AK-101

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AK-101

Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Russia
Service history
In service	Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Bhutan
Production history
Designer	Alexander Kalashnikov
Number built	unknown
Variants	AK-102, AK-103, AK-104, AK-105, AK-106, AK-107, AK-108
Specifications
Weight	3.4 kg
Length	943 mm
Barrel length	415 mm

Cartridge	NATO 5.56 x 45 mm
Action	Gas-actuated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	600 rds/min
Muzzle velocity	910 m/s
Effective range	450 m
Feed system	30
Sights	Adjustable Iron Sights, Equipped with optical plate for attaching various scopes

The AK-101 is an assault rifle of the Kalashnikov series. The AK-101 is designed for the world export market, using standard 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridges, which is the standard of all NATO armies. The AK-101 is aimed at those looking for the logistical compatibility and familiarity of the 5.56x45 NATO round with the proven quality and reliability of a Kalashnikov. Potential customers may be Western-oriented countries looking for just that. It is designed with modern and composite materials, including plastics that reduce weight and improve accuracy. Many of the improvements found in the AK-101 are also present in the AK-103 and the rest of the AK-10X series of rifles.

The AK-101 can be fired in semiautomatic and fully automatic. The disassembly procedure for the AK-101 is identical to that of the AK-74. The AK-101 has an optical plate installed on the side of the receiver for attaching scopes and other optical equipment, which will accept most types of Russian and European AK optics. The rifle accepts most synthetic and metal ammo magazines with 30 round capacity. The AK-101 has a 16 inch barrel with a AK-74 style muzzle brake attached to the barrel to control muzzle climb.

The AK-102, AK-104 and AK-105 are the designations given to the more compact carbine variants of the AK-10X rifle series, firing the 5.56 x 45 mm, 7.62 x 39 mm and 5.45 x 39 mm rifle rounds respectively. These carbines differentiate themselves from the normal rifles of the series in that they have much shorter barrels, only 314 mm in length. These AK-10X carbines, much like their rifle counterparts, were made primarily for export.

A common misconception is that the AK-101 has entered service as the main assault rifle of the Russian Federation, but this is not true, the AK-74M is still the main assault rifle, the AK-103, a variant of the AK-101 firing 7.62 mm Soviet rounds, is in limited service with selected units in the Russian army, and the AN-94 is entering limited service in the elite forces of the Russian military, some Russian police forces, and the Internal Ministry of Affairs.