Kalashnikov AK-101

History of the Kalashnikov AK-101

The AK-101 was developed on the basis of the success of the original AK-47 assault rifle after World War II, but with foreign customers in mind. As such, it was designed to fire the relatively usable 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. Like the AK-47 before it, the AK-101 system was based on the vision of legendary Soviet-Russian gunmaker Mikhail Kalashnikov, with design work beginning in 1994. To date, around 25,000 examples have been produced, and a shorter carbine shape - the AK-102 - was also developed from the AK-101.

Some of the features of the AK-101 series are also implemented in the similar AK-103 series, a weapon system chambered for 7.62x39mm cartridges.

The AK-101 is designed to meet the market needs of demanding customers who want a modernized form of the world-renowned AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle with the versatility of the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. Therefore, the AK-101 series features a lightweight construction, using composite materials and modern manufacturing techniques in its design.

This resulted in a final product that was significantly lighter than previous forms and a more manageable assault rifle system that could run with regular caliber ammunition at the same time.

From the outside, the AK-101 is clearly an AK-47 in general layout and appearance. The receiver is board-side, with clean lines that taper toward the front. There is an ergonomic foldable stock (lockable) on the back of the case. The pistol grip is relatively straight, but slopes back for a secure grip, while the trigger assembly consists of a curved trigger assembly and a rectangular trigger ring.

In front of the trigger is the magazine release, and the curved, smooth magazine feeds just in front of the magazine release lever. The front end is protected by an ergonomic part - like the AK-47 - which sees the gas cylinder above the barrel and protrudes a short distance from the receiver.

The barrel passes under the cylinder and is fitted with a baffle muzzle brake/flash suppressor (similar to the AK-74) and a protruding front sight. A cleaning wand is standard and is attached to the bottom of the barrel. The gun weighs only 7.5 pounds without a magazine installed. The stock is just over 37 inches overall when fully extended and 27.5 inches when the stock is folded over the receiver.

The barrel is 415 mm (16.3 in) long. In addition to the characteristic adjustable iron sights, the AK-101 can also accommodate an optical mount for attaching accessories and special optics as required.

As mentioned, the AK-101 is equipped with NATO standard 5.56x45mm cartridges with pneumatic, rotary bolt firing and selective firing (semi-automatic and fully-automatic modes only). The assault rifle is fed from a standard 30-round detachable magazine, rated at 650 rounds per minute, has a muzzle velocity of 2,986 feet, and has an effective range of up to 500 yards.

Despite its Russian origin, the AK-101 is not in service with the Russian military or security forces, but utilizes the combined force caliber of the AK-74M, AK-103 and AN-94 series of assault rifles in their respective fields. AK-101 has received orders from Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cyprus and India.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes