Pistol Mitralieră model 1963

PM md. 63/65
Cutaway of the PM md. 1963.
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Socialist Republic of Romania
Service history
In service	1963–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	The Troubles Iran-Iraq War 1989 Romanian Revolution Gulf War Bosnian War First Liberian Civil War Second Liberian Civil War Iraqi War Dissident Irish Republican campaign Syrian Civil War Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
Production history
Designer	Romtechnica
Designed	1960s
Manufacturer	ROMARM via Regia Autonomă pentru producţia de Tehnică Militară (RATMIL), Cugir
Produced	1963–1994
Variants	PM md. 65, PM md. 90
Specifications
Weight	(without magazine) 3.45 kg (7.61 lb) (md. 63) 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) (md. 65)
Length	870 mm (34.3 in) (md. 63) 870 mm (34.3 in) stock extended / 640 mm (25.2 in) stock folded (md. 65)
Barrel length	415 mm (16.3 in)
Cartridge	7.62×39mm
Action	Gas-operated reloading
Rate of fire	600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	715 m/s (2,346 ft/s)
Effective firing range	100 to 1,000 m sight adjustments
Feed system	30-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Rear sight notch on sliding tangent, front post, 378 mm (14.9 in) sight radius

The Pistol Mitralieră model 1963 (abbreviated PM md. 63 or simply md. 63) is an assault rifle patterned after the AKM, and chambered in the 7.62×39mm cartridge. It is exported as the AIM.

The Pistol Mitralieră model 1965 (abbreviated PM md. 65 or simply md. 65) is the underfolding-stock version of the md. 63, and is exported as the AIMS.

In the early 1960s, the Romanian Army used mostly PPSh-41, Oriţa submachine guns and imported AK-47 rifles. With the development of the stamped Type 4 AKM receiver, and the Soviet Union's call to each of the Warsaw Pact's nations to produce their own assault rifles chambered in 7.62mm, be they AK-47 pattern or not, the Romanian State Arsenal developed an AKM clone featuring a forward-pointing front handgrip molded into the lower handguard, called the Pistol Mitralieră model 1963 (literally 'machine pistol' model 1963). The underfolding stock version is designated the Pistol Mitralieră model 1965, and features a rear-pointing front handgrip, allowing the underfolding stock to be completely retracted.

The PM md. 63/65 is almost identical to the AKM/AKMS, and thus is simple, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to clean and maintain. The bore and chamber, as well as the gas piston and the interior of the gas cylinder, are generally chromium-plated. This plating dramatically increases the life of these parts by resisting corrosion and wear. Most md. 63/65 rifles lack a muzzle brake, but instead use a muzzle nut, as muzzle brakes entered production only in the late 1970s. The navy is the only remaining large scale operator of the md. 65 because of the weight of the metal underfolding stock.

The fire selector markings are as follows, from top to bottom: Domestic—S, FA, FF. Export—S, A, R.