AK-47 Type 2
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.30 kg
- Introduced
- 1951
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AK-47 Type 2 is the first milled-receiver production generation of Mikhail Kalashnikov's iconic assault rifle, manufactured at Izhmash from 1951 to 1955. It replaced the troublesome stamped sheet-metal Type 1 receiver, which the Soviet industry of the early 1950s could not yet produce reliably, with a receiver machined from a solid steel forging. This milled construction was heavier and more labour-intensive but far more rugged and dimensionally consistent, giving the rifle the durability that would make the Kalashnikov legendary. The Type 2 introduced a boss-and-socket buttstock attachment in which the wooden stock is secured to a machined extension at the rear of the receiver. Mechanically it retains the gas-operated long-stroke piston action, rotating bolt, select-fire trigger group, 7.62x39mm chambering, and 30-round curved magazine of the original design. The Type 2 was an interim milled pattern, soon refined into the lighter Type 3 receiver.
The Type 2 exists only because the Soviet Union's post-war stamping industry could not yet hold tolerances on the original Type 1 sheet-metal receiver, forcing Izhmash to fall back to expensively machining receivers from solid steel forgings until the technology caught up a decade later with the AKM.
The Type 2 is distinguished from the later Type 3 by its receiver lightening cuts and its different buttstock attachment method, which uses a machined socket rather than the simplified tang of the Type 3. The milled receiver added weight compared to the eventual stamped AKM, but provided exceptional rigidity. Type 2 rifles are relatively scarce today and are sought by collectors as an early production milestone in AK history.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kalashnikov Concern
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1951 to 1955
- Variant of
- Milled receiver
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 869 mm
- Height
- 190 mm
- Width
- 45 mm
- Sight radius
- 378 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.30 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.78 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
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 710 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2010 J
- Effective range
- 300 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 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.
Milled receiver
Chrome lined barrel
Chrome lined chamber
Curved magazine
Rotating bolt
Select fire
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 | 4.30 kg | 3.60 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 869 mm | 880 mm | Shorter 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-47 Type 2
How much does the AK-47 Type 2 weigh?
The AK-47 Type 2 weighs 4.30 kg (9.48 lb) empty and 4.78 kg (10.54 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the AK-47 Type 2?
The AK-47 Type 2 is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the AK-47 Type 2 hold?
The AK-47 Type 2 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the AK-47 Type 2?
The AK-47 Type 2 is 869 mm (34.2 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the AK-47 Type 2?
The AK-47 Type 2 is made by Kalashnikov Concern (Russia). It was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
When was the AK-47 Type 2 introduced?
The AK-47 Type 2 was introduced in 1951 and discontinued in 1955.
How does the AK-47 Type 2 operate?
The AK-47 Type 2 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
- Soviet Armed Forces
- 1951
- Warsaw Pact Forces
- 1955
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-47-type-2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ak-47-type-2", "name": "AK-47 Type 2", "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": "SU", "year_introduced": 1951, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 4300, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}