| AK-104 | |
|---|---|
 The AK-104 carbine, seen with red dot sight on the picatinny rail and ATG suppressor attached to the barrel. | |
| Type | Assault Rifle, Carbine |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2001–Present[1] |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Syrian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Mikhail Kalashnikov |
| Designed | 1994 |
| Manufacturer | Kalashnikov Concern |
| Produced | 1994 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.0 kg (6.6 lb) empty 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) with empty magazine 3.7 kg (8.2 lb) with loaded magazine |
| Length | 824 mm (32.4 in) with stock extended / 586 mm (23.1 in) with stock folded |
| Barrel length | 314 mm (12.4 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
| Caliber | 7.62mm |
| Action | Gas-actuated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 600 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 670 m/s (2,200 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 300 m (330 yd) at point-blank range 500 m (550 yd) |
| Feed system | 30 round detachable magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights, there is a dove-tail side rail for optical and night sights |
The AK-104 is a carbine variant of the AK-103. It's chambered to fire 7.62×39mm ammunition and thus feeds from any standard 7.62x39 AK pattern magazine.
Design
The AK-104 is a 314mm (12.4 in) barreled carbine in the AK-100 series of rifles, the dimensions of the gun is the same to other carbines of the AK-100 series. 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 from 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.[2]
The 100-series AKs are produced by the Izhmash factories in Izhevsk, Russia.
Variants
AK-105
SLR-107CR
A civilian semi-automatic rifle utilizing a gas block almost identical to the one seen on the Russian original. However the CR is distinctive in having a 16” extended barrel to comply with U.S. regulations, typically shrouded by a false extend booster or simply exposed with a simple nut threaded on at the gas block. Produced in Bulgaria and imported by Arsenal Inc.
PSAK-104
A civilian semi-automatic series of firearms meant to duplicate the aesthetic of the AK-104. Examples in the series utilize a clone more similar to that of the Russian AK-104 gas block/front sight pattern as opposed to the Bulgarian SLR-107CR variant. Based on PSAK-103, however, it is distinct from other examples by utilizing the earlier AKM pattern bolt as well as other AKM pattern parts. Produced by Palmetto State Armory of South Carolina.
KR-104
A short-barreled rifle version of the AK-104 by Kalashnikov-USA.[3]
Small Production Examples
Due to the scarcity of AK-104 examples in the U.S. consumer market, a variety of small gunsmithing businesses and private individuals have obtained demilled AK-104 parts kits from overseas as well as a variety of U.S. made 922R compliant parts in order to build semi-automatic clones. In addition, a very small number of Saiga rifles built on the AK-104 assembly line in Izhevsk, Russia appear to have been imported and converted to the more customary AK-104 configuration.
Users
Egypt: Used By Special Operations Police and Black Cobra Unit alongside AK 103 and AK101
Iran: Manufactured by Iranian Defense Industries Organization and used by Iranian Armed Forces and its proxy forces.
Russia: Used by the Russian Federal Protective Service.[4]
Venezuela: Produced under license by CAVIM alongside the AK-103.[5]
Syria: A batch of AK-104's have reportedly been delivered to Syria's Interior Ministry Anti-Terrorism Police in the Eastern Ghouta front in Rif Dimashq.[6]
Yemen: In service with some units of the Yemeni Army.[7]
Thailand: Directorate of Logistics procured from Russian Federation.[8]
Gallery
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AK-104 below the AK-103.
References
- ↑ "фициальный сайт группы предприятий "ИЖМАШ"". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ↑ "фициальный сайт группы предприятий "ИЖМАШ"". Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ↑ "Kalashnikov-USA Introduced New Rifles and Calibers at SHOT Show 2022 Including a 5.56mm KR-101 - Soldier Systems Daily".
- ↑ Håland, Walter Christian (30 June 2017). "Russian Forces Assault Rifles Today". Small Arms Defense Journal. Vol. 9, no. 2. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ "Cavim inicia entrega de fusiles de asalto Kalashnikov AK-103 a la Fuerza Armada de Venezuela". Infodefensa.com. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ↑ "Спецназ МВД Сирии опробовал на передовой новые АК-104" [Special Forces Ministry of Internal Affairs of Syria tested on the front lines the new AK-104] (in Russian). 25 February 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016.
- ↑ Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (September 2012). "The 100-Series Kalashnikovs: A Primer". Small Arms Review. Vol. 16, no. 3. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ สิริกิติ์ - กองทัพบก