Ak 5 or Automatkarbin 5

   The Ak 5 or Automatkarbin 5 is the Swedish version of the FN FNC assault rifle with certain modifications, mostly to adapt the weapon to the Swedish climate. The Ak 5 is the service rifle of the Swedish Armed Forces.

     In the mid-1970s, the Swedish Armed Forces decided to follow the general transition towards smaller calibre ammunition and directed the FMV (Defence Materiel Administration) to procure a suitable replacement for the Ak 4 capable of using 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition, which under STANAG 4172 is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. The weapon was required to be highly reliable in the near-arctic climate of northernmost Sweden, as well as being easy to handle and maintain, while meeting a certain minimum level of accuracy. 

     The Ak 5B is the designated marksman version of the Ak 5. Modifications include fittings for a 4×25.5 SUSATL9A1 tritium sight, a cheek pad on the buttstock, and removal of the iron sights. This weapon is typically carried by squad leaders. This version weighs 4.8 kg (without magazine) and 5.4 kg (with full magazine). Approximately 5200 of this version were made.

     The Ak 5C is the modernized version of the original Ak 5, following the trend of modular weapons. One of the most significant improvements is the MIL-STD-1913 rail system to which a variety of different optics, lights and sights can be mounted, such as telescopic sights and image intensifiers. The double gas position, iron sights and bolt catch of the original Ak 5(B) rifle family were discarded and the surface finish is black instead of green.

     The Ak 5D has a shortened barrel and handguard. It also features the MIL-STD-1913 rail system for easy mounting of a variety of sights.

Due to the smaller dimensions of the carbine, the Ak 5D is especially suited for ranger/urban warfare units and vehicle crews who often benefit from a more lightweight and compact weapon when taking into account the nature of their assignments and the environments in which they often operate. The Swedish police are also equipped with a version of the Ak 5D; see below.

The newest Ak 5D Mk2 version has the same upgrades as the "C" model but retains the shorter barrel.

AK-104

        The AK-104 is a shortened carbine version of the AK-103 rifle. The AK-102, AK-105, and AK-104 are very similar in design, the only difference being the caliber and corresponding magazine type. The AK-104 is chambered to fire 7.62×39mm ammunition.

    Compared to the AK-74M, AK-101, and AK-103, which are full-size rifles of similar design, the AK-102, 104, and 105 feature shortened barrels that make them a middle ground between a full rifle and the more compact AKS-74U. However, the AK-104 also features a solid, side-folding polymer stock, unlike the shorter, skeleton-stocked AKS-74U.

     The AK-104 uses an adjustable notched rear tangent iron sight calibrated in 100 m (109 yd) increments from 100 to 500 m (109 to 547 yd). The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field. Horizontal adjustment is done by the armory before issue. The AK-104 has a muzzle booster derived form the AKS-74U.

Protective coatings ensure excellent corrosion resistance of metal parts. Forearm, magazine, butt stock and pistol grip are made of high strength plastic.

The 100-series AKs are produced by the Izhmash factories in Izhevsk, Russia.

AK-47 (Kalashnikov or Kalash)

   The Ak-47 also known as Kalashnikov or Kalash is a selective fire, gas operated assault rifle that uses 7.62x39mm ammo, Its firing modes are semi-auto and fully automatic. 

   It was developed in Russia by Mikhail Kalashnikov.

   Its development started in last years of WW2, when Russian armed forces where at a serious disadvantage of having less powerful arms compared to Germans, so when soviet solders captured German MKb.42(H), and STG-44 immediate research began to improve its design and produce it for soviet troops.

   After the war in 1946 the AK-47 was officially presented to soviet armed forces for trials and in 1947 it was accepted and it production started for armed forces in Russia.

    Even after 60 years this weapon and its variants are the most popular and widely used assault rifle in the world, because of its reliability, availability, stopping power and very low production costs.

   How ever because of these qualities this weapon is also most perfered by terrorists, gorilla forces, drug cartels, mafia and other criminal organisations. 

   To fire, the operator inserts a loaded magazine, pulls back and releases the charging handle, and then pulls the trigger. In semi-automatic, the firearm fires only once, requiring the trigger to be released and depressed again for the next shot. In full-automatic, the rifle continues to fire automatically cycling fresh rounds into the chamber, until the magazine is exhausted or pressure is released from the trigger. After ignition of the cartridge primer and propellant, rapidly expanding propellant gases are diverted into the gas cylinder above the barrel through a vent near the muzzle. The build-up of gases inside the gas cylinder drives the long-stroke piston and bolt carrier rearward and a cam guide machined into the underside of the bolt carrier along with an ejector spur on the bolt carrier rail guide, rotates the bolt approximately 35° and unlocks it from the barrel extension via a camming pin on the bolt. The moving assembly has about 5.5 mm (0.2 in) of free travel which creates a delay between the initial recoil impulse of the piston and the bolt unlocking sequence, allowing gas pressures to drop to a safe level before the seal between the chamber and the bolt is broken. The AK-47 does not have a gas valve; excess gases are ventilated through a series of radial ports in the gas cylinder. The Kalashnikov operating system offers no primary extraction upon bolt rotation, but uses an extractor claw to eject the spent cartridge case.

Accessories supplied with the rifle include a 387 mm (15.2 in) long 6H3 bayonet featuring a 200 mm (7.9 in) long spear point blade. The AK-47 bayonet is installed by slipping the 17.7 mm (0.70 in) diameter muzzle ring around the muzzle and latching the handle down on the bayonet lug under the front sight base.


The AK-47 can also mount a (rarely used) cup-type grenade launcher, the Kalashnikov grenade launcher that fires standard RGD-5 Soviet hand-grenades. The maximum effective range is approximately 150 meters. This launcher can also be used to launch tear-gas and riot control grenades.All current model AK-47 rifles can mount under-barrel 40 mm grenade launchers such as the GP-25 and its variants, which can fire up to 20 rounds per minute and have an effective range of up to 400 metres. The main grenade is the VOG-25 (VOG-25M) fragmentation grenade which has a 6 m (9 m) (20 ft (30 ft)) lethality radius. The VOG-25P/VOG-25PM ("jumping") variant explodes 0.5–1 metre (1.6–3.3 ft) above the ground.

All current AKs (100 series) and some older models, have side rails for mounting a variety of scopes and sighting devices, such as the PSO-1 Optical Sniper Sight. The side rails allow for removal and remounting of optical accessories without interfering with the zeroing of the optic. However, the 100 series side folding stocks cannot be folded with the optics mounted.