The AKM is an assault rifle chambered in 7.62×39mm Soviet intermediate cartridge. It is a selective fire, gas operated with a rotating bolt, firing in either semi-automatic or fully automatic, and has a cyclic rate of fire of around 600 rounds per minute (RPM). The gas operated action has a large bolt carrier with a permanently attached long stroke gas piston. The gas chamber is located above the barrel. The bolt carrier rides on the two rails, formed on the side of the receiver, with a significant space between the moving and stationary parts