Kalashnikov AKV-521
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.50 kg
- Introduced
- 2020
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 is a Russian gas-operated assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern and first revealed as a prototype in late 2020. It departs from the traditional Kalashnikov layout by adopting a two-piece upper and lower receiver design, where the barrel and full-length Picatinny rail are fixed to a swappable upper, giving a rigid, repeatable mounting platform for modern optics and night-vision devices. The modular upper allows the rifle to be quickly converted between 5.45x39mm, 5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm and between short (345 mm) and standard (415 mm) barrels. It retains the proven long-stroke gas piston operating system and rotating two-lug bolt, with a free-floating handguard and folding telescoping stock borrowed from the AK-12 family. It is currently marketed as a civilian semi-automatic rifle.
The AKV-521 was designed to address a long-standing AK limitation: the lack of a stable, rigid base for mounting modern low-power variable optics and night-vision devices. By fixing the optics rail to a swappable upper receiver, Kalashnikov Concern adopted a layout conceptually similar to the SIG SG 550, while keeping the long-stroke piston action that made the Kalashnikov pattern famous.
Developed from the AK TR3 platform; showcased at the ARMY-2021 exhibition. The two-receiver layout and swappable uppers are the rifle's defining innovation over classic AK pattern rifles.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kalashnikov Concern
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2020
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 935 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.50 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
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 880 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1329 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
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.
Two piece receiver
Free floating handguard
Full length picatinny rail
Folding telescoping stock
Modular caliber conversion- Swappable upper receiver
Threaded muzzle
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 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 3.50 kg | 3.40 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 935 mm | 940 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 415 mm | 415 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Kalashnikov AKV-521
How much does the Kalashnikov AKV-521 weigh?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 weighs 3.50 kg (7.72 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Kalashnikov AKV-521?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 is chambered in 5.45x39mm.
How many rounds does the Kalashnikov AKV-521 hold?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Kalashnikov AKV-521?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 is 935 mm (36.8 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the Kalashnikov AKV-521?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 is made by Kalashnikov Concern (Russia). It was designed by Valentin Vlasenko.
When was the Kalashnikov AKV-521 introduced?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 was introduced in 2020.
How does the Kalashnikov AKV-521 operate?
The Kalashnikov AKV-521 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
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/akv-521' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "akv-521", "name": "Kalashnikov AKV-521", "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": 2020, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 3500, "action_type": "gas_operated"}