

Preparing your view.


At a glance
AK-47larger figure on 0 of 2
Measured figures
Fixed wooden stock
Single sourcefolding stock extended
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | AK-47 | M60 machine gun |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault rifle[source] | General-purpose machine gun Medium machine gun[source] |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union[source] | United States[source] |
| In service | 1949–1974 (Soviet Union) 1949–present (other countries)[source] | 1960–present[source] |
| Used by | See Users[source] | See Users[source] |
M60 machine gunlarger figure on 2 of 2
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
stock folded
Single sourceFixed wooden stock: 880 mm (35 in) 875 mm (34.4 in) (folding stock extended) 645 mm (25.4 in) (stock folded)[source]
Length
Single source1,105 mm (43.5 in)[source]
empty early issue
Single sourcelight alloy
Single sourceplastic
Single sourcesteel
Single sourceWithout magazine Magazine
Single sourceWithout magazine: 3.47 kg (7.7 lb) Magazine, empty: 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) (early issue) 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) (steel) 0.25 kg (0.55 lb) (plastic) 0.17 kg (0.37 lb) (light alloy)[source]
Mass
Single source10.5 kg (23.15 lb)[source]
Bursts / fully automatic
Single sourceCyclic rate Practical rate
Single sourceSemi-automatic
Single sourceCyclic rate: 600 rounds/min Practical rate: Semi-automatic: 40 rounds/min Bursts / fully automatic: 100 rounds/min[source]
Rate of fire
Single source550–650 rounds/min[source]
Caliber
Single source7.62 mm (0.308 in)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Wars | See Conflicts[source] | Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Dominican Civil War Cambodian Civil War Moro conflict The Troubles Lebanese Civil War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Salvadoran Civil War Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Operation Gothic Serpent War in Afghanistan Iraq War Cambodian–Thai border stand-off Colombian armed conflict Insurgency in the Philippines Bougainville conflict Myanmar conflict various others[source] |
|---|
| Designer | Mikhail Kalashnikov[source] | — |
|---|
| Designed | 1947 ( 1947 )[source] | 1952–1957[source] |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Fabryka Broni Radom , Kalashnikov Concern , Norinco , and Zastava Arms[source] | Saco Defense U.S. Ordnance[source] |
|---|
| Produced | 1948–present[source] | 1957–present[source] |
|---|
| No. built | ~75 million ~100 million Kalashnikov–style rifles[source] | — |
|---|
| Variants | See Variants[source] | See Variants[source] |
|---|
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm[source] | 7.62×51mm NATO[source] |
|---|
| Action | Gas-operated , long-stroke piston , closed rotating bolt[source] | Gas-operated , short-stroke gas piston, opened rotating bolt[source] |
|---|
| Feed system | 20-round, 30-round, 50-round detachable box magazine , 40-round, 75-round drum magazines also available[source] | Disintegrating belt with M13 Links[source] |
|---|
| Sights | 100–800 m adjustable iron sights Sight radius: 378 mm (14.9 in)[source] | Iron sights[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | — | US$6,000 (M60E3)[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators |
|
|
|---|