AKM

The mighty AKM. The older sister of the AK-74. First entered service in 1959, it was to replace the AK-47. Possibly the most proliferated automatic weapon on the planet for over 60 years, it appeared in virtually every conflict.


Note for new players:
AK-47 can be easily confused with AK-74. The numbers refer to the year when it was accepted into service. The AK-47 appeared in service in 1947 and the AK-74 in 1974. There is no AK-47 in the game currently. The AKM is part of the AK-47 series and its direct successor. They fire the same 7.62x39 round. The AK-74 fires the 5.45x39 round.

Variants

The AKM series is represented in several variants in the game.

• AKM
  This is is the base variant. The "M" in its name is an abbreviation can be translated to "modernized". Think of it as an AK-47 that got fat and lazy and then started to work out and lost weight.

• AKMN
  This variant has a dovetail mount on the left side, intended for mounting soviet/russian optical devices. The N in the name is an abbreviation for "night / intended for night use" in russian.

• AKMS
  This variant is identical to the base AKM except for the foldable metal stock. S in this context can be translated to "foldable". It is also a bit lighter than the AKM.

• The folded stock shortens the weapon length by one square in the inventory and makes it faster to aim and turn. This configuration is a favorite among container ship pirates.

"Allegedly."
- Ahmad, container ship pirate

•  AKMSN
  This variant is foldable and has a dovetail mount. Because if you want to get scope bite because you held your weapon too close to your eye sockets, then this is how you do it.

 

• AKMP
  This variant is not its own weapon, but a modding kit that you put on an AKM (or any of its variants). The feature is self-illuminating ironsights to provide an accurate sight picture at night. They are mounted onto the standard back and front ironsights.

 

• AKMB
  This variant is a set of parts to be mounted on an AKM. The B is an abbreviation in russian that can be translated to "suppressed". It features a PBS-1 suppressor, AKMB rear ironsights and subsonic (US) ammo. This allows for completely noiseless firing (beyond 50 meters, as the suppressed gunshot sound is still audible at close range.

"Pshooom!"
Vinogradov the Concussed, casualty of zarya accident, legally not allowed to drive vehicles or operate machinery.

• VPO-136
  This one is a civilian replica weapon that is functionally indentical to the AKM except for the automatic firemode removed. It can fit almost every attachment that fits on an AKM. Because this weapon is almost the exact same thing as a regular AKM it is included in this AKM guide.

"Gopher problem. In garden."
- Oleg, landscaping professional, denies being former speznaz.

• VPO-209
  The creepy uncle of the AKM series. It fires a .366 round from a partly smoothbore barrel. This weapon will be featured in a seperate post.
  
  внимание!
  (that means attention in russian)
  The 7.62x39 and .366 rounds fit into AKM magazines. If a VPO-209 is acquired from a dead enemy, it can easily cause a mix-up leading to the wrong ammo ending up in a loaded magazine.

Shooting the AKM

The recoil is temperamental and 50% more (vertical) than an AK-74. This is caused by the large round fired. Fully automatic fire features 600 RPM (AK-74: 650 RPM, M4: 800 RPM). Because of the stiff vertical kick, carefully aimed semi-auto fire is advised. And the hard-hitting round will make most targets stop shooting after getting hit to apply first aid items. However fully automatic fire is very effective in room clearing or other close situations.

The strong recoil can be lowered by shooting from a prone position. Then accurate fire is possible at a distance and it grants LMG capabilities to the AKM.

Ammo

The 7.62x39 is a soviet intermediate round that was developed during world war 2. It is 2-3 times heavier than a 5.45x39. Its advantage over the lighter rounds is the fact that its standard PS round has 33 penetration. 34 is what a fully intact class 4 armor vest can withstand on the first hit. This gives the AKM out-of-the-box capabilities to chew through class 4 armor on the first few hits. This advantage causes an increase in vertical recoil, which requires more accurate aim from the shooter.

 

Modding

The AKM is the most moddable weapon in the game. Most parts are interchangable with other AK variants.

Modding covers all possible tactical situations. From the classic cold war standard look, to the elite all black furniture to the container ship pirate configuration. Plus there are over 10 magazines, over 10 muzzle devices, over 10 handguards to choose from.

Summary

The AKM is the chonker among assault rifles. Its bullets hit harder, penetrate more, and its and very common PS ammo provides out-of-the-box capabilities against up to class 4 armor. Where the AK-74 or M4 have to be adapted to to fight armored targets with carefully selected ammo, the AKM can do it unmodded and in its base configuration. It represents the ideal off-the-shelf solution for hard targets. And below the shelf, or in the room next to it, on the corpse of a scav. Because the VPO-136 is a very common weapon carried by scavs. If modding is required, it can be modified with a vast selection of parts.

However it requires more trigger discipline as it takes more time to line up shots on the target than it would with lighter weapon systems. Another disadvantage are the relatively low ergonomics which make it slow to point in close quarters. Plus it is a relatively heavy weapon. The layout of the controls is not ideal (compared to the AR-15 controls), especially the fire selector switch requires the shooter to reach around the weapon to operate it. This can be an issue when switching the firemode in close combat situations.