AEK-919K Kashtan
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 167 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.65 kg
- Introduced
- 1994
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AEK-919K Kashtan is a compact Russian blowback-operated, select-fire submachine gun chambered in 9x18mm Makarov. Developed at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant in the early-to-mid 1990s, it fires from an open bolt using a telescoped bolt design and a non-reciprocating charging handle, with layout heavily influenced by the Austrian Steyr MPi 69. The weapon features polygonal rifling, a threaded muzzle for a suppressor, a collapsible steel stock and a built-in drop safety, and is fed from 20- or 30-round detachable box magazines. It has seen limited issue with Russian special forces and law-enforcement units.
Born from Russia's post-Soviet search for a compact personal-defense weapon for vehicle crews, officers and security forces, the Kashtan borrowed the wrap-around telescoped-bolt layout of the Steyr MPi 69 and chambered it for the familiar 9x18mm Makarov round, yielding a pocketable burst-capable SMG that never reached mass adoption.
Layout derived from the Steyr MPi 69 platform. The 'Kashtan' (chestnut) name is also used by an unrelated Russian naval CIWS system.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- V.A. Degtyarev Plant (ZiD)
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- Limited production
- Produced
- 1994
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 167 mm
- Overall length
- 485 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.65 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 1.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 320 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 312 J
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 900 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Telescoped bolt
Non reciprocating charging handle
Collapsible stock
Threaded muzzle
Suppressor ready
Polygonal rifling
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 282 submachine guns | 1.65 kg | 3.15 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 281 submachine guns | 485 mm | 737 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 282 submachine guns | 167 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 287 submachine guns | 20 | 32 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the AEK-919K Kashtan
How much does the AEK-919K Kashtan weigh?
The AEK-919K Kashtan weighs 1.65 kg (3.64 lb) empty and 1.80 kg (3.97 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the AEK-919K Kashtan?
The AEK-919K Kashtan is chambered in 9x18mm Makarov.
How many rounds does the AEK-919K Kashtan hold?
The AEK-919K Kashtan holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the AEK-919K Kashtan?
The AEK-919K Kashtan is 485 mm (19.1 in) long overall, with a 167 mm (6.57 in) barrel.
Who makes the AEK-919K Kashtan?
The AEK-919K Kashtan is made by V.A. Degtyarev Plant (ZiD) (Russia). It was designed by P. Sedov.
When was the AEK-919K Kashtan introduced?
The AEK-919K Kashtan was introduced in 1994.
How does the AEK-919K Kashtan operate?
The AEK-919K Kashtan uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/aek-919k-kashtan' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "aek-919k-kashtan", "name": "AEK-919K Kashtan", "manufacturer": { "id": "kovrov-mechanical-plant", "name": "V.A. Degtyarev Plant (ZiD)", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1916, "website": "https://zid.ru/eng/", "logoUrl": null, "description": "Russian firearms manufacturer established in 1916 in Kovrov as a machine-gun manufacturing facility. Officially V.A. Degtyarev Plant, now OJSC. Historically produced PPSh-41, Kord, PKM machine guns. Note: modern Kovrov Mechanical Plant (KMZ) established 1950 is separate and focuses on nuclear industry.", "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:38", "version": "6bbc0f6f4a5959a471342246234e8ddcacaa1abaa902c1a1e50d086baef3f874" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "RU", "year_introduced": 1994, "barrel_length_mm": 167, "weight_empty_g": 1650, "action_type": "blowback"}