What Are the Different Types of AKs?

Mikhail Kalashnikov’s AK-47 design is one of the most prominent and mass-produced rifles in world history. The AK design has found itself on every inhabited continent and involved in pretty much every conflict for the past 70 years.

However, the AK has gone through several revisions over the years, creating more modern variants. In fact, what you find yourself calling an AK-47 might just be something different. Here we will look at the timeline and highlight the most notable progressions to the design.

Table of Contents

The Original AK-47
The AKM
The AK-74
The AK-100 series
AK-12
Summary

The Original AK-47

The idea for the AK-47 was born during World War II, as a Soviet military officer named Mikhail Kalashnikov realized the severe disadvantage the Russian military faced when the Germans introduced the StG-44. The StG-44 was the first of its class, a true automatic rifle with a controllable intermediate cartridge. One soldier with an StG-44 could easily outclass five Soviets armed with Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifles.

Russian firearms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov presents his legendary assault rifle to the media while opening an exhibition at a weapons museum in eastern Germany in 2002.

From 1944 to 1947, Kalashnikov worked his way through several designs before finalizing the long-stroke gas-piston-operated AK-47, chambered in 7.62x39mm. AK stands for “Avtomat Kalashnikova,” which translates to “Automatic Kalashnikov,” and the 47 denotes the year the design was introduced.

The release of the AK-47 quickly relegated the newly adopted Russian SKS-45- and many other rifle designs of the time. The AK-47 featured a removable box magazine with a standard 30-round capacity, semi and full auto modes, and an extremely reliable and rugged operation.

In 1949, it was officially adopted by the Soviets as the new standard-issue rifle.

The AKM

Ak-47s with milled receivers — Early Type 2 and Type 3 milled receiver AK-47s. The easiest way to tell the Type 2s, which were only made between 1949 and 1954, is that they have a socketed boot escutcheon connecting the stock to the receiver such as the gun in the middle. The later Type 3 was made from 1953 to 1959 and was replaced with the stamped receiver AKM after that. (Photo: National Archives)

The original AK-47 encountered several issues with the manufacturing of the receiver. Kalashnikov originally wanted a light and easily manufactured stamped receiver; however, the early stamped receivers encountered many manufacturing issues. This led to the AK-47 Type 2, which featured a milled receiver, becoming the most common AK-47 in production.

In 1959, the AK went through a modernization upgrade, as the manufacturing difficulties were overcome in regard to stamped receivers. At that time a new AK was adopted, the AKM (Avtomat Kalashikova Modernizirovanny – translated “Modernized Atimatic Kalashnikov.)

Century Arms CGR — The Romanian-made CGR from Century Arms is an example of a modern AKM. (Photo: Zach Buth/Guns.com)

The AKM would be the most produced version of the AK design. Most AK designs are incorrectly called AK-47s, when they are actually AKMs. The AKM went into production in the Soviet Union and throughout countries in the Warsaw Pact. Pretty much every modern AK that adheres to the original AK style is a modern stamped receiver AK, making it an AKM.

The AK-74

In the mid-1970s, the Soviets developed a new cartridge smaller than the 7.62x39mm round that had dominated small arms designs. To compete with the 5.56 NATO round of the West, the 5.45x39mm cartridge was introduced.

The ARAK AK-74 is chambered in 5.45x39mm. (Photo: David Higginbotham/Guns.com)

The adoption of this new round prompted Mikhail Kalashnikov to rework the AKM into a new configuration that accommodated the newly adopted cartridge. In 1974, the Soviet Union adopted the AK-74, an AK with improved range, accuracy, reliability, and controllability.

Much like the AKM before it, the AK-74 was a stamped-receiver AK with a chambered muzzle brake, further reducing felt recoil. Also, much like the AKM before it, in 1991 a “modernized” version of the rifle was reworked and adopted, designated the AK-74M.

The AK-74M features modern furniture, a 90-degree gas block, a folding stock, and a side-mounted optic rail. (Photo: Kalashnikov Concern)

The notable changes in the AK-74M include a 90-degree gas block, a lightened bolt and bolt carrier, a folding polymer stock, a new dust cover designed to resist the recoil of an attached grenade launcher, a reinforced pistol grip, and a more streamlined, cost-saving manufacturing process. The AK-74M became the standard issue rifle for the new Russian Federation that took the place of the collapsed Soviet Union.

The AK-100 series

AK-101 and AK-102 — The AK-101, top, and its shorter carbine version, the AK-102, are both chambered in 5.56 NATO. (Photos: Kalashnikov Concern)

In 1994, the AK-74M became the basis for the AK-100 series, a line of modernized AKs in a variety of calibers and barrel lengths. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the AK-100 series would be made primarily for export and included the AK-101 and its shorter carbine version, the AK-102, both chambered for 5.56 NATO.

The AK-103 is the modernized 7.62x39mm version of the rifle, and the AK-104 its shorter carbine counterpart. The AK-74M retained the same model number, but a short carbine model of the 5.45 was introduced as the AK-105.

Russian sailors inspect the short carbine AK-104 at a firearms expo. (Photo: Kalashnikov Concern)

The AK-100 series remains extremely popular, as several models are used by Russian Special Operations, and many models are imported around the world. The AK-100 series continues to see upgrades in modularity and continues to improve.

AK-12

The last modern iteration of the AK is the newly adopted AK-12. While still a bit of a mystery to the local American market, the AK-12 is radically different from all the standard AK variants previously mentioned.

The AK-12 still operates with the same long-stroke gas piston system; however, the rifle has been heavily modernized. The furniture is light polymer, and the stock folds, telescopes, and features cheek adjustment. The dust cover is designed to mount optics and maintain zero over long periods of shooting. The military rifle features three fire modes: semi, two-shot burst, and full auto. The traditional safety lever was replaced with an ambidextrous switch, making it easier to operate.

The AK-12 was adopted in 2018 and serves as the main service rifle for the Russian Federation.

Summary

Zastava M70 — Zastava has been importing AKs like this M70 to the U.S. since the end of the Cold War. (Photo: Paul Peterson/Guns.com)

The AK is one of the greatest firearms ever developed. The track record of service and reliability is unmatched.

Hopefully, this gives you a brief understanding of the design and history of the AK-47. I believe everyone should have an AK of some sort in their collection, and heck, why not a couple?