AK-109
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.80 kg
- Introduced
- 1998
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AK-109 is a Russian gas-operated assault rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm, forming the 7.62mm member of the AK-107/AK-108/AK-109 sub-series within the wider AK-100 family. Developed at Izhmash (now Kalashnikov Concern), it pairs the proven Kalashnikov layout with the Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS), in which a countermass and a second gas piston move opposite to the bolt carrier to cancel much of the impulse that normally disturbs the sights during automatic fire. The result is markedly reduced felt recoil and muzzle climb, improving controllability and burst accuracy over a conventional AK while retaining the heavier-hitting 7.62x39mm cartridge. Like its siblings it offers safe, semi-automatic, three-round burst and full-automatic fire, a side-folding polymer stock, and a side optics mounting rail. The AK-109 saw only limited production and was not adopted in large numbers.
The Balanced Automatics Recoil System traces back to Soviet experiments of the 1960s, notably Peter Tkachev's AO-38 of 1965; Izhmash engineer Youriy Alexandrov adapted the principle to the Kalashnikov platform, producing the balanced AK-107/108/109 rifles whose cyclic rate climbs to around 850-900 rounds per minute while recoil drops sharply.
The AK-109 is the 7.62x39mm BARS variant; the AK-107 is chambered in 5.45x39mm and the AK-108 in 5.56x45mm NATO. Despite the recoil-reduction benefits, the BARS rifles added mechanical complexity and cost, and the Russian military ultimately favored conventional Kalashnikov designs.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kalashnikov Concern
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- Limited production
- Produced
- 1998
- Variant of
- Caliber variant
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 943 mm
- Sight radius
- 378 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 715 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2037 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 1000 m
- Rate of fire
- 850 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.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Balanced automatics recoil system
Side folding stock
Rotating bolt
Three round burst
Optics side rail
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 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 3.80 kg | 3.60 kg | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 943 mm | 880 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 57 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 415 mm | 415 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the AK-109
How much does the AK-109 weigh?
The AK-109 weighs 3.80 kg (8.38 lb) empty.
What caliber is the AK-109?
The AK-109 is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the AK-109 hold?
The AK-109 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the AK-109?
The AK-109 is 943 mm (37.1 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the AK-109?
The AK-109 is made by Kalashnikov Concern (Russia). It was designed by Youriy Alexandrov.
When was the AK-109 introduced?
The AK-109 was introduced in 1998.
How does the AK-109 operate?
The AK-109 uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
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
70%
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/ak-109' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ak-109", "name": "AK-109", "manufacturer": { "id": "kalashnikov-concern", "name": "Kalashnikov Concern", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1807, "website": "https://kalashnikovgroup.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "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": "3593fe6aaed7a4f74f79c1f4f9b92bb1f45e039a826875e780967c2ed2b49d04" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "RU", "year_introduced": 1998, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 3800, "action_type": "gas_operated"}