AK-74
The AK-74 (Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1974 года, tr. Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda, lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974') is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974 as a successor to the AKM. While primarily associated with the Soviet Union, it has been used by many countries since the 1970s. It is chambered for the 5.45×39mm cartridge, which replaced the 7.62×39mm cartridge of Kalashnikov's earlier automatic weapons for the Soviet Armed Forces.
Not to be confused with AK-47.AK-74
Soviet Union
1974–present[1]
1991–present (AK-74M)
See Users
- Soviet–Afghan War
- Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-present)[2]
- Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
- Sri Lankan Civil War
- Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)
- Gulf War
- Georgian Civil War[3]
- Transnistria War
- Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)
- Tajikistani Civil War
- East Prigorodny Conflict
- The Troubles[4]
- Burundian Civil War
- First Chechen War
- Batken Conflict
- Second Chechen War
- 2001 Afghanistan War
- Iraq War[5]
- Russo-Georgian War
- 2011 Libyan Civil War
- War in Donbas
- Syrian Civil War
- Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
- Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Saudi–Yemeni border conflict (2015–present)
- 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
- 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- AK-74: 1974
- AK-74M: 1991
Kalashnikov Concern
(formerly Izhmash)
- AK-74: 1974–1991
- AK-74M: 1991–present
5,000,000+[6]
See Variants
- AK-74: 3.07 kg (6.8 lb)
- AKS-74: 2.97 kg (6.5 lb)
- AK-74M: 3.4 kg (7.5 lb)[7]
without magazine - 30-round magazine: 0.23 kg (0.51 lb)
- 6H5 bayonet: 0.32 kg (0.71 lb)
- AK-74: 943 mm (37.1 in)
- AKS-74 (stock extended): 943 mm (37.1 in)
- AKS-74 (stock folded): 690 mm (27.2 in)
- AK-74M (stock extended): 943 mm (37.1 in)
- AK-74M (stock folded): 700 mm (27.6 in)
415 mm (16.3 in)
AK-74M: 70 mm (2.8 in)
AK-74M: 195 mm (7.7 in)
- 500 m (550 yd) (AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74M point target)
- 800 m (870 yd) (AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74M area target)[9]
3,150 m (3,440 yd)
30-round AK-74 and 45-round RPK-74 detachable box magazine, 60-round casket magazine and 96-round RPK-16 drum magazines
Adjustable iron sights, front post and rear notch on a scaled tangent
The rifle first saw service with Soviet forces in the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979.[10] The head of the Afghan bureau of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the intelligence agency of Pakistan, claimed that America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) paid $5,000 for the first AK-74 captured by the Afghan mujahideen during the Afghan-Soviet War.[11]
As of 2021, most countries of the former Soviet Union use the rifle. Licensed copies were produced in Bulgaria (AK-74, AKS-74 and AKS-74U), and in the former East Germany (MPi-AK-74N, MPi-AKS-74N, MPi-AKS-74NK).[10][12][13]
AKS-74U
Soviet Union
Russia
1979–present
See Users
1970s
1979–1993
2.7 kg (6.0 lb)
730 mm (28.7 in) (stock extended)
490 mm (19.3 in) (stock folded)
206.5 mm (8.1 in)
- Cyclic: 700 rounds/min[54]
- Practical: 100 rounds/min
735 m/s (2,411 ft/s)
300–400 m (330–440 yd)
20-, 30-round AK-74, 45-round RPK-74 detachable box magazine or 60-round casket magazine
Adjustable iron sights, front post and U-shaped flip rear notch
:[78] AK-74M manufactured under license by the Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan.[79][80][81]
Azerbaijan
: In use alongside the M4 carbine in service in Georgia. Being phased out by AR-15 platform rifles.[78]
Georgia
: AK-74M,[95] AKS-74U,[96] AKS-74 and AK-74. Most AK-74s given to the Syrian Armed Forces by Russian forces deployed in Syria.
