prefer the AK74, both practically and aesthetically. The AKM is slightly heavier due to its steel magazines (bakelite magazines were used by the Soviets later in the weapon’s service, but most magazines are steel) despite its shorter length, and the recoil impulse from the larger bore cartridge leads to it being less controllable during fire. Despite this, I still greatly enjoy the AKM. The excellent design of the weapon leads to superb reliability, and it is a joy to shoot. Of course, the simple “cool factor” of the Soviet AK should also be noted.
Soviet Motor-Rifle troops with AKMs during exercises with BMP2s. Note the soldier in the foreground armed with a Dragunov SVD
*This specification card is written for the AKM, not for the semi-automatic only example used to write this posting.
Observed Values and Frequency
Updated: February, 2024
AVERAGE VALUE (USD): $1,800 - $2,500
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
COLLECTOR’S NOTES: Soviet parts kits and imports are extremely rare in the United States, and properly built examples command premiums