AK-47 / AKM

Silhouette (Visual Identification)

Technical Specifications

Category	Assault Rifles
Operating system	Gas operated, rotating bolt with 2 lugs
Cartridge	7.62 x 39mm
Length	870 mm
Feeding	Box magazine

The AK 47 (Designed 1946-1948) is best described as a hybrid of previous rifle technology innovations: the trigger, double locking lugs and unlocking raceway of the M1 Garand/M1 carbine, the safety mechanism of the John Browning designed Remington Model 8 rifle, and the gas system and layout of the Sturmgewehr 44. There are many variants. The weapons are used by the former Warsaw Pact countries, and they are still in service with numerous armed forces, both regular and irregular. The model and its variants remain the most popular and widely used rifles in the world because of its reliability under harsh conditions, low production costs.

Global distribution map

Weapon prevalence

Country of origin

Licensed production

Production without a license

Scale dependend aggregation of production sites

The AK-47 / AKM is found in 122 countries according to our data.

This map is a reflection of data on global distribution and production provided primarily by the BwVC. It is not exhaustive. If you would like to add to or amend the data, please click here.

Global distribution list

The data on global distribution and production is provided primarily by the BwVC, but also from national and regional focal points on SALW control; data published by think tanks, international organizations and experts; and/or data provided by individual researchers on SALW. It is not exhaustive. If you would like to add to or amend the data, please click here.

Symbol legend

	Country of origin
	Licensed production
	Production without a licence

G	Government: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is held by Governmental agencies.
N	Non-Government: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is held by non-Governmental armed groups.
U	Unspecified: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is found in the country, but do not specify whether it is held by Governmental agencies or non-Governmental armed groups.

It is entirely possible to have a combination of tags beside each country. For example, if country X is tagged with a G and a U, it means that at least one source of data identifies Governmental agencies as holders of weapon type Y, and at least one other source confirms the presence of the weapon in country X without specifying who holds it.

Afghanistan (AFG)		G
Albania (ALB)		G
Algeria (DZA)		G
Angola (AGO)		G
Armenia (ARM)		G
Austria (AUT)		G
Azerbaijan (AZE)		G
Bangladesh (BGD)		G
Belarus (BLR)		G
Benin (BEN)		G
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)		G
Botswana (BWA)		G
Bulgaria (BGR)		G
Burkina Faso (BFA)		G
Burundi (BDI)		G
Cambodia (KHM)		G
Cameroon (CMR)		G
Cape Verde (CPV)		G
Central African Republic (CAF)		G N
Chad (TCD)		G
Chile (CHL)		G
China (CHN)		G
Colombia (COL)		U
Comoros (COM)		G
Congo (COG)		G N
Côte d’Ivoire (CIV)		G N
Croatia (HRV)		U
Cuba (CUB)		G
Czech Republic (CZE)		G
Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD)		G N
Djibouti (DJI)		G

Egypt (EGY)		G
El Salvador (SLV)		G
Equatorial Guinea (GNQ)		G
Eritrea (ERI)		G
Estonia (EST)		G
Ethiopia (ETH)		G
Finland (FIN)		G
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD)		G
Gabon (GAB)		G
Georgia (GEO)		G
Germany (DEU)		U
Ghana (GHA)		G
Greece (GRC)		G
Guinea (GIN)		G
Guinea-Bissau (GNB)		G
Guyana (GUY)		G
Hungary (HUN)		G
India (IND)		G
Indonesia (IDN)		G
Iran (IRN)		G
Iraq (IRQ)		G
Israel (ISR)		G
Italy (ITA)		U
Kazakhstan (KAZ)		G
Kenya (KEN)		G N
Kuwait (KWT)		G
Kyrgyzstan (KGZ)		U
Laos (LAO)		G
Lebanon (LBN)		G
Lesotho (LSO)		G
Liberia (LBR)		G

Libya (LBY)		G N
Lithuania (LTU)		G
Madagascar (MDG)		G
Malawi (MWI)		N
Mali (MLI)		G N
Malta (MLT)		G
Mauritania (MRT)		G N
Moldova (MDA)		G
Mongolia (MNG)		G
Montenegro (MNE)		U
Morocco (MAR)		G
Mozambique (MOZ)		G N
Myanmar/Burma (MMR)		G
Namibia (NAM)		G
Nepal (NPL)		G N
Niger (NER)		N
Nigeria (NGA)		G
North Korea (PRK)		G
Oman (OMN)		G
Pakistan (PAK)		G
Palestine (PSE)		G
Peru (PER)		G
Philippines (PHL)		G
Poland (POL)		G
Qatar (QAT)		G
Romania (ROU)		G
Russia (RUS)		G
Rwanda (RWA)		G N
São Tomé and Príncipe (STP)		G
Senegal (SEN)		G

Serbia (SRB)		G
Seychelles (SYC)		G
Sierra Leone (SLE)		G
Slovakia (SVK)		G
Slovenia (SVN)		G
Somalia (SOM)		G N
South Africa (ZAF)		G
South Sudan (SSD)		N
Sri Lanka (LKA)		G
Sudan (SDN)		G N
Suriname (SUR)		G
Sweden (SWE)		U
Syria (SYR)		G N
Tajikistan (TJK)		G
Tanzania (TZA)		G N
The Gambia (GMB)		G
Togo (TGO)		G
Turkey (TUR)		G
Turkmenistan (TKM)		G
Uganda (UGA)		G
Ukraine (UKR)		G
United Arab Emirates (ARE)		G
United Kingdom (GBR)		G
United States (USA)		G
Uzbekistan (UZB)		G
Venezuela (VEN)		G
Vietnam (VNM)		G
Yemen (YEM)		G
Zambia (ZMB)		G
Zimbabwe (ZWE)		G