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| AK-63 | |
|---|---|
 The AK-63 | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Hungarian People's Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1977–present |
| Used by | SeeUsers |
| Wars | Iran–Iraq War Lebanese Civil War Sri Lankan Civil War Somalian Civil War Gulf War Yugoslav Wars Iraq War Syrian Civil War[1] War in Iraq (2013–2017)[2] |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1977 |
| Manufacturer | Fegyver- és Gépgyár[3] |
| Produced | 1977–2001 |
| Variants | SeeVariants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7.9 lbs (3.6 kg) |
| Length | 34.6 in (88 cm) |
| Barrel length | 16.3 in (41.5 cm) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
| Caliber | 7.62mm |
| Action | Gas-operated,rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 600 rounds/min |
| Effective firing range | 500m |
| Feed system | 10, 20, 30, 40-round box magazines, 75 or 100-round drum magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights |
TheAK-63 (also known in Hungarian military service as theAMM) is aHungarian variant of theAKM assault rifle manufactured by theFegyver- és Gépgyár (FÉG) state arms plant inHungary. It is currently used by theHungarian Ground Forces as itsstandard infantry weapon, and by most other branches of theHungarian Defence Forces.
In Hungarian service, the AK-63 replaced theAMD-65, which is nearly identical but features a modified heat shield and a vertical forward hand grip under the barrel. Although theAMD-65 had been the Hungarian service rifle since 1965, it was more expensive to build, and the forward grips had a reputation for being easily damaged in the field. In the late-1970s, the Hungarian Defense Ministry requested that FÉG manufacture a cheaper rifle based on the more traditional Soviet AKM design. By the end of 1977, the AK-63 was adopted by the Hungarian People's Army (beginning with the Ground Forces). In 1978, FÉG added a folding stock AKMS version of the AK-63 to their catalogue; thereafter, the fixed-stock AK-63 became known as the AK-63F (Wooden Stock) and the folding-stock version was designated AK-63D (Descent).
In Hungarian service, the AK-63 F and D are designated as the AMM and AMMS, respectively.
The AK-63 F and D (AMM and AMMS) are both nearly identical externally to the USSR-manufactured AKM and AKMS. The main difference is that the AK-63 series retains the distinctive-looking straight pistol grip of the AKM-63. The forward hand grip of the AK-63 also lacks the palm swells which characterize the Soviet AKM (and most AKM copies made in many other countries). It's also missing the stepped lightening cut on the bolt carrier and retains the relief ports on the gas tube. The wood on the AK-63, like that of the AKM-63, has a bright, laminated blond finish.
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During the Cold War and afterwards, the AK-63 series was widely exported to a number of nations in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
Iraq underSaddam Hussein was the first major export customer to receive the AK-63, which it began importing in large numbers in 1979 to equip its armed forces. These rifles made their combat debut in the hands of Iraqi soldiers during theIran–Iraq War in 1980–1988. During the war, theIranian Revolutionary Guards and many of the local militias which participated in the fighting were also armed with AK-63s; these were most likely acquired by capturing them from the Iraqis (since Iran mostly purchased AKs from China and North Korea, and received some Soviet weapons fromLibya andSyria). The AK-63 was used by Iraqi forces again during theGulf War in 1990–91, and later turned up in Kurdish and Shi'ite hands during the insurrections in Iraq throughout the 1990s.
The AK-63 was also exported to theSandinista government inNicaragua, which used them to fight theContras in the 1980s. Significant numbers of AK-63s were also sent to theFMLN in nearbyEl Salvador starting in late 1984 or 1985. One estimate suggested that about 11,000 AK-63 rifles may have been sent to the region over a five-year period. Since the end of the Cold War, the AK-63 has also turned up regularly in the hands of militants inSomalia andZambia, and was also purchased byCroatian forces for use during theCroatian War of Independence. Photographic evidence shows that the AK-63 is one of the primary rifles in use by the KurdishYPG/YPJ andPKK forces in Syria and Iraq.
In 1985, a semi-automatic version of the AK-63 was exported to the United States for civilian consumption. Imported by Kassnar (of Harrisburg, PA), which sold it as the SA-85M, it was only available in its "pre-ban" form for a few years before the 1989 assault weapons importation ban. Since only about 7,000 pre-ban SA-85Ms were imported prior to 1989, it is now considered a collector's item amongst firearms enthusiasts and commands high prices (often $1,500 or higher). The post-ban version of the SA-85M, featuring a thumbhole stock, was discontinued after only a few years of importation. However, in recent years, several companies in the United States have built clones of these rifles from Hungarian parts kits on American-made receivers.
7700 pieces of the AK-63 have been modernised in theHungarian Armed Forces and received the designation AK-63MF.
The modernisation includedSwan rails, new handgrips, underbarrel grenade launcher, new sights, flashlights etc.
Hungary: Main service rifle of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Intended to be replaced by theCZ BREN 2.[4]
Iraq[5]
Somalia[6]
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