AKS
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.98 kg
- Introduced
- 1950
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AKS (Avtomat Kalashnikova Skladnoy, meaning 'Kalashnikov Automatic Folding') is the folding-stock variant of the original AK-47 assault rifle, introduced in 1950 for Soviet airborne troops and armored vehicle crews who required a more compact weapon for use in confined spaces. The AKS replaces the fixed wooden buttstock of the standard AK-47 with a downward-folding metal stock inspired by the German MP 40 submachine gun's stock design. The under-folding stock is constructed from stamped and formed steel, featuring twin struts that pivot at the rear trunnion and fold underneath the receiver when not in use. When folded, the overall length is reduced from 875mm to approximately 645mm, allowing the rifle to be carried inside vehicles, dropped with paratroopers, or slung compactly across the body. In all other respects, the AKS is mechanically identical to the standard AK-47, sharing the same gas-operated long-stroke piston action, rotating bolt, 7.62x39mm chambering, and 30-round curved magazine.
The AKS's under-folding stock design was directly inspired by the German MP 40 submachine gun captured during World War II. Soviet paratroopers favored the AKS because it could be compactly stowed during parachute jumps, then quickly deployed by flipping the stock into the locked position upon landing.
The AKS designation applies to the folding-stock version across all three AK-47 receiver types: the original Type 1 milled receiver (1949-1951), the Type 2 milled receiver (1951-1954), and the Type 3 final milled receiver (1955-1959). The under-folding stock design was carried forward into the AKM era as the AKMS. While the folding stock provided compactness, it was generally considered less comfortable for sustained firing than the fixed wooden stock due to the thin metal shoulder plate and reduced cheek weld. The rifle weighs slightly less than the fixed-stock AK-47 (3.98kg vs 4.3kg) due to the lighter metal stock. Production ended alongside the standard AK-47 when the modernized AKM/AKMS replaced both variants.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kalashnikov Concern
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1950 to 1975
- Variant of
- Folding stock
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 875 mm
- Height
- 190 mm
- Width
- 45 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.98 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.46 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
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 710 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1991 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.
Chrome lined barrel
Chrome lined chamber
Curved magazine
Rotating bolt
Select fire
Under folding stock
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 | 3.98 kg | 3.60 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 875 mm | 880 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| 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 AKS
How much does the AKS weigh?
The AKS weighs 3.98 kg (8.77 lb) empty and 4.46 kg (9.83 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the AKS?
The AKS is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the AKS hold?
The AKS holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the AKS?
The AKS is 875 mm (34.4 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the AKS?
The AKS is made by Kalashnikov Concern (Russia). It was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
When was the AKS introduced?
The AKS was introduced in 1950 and discontinued in 1975.
How does the AKS operate?
The AKS 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
- 1950
- Soviet Airborne Troops (VDV)
- 1950
- Soviet Armored Vehicle Crews
- 1950
- Warsaw Pact Forces
- 1955
Provenance
Confidence in this record
85%
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/aks' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "aks", "name": "AKS", "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": 1950, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 3980, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}