AK-15
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.50 kg
- Introduced
- 2018
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AK-15 (GRAU index 6P71) is a fifth-generation Russian assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern as part of the Ratnik future soldier program. It is the 7.62x39mm variant of the AK-12, sharing the same receiver, fire control group, and modernized features but chambered for the heavier intermediate cartridge to provide greater terminal effect at closer engagement ranges. The AK-15 retains all the improvements of the AK-12 platform including a full-length Picatinny top rail, additional side and bottom rail sections on the handguard, an adjustable and foldable polymer stock, ambidextrous fire controls, and a four-position selector offering safe, semi-automatic, two-round burst, and fully automatic fire modes. Officially adopted by the Russian Ministry of Defence in January 2018 alongside the AK-12, it was included in the initial 150,000-unit contract for delivery between 2019 and 2021. The AK-15 offers Russian forces a modern platform for the 7.62x39mm cartridge where its greater stopping power is preferred over the 5.45x39mm.
The AK-15 represents the Russian military's renewed interest in the 7.62x39mm cartridge after decades of favoring the lighter 5.45x39mm, reflecting lessons from asymmetric warfare where greater stopping power at shorter ranges proved more valuable than flat trajectory at distance.
The AK-15 is functionally identical to the AK-12 except for the barrel, bolt, magazine well, and gas system components necessary to accommodate the 7.62x39mm cartridge. It accepts standard AK-47/AKM-pattern 30-round magazines as well as compatible 40-round box and 75-round drum magazines. The AK-15K is a compact variant with a shortened barrel displayed at the ARMY-2017 exhibition. Armenia secured rights to manufacture both the AK-12 and AK-15 in 2018. Like the AK-12, the AK-15 has undergone revisions resulting in a 'Model 2023' update based on combat feedback from the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kalashnikov Concern
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2018
- Variant of
- Different caliber
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 940 mm
- Height
- 190 mm
- Width
- 45 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.50 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.98 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- 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
- 2010 J
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 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.
Chrome lined barrel
Chrome lined chamber
Muzzle brake compensator
Rotating bolt
Select fire- Two round burst
Picatinny rail top
Picatinny rail sides
Picatinny rail bottom
Adjustable stock
Folding stock
Free floating barrel
Optics rail compatible
Grenade launcher compatible
Suppressor compatible
Ambidextrous controls
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 | 3.50 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 940 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-15
How much does the AK-15 weigh?
The AK-15 weighs 3.50 kg (7.72 lb) empty and 3.98 kg (8.77 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the AK-15?
The AK-15 is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the AK-15 hold?
The AK-15 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the AK-15?
The AK-15 is 940 mm (37.0 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the AK-15?
The AK-15 is made by Kalashnikov Concern (Russia). It was designed by Vladimir Zlobin.
When was the AK-15 introduced?
The AK-15 was introduced in 2018.
How does the AK-15 operate?
The AK-15 uses a gas operated long stroke 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.
In service
- Russian Armed Forces
- 2018
- Russian Airborne Troops (VDV)
- 2018
- Russian Naval Infantry
- 2018
- Armenian Armed Forces
- 2018
- Egyptian Armed Forces (Special Forces)
- Egypt
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
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-15' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ak-15", "name": "AK-15", "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": 2018, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 3500, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}