At a Glance
AK-M is a base Assault Rifle that occupies a unique spot in the class — slower rate of fire, higher per-bullet damage, longer effective range. With a base damage of 60,000 per bullet, a 600 RPM cadence, a 30-round magazine, and a 2.5-second reload, this rifle behaves more like a battle rifle than a standard AR. The 1.65x headshot multiplier is on the upper end of the AR class and rewards precision-shot builds that other ARs cannot quite scale into.
- Who this is for. Players who want an AR that hits hard per shot, plays like a precision tool, and works in longer engagements where rate-of-fire ARs run out of mag too fast.
- Precision-first AR. The 600 RPM is closer to a rifle than an AR, which means each shot carries more weight. This is the AR for players who already aim well.
- Acquisition. Drops everywhere — Hyena enemies in particular have a high drop rate, and Targeted Loot in Foggy Bottom on weekly rotation. Easy to farm a god-roll.
- Best fit: Tipping Scales 4pc, Strikers Battlegear with sustain focus, In Sync chest, longer-engagement raid builds.
Full Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Base Damage | 60,000 |
| RPM | 600 |
| Magazine | 30 |
| Reload | 2.5s |
| Optimal Range | 40m |
| Headshot Multiplier | 1.65 |
Intrinsic Attributes (random roll)
The intrinsic on AK-M rolls weapon damage and a secondary like CHD, HSD, or damage to elites. God-roll farming aims for 14-15% on the primary and 12-13% on the secondary. Targeted Loot rolls average to higher rolls than open-world drops.
Customization Slot (open)
Like Police M4, AK-M's customization slot is open and accepts any AR-class talent. The natural fit is Optimist for the ramping mag damage, but the slower rate of fire makes Boomerang and Killer also strong picks.
Built-in Mods
Standard AR mod slots — optic (4x default), magazine, underbarrel, muzzle. The AK-M's higher per-bullet damage benefits more from CHD-bias mod choices than from rate-of-fire boosters.
Weapon Talent: Customizable (High Per-Bullet Base)
"Customizable Talent Slot" — Accepts any AR-class talent. The 60K base damage and 1.65x HS multiplier favor precision-shot talents like Optimist or Headhunter-compatible builds.
The mechanic is the same as Police M4 — open talent slot, any AR-class talent compatible. The difference is that AK-M's stat profile (high per-bullet damage, slower rate of fire, higher HS multiplier) makes some talents stronger than they would be on a faster AR. Optimist scales hardest because the slower rate of fire means you spend more time at the high-damage end of the mag. Boomerang's miss-refund is more impactful when each bullet matters more.
In practice, AK-M plays like a hybrid between an AR and a battle rifle. You aim each shot rather than spraying, the 600 RPM gives you time to track between targets, and the per-bullet damage means you do not need to dump a full mag to drop a yellow elite. On a Tipping Scales 4pc build, AK-M can effectively double-tap most red enemies in Heroic content.
Practical numbers from a verified Optimist + Vigilance + Memento setup:
- Body shot, full mag, Optimist max: ~78,000 per bullet
- Body crit, Optimist max + Vigilance + Memento: ~310,000 per bullet
- Headshot crit at full stack: ~510,000 per bullet
- Sustained DPS, full mag: ~2.7M (lower than 850 RPM ARs but higher per-shot)
The lower RPM means lower sustained DPS than Police M4 or Honey Badger, but the higher per-bullet damage means AK-M is the better pick for any build that wants to maximize headshot damage per pull of the trigger.
Top Builds
AK-M × Optimist × Tipping Scales 4pc
The flagship precision-AR build. Tipping Scales 4pc gives the CHD stack engine, AK-M with Optimist provides the per-bullet ceiling, and the slow rate of fire pairs cleanly with the marksman-style aim Tipping Scales rewards. Strong in raid yellow burn-down phases.
AK-M × Boomerang × Strikers Battlegear
The sustain-DPS variant. Boomerang refunds bonus damage on missed crits, Strikers stacks weapon damage on hits, and the 600 RPM means you spend more time landing crits than other ARs would. This is the longer-engagement Heroic build.
AK-M × Killer × Coyote's Mask × Memento
The kill-chain build for tighter rooms. Killer gives 50% CHC after kills, Coyote's Mask adds swap-procced CHC, and Memento layers trophy stacks. The slower rate of fire is balanced by the per-shot damage so kills come fast even with fewer bullets fired.
PvE vs PvP
In PvE, AK-M is the AR for precision-shot players who want to land headshots rather than spray torsos. The 40m optimal range is one of the longer in the AR class and pairs well with marksman-style sightlines in raid arenas. The 1.65x HS multiplier is excellent for an AR and rewards aim discipline. Where it falls off is mob-clear in tight rooms — the 600 RPM is just slow enough that grouped reds can close on you before you finish the mag.
The 30-round mag and 2.5-second reload are both class-standard, but the slower rate of fire means each mag lasts about 3 seconds of constant fire — almost twice as long as a 950 RPM SMG.
In PvP, AK-M is a strong pick for medium-range skirmishes. The per-bullet damage is high enough to two-tap squishy DZ targets and the 40m optimal range gives you a sightline advantage over CQC SMGs. Most ranked PvP players prefer a Killer-talent AK-M for the on-kill CHC, which compensates for the slower rate of fire by guaranteeing crits in extended fights.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons | | — | — | | 60K base damage is class-leading among ARs | 600 RPM is slow for grouped close-range targets | | 1.65x HS multiplier rewards precision | Sustained DPS lower than 850 RPM ARs | | 40m optimal range is longer than most ARs | 2.5s reload is on the longer side | | Customization slot accepts any AR talent | Requires good aim to hit per-bullet ceiling | | Drops everywhere, easy to farm | Talent transfer one-shot consumes donor |
Comparison
Versus Police M4, AK-M trades rate of fire for per-bullet damage. Police M4 is the volume-DPS AR, AK-M the precision AR. Different roles in the same slot.
Versus Honey Badger, AK-M has random rolls but a higher per-bullet ceiling. Honey Badger has the locked premium roll, AK-M has the higher base damage.
Versus a god-roll Mantis (MMR), AK-M is faster to fire but lower per-bullet damage and shorter range. The two cover different ranges and roles.
FAQ
Is AK-M still good after TU22? Yes. The stat profile has not been touched in any recent balance pass and the precision-AR niche remains uncontested. Optimist remains the meta talent.
What talent should I roll on AK-M? Optimist for sustained per-bullet ceiling, Killer for kill-chain rooms, Boomerang for forgiveness. Optimist is the most common first pick.
AK-M or Police M4? Police M4 for higher rate of fire and tight rooms, AK-M for precision shots and longer ranges. Different tools, both worth keeping.
Can I run AK-M in raid? Yes. With Tipping Scales and Optimist it is a viable raid AR for any role that prioritizes per-shot damage over sustained DPS.
How long to farm a god-roll? Targeted Loot in Foggy Bottom rotates every 4-6 weeks. Outside the window, Hyena drops in the open world give you a steady supply within 1-2 hours of farming.
Closing
AK-M is the AR for precision-shot players. The 60K base damage and 1.65x headshot multiplier reward each pull of the trigger more than any other AR in the class, and the slower rate of fire makes it a surprisingly forgiving weapon for players who already aim well. Roll an Optimist variant and pair it with Tipping Scales for one of the strongest non-exotic AR builds in the game.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-25 · TU22.1 · Verified vs in-game