AK-74 ASSAULT RIFLE

                In loving memory of Mikhail Kalashnikov (10 November 1919 to 23 December 2013), I will present the AK-74 Assault Rifle, from Wikipedia.

    

AK-74
Early AK-74 with rust-colored magazine and laminated wood furniture
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Soviet Union Russia
Service history
In service	1974–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Soviet–Afghan War Nagorno-Karabakh War Georgian Civil War First Chechen war Second Chechen War War in Afghanistan (2001–present) 2008 South Ossetia war Syrian Civil War War in Donbass Various other conflicts in Asia and the Middle East
Production history
Designer	Mikhail Kalashnikov
Designed	1974
Manufacturer	Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash)
Produced	1974–91 (since 1991 AK-74M)
Number built	5,000,000 +
Variants	AKS-74, AKS-74U, AKS-74UB, AK-74M, AK-101, AK-102, AK-103, AK-104, AK-105
Specifications
Weight	AK-74: 3.07 kg (6.8 lb) AKS-74: 2.97 kg (6.5 lb) AKS-74U: 2.7 kg (6.0 lb) AK-74M: 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) without magazine 30-round magazine: 0.23 kg (0.51 lb) 6H5 bayonet: 0.32 kg (0.71 lb)
Length	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) AKS-74U (stock extended): 735 mm (28.9 in) AKS-74U (stock folded): 490 mm (19.3 in) AK-74M (stock extended): 943 mm (37.1 in) AK-74M (stock folded): 700 mm (27.6 in)
Barrel length	AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74M: 415 mm (16.3 in) AKS-74U: 206.5 mm (8.1 in)
Width	AK-74M: 70 mm (2.8 in)
Height	AK-74M: 195 mm (7.7 in)
Cartridge	5.45×39mm
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	Cyclic: 650 (rd/min) Practical: Automatic: 100 (rd/min) Semi-auto: 40 (rd/min)
Muzzle velocity	880–900 m/s (2,887–2,953 ft/s) (AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74M) 735 m/s (2,411 ft/s) (AKS-74U)
Effective firing range	500 m (550 yd) ((AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74M point target) 800 m (870 yd) ((AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74M area target) 400 m (440 yd) (AKS-74U)
Maximum firing range	3,150 m (3,440 yd)
Feed system	30-round or 45-round RPK-74 detachable box magazine or 60-round casket magazine
Sights	Adjustable iron sights, front post and rear notch on a scaled tangent Flip-up sight and front cylindrical post (AKS-74U)

The AK-74 (Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1974 года or "Kalashnikov automatic rifle model 1974") is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s, by Russian designer Mikhail Kalashnikov as the replacement for the earlier AKM (itself a refined version of the AK-47). It uses a smaller 5.45×39mm cartridge, replacing the 7.62×39mm chambering of earlier Kalashnikov-pattern weapons.

The rifle first saw service with Soviet forces engaged in the 1979 Afghanistan conflict. The head of the Afghan bureau of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence claimed that the CIA paid $5,000 for the first AK-74 captured by the mujahadeen during the Soviet–Afghan War.

Presently, the rifle continues to be used by the majority of countries of the former USSR. Additionally, licensed copies were produced in Bulgaria (AK-74, AKS-74 and AKS-74U), the former East Germany (MPi-AK-74N, MPi-AKS-74N, MPi-AKS-74NK) and Romania (PA md. 86). Besides former Soviet republics and eastern European countries, Mongolia, North Korean Special Forces, and Vietnamese People's Naval infantry use AK-74s.