Maadi AKM (Misr / ARM)
Factory 54 (Maadi Company for Engineering Industries) · Assault Rifle · In Production · 1972
Also known as: Misr, ARM, Misr assault rifle, Maadi Misr
Overview
The Maadi AKM (officially designated 'ARM' for Automatic Rifle Misr) is the Egyptian license-built variant of the Soviet AKM, manufactured by Factory 54 of the Maadi Company for Engineering Industries in Cairo. Production began in 1972 using imported Soviet components, with full domestic manufacturing established by 1976; by the mid-1980s the factory was producing roughly 50,000 rifles annually. Functionally identical to the Soviet AKM - a stamped steel receiver gas-operated assault rifle in 7.62x39mm with selective fire and a slant muzzle brake - the Maadi gained particular fame in the United States as one of the highest-quality AKM-pattern rifles ever imported, before the 1989 import ban.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3140 g (110.8 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 3700 g (130.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 870 mm (34.25") |
| Barrel Length | 415 mm (16.34") |
| Sight Radius | 378 mm (14.88") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 715 m/s (2346 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2010 J (1482 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 350 m (383 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x39mm · primary — also known as 7.62 Soviet, 7.62x39mm M43
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Drum Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Selector Safety Lever
- Features: Stamped Steel Receiver, Slant Muzzle Brake, Rotating Bolt, Rate Reducer, Compatible With Ak Drum Magazines
Variants
- Maadi ARM — Select Fire Full
- Maadi MISR (semi-auto export) — Semi Automatic Export
- Maadi RML — Long Barrel Rifle
- Maadi RPM — Rpk Pattern Squad Automatic
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Egyptian Armed Forces · adopted 1972 · as ARM
- Iraqi Armed Forces
- Lebanese Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Yom Kippur War (1973)
- Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)
- Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
- Gulf War (1990-1991)
- Syrian Civil War (2011-present)
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,000,000 · Production years: 1972-present
Approximately 50,000 rifles annually at peak (mid-1980s); semi-auto export variants still in production
Origin
Country of origin: Egypt
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Notes
Maadi rifles fall into several model families: ARM (full-auto military), MISR (semi-auto US export), RML (long-barrel), and RPM (RPK-pattern squad automatic). Pre-ban Maadi imports remain among the most valued AK-pattern rifles in the US civilian collector market.
Background
Maadi's tooling came from the Soviets in the 1950s, taught to Egyptian engineers under Nasser; when Sadat pivoted to the Americans in the 1970s, the Russians left but the line kept running - and within twenty years Egypt was selling its AKMs back to American collectors as some of the best-built AKs in the world.