Thanks for watching guys, really appreciate your time. Do you think the AK74 is the best of the entire series? Follow me here: instagram.com/cappyarmy/
@@booran. I like my own videos too : x I feel like its the same as when someone votes for themselves or gives themselves a nice hard pat on the back or some self love.
I wouldn't say they're the best because they obviously lack some of the modern solutions, however I do love them (and AKS74 was the first assault rifle I've ever shot). I adore the caliber, though, 5,45 is really funny when it comes to penetration of hard obstacles because it doesn't disintegrate like 5,56NATO* nor does it quickly lose all the energy and deform like the 7,62. In fact I've seen some experiments with AP rounds vs steel body armour, and, at certain ranges, after penetrating the front plate 5,45x39 would bounce back from the back plate, ripping a secondary wound channel. Dope and probably irrelevant in real life but looks very dramatic in a black and white slow mo :v *which is both a perk and a drawback - I'd rather kill the enemy than have them die 2 days later after potentially returning fire
The reason why the GP-25 cannot be fired for more than 400 - 500 rounds is not because of the launcher itself being fragile, but the rifle it is attached to. If you fire too many grenades (in this case 500 rounds according to Russian manual) from GP-25 while being mounted on an AK, the shock from the GP-25 can deform the AK's receiver. So it is recommended to not fire it for more than 500 rounds of VOG grenades while attached to one rifle, if you fire more than that then it is better to mount it on another rifle. However in real practical use in war zones, a lot of soldiers/fighters often fire more than 500 rounds of VOG grenades while mounted on an AK rifle and the rifle still works. So this is just more like a safety suggestion by Russian army manual to not fire more than 500 rounds while the launcher is mounted on one specific AK.
In the industrial world those margins exist, as a buffer so tools don't get abused to their critical threshold , probably the real number is between 650-700
I had that drill to fieldstrip an AKM at school. The teacher showed the process only once and then each student was able to disassemble and assemble it back from the first attempt. Almost twenty years later still was able to repeat that at the territorial defense battalion drills.
@@jonnyg44 according to him, there are US manufacturers that make large quantities of 5.45, 7.62x25, 7.62x54R, and 7.92x57. So you might not wanna listen to what he has to say
It seems to me that AK-74 is "overlooked" only in the west, where every single movie/videogame has "AK-47", but in the post-soviet countries AK-74 and its derivatives are more like a default weapon.
agree, that's why most gaming community who has little weapon knowledge, kids and people that only AK-47 exist Heck they even didn't know the AKM or the 74 even the 100 series
Having shot both an akm and ak74 the 74 is significantly smoother shooting and my preferred AK to shoot whenever I have to decide which I want to throw into my trunk for a trip to the range.
The AK 74 is smooth, no doubt, but something about that round, possibly hollowed out/bubble tip, makes it terrifying. I was listening to this guy talk about being if Afghanistan in the early 1980's. He said the wounds created by that little devil of a round were absolutely horrific. Apparently, in humans, the round will tumble and produce the craziest angles, almost unreal.
AKS-74U was not just a favorite of Osama Bin laden, it was a message, amoung mujahideen the AKS-74U was considered a show of power, since to get one you either had to take down a helicopter or a soviet tank/APC and then scavenge it off of the crew, so only leaders and proeminent fighters got it, it was a prize, when Osama showed his AKS on the background he was sending a message for every Afgan that he was the real deal, that he "helped" win against the soviets, that he knew how to fight a super power. I think nowadays it would be similar as to have a SCAR, it show that you killed someone from the special forces and took it, or a 1911(since nowadays as far as I know only special forces carry it). PS: Again, sorry for any english mistakes, I'm not a native, I'm just a Brazilian.
this is the first time i heard about this. Though i only heard that AKS-74u was prized by Mujahedeen or anyone in Middle east due of status something like that
The price of the surplus ammo was the biggest selling point before the 7n6 ban. I bought cheap and stacked deep and ended up with several 5.45 guns including a Galil ACE.
I wish I was alive for the time. Sadly, I was born too late to experience the best times of surplus, but I have the bug of being obsessed with AKs and milsurp in general
@@Taskandpurpose the 7.62x39 is not a washed up cartridge at all. Pretty much does everything asked of it even if the SCHV cartridges have better performance beyond 300m.
I think it is so interesting to see the blending of military ideas and tactics even though the US and Russia are so different. The Russians saw the Americans were using 5.56 and created their own version that is quite ballistically similar. And there are so many other comparisons that just can’t be named here, none any less interesting
The usurping and adoption of military weapons and tactics has been happening forever... From military commanders studying Sun Tzu's thousand year old text *The Art of War,* to the longbow being "king of the battlefield" throughout the middle ages, to the U.S.'s main battle doctrine being stolen directly from Rommel's "Blizkreig"-- and rightly so
I tried out an older model Kalashnikov 74 (long barrel) in Iraq and it is to this day, the best assault rifle I've used. I punched a 6 inch group at 50 yards on full auto. The compensator on that weapon was and still is state of the art.
I think everyone just underestimates Russian tech they have to make it cheap because their economy is kinda toast after the soviet union yeeted itself but they still need to be competitive in performance so they work smarter not harder
@@jimbothegymbro7086 the AK 74 was made under the Soviets not Russians. The modern AKs made in Russia are nothing but AK 74s with slight improvements copied from other foreign guns. You are right about the Russians being very poor, after the Soviet union fell their GDP went from number 2 to nearly last. All we see now is the remains of a super power. You can have only one capitalist country in the world... Rest have to actually produce something.
Two parts that are totally different between the 47 &74 series are the improved extractor design & the improved bolt to bolt carrier mass ratio ( skinny bold stem on 74 ) , these are carried over onto the 100 series that was made in 4 calibres . The bolt is lighter due to thin stem behind the locking lugs of the bolt .
The AK family is so prolific, if production stopped today, they'd still be a significant platform 50 years from now. Unless they're seeing active combat, they'll near last forever. They're the B-52s of grunt warfare.
I'll do a video about the challenger soon for sure! I haven't researched it very much yet so I dont want to say anything too stupid - I'll save that for the video.
@@Geezer2006 challenger 3? you mean challenger 2.5? The actual name of the program was the "Challenger 2 Life Extension Program" and its really the "we don't really have any money to build a new tank program so lets upgrade some parts and call it a day" Don't get me wrong its a good tank for 5-10 years ago. But its lack of a integrated Active protection system with hardkill and soft kill means its at a huge disadvantage. Still needs a crew of 4 and has no computer operated target finding and tracking system or visual identification technology. Its biggest advantage over the Russian tanks is that it definitely wont deploy anywhere because Britain has no money and no political endurance for any conflict requiring the fielding of tanks.
As usual, some corrections needed 1. GP-25 UBGL was intentionally built to be used on BOTH AKM and AK-74 2. 400 shots of 40mm, as corrected before, refers to the host rifle, not the UBGL, because of sharp recoil, necessated by a short 40mm barrel 3. conversion from 7.62mm has very little with wounding effect and most everything with hit probabilities and overal effectiveness of fire / number of sucessfully engaged targets by an unit of a given size, within a limited amount of time, and with limited weight of overall kit 4. "bakelite' (actually not, material is glass-fiber impregnated AG-4 plastic) magazines were adopted a whole decade before the AK-74, for 7.62mm AKM, in mid-1960s. 5. AK-74U... Not. AKS-74U ;)
I was still very young when the Soviets first invaded Afghanistan, however, I do remember eventually hearing about these "new," _poison bullets._ At the time, they were called _Poison Bullets_ because of the strange and unique wounding pattern they displayed. The way the 5.45x39 bullet tumbled when it hit a target, meant that you could have an exit wound in a baffling remote location, compared to the bullet's entry wound. The corresponding MASSIVE internal, including organ, damage caused by bullets that appeared to strike people in non-lethal areas, were what led to the round being known as the _Poison Bullet._ But then again, I WAS very young, so I might very well have been mistaken in my recollection. Mistaken or not, though, this IS my recollection.
I remember the terminal ballistics exactly as you describe them. Don't remember the source, though. Having fired some Commbloc 5.45X45 into water jugs, it behaved exactly as described.
@@kalinmalinov7464 They WERE invited, but a month later they killed the president and started doing whatever they wanted. At that point it became an invasion, since the only person who wanted the Soviets in the country was now dead.
@@Raz.C Have you brainwashed with propaganda, answer the question, did the United States invade Afghanistan? Unlike the United States, the USSR did not fight against the people of Afghanistan, they fought against radical Islamists who produced millions of tons of drugs a year near the borders of the USSR. The Soviet Union built schools, hospitals and houses in Afghanistan, they are still there, you can look on the Internet, the USSR invited students to study for free at their universities so that they could build a secular progressive country without radical Islam. And the United States for 20 years have not done anything good for the people of Afghanistan
Back in high school in Vietnam, I had to learn how to field strip and reassemble an AKM, each time faster than the last. The fastest time I did was 35 seconds. Into college, I had to do it again in the obligatory National Defense Education at a local military school/army barracks where they also gave us MILES equipped AKs to test our marksmanship. The par was 30/30 with each students given 3 bullets. I managed to score a 29/30, near perfect after adjusting the iron sights.
5.56 was not chosen for its "wouding" abilities, it was chosen because it was the best compromise between acceptable performance and transportabilty. I explain myself the logisticians must have a ratio of ammunition (in weight) per goods (in weight) per man in order to have just enough of everything.
Russia's upgrades to their AKs is why they're so ubiquitous. They sold all the used guns and kept the best for themselves. And since these were so well built that many original AK-47s from the 1950's still work...
Most of the original AK-47 is withdrawn after AKM was introduced. That's why the OG AK-47 is heavily sought after since it did not last long and got replaced by AKM. Then they switched to AK-74 which put the AKM to the storages or possibly armed to militias. Nowadays when AK-12 was introduced there are millions of AK-74 stored and will last long
An AK-47 from the 50's has a milled receiver and if it were to actually be used continuously in warfare the receiver would outlast the wood and the barrel. Ak's from the 60's on have a stamped sheet metal receiver which is why there is a limit on how many grenades they feel you should shoot off with it. Ak's from the 50's are rare and rather collector's items as far far fewer were made than the later much faster and easier manufactured sheet metal receiver versions.
Soldier of Fortune magazine brought the first cases of 5.45X39 ammunition out of Afghanistan and gave it to US intelligence to study..The Afghgan's called it the poison bullet since it created a wicked wound like the 5.56..The AK-74 used a 90 degree gas port instead of the AKM 45 degree gas port because the higher velocity would create jacket shear with the 45 degree gas port...Kalashnikov hated the smaller bullet but changed his mind later on...The 5 piece rate reducer is not a rate reducer but an anti-bounce device......
@@1joshjosh1 Peter G. Kokalis was the best source for military firearms knowledge. I'm amazed at how many younger generation gun writers today who don't even know who he was and rehash decades old mistakes Kokalis proved wrong 40 years ago. I miss the 80's and the Reagan years...
@@hairydogstail Kokalis was a joke.....he simply used info supplied by others to him and took credit for it making him the "rehasher" . Before writing for SOF, he had to carry around a copy of Small Arms of the World to even know what a rifle was. His "combat" experience was a photographer in the Army....LOL....next you will be telling us how Chuck Taylor (real name Galen Taylor) won the Viet Nam war by himself........dont believe everything you read Gomer. SOF was a fiction mens magazine for entertainment mostly.
@@chadhaire1711 Kokalis was the first to figure out the 5 piece AK rate reducer was an anti bounce device, which Kalashnikov himself verified when they met. The so called millennial gun experts still call it a rate reducer.. Kokalis had one of the largest class 3 collections in the nation, so I doubt he needed a guide to remember the firearms he actually owned and used for his reviews lol. Kokalis was the first to introduce the Glock, "when he got the first American interview with Gaston Glock" to the American public and recognized it's importance when others scoffed at it.. Kokalis went into combat with the Salvadorean special units, refurbished their crappy hardware and was awarded as a member to that unit for his service. Kokalis went into 4 war zones Afghanistan during soviet rule,, El Salvador, Bosnia Herzegovina and nearly a dozen other countries throughout the world.His weapon test were spot on and more thorough than any gun writer I have read since. What is common knowledge today was not back in the 70's and 80's.. Before the internet Kokalis was the source for all things military small arms..Kokalis was a rabid anti communist which I also supported..Chuck Taylor on the other hand was a joke and was considered a hack back in his days at SWAT magazine. SWAT magazine eventually dumped him and all his BS .Kokalis had a M.S. degree in advanced mathematics, calculus, chemistry, physics, and mechanical engineering.He served in technical intelligence, made 21 trips to El Salvador training reaction forces and an airborne battalion with the Army. In 1982 he went into Afghanistan and friends and brought out the first 5.45X39 ammunition...So chad, we will agree to disagree on this one...
@@hairydogstail Chuckie was fired from SWAT because I am the one that got him fired from SWAT and other Moore publications. That is because I showed the owner of the publishing company how Chuckie had faked his articles and lied about everything. I even wrote some articles for SWAT later showing the tests he did were faked.....and called him out. Everett Moore was so pissed off he not only fired Chuck as editor but the publisher for hiring him---must have been hard as the publisher was his son Larry Moore! This was nothing new as he also got fired by Jeff Cooper at Gunsite before. He then went on to work with Massad Ayoob and got fired there, then at that Frontsite school in Nevada, and got fired there. Chuck just went on to Harris magazines where he continued his BS stories. But when word got out he eventually had to go into hiding...he still ran his school but had to stop writing to avoid being called out. His military record claims--well that is another subject. AS far as those SOF articles they were mostly fiction----guys like Kokalis would fly over there at Bob Browns expense, round up some soldiers over a beer, then take some photos together, then claim to be "training" their military. Most of the SOF stories were like that---take photos of the Taliban (they were the good guys back then, the Russians the invaders--then we went in and we were the liberators, and the Taliban became the bad guys) the write a fake "I was in combat " story. Bob Brown was always the most clueless in the group---senile as well as deaf. Never knew what was going on at the magazine. I don't think he knew most of the articles were made up....but when Brown gave you a plane ticket and cash to do a story, he wanted a story--and that is what the magazine got true or not. Brown eventually fired Kokalis, who threatened to sue him, then he went to Small Arms Review and got fired there in a hurry. I am aware of the Kokalis "resume" which while not as fake as Taylor, was puffed up a bit. Before he wrote for SOF he didn't know the difference between a direct gas or piston system, yet a few years later, SOF has him as some gun expert....everyone who knew him BEFORE that were baffled....so I take it you did not know him before his SOF "fame". I can't think of ANYBODY in the gun business who took him seriously back then. I remember being at the home of Charles Ingram one evening, and asked him what he thought about an article that kokalis did on his MAC model 10 SMG. He became agitated , and said don't ever mention that guys name in my house again....LOL...so the subject was dropped...
well actually -- the first underslung grenade launcher was ГСН-19 (GSN-19) "Тишина" (Teesheena) launcher for AKMs although it was during the same time AK74 was in development with its own launcher, ГСН-19 is TECHNICALLY the first one so you are kinda wrong on this part... or missed a detail
Well actually -- he said "the AK-74 is the first AK series created to run an underslung GP-25 grenade launcher", which is correct. Standard AK-74 has support brackets cast in to the gas block assembly to mount GP-25. The GSN-19 you mentioned, when mounted on an AKM, requires customary modifications on the rifle; so AKM is not a AK series rifle "created to run underslung grenade launcher".
@@nemesis6680 GSN-19 was designed for & use by the Spetsnaz, so information is very scarce... Based on several photos, the 2 mounting points seem to be the bayonet lug and the underside of the lower handguard. Since there are no place to mount it on a standard AKM lower handguard, they need to remove some material and drill a hole through the hand guard to fit the launcher there.
@@lionsoldier1179 Blergh! The fun of the 74 is the different 5.45 caliber, otherwise it's not interesting to me. I remember now, the AK-74 from Metal Gear Solid 5 is chambered in "5,56" and can share the magazines with the AR-18, weird.
One thing i noticed on COD games regarding into GP-25 is the reload animation. When i first see it's empty reloading animation the player instantly drop a Grenade Shell on the chamber, i look more information about the launcher itself and i found out that "was" a Caseless Grenade. For AK-74 details the material that used in Magazine and it's body is called "Bakelite"
Ugh. I'm pretty sure I've seen game reloads where the character ejects the spent round out of the GP25 before loading a new one. Now that's just sacrilegious
I was growing up in the Soviet Union in the 80s and the USSR collapsed before I made it to high school hence I never got to the point where we would have an AK74/AK47 field strip class. However, you wouldn't be sent to Gulag if you couldn't do it lol - not in the 80s, 70s, 60s, or 50s. My mom, who finished high school in early 70s, was actually first in her class for timed field strip of AK47 among both boys and girls. From what I recall hearing from older folks, the class was a lot of fun and most high school kids really looked forward to it.
Ah, the AK-74! Brings back memories! As one of the last soldiers of the East German Army I was trained on this gun. Just closed my eyes and remembered the steps to dismantle it. I think I could still do it!
Not really related to the video, but it's so awesome to see how comfortable you've become in front of the camera in just a couple years. Great to see you're adjusting, bro.
I am really digging the AK-74 atm. 5.45x39, 5.45x18 and 9x39mm are really interesting rounds. Also you need to do a video on the Russian GP-25. That grenade launcher needs more love/content
The PDW AK should be written as AKS-74U, S being складной (scladnoy) meaning "foldable" and U being укороченный (ukorochenny) meaning "shortened". Afaik there were no unfoldable ones, but anyway
Schools had old demilled AKMs - not AK-74s. We did get to shoot them as part of the school basic military training, usually at some army unit rifle range
If you've never shot an AK74, you won't understand. I have a few AKs, most of them are 7.62x39. My 5.45 guns are by far my favorite. Just an absolute pleasure to shoot, and they're very accurate and VERY flat shooting. The first time I shot one I was kind of like, "oh, ok. This makes sense."
No it is not.......a shit caliber for combat....the 7.62x39 will punch through walls, cars bodies, vegetation, cement blocks, and most anything else better than 223/5.45. And that crap AK74 muzzle brake is a death trap that will blind you at night, destroy your ear drums with loud report, and give your position away to the enemy with a ball of fire flash getting you killed. Try firing one without ear protection.....try that in indoors too....I dare you. Do it in your videos and let's see what happens. You were in the Army and dont know all this? Really? AK74 is a "great rifle" alright---for the other guy.
7.62 AK bakelite mags predate the 74 and are surprisingly more common than you would think, the 30s are fairly common but the 40 round RPK magazines are fairly rarer but exist as well
FYI, "Defense Training" lessons were common in most combloc countries long before 1980s and some kept those as part of curriculum for high schools till early 2000s when they have been replaced by something more akin to political studies.
It was Robert K Brown of Soldier of Fortune magazine fame who scooped the CIA in Afghanistan in the 80s and was the first westerner who got his hands on one from the Mujahedeen. The first time I was able to get my grubby hands on one and fire it was at the US Army Jungle Warfare Training Center at Ft. Sherman, Panama around 1987. I immediately fell in love with the rifle, and the one thing that stood out to me was because of the unique muzzle break, there was virtually no muzzle climb on automatic. One could keep the sights on target for a full mag dump.
@@Taskandpurpose it really isn't when you think about it. AK-74 Field strip is as complicated as puzzle toys for 3 yr olds. Interesting fact These AK training dummies being actual AKs discarded in production are a real treat for the black market. The 90% of Eastern european black market is those dummies refurbished into actual guns (not reliable, but they do shoot)
The AK-74M3 is pretty interesting as well, since the original AK-74M can't really mount other attachments. It's basically an AK-12 for the AK-74M if you think about it.
AK-74M can fire the GP launcher and it can mount an optic onto the side rail. Russians didn't really issue lights and optics too much until recently, and even then all those sights are being stuffed into a warehouse while soldiers practice with their stock irons. There is a logic to that: why use the optic in daily life when iron sight is always more reliable and at close ranges there are techniques that allow you to use irons just as effectively. Once one is really well-versed in use of irons, optic becomes REALLY appreciated. And if in combat the battery dies, soldier is well-versed in irons so optic will go into the pouch and user will use fully-zeroed stock iron sights. AK-12 is an AK-74 redesigned to accept rails and make those rails reliably keep zero of whatever sits on them. The only change to the action is the idiotic 2-round burst which will, hopefully soon, disappear. Oh, and the barrel is made more precisely.
And an AK 47 has a MILLED receiver meaning it was cut out on a milling machine from a solid block of steel. Extremely durable and slow and expensive to manufacture thus the AKM with it's stamped and folded sheet metal receiver which was impressively engineered as to be very durable considering the abuse it absorbs.
5.45x39 is certainly small and light. More ammo > More suppression > More mobility. It's a good way to go when you consider more niche facets and scenarios can be catered for with more specialized units within a team.
From a media apparatus that said footage of Knobb Creek was in Syria, I'm suprised they even even labeled the rifles as AKs, and got the digits right even if the order was wrong.
@@GravyTrain644 first time hearing anyone call G3 an unreliable gun, many nations preferred it over the FAL because G3 could handle rough treatment or untrained recruits better than FAL.
Thanks for really doing your homework on this. The 74 is my favorite of the series and is one of the best general purpose service rifle of the last few decades. I've always felt that the Russian small arms program was a lot healthier than ours was, as they always adopted practical, sensible features vs the fanciest new thing out there like we did. One easter egg on the magazines: The bottom of every AK magazine, on the spine, has a small hole where you can see the back of a primer when the mag is fully loaded. This is useful not only to keep track of your ammo supply, but also for ammo accountability. You do not have to unload the magazine and risk losing a round to know there are exactly 30 rounds in it, plus due to the rock n' lock loading style you don't have to download to 28 or 29 to seat it easily on a closed bolt.
thanks for watching! Ak74 is definitely my favorite in the series too, especially the M version. they took a lot of risks making this weapon and it doesnt get enough attention that it went well
Imagine my Russian surprise when I heard "you have to push this stanag this hard because you, moron, pushed 31 rounds inside it!" it was totally unbelievable for me that it is possible to fill 30 rounder with 31 rounds
The term you're looking for regarding the use of the booster on the Ak74u is dwell time. The expansion chamber of the muzzle device slowed the build up of gas pressure, the action didn't cycle as fast and increased reliability.
I don't see the AK-74 or 47 going anywhere, especially with our love for firearms. I believe less and less people will buy them but I don't see that happening for a good 50 years 🤷♂️. They're just too popular and reliable to disappear imo. Thank God for the 2A!!! #FJB
The AK-47 is a muscle car, AK-74 is a Ferrari The AK-47 is an axe, the AK-74 is a samurai sword. The AK-47 is a hacksaw, the AK-74 is scalpel. The AK-47 is Muay Thai, the AK-74 is Taekwondo.
Samurai sword is a thick hefty chopper. It is nearly twice as thick as a European Hand-and-half sword (as the name suggests it is used with two hands) while still more narrow and shorter - usually. It's a heavy sword, not as fast as a 1.5 hand (bastard) sword.
Fun fact, there was a trial for a scope for all infantrymen as MoD did the wierd army math like all MoDs do and decided that scope makes you more dakka, more dakka is more kill, kill is good and therefore the PSO-1U was invented but 1P29 took his place, there were a few more scopes, all 4-powered. So yeah, Soviet Union invented everything just didn't know how to use it, 6B3 was the first platecarrier with integrated pouches, soviet shoulder straps are basically proto-molle, I even saw a 1940 soviet optic with bulky looking Picatinny, and there is a pic of soldiers doing Crossfit in their armour vests in Chechnya before the Crossfit was invented.
I own four, Bulgarian, Molot, Arsenal, and a VZ88 Tantal. Of all these the Tantal is my favorite. The muzzle brake is slightly different from the others, it acts as a launcher also. That rifle has the kick of a bolt action 22 mag or 9 mm rifle. No bullshit! People say the AK is inaccurate- not the 74. I have a dime on my key ring drilled with my scoped Bulgarian cold shot first try at 100 yards. One thing you should have mention- the bullet design! Hollow tipped full metal jacket. In 1’ of gel block the thing yays many times! And the Russians have now fielded 7n39 Tungsten / alloy AP rounds that will defeat any body armor out to 300M. I’d encourage you to review the round- in my opinion the best of any modern army.
Some random fact you guys can look for yourself, Kalashnikov debated against the russian goverment on making a rifle in 5.45x39mm because it could penetrate APC's made back in the day, also because fights mostly happen up to 300m, above that they would use either DMR's, Snipers, and artillery strikes. Sorry if i am wrong
I'm working on a video about the Indian army's modernization program right now! dude I went way deep on the research for this one, became obsessed with the Indian army's history and weapons / equipment
@@Taskandpurpose Great and thank you Thr Indian and the US Army are always meant to be Allies and Brothers. I come from a family of veterans. Please do tell me if i can help you guys out in anyway possible. Cheers to US Indian Brotherhood and Strength to our Alliance
If it has a "s" it means the stock is underfolding. If it has a "u" it means the barrel is short. A "AK-74U" would be a fixed stock, short-barreled, 1974 model Kalashnikov rifle...!
@@Stribog1337 that why Cappy is wrong here. Because there was only AKS-74U. Russia never built 74u without folding stock so calling this rifle as "AK-74u" are wrong.
Just wanted to clarify there is no AK-74U. This is a very common naming mistake seen in video games and all over the place realy. The correct name is AKS-74U (S) standing for Sklandnoy (folding) there is no fixed stock variant of this gun therefore it has the designation AKS just like its bigger brother the AKS-74 that comes with a triangle folder stock as well. You will also see the (S) and most soviet era folding stock firearms post ww2 to the dissolution of the USSR. Guns like RPKS, AKMS. Another letter you commonly see is (N) like in AKMN or RPKS-74N the N means Nochnoy (night time) it is referring to the standard soviet style side rail on the AK platform. Another rare letter you will see is (B) for Bezshumniy (silent) generally referring to rare firearms equipped for use with suppressors and subsonic ammo. This naming scheme was abandoned with the AK-74M and onwards since most modern rifles came with the night optics mount.
The AK74 is being phased out in favor of the more modular AK105 though in Russia isn't it? As far as I understand they're basically the same gun, same round, just more modern so you can put a million gizmos on it. But I also think the recoil has been tamed through a slightly different gas/bolt design?
The ak105 is only used in russian SF as it is simply just a carabine variant of the ak74m. Russian armed forces are actually adopting the ak12 as their main assault rifle.
Standard infantry has been getting the AK12 or at least upgrading thier AK74M with AK12 furniture. The AK105 is Russias answer to the MK18 and used by more specialized troops.
my autism went off hard during the crimea thing. Like ak47? even the guys fielding the 7.62x39 rifle were using an akms with a pbs1, all others were fielding either an ak74 or aks74 ot an aks74u and those bad boys with a vss and as val.
1) A mistake was made in the AK74 and AKS74U simulator. The operation of the trigger mechanism is incorrectly shown. The hammer, after lowering, should not come into contact with the bolt carrier, there should be a gap between them. 2) The maximum effective firing range according to Soviet standards for AK74 is 550 meters, for AKM - 425 meters. 3) When creating 5,45, the task was not to achieve some kind of super deadly action of a bullet. In connection with the transition to a smaller caliber, they feared that the lethal effect would be insufficient compared to the 7.62 bullet of the 43-year model. Therefore, the developers sought to ensure that the lethal effect of the 5.45 bullet was no less than or equivalent to the 7.62 bullet. 4) The GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher is mounted on both AKM and AK74, and all subsequent Kalashnikov assault rifles. It’s just that on the AK74 an additional protrusion was made under the gas chamber, and on the AKM assault rifle, the GP grenade launcher is attached to the place where the bayonet is attached. 5) The creation of the 5,45 weapons complex was rather not a desire to eliminate some kind of backlog of the USSR from the USA, but to advance its infantry weapons to a higher level, in terms of firing efficiency, logistics, convenience for the soldier, and so on. Comparative shooting at the AKM and M16 range by Soviet specialists showed that the M16 shows better firing efficiency from a prone position, and AKM from a standing position. In general, Soviet engineers considered the M16 and AKM equivalent weapons. Therefore, there was no serious backlog of the USSR from the USA in this matter.
I assume you mean it as a joke. My Russian friends and my Belarusian friend tell me they had to assemble and disassemble AK 74 in under 45 seconds including doing it blindfolded in their Basic War Preparedness courses. But as far as being sent to a prison for failing to pass, that's nonsense. If you scored a non-passing grade, the worst that could happen was that you'd be made to re-take that course again with the kids who are a year younger than you, and that didn't happen very often. In North American schools the police sometimes gets called in because of a fight between boys, which almost never happened in the Soviet Union. The philosophy was frequently: "let them settle their own differences", or in worst cases they would break up fights using local means, meaning a teacher would step in. My Belarusian friend says that one time he hurt another boy pretty badly in a fight, and they threatened to call the cops on him but never did in the end. Soviet Union was weird in that it seemed to have two systems running side by side, the official CP rule, and the local :We The People", informal system where snitching on someone to the authorities was considered to be a bad tone and the police was only called in absolute worst case scenarios where someone could be seriously injured or killed. This was, of course pretty bad news for domestic violence, but at the same time it provided a sort of a psychological safety net where friendships and informal, intimate relationships were revered and encouraged since young age.
99,9% people are wrong when they say AK47 even if it actually is the old 7,62 version. The actual AK47 was not made in a too large quantity because the parts were not easy to mass-produce. The one you see all types of insurgents, rebels and poor countries militaries is the AKM that was widely mass-produced in 1959 and onwards that had parts that was easier to make and was an overall improvement of the AK47. This is the rifle you think of when you see an AK47. The blueprints was also sold and shared with several communist nations around the world so you have their unique types of AKM with a different name but functions more or less the same on the inside. China, North Korea, Romania, Hungary and more have their AK versions of the AKM.
I've heard that the neck taper into the body of the 5.45 gives it better extraction/feeding ability compared to something like the 5.56. Not sure how true that is.
There is a lot to be said about 70 years of continual improvement. What really is impressive to me… how truly minimal changes to a design can make something tremendously better. Often on life, when people feel they are failures the truth is they were just on the cusp of success.
Honestly, the vast majority of the time, it's never the AK47 that was being used. Throughout time, especially in Vietnam, the AKM was the go-to weapon, and after that, the AK47 essentially disappeared. People still think the AK47 is still being manufactured in Russia. The answer is absolutely not. The AK47 was replaced by the AKM because it was cheaper to produce, easier to maintain, easier to manufacture, and overall operated better. The AKM was produced from 1959-1977, where it was outright replaced by the AK74. You would be a fool to choose an AK47 over an AK74 or even an AKM, as your weapon of choice in a conflict. The AK47 belongs in a museum. The only bit of hesitation one may have of choosing the AK74 over an AKM is the cartridge. But even then, AK74s are made chambered in 7.62×39mm. And later, the AK-103 and AK-104 was also chambered in 7.62×39mm. As was the AK-15. So, really. People have no reason to whine over the cartridge. They can have their cake and eat it too.
Most of stuff people call AK-47 is either AKM or one of license or unlicensed clones of AKM. Actual AK-47 is rare collectors item as rather small amount was made and at that time it wasn't exported
@@tsorevitch2409 The AK-47 isn't rare but it is definitely a collectors item. Plenty were produced between 1948 and 1960. And following 1960, as more AKMs were made, a lot of the old surplus AK47s were sent to foreign coutnries, especially Central, Western, and Eastern African countries. Those typically weren't AKMs, because the Red army itself was busy phasing out the AK47 in favor of the new and improved AKM. The only exception to this rule was Vietnam, where Russia did send a some AKMs, but for the most part, the Vietnamese relied on Chinese Type 56 copies. The AK47s weren't really exported in exchange for currency. Mostly it was simply funneled to support Red-bloc leaning rebels in various countries, as part of the cold war. They did the same with many of their old Mosins and SKS rifles.
@@Thor.Jorgensen only about 4.5 millions of preAKM AKs vere made, only small potions of them are AK-47, most of preAKM guns are just AK. PreAKM guns were only issued to soviet forces. Most of the original guns were scrapped., not sold or provided to other countries.
9:19 that muzzle flash is RIDICULOUS! 😂🤣 Now every enemy for 3 kilometers knows your position! 👍 And it’s only filmed on a cloudy day in what looks like late afternoon.
I'm a proud owner of an Izhmash Saiga 74. Bought it in 2014 when it was 1: legal and 2: still fairly affordable.....paid less than $1000 which is insane to think about it these days. also bought 6 crates of 5.45 which is 12 spam cans of ammo the good stuff 7N6. I've only fired maybe a whole spam can which is 1080 rounds.
For non-russians and non-gun nuts/buffs/geeks - AK family easily understand, if you look on M-16 Family. Like - M16 = AS-44 (little bit a little serial model/prototype of AK-47, which was production end almost immediately - for many issues - so, yea, history almost the same which was been in M16 - when she was released), M16A1 = AK-47, M16A2 = AKM, M16A3 = AK-74, M16A4= AK-74M. Same goes for "Little ones": M4=AKs, M4A1=AK-47Su, M4A2=AKMSu, M4A3=AKS-74Su, M4A4=AK74MSu. Same goes for weapons for American "Special Forces"/Russian "Spetz Naz" - Colt Commando=AK-117, Other Colts/Spec-ops M4's=PP "Groza", AK-"Abakan", AK-112, AK-"Vepr" (means "Boar"/"Wild Hog" - if translate this correclty), and etc. AK-100 series of AK's - was just more like a earlier 2000's homologation. AK-200 series - Export series, and SpecOps/SpetzNaz series. Recent AK-300 series - is just Release final version of AK-12/AK-15. (Bcs THAT AK-12 which - many knows, was scrapped bcs, Russian Army was said "it's TOO expensive"... yep, then they still developing a ARMATA tank. Hypocricy and BS-it, i know. Just like American Army/Pentagon with their funding. Same shit everywhere. ) "Zastava" rifle/AR/carbine, GALIL and even Chinese "Type-" - was indeed a licensed AK copies. But yeah - GALIL was indeed heavily modified version, almost non-AK bcs, yea, it was need protection of extreme Izraeli's weather and condition. Also, sadly - AK-12 (Prototype) was indeed meet same sad story with his USA Future Soilder M16 counterparts - Famous XM8 and VERY underrated Bushmaster ACR. Also, Stoner (Creator/Father of M16 and all ArmaLite prodructs (From AR-1 to AR-15. After that - he leave company to make his own Patented Guns by HIS OWN NAME - "SR" rifle series) ) - was a bestie with Kalashnikov. You can find may videos and photos - of their family's with eachother, and also videos and photos with eachother on their own respected properties, where are their guns are produced. For exampe - you can find videos and photos when Stoner was on AK-plant, and same photos and videos then Kalashnikov was on ArmaLite, and then later (then Stoner made hiw own Gun Manufacter Company) - was on SR-series plant.
@@Stribog1337 And not distinguishing between AKM and AK-47. And claiming that plastic mags and grenade launchers first appeared with AK-74. Seriously, there's a mistake in almost every single sentence of this video. Either technical, historical or factual.
This platform is so deadass universal we have all weapon roles based on it. Beside all the rifles and the baby AK, we have the saiga auto shotgun, all RPK/RPD variants. If I'm not mistaken, the PP-19 is also based on the same platform.
I have a few ak-47s (akm) and without a nice brake, they really are not fun to shoot too much lol. There is a profound difference in recoil between those and my AR's. I imagine the 5.56 is extremely comparable in terms of recoil to the 5.45.
GP-25 is a launcher that was never installed at the user level until AK-74M. AK(S)-74 and AKM(S) COULD be fitted with a GP-25 without an issue, but it required an armorer. AK-74M allows used to fit the GP30 and GP34 when desired. Also it can be used out to 400m distance. AKS-74U is experiencing a renaissance. Thanks to huge amounts of them sitting in storage brand new covered in preservation oil, they became very sought after by SpetsNaz. It turned out that when not abused, they are capable or respectable accuracy, and are very good weapon for close-quarter combat such as hostage rescue in buildings. AK-74 made it much easier to teach recruits to shoot. When correctly zeroed, out to 300m and with a sight setting 3, AK-74 is a point-and-shoot rifle with maximum bullet elevation above POA being 17cm. Out to 400m and sight setting 4 it's a centre mass shot rifle. Really that rifle is limited by its ammo being produced to a 5MOA specification. And given that Russian troops are taught to fire short burst at their targets, they compensate mistakes in aiming by the spread of the bullets in the burst. Modern AK-12 has a more precisely manufactured barrel and new iron sight that is more accuracy-friendly than older tangental sight. However older sight didn't obscure the battlefield as much as new sight does. Recoil, as you said, is rather soft and the initial AK-74 with wooden parts was actually lighter. Modern AK-74M with the rails is around 3.4kg. Is it better than AKM? For an average infantryman, yes. For SF? Depends on the mission.
I wonder if it has the same bullet instability problems the M-16s first had, when the bullets hit vegetation. In any case it seems they tried to imitate the .223 Remington round. The 5.56 NATO round is based on the Belgian SS-109 and it has a slightly heavier bullet that is more stable relative to the Remington one. This reduces the original tumbling effect and as a result, brought forth the inadequate stopping power of the round. Carrying more ammo is an advantage, but having to fire more rounds to stop someone, negates it.
The main point of developing 5.56 nato and the M16 was to reduce the weight and recoil compared to the M14 in 7.62 nato. Yes sacraficing stopping power at range but with the average engagement distance in Vietnam being under 100yds that didn't matter. As well as engagements usually being a "surprise" due to thick vegetation, flinch shooting was a common occurrence and was easier to achieve with a light recoiling rifle/carbine. My point being I'm sure the ones in charge knew that 5.56 was underpowered but knew the benefits they traded it for.
5.56 comes in multiple weights, from 55 grain, 62 grain, and 77 grain. The major advantage of 5.45 is relatively light (53 grain), high velocity (2950), with a relatively high BC (G7 .168). It does very well in the wind and has really good penetration in most situations. It's light, so you can carry a lot of it.
Worth noting most fascination with small arms is because you can actually own them. Any common recent battle rifle at this point is "good enough" because artillery, bombs, rockets and missiles actually do most of the killing. Guns are great fun though and one can never own too many. The variations between protagonist battle rifles don't lose or win battles but good hardware is satisfying.
@@appalachianwarcriminal General of Russian Imperial Army Fedorov said this in 1910, nothing new. In 1920 he created cartridge 6.5x40 (7.62x39 was made from it).
If you accept that the M16 action has been made immortal by the popularity of the civilian variant AR15 clones, then the immortality of the AK family is inevitable as well. Their choice of ammo will never have the same civilian adoption rate, due to the power of the free market. But among military users, the 5.45 is going to go up in popularity for all the obvious reasons.
Personally, I’ve always found it so weird that games call basically every AK an AK-47. The 47 had a limited release and never even became that widespread. It was always the AKM and AK-74 that were the most widespread and common.
Thanks for watching guys, really appreciate your time.
Do you think the AK74 is the best of the entire series?
Follow me here: instagram.com/cappyarmy/
first one here, you like your own comments confirmed
Yo what do you think of the challenger
@@booran. I like my own videos too : x I feel like its the same as when someone votes for themselves or gives themselves a nice hard pat on the back or some self love.
You can't spell "DAKKA" without "AK".
I wouldn't say they're the best because they obviously lack some of the modern solutions, however I do love them (and AKS74 was the first assault rifle I've ever shot).
I adore the caliber, though, 5,45 is really funny when it comes to penetration of hard obstacles because it doesn't disintegrate like 5,56NATO* nor does it quickly lose all the energy and deform like the 7,62. In fact I've seen some experiments with AP rounds vs steel body armour, and, at certain ranges, after penetrating the front plate 5,45x39 would bounce back from the back plate, ripping a secondary wound channel. Dope and probably irrelevant in real life but looks very dramatic in a black and white slow mo :v
*which is both a perk and a drawback - I'd rather kill the enemy than have them die 2 days later after potentially returning fire
The reason why the GP-25 cannot be fired for more than 400 - 500 rounds is not because of the launcher itself being fragile, but the rifle it is attached to. If you fire too many grenades (in this case 500 rounds according to Russian manual) from GP-25 while being mounted on an AK, the shock from the GP-25 can deform the AK's receiver. So it is recommended to not fire it for more than 500 rounds of VOG grenades while attached to one rifle, if you fire more than that then it is better to mount it on another rifle. However in real practical use in war zones, a lot of soldiers/fighters often fire more than 500 rounds of VOG grenades while mounted on an AK rifle and the rifle still works. So this is just more like a safety suggestion by Russian army manual to not fire more than 500 rounds while the launcher is mounted on one specific AK.
I don't think soldiers fire more than 500 grenades. It's just AK rifles having more life expectancy than man in Middle East and African countries.
Of course, a suggestion
Probably like it's said how many rounds a gun can fire before it's overheated. It's more a suggestion the gun can probably fire a lot more
yes, correct
In the industrial world those margins exist, as a buffer so tools don't get abused to their critical threshold , probably the real number is between 650-700
I had that drill to fieldstrip an AKM at school.
The teacher showed the process only once and then each student was able to disassemble and assemble it back from the first attempt. Almost twenty years later still was able to repeat that at the territorial defense battalion drills.
It doesn't hurt that the gun is so straightforward and simple. I shoot neutered AK74 replicas and ❤ them.
that was my favorite class :D never skipped a day of it
@@dbmail545 How hard is it getting ammo now?
Wow
@@jonnyg44 according to him, there are US manufacturers that make large quantities of 5.45, 7.62x25, 7.62x54R, and 7.92x57. So you might not wanna listen to what he has to say
It seems to me that AK-74 is "overlooked" only in the west, where every single movie/videogame has "AK-47", but in the post-soviet countries AK-74 and its derivatives are more like a default weapon.
agree, that's why most gaming community who has little weapon knowledge, kids and people that only AK-47 exist
Heck they even didn't know the AKM or the 74 even the 100 series
@@joshuajoaquin5099 How about the new AK-12 westerners may mistake it as a rifle firing shotgun shells because of the '12'?
@@bmhater1283 lol first time i heard about this, they thought it fired 12 gauge, that's the Saiga 12
Squad has it and I keep forgetting its not a 7.62 because it certainly kills me in one shot like a 7.62
@@bmhater1283
Nah, most people just figure it's the year it's put into service. 47, is the big hint their labeled by year, except in the 100 series
Having shot both an akm and ak74 the 74 is significantly smoother shooting and my preferred AK to shoot whenever I have to decide which I want to throw into my trunk for a trip to the range.
this is the perfect summation right here
The AK 74 is smooth, no doubt, but something about that round, possibly hollowed out/bubble tip, makes it terrifying. I was listening to this guy talk about being if Afghanistan in the early 1980's. He said the wounds created by that little devil of a round were absolutely horrific. Apparently, in humans, the round will tumble and produce the craziest angles, almost unreal.
@@jayklink851 there’s a reason it’s called the “poison bullet”
@@zackolander5568 For sure, that bullet is one nasty bugger!
@@jayklink851 during 90s in croatia they called the round "kostolomac" -translated to "bonebreaker/bonecracker"
AKS-74U was not just a favorite of Osama Bin laden, it was a message, amoung mujahideen the AKS-74U was considered a show of power, since to get one you either had to take down a helicopter or a soviet tank/APC and then scavenge it off of the crew, so only leaders and proeminent fighters got it, it was a prize, when Osama showed his AKS on the background he was sending a message for every Afgan that he was the real deal, that he "helped" win against the soviets, that he knew how to fight a super power.
I think nowadays it would be similar as to have a SCAR, it show that you killed someone from the special forces and took it, or a 1911(since nowadays as far as I know only special forces carry it).
PS: Again, sorry for any english mistakes, I'm not a native, I'm just a Brazilian.
this is the first time i heard about this. Though i only heard that AKS-74u was prized by Mujahedeen or anyone in Middle east due of status something like that
The 1911 is only carried ceremonially in some places. It is not part of a soldier's standard equipment in any combat role.
@@Commander034 Thank you for the information, I'm not entirely familiarized with US special forces gear
Interasting
@@Commander034 MARSOC used a variant of it up until recently.
The price of the surplus ammo was the biggest selling point before the 7n6 ban. I bought cheap and stacked deep and ended up with several 5.45 guns including a Galil ACE.
Man those were the best of times. I've still got 35 crates of it in the back of my closet.
I wish I was alive for the time. Sadly, I was born too late to experience the best times of surplus, but I have the bug of being obsessed with AKs and milsurp in general
still cheaper than brass case 5.56
thats a great point. I feel like some people are sticking with the 7.62 x 39mm today because its cheap as heck. like the indian army going AK203
@@Taskandpurpose the 7.62x39 is not a washed up cartridge at all. Pretty much does everything asked of it even if the SCHV cartridges have better performance beyond 300m.
I think it is so interesting to see the blending of military ideas and tactics even though the US and Russia are so different. The Russians saw the Americans were using 5.56 and created their own version that is quite ballistically similar. And there are so many other comparisons that just can’t be named here, none any less interesting
@Don't Look Up I guess it has a lot to do with increasing number of body armour
@Don't Look Up to be able to vibe check Russians wearing body armor
The usurping and adoption of military weapons and tactics has been happening forever...
From military commanders studying Sun Tzu's thousand year old text *The Art of War,* to the longbow being "king of the battlefield" throughout the middle ages, to the U.S.'s main battle doctrine being stolen directly from Rommel's "Blizkreig"-- and rightly so
They are trying to solve the same problem - makes sense the solution is similar.
soon we will see 6.45x39 or 6.62x39
I tried out an older model Kalashnikov 74 (long barrel) in Iraq and it is to this day, the best assault rifle I've used. I punched a 6 inch group at 50 yards on full auto. The compensator on that weapon was and still is state of the art.
I think everyone just underestimates Russian tech they have to make it cheap because their economy is kinda toast after the soviet union yeeted itself but they still need to be competitive in performance so they work smarter not harder
RPK 74? I have a saiga in 5.45 with a 21" barrel mocked up to look like an rpk and its amazing. Its like the US SAW equiv.
Sniper materiel at that distance 🙄
I mean I don't underestimate USSR tech. I do under estimate modern russian tech.
@@jimbothegymbro7086 the AK 74 was made under the Soviets not Russians. The modern AKs made in Russia are nothing but AK 74s with slight improvements copied from other foreign guns.
You are right about the Russians being very poor, after the Soviet union fell their GDP went from number 2 to nearly last. All we see now is the remains of a super power.
You can have only one capitalist country in the world... Rest have to actually produce something.
Two parts that are totally different between the 47 &74 series are the improved extractor design & the improved bolt to bolt carrier mass ratio ( skinny bold stem on 74 ) , these are carried over onto the 100 series that was made in 4 calibres .
The bolt is lighter due to thin stem behind the locking lugs of the bolt .
The AK-100 series has 3 calibers, not 4.
5.56x45mm - AK-101, AK-102, AK-109
5.45x39mm - AK-105, AK-107
7.62x39mm - AK-103, AK-104, AK-108
The AK family is so prolific, if production stopped today, they'd still be a significant platform 50 years from now. Unless they're seeing active combat, they'll near last forever. They're the B-52s of grunt warfare.
if the CIA ever offers me $5K to bring them a weapon I would nope out of that situation so fast.
Yo what do you think of the challenger 3
I'll do a video about the challenger soon for sure! I haven't researched it very much yet so I dont want to say anything too stupid - I'll save that for the video.
Why? You enlisted, I presume. And if you ended up doing recon you do understand your report gets forwarded to the intelligence guys
@@Taskandpurpose good idea make Britain proud be one of the good yanks i know you can be
@@Geezer2006 challenger 3? you mean challenger 2.5? The actual name of the program was the "Challenger 2 Life Extension Program" and its really the "we don't really have any money to build a new tank program so lets upgrade some parts and call it a day" Don't get me wrong its a good tank for 5-10 years ago. But its lack of a integrated Active protection system with hardkill and soft kill means its at a huge disadvantage. Still needs a crew of 4 and has no computer operated target finding and tracking system or visual identification technology. Its biggest advantage over the Russian tanks is that it definitely wont deploy anywhere because Britain has no money and no political endurance for any conflict requiring the fielding of tanks.
As usual, some corrections needed
1. GP-25 UBGL was intentionally built to be used on BOTH AKM and AK-74
2. 400 shots of 40mm, as corrected before, refers to the host rifle, not the UBGL, because of sharp recoil, necessated by a short 40mm barrel
3. conversion from 7.62mm has very little with wounding effect and most everything with hit probabilities and overal effectiveness of fire / number of sucessfully engaged targets by an unit of a given size, within a limited amount of time, and with limited weight of overall kit
4. "bakelite' (actually not, material is glass-fiber impregnated AG-4 plastic) magazines were adopted a whole decade before the AK-74, for 7.62mm AKM, in mid-1960s.
5. AK-74U... Not. AKS-74U ;)
The Russian Guns man himself!
Here comes the Max... 🤣🤣🤣
yes, everything is correct
and at 4:35... VOG-25 is the standard, impact grenade. VOG-25P is the bouncing version
How long till your book finally drops?
Wow, that was a fairly descriptive account of some misconceptions. Almost like some l see in this Grateful Dead group I'm in. Informative to be sure.
I was still very young when the Soviets first invaded Afghanistan, however, I do remember eventually hearing about these "new," _poison bullets._
At the time, they were called _Poison Bullets_ because of the strange and unique wounding pattern they displayed. The way the 5.45x39 bullet tumbled when it hit a target, meant that you could have an exit wound in a baffling remote location, compared to the bullet's entry wound. The corresponding MASSIVE internal, including organ, damage caused by bullets that appeared to strike people in non-lethal areas, were what led to the round being known as the _Poison Bullet._
But then again, I WAS very young, so I might very well have been mistaken in my recollection. Mistaken or not, though, this IS my recollection.
I remember the terminal ballistics exactly as you describe them. Don't remember the source, though. Having fired some Commbloc 5.45X45 into water jugs, it behaved exactly as described.
So You are very well been mistaken, Soviets did not invade Afghanistan, they were invited.
@@kalinmalinov7464
They WERE invited, but a month later they killed the president and started doing whatever they wanted. At that point it became an invasion, since the only person who wanted the Soviets in the country was now dead.
@@Raz.C Have you brainwashed with propaganda, answer the question, did the United States invade Afghanistan? Unlike the United States, the USSR did not fight against the people of Afghanistan, they fought against radical Islamists who produced millions of tons of drugs a year near the borders of the USSR. The Soviet Union built schools, hospitals and houses in Afghanistan, they are still there, you can look on the Internet, the USSR invited students to study for free at their universities so that they could build a secular progressive country without radical Islam. And the United States for 20 years have not done anything good for the people of Afghanistan
@@Raz.C The president that invited them was killed by his successor. The soviets than assassinated his successor because of his unpopularity.
Back in high school in Vietnam, I had to learn how to field strip and reassemble an AKM, each time faster than the last. The fastest time I did was 35 seconds. Into college, I had to do it again in the obligatory National Defense Education at a local military school/army barracks where they also gave us MILES equipped AKs to test our marksmanship. The par was 30/30 with each students given 3 bullets. I managed to score a 29/30, near perfect after adjusting the iron sights.
5.56 was not chosen for its "wouding" abilities, it was chosen because it was the best compromise between acceptable performance and transportabilty. I explain myself the logisticians must have a ratio of ammunition (in weight) per goods (in weight) per man in order to have just enough of everything.
Russia's upgrades to their AKs is why they're so ubiquitous. They sold all the used guns and kept the best for themselves. And since these were so well built that many original AK-47s from the 1950's still work...
Most of the original AK-47 is withdrawn after AKM was introduced. That's why the OG AK-47 is heavily sought after since it did not last long and got replaced by AKM. Then they switched to AK-74 which put the AKM to the storages or possibly armed to militias. Nowadays when AK-12 was introduced there are millions of AK-74 stored and will last long
@@joshuajoaquin5099 if only we could get our hands on them. I shoot neutered AK74 semiautomatic replicas and like the heck out of them!
Most of the "AK-47s" that you are thinking of are AKM rifles.
@@GravyTrain644 no one cares about that distinction. Like the difference between M-16 and M-16A.
An AK-47 from the 50's has a milled receiver and if it were to actually be used continuously in warfare the receiver would outlast the wood and the barrel. Ak's from the 60's on have a stamped sheet metal receiver which is why there is a limit on how many grenades they feel you should shoot off with it. Ak's from the 50's are rare and rather collector's items as far far fewer were made than the later much faster and easier manufactured sheet metal receiver versions.
Soldier of Fortune magazine brought the first cases of 5.45X39 ammunition out of Afghanistan and gave it to US intelligence to study..The Afghgan's called it the poison bullet since it created a wicked wound like the 5.56..The AK-74 used a 90 degree gas port instead of the AKM 45 degree gas port because the higher velocity would create jacket shear with the 45 degree gas port...Kalashnikov hated the smaller bullet but changed his mind later on...The 5 piece rate reducer is not a rate reducer but an anti-bounce device......
I used to love that magazine back in the day
@@1joshjosh1 Peter G. Kokalis was the best source for military firearms knowledge. I'm amazed at how many younger generation gun writers today who don't even know who he was and rehash decades old mistakes Kokalis proved wrong 40 years ago. I miss the 80's and the Reagan years...
@@hairydogstail Kokalis was a joke.....he simply used info supplied by others to him and took credit for it making him the "rehasher" . Before writing for SOF, he had to carry around a copy of Small Arms of the World to even know what a rifle was. His "combat" experience was a photographer in the Army....LOL....next you will be telling us how Chuck Taylor (real name Galen Taylor) won the Viet Nam war by himself........dont believe everything you read Gomer. SOF was a fiction mens magazine for entertainment mostly.
@@chadhaire1711 Kokalis was the first to figure out the 5 piece AK rate reducer was an anti bounce device, which Kalashnikov himself verified when they met. The so called millennial gun experts still call it a rate reducer.. Kokalis had one of the largest class 3 collections in the nation, so I doubt he needed a guide to remember the firearms he actually owned and used for his reviews lol. Kokalis was the first to introduce the Glock, "when he got the first American interview with Gaston Glock" to the American public and recognized it's importance when others scoffed at it.. Kokalis went into combat with the Salvadorean special units, refurbished their crappy hardware and was awarded as a member to that unit for his service. Kokalis went into 4 war zones Afghanistan during soviet rule,, El Salvador, Bosnia Herzegovina and nearly a dozen other countries throughout the world.His weapon test were spot on and more thorough than any gun writer I have read since. What is common knowledge today was not back in the 70's and 80's.. Before the internet Kokalis was the source for all things military small arms..Kokalis was a rabid anti communist which I also supported..Chuck Taylor on the other hand was a joke and was considered a hack back in his days at SWAT magazine. SWAT magazine eventually dumped him and all his BS .Kokalis had a M.S. degree in advanced mathematics, calculus, chemistry, physics, and mechanical engineering.He served in technical intelligence, made 21 trips to El Salvador training reaction forces and an airborne battalion with the Army. In 1982 he went into Afghanistan and friends and brought out the first 5.45X39 ammunition...So chad, we will agree to disagree on this one...
@@hairydogstail Chuckie was fired from SWAT because I am the one that got him fired from SWAT and other Moore publications. That is because I showed the owner of the publishing company how Chuckie had faked his articles and lied about everything. I even wrote some articles for SWAT later showing the tests he did were faked.....and called him out. Everett Moore was so pissed off he not only fired Chuck as editor but the publisher for hiring him---must have been hard as the publisher was his son Larry Moore! This was nothing new as he also got fired by Jeff Cooper at Gunsite before. He then went on to work with Massad Ayoob and got fired there, then at that Frontsite school in Nevada, and got fired there. Chuck just went on to Harris magazines where he continued his BS stories. But when word got out he eventually had to go into hiding...he still ran his school but had to stop writing to avoid being called out. His military record claims--well that is another subject.
AS far as those SOF articles they were mostly fiction----guys like Kokalis would fly over there at Bob Browns expense, round up some soldiers over a beer, then take some photos together, then claim to be "training" their military. Most of the SOF stories were like that---take photos of the Taliban (they were the good guys back then, the Russians the invaders--then we went in and we were the liberators, and the Taliban became the bad guys) the write a fake "I was in combat " story. Bob Brown was always the most clueless in the group---senile as well as deaf. Never knew what was going on at the magazine. I don't think he knew most of the articles were made up....but when Brown gave you a plane ticket and cash to do a story, he wanted a story--and that is what the magazine got true or not. Brown eventually fired Kokalis, who threatened to sue him, then he went to Small Arms Review and got fired there in a hurry. I am aware of the Kokalis "resume" which while not as fake as Taylor, was puffed up a bit. Before he wrote for SOF he didn't know the difference between a direct gas or piston system, yet a few years later, SOF has him as some gun expert....everyone who knew him BEFORE that were baffled....so I take it you did not know him before his SOF "fame". I can't think of ANYBODY in the gun business who took him seriously back then. I remember being at the home of Charles Ingram one evening, and asked him what he thought about an article that kokalis did on his MAC model 10 SMG. He became agitated , and said don't ever mention that guys name in my house again....LOL...so the subject was dropped...
well actually -- the first underslung grenade launcher was ГСН-19 (GSN-19) "Тишина" (Teesheena) launcher for AKMs
although it was during the same time AK74 was in development with its own launcher, ГСН-19 is TECHNICALLY the first one so you are kinda wrong on this part... or missed a detail
Well actually -- he said "the AK-74 is the first AK series created to run an underslung GP-25 grenade launcher", which is correct. Standard AK-74 has support brackets cast in to the gas block assembly to mount GP-25.
The GSN-19 you mentioned, when mounted on an AKM, requires customary modifications on the rifle; so AKM is not a AK series rifle "created to run underslung grenade launcher".
@@neillathotep7386 When you say modifications do you mean something like removing a bit of material somewhere or a bigger change ?
@@nemesis6680 GSN-19 was designed for & use by the Spetsnaz, so information is very scarce... Based on several photos, the 2 mounting points seem to be the bayonet lug and the underside of the lower handguard. Since there are no place to mount it on a standard AKM lower handguard, they need to remove some material and drill a hole through the hand guard to fit the launcher there.
Only a commie talks like that
@@newdefsys What's wrong with that?
Yeah, video games keep getting the caliber of the Ak-74 wrong. They keep using 7.62, when it’s suppose to be 5.45
IDK.
The only games I saw it in was Metal Gear Solid 4 and Ghost Recon Wildlands, but only for Ghost Recon I remember. I think it used 5.56 NATO
SOCOM US navy seals was ps2 and had all the accurate ammunition for every gun and layout socom 2 prolly the Most accurate of all 4
@@Stribog1337 CoD Black Ops Cold War had the 74 chambered in 7.62. Fun fact: it was the first gun i maxed out.
@@lionsoldier1179 Blergh! The fun of the 74 is the different 5.45 caliber, otherwise it's not interesting to me.
I remember now, the AK-74 from Metal Gear Solid 5 is chambered in "5,56" and can share the magazines with the AR-18, weird.
One thing i noticed on COD games regarding into GP-25 is the reload animation. When i first see it's empty reloading animation the player instantly drop a Grenade Shell on the chamber, i look more information about the launcher itself and i found out that "was" a Caseless Grenade. For AK-74 details the material that used in Magazine and it's body is called "Bakelite"
Ugh. I'm pretty sure I've seen game reloads where the character ejects the spent round out of the GP25 before loading a new one.
Now that's just sacrilegious
I was growing up in the Soviet Union in the 80s and the USSR collapsed before I made it to high school hence I never got to the point where we would have an AK74/AK47 field strip class. However, you wouldn't be sent to Gulag if you couldn't do it lol - not in the 80s, 70s, 60s, or 50s.
My mom, who finished high school in early 70s, was actually first in her class for timed field strip of AK47 among both boys and girls. From what I recall hearing from older folks, the class was a lot of fun and most high school kids really looked forward to it.
Ah, the AK-74! Brings back memories! As one of the last soldiers of the East German Army I was trained on this gun. Just closed my eyes and remembered the steps to dismantle it. I think I could still do it!
Not really related to the video, but it's so awesome to see how comfortable you've become in front of the camera in just a couple years. Great to see you're adjusting, bro.
thanks for the kind words and noticing that! it was definitely really uncomfortable for me at first haha
media getting the name of a gun wrong? Well, no kidding there. To them, everything is a fully semi automatic magazine clip machinegun!
I am really digging the AK-74 atm. 5.45x39, 5.45x18 and 9x39mm are really interesting rounds. Also you need to do a video on the Russian GP-25. That grenade launcher needs more love/content
Yo did not even knew 5.45x18 existed but thanks for telling
Do more 762x39 research too add it to your list of idols.
What uses 5.45x18? Some sort of pistol probably. While isn't the 9x39mm the subsonic rounds used by the VAL and VSS?
@@Aniyah-CHG yes
The PDW AK should be written as AKS-74U, S being складной (scladnoy) meaning "foldable" and U being укороченный (ukorochenny) meaning "shortened". Afaik there were no unfoldable ones, but anyway
Schools had old demilled AKMs - not AK-74s. We did get to shoot them as part of the school basic military training, usually at some army unit rifle range
If you've never shot an AK74, you won't understand. I have a few AKs, most of them are 7.62x39. My 5.45 guns are by far my favorite. Just an absolute pleasure to shoot, and they're very accurate and VERY flat shooting. The first time I shot one I was kind of like, "oh, ok. This makes sense."
Great rifle 🔥
No it is not.......a shit caliber for combat....the 7.62x39 will punch through walls, cars bodies, vegetation, cement blocks, and most anything else better than 223/5.45. And that crap AK74 muzzle brake is a death trap that will blind you at night, destroy your ear drums with loud report, and give your position away to the enemy with a ball of fire flash getting you killed. Try firing one without ear protection.....try that in indoors too....I dare you. Do it in your videos and let's see what happens. You were in the Army and dont know all this? Really? AK74 is a "great rifle" alright---for the other guy.
Considering some mad lad in the Middle East was using a pirate cannon, I don't think the AK-74 will ever really disappear.
from Funker530, saw that too even catapults
There are AK47's still in use in places like Africa where they are cherished as status symbols in some areas
7.62 AK bakelite mags predate the 74 and are surprisingly more common than you would think, the 30s are fairly common but the 40 round RPK magazines are fairly rarer but exist as well
I just wish they were cheaper. 74 bakes are around $60, but AKM bakes command prices of $100 and up.
FYI, "Defense Training" lessons were common in most combloc countries long before 1980s and some kept those as part of curriculum for high schools till early 2000s when they have been replaced by something more akin to political studies.
The AK-74u does not exist. It is an AKS-74u the S stands for складной meaning folding
Skladnoi?
It was Robert K Brown of Soldier of Fortune magazine fame who scooped the CIA in Afghanistan in the 80s and was the first westerner who got his hands on one from the Mujahedeen. The first time I was able to get my grubby hands on one and fire it was at the US Army Jungle Warfare Training Center at Ft. Sherman, Panama around 1987. I immediately fell in love with the rifle, and the one thing that stood out to me was because of the unique muzzle break, there was virtually no muzzle climb on automatic. One could keep the sights on target for a full mag dump.
1980s? High-schoolers learn how to field strip, clean and re-assemble AK-74 today. My record of disassemble and reassembe was 20 sec by the way.
damn thats fast!
@@Taskandpurpose it really isn't when you think about it. AK-74 Field strip is as complicated as puzzle toys for 3 yr olds. Interesting fact These AK training dummies being actual AKs discarded in production are a real treat for the black market. The 90% of Eastern european black market is those dummies refurbished into actual guns (not reliable, but they do shoot)
The AK-74M3 is pretty interesting as well, since the original AK-74M can't really mount other attachments. It's basically an AK-12 for the AK-74M if you think about it.
AK-74M can fire the GP launcher and it can mount an optic onto the side rail. Russians didn't really issue lights and optics too much until recently, and even then all those sights are being stuffed into a warehouse while soldiers practice with their stock irons. There is a logic to that: why use the optic in daily life when iron sight is always more reliable and at close ranges there are techniques that allow you to use irons just as effectively. Once one is really well-versed in use of irons, optic becomes REALLY appreciated. And if in combat the battery dies, soldier is well-versed in irons so optic will go into the pouch and user will use fully-zeroed stock iron sights.
AK-12 is an AK-74 redesigned to accept rails and make those rails reliably keep zero of whatever sits on them. The only change to the action is the idiotic 2-round burst which will, hopefully soon, disappear. Oh, and the barrel is made more precisely.
Just gotta add something in Cappy, the weapon system before the AK-74 was developed and adopted was the AKM, (1959) not the AK-47. (1947)
And an AK 47 has a MILLED receiver meaning it was cut out on a milling machine from a solid block of steel. Extremely durable and slow and expensive to manufacture thus the AKM with it's stamped and folded sheet metal receiver which was impressively engineered as to be very durable considering the abuse it absorbs.
@@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195 The AKM also brought the 6P1 0-14 slanted muzzle brake into use
5.45x39 is certainly small and light. More ammo > More suppression > More mobility. It's a good way to go when you consider more niche facets and scenarios can be catered for with more specialized units within a team.
I liked Battlefield 3 because is the only game I ever seen the AK-74M as the standard russian rifle
It also broke the stereotype of AKs being inaccurate and crude. It was better at range than m16a3 and hk416 in BF3
From a media apparatus that said footage of Knobb Creek was in Syria, I'm suprised they even even labeled the rifles as AKs, and got the digits right even if the order was wrong.
Any journalist knows a AK-47, even though most of the times it's not a 47.
Would be nice if you mentioned 74M because it’s actually quite different from a regular 74
8:31 this is the main reason I keep watching your vids bro.
Do a video on the G-3 Battle Rifle, very durable and accurate.
The G3 was reportedly very unreliable. The FAL is a better pick for a battle rifle.
@@GravyTrain644 first time hearing anyone call G3 an unreliable gun, many nations preferred it over the FAL because G3 could handle rough treatment or untrained recruits better than FAL.
It always makes my day to watch your videos. Great humor, information and chill background music.
glad to hear that, really means a lot man glad you like the videos
Thanks for really doing your homework on this. The 74 is my favorite of the series and is one of the best general purpose service rifle of the last few decades. I've always felt that the Russian small arms program was a lot healthier than ours was, as they always adopted practical, sensible features vs the fanciest new thing out there like we did. One easter egg on the magazines: The bottom of every AK magazine, on the spine, has a small hole where you can see the back of a primer when the mag is fully loaded. This is useful not only to keep track of your ammo supply, but also for ammo accountability. You do not have to unload the magazine and risk losing a round to know there are exactly 30 rounds in it, plus due to the rock n' lock loading style you don't have to download to 28 or 29 to seat it easily on a closed bolt.
thanks for watching! Ak74 is definitely my favorite in the series too, especially the M version. they took a lot of risks making this weapon and it doesnt get enough attention that it went well
Imagine my Russian surprise when I heard "you have to push this stanag this hard because you, moron, pushed 31 rounds inside it!" it was totally unbelievable for me that it is possible to fill 30 rounder with 31 rounds
The term you're looking for regarding the use of the booster on the Ak74u is dwell time. The expansion chamber of the muzzle device slowed the build up of gas pressure, the action didn't cycle as fast and increased reliability.
My experience, mostly with the PLA Type 63, that there was pretty easy recoil. That is really amazing recoil to handle.
Kids practiced with AKs at school all the way to early 2000s, it just more and more rare over time. But for sure not just in the 80s
I don't see the AK-74 or 47 going anywhere, especially with our love for firearms. I believe less and less people will buy them but I don't see that happening for a good 50 years 🤷♂️. They're just too popular and reliable to disappear imo. Thank God for the 2A!!! #FJB
I love how you make fun of both sides and is just essentially not a bootlicker like a lot of content creators that cover other countries
I love your show Chris! Always extremely informative and entertaining. Keep it up! 😁
Dude I’m drooling 🤤 over those Chicom AK’s on that cargo ship.. what video is that? That’s insane. I’d have to keep like 3 at least. 😆
The AK-47 is a muscle car, AK-74 is a Ferrari
The AK-47 is an axe, the AK-74 is a samurai sword.
The AK-47 is a hacksaw, the AK-74 is scalpel.
The AK-47 is Muay Thai, the AK-74 is Taekwondo.
Lol what?
@@HuyLe-vo4pg
In other words, the AK-74 is sleeker than the AK-47.
Samurai sword is a thick hefty chopper. It is nearly twice as thick as a European Hand-and-half sword (as the name suggests it is used with two hands) while still more narrow and shorter - usually. It's a heavy sword, not as fast as a 1.5 hand (bastard) sword.
Owning an AKS-74U is a dream for sure
Fun fact, there was a trial for a scope for all infantrymen as MoD did the wierd army math like all MoDs do and decided that scope makes you more dakka, more dakka is more kill, kill is good and therefore the PSO-1U was invented but 1P29 took his place, there were a few more scopes, all 4-powered. So yeah, Soviet Union invented everything just didn't know how to use it, 6B3 was the first platecarrier with integrated pouches, soviet shoulder straps are basically proto-molle, I even saw a 1940 soviet optic with bulky looking Picatinny, and there is a pic of soldiers doing Crossfit in their armour vests in Chechnya before the Crossfit was invented.
Crossfit doesent exist. Its a fancy way of saying, working out with your own weight
I own four, Bulgarian, Molot, Arsenal, and a VZ88 Tantal. Of all these the Tantal is my favorite. The muzzle brake is slightly different from the others, it acts as a launcher also. That rifle has the kick of a bolt action 22 mag or 9 mm rifle. No bullshit!
People say the AK is inaccurate- not the 74. I have a dime on my key ring drilled with my scoped Bulgarian cold shot first try at 100 yards.
One thing you should have mention- the bullet design! Hollow tipped full metal jacket. In 1’ of gel block the thing yays many times! And the Russians have now fielded 7n39 Tungsten / alloy AP rounds that will defeat any body armor out to 300M.
I’d encourage you to review the round- in my opinion the best of any modern army.
Another amazing video!
thanks for watching glad you liked it!
Camera: zooms on a m249
Journalist: "is this what's called an AK-47?!?"
Everyone in a 5km radius: 😬😬😬
I want one so bad.
Honestly if they made a galil about HALF its current weight I'd want THAT in 5.45
Some random fact you guys can look for yourself, Kalashnikov debated against the russian goverment on making a rifle in 5.45x39mm because it could penetrate APC's made back in the day, also because fights mostly happen up to 300m, above that they would use either DMR's, Snipers, and artillery strikes.
Sorry if i am wrong
Great Job Brother
Fan from India
I'm working on a video about the Indian army's modernization program right now! dude I went way deep on the research for this one, became obsessed with the Indian army's history and weapons / equipment
@@Taskandpurpose Great and thank you
Thr Indian and the US Army are always meant to be Allies and Brothers.
I come from a family of veterans. Please do tell me if i can help you guys out in anyway possible.
Cheers to US Indian Brotherhood and Strength to our Alliance
Hundred years in the future. Space aliens from Alpha Centauri is fighting another aliens using Earth supplied AKs and RPGs.
That version of the AK-74 is not called Ak-74u but fully truly called the aks-74u
If it has a "s" it means the stock is underfolding. If it has a "u" it means the barrel is short.
A "AK-74U" would be a fixed stock, short-barreled, 1974 model Kalashnikov rifle...!
@@Stribog1337 that why Cappy is wrong here. Because there was only AKS-74U. Russia never built 74u without folding stock so calling this rifle as "AK-74u" are wrong.
Just wanted to clarify there is no AK-74U. This is a very common naming mistake seen in video games and all over the place realy. The correct name is AKS-74U (S) standing for Sklandnoy (folding) there is no fixed stock variant of this gun therefore it has the designation AKS just like its bigger brother the AKS-74 that comes with a triangle folder stock as well. You will also see the (S) and most soviet era folding stock firearms post ww2 to the dissolution of the USSR. Guns like RPKS, AKMS. Another letter you commonly see is (N) like in AKMN or RPKS-74N the N means Nochnoy (night time) it is referring to the standard soviet style side rail on the AK platform. Another rare letter you will see is (B) for Bezshumniy (silent) generally referring to rare firearms equipped for use with suppressors and subsonic ammo. This naming scheme was abandoned with the AK-74M and onwards since most modern rifles came with the night optics mount.
The AK74 is being phased out in favor of the more modular AK105 though in Russia isn't it? As far as I understand they're basically the same gun, same round, just more modern so you can put a million gizmos on it. But I also think the recoil has been tamed through a slightly different gas/bolt design?
The ak105 is only used in russian SF as it is simply just a carabine variant of the ak74m. Russian armed forces are actually adopting the ak12 as their main assault rifle.
Standard infantry has been getting the AK12 or at least upgrading thier AK74M with AK12 furniture. The AK105 is Russias answer to the MK18 and used by more specialized troops.
No. The AK-74M was there to replace the AK-74.
AK-12 (5.45x39) and AK-15 (7.62x39) are the new ones.
The 74 to 105 is basically the Russian M4 to Mark 18 equivalent
Nope, 105 is for the RUSSOF
The main force will use 74m or updated furniture to 74 and 12 series
my autism went off hard during the crimea thing. Like ak47? even the guys fielding the 7.62x39 rifle were using an akms with a pbs1, all others were fielding either an ak74 or aks74 ot an aks74u and those bad boys with a vss and as val.
"The AK family might stick around longer than we might think?"
So more than a century?
I propose the idea that games all add a skin for it with weathered/rusted metal, and fossilised/petrified wood furniture.
Still plenty of 1911s and M2s around.
100 years is not unusually long for a gun.
1) A mistake was made in the AK74 and AKS74U simulator. The operation of the trigger mechanism is incorrectly shown. The hammer, after lowering, should not come into contact with the bolt carrier, there should be a gap between them.
2) The maximum effective firing range according to Soviet standards for AK74 is 550 meters, for AKM - 425 meters.
3) When creating 5,45, the task was not to achieve some kind of super deadly action of a bullet. In connection with the transition to a smaller caliber, they feared that the lethal effect would be insufficient compared to the 7.62 bullet of the 43-year model. Therefore, the developers sought to ensure that the lethal effect of the 5.45 bullet was no less than or equivalent to the 7.62 bullet.
4) The GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher is mounted on both AKM and AK74, and all subsequent Kalashnikov assault rifles. It’s just that on the AK74 an additional protrusion was made under the gas chamber, and on the AKM assault rifle, the GP grenade launcher is attached to the place where the bayonet is attached.
5) The creation of the 5,45 weapons complex was rather not a desire to eliminate some kind of backlog of the USSR from the USA, but to advance its infantry weapons to a higher level, in terms of firing efficiency, logistics, convenience for the soldier, and so on. Comparative shooting at the AKM and M16 range by Soviet specialists showed that the M16 shows better firing efficiency from a prone position, and AKM from a standing position. In general, Soviet engineers considered the M16 and AKM equivalent weapons. Therefore, there was no serious backlog of the USSR from the USA in this matter.
I assume you mean it as a joke. My Russian friends and my Belarusian friend tell me they had to assemble and disassemble AK 74 in under 45 seconds including doing it blindfolded in their Basic War Preparedness courses. But as far as being sent to a prison for failing to pass, that's nonsense. If you scored a non-passing grade, the worst that could happen was that you'd be made to re-take that course again with the kids who are a year younger than you, and that didn't happen very often. In North American schools the police sometimes gets called in because of a fight between boys, which almost never happened in the Soviet Union. The philosophy was frequently: "let them settle their own differences", or in worst cases they would break up fights using local means, meaning a teacher would step in. My Belarusian friend says that one time he hurt another boy pretty badly in a fight, and they threatened to call the cops on him but never did in the end. Soviet Union was weird in that it seemed to have two systems running side by side, the official CP rule, and the local :We The People", informal system where snitching on someone to the authorities was considered to be a bad tone and the police was only called in absolute worst case scenarios where someone could be seriously injured or killed. This was, of course pretty bad news for domestic violence, but at the same time it provided a sort of a psychological safety net where friendships and informal, intimate relationships were revered and encouraged since young age.
99,9% people are wrong when they say AK47 even if it actually is the old 7,62 version. The actual AK47 was not made in a too large quantity because the parts were not easy to mass-produce. The one you see all types of insurgents, rebels and poor countries militaries is the AKM that was widely mass-produced in 1959 and onwards that had parts that was easier to make and was an overall improvement of the AK47. This is the rifle you think of when you see an AK47. The blueprints was also sold and shared with several communist nations around the world so you have their unique types of AKM with a different name but functions more or less the same on the inside. China, North Korea, Romania, Hungary and more have their AK versions of the AKM.
I've heard that the neck taper into the body of the 5.45 gives it better extraction/feeding ability compared to something like the 5.56. Not sure how true that is.
There is a lot to be said about 70 years of continual improvement. What really is impressive to me… how truly minimal changes to a design can make something tremendously better.
Often on life, when people feel they are failures the truth is they were just on the cusp of success.
Honestly, the vast majority of the time, it's never the AK47 that was being used. Throughout time, especially in Vietnam, the AKM was the go-to weapon, and after that, the AK47 essentially disappeared.
People still think the AK47 is still being manufactured in Russia. The answer is absolutely not. The AK47 was replaced by the AKM because it was cheaper to produce, easier to maintain, easier to manufacture, and overall operated better. The AKM was produced from 1959-1977, where it was outright replaced by the AK74.
You would be a fool to choose an AK47 over an AK74 or even an AKM, as your weapon of choice in a conflict. The AK47 belongs in a museum.
The only bit of hesitation one may have of choosing the AK74 over an AKM is the cartridge. But even then, AK74s are made chambered in 7.62×39mm.
And later, the AK-103 and AK-104 was also chambered in 7.62×39mm. As was the AK-15. So, really. People have no reason to whine over the cartridge. They can have their cake and eat it too.
Most of stuff people call AK-47 is either AKM or one of license or unlicensed clones of AKM.
Actual AK-47 is rare collectors item as rather small amount was made and at that time it wasn't exported
@@tsorevitch2409 The AK-47 isn't rare but it is definitely a collectors item. Plenty were produced between 1948 and 1960. And following 1960, as more AKMs were made, a lot of the old surplus AK47s were sent to foreign coutnries, especially Central, Western, and Eastern African countries. Those typically weren't AKMs, because the Red army itself was busy phasing out the AK47 in favor of the new and improved AKM. The only exception to this rule was Vietnam, where Russia did send a some AKMs, but for the most part, the Vietnamese relied on Chinese Type 56 copies.
The AK47s weren't really exported in exchange for currency. Mostly it was simply funneled to support Red-bloc leaning rebels in various countries, as part of the cold war. They did the same with many of their old Mosins and SKS rifles.
@@Thor.Jorgensen only about 4.5 millions of preAKM AKs vere made, only small potions of them are AK-47, most of preAKM guns are just AK. PreAKM guns were only issued to soviet forces.
Most of the original guns were scrapped., not sold or provided to other countries.
Ak74 yay but when are we getting one for the AKM
9:19 that muzzle flash is RIDICULOUS! 😂🤣 Now every enemy for 3 kilometers knows your position! 👍
And it’s only filmed on a cloudy day in what looks like late afternoon.
The ak74 look cooler than the ak47 ! Convince me
Specially when modernized.
I'm a proud owner of an Izhmash Saiga 74. Bought it in 2014 when it was 1: legal and 2: still fairly affordable.....paid less than $1000 which is insane to think about it these days. also bought 6 crates of 5.45 which is 12 spam cans of ammo the good stuff 7N6. I've only fired maybe a whole spam can which is 1080 rounds.
AK-74N is my seconf favourite AK variant, 1st is M70AB2
Whats the difference of this 74N model to a regular 74??
@@Stribog1337 dovetail mount for attach optics like on the video.
For non-russians and non-gun nuts/buffs/geeks - AK family easily understand, if you look on M-16 Family.
Like - M16 = AS-44 (little bit a little serial model/prototype of AK-47, which was production end almost immediately - for many issues - so, yea, history almost the same which was been in M16 - when she was released), M16A1 = AK-47, M16A2 = AKM, M16A3 = AK-74, M16A4= AK-74M.
Same goes for "Little ones": M4=AKs, M4A1=AK-47Su, M4A2=AKMSu, M4A3=AKS-74Su, M4A4=AK74MSu.
Same goes for weapons for American "Special Forces"/Russian "Spetz Naz" - Colt Commando=AK-117, Other Colts/Spec-ops M4's=PP "Groza", AK-"Abakan", AK-112, AK-"Vepr" (means "Boar"/"Wild Hog" - if translate this correclty), and etc.
AK-100 series of AK's - was just more like a earlier 2000's homologation. AK-200 series - Export series, and SpecOps/SpetzNaz series. Recent AK-300 series - is just Release final version of AK-12/AK-15. (Bcs THAT AK-12 which - many knows, was scrapped bcs, Russian Army was said "it's TOO expensive"... yep, then they still developing a ARMATA tank. Hypocricy and BS-it, i know. Just like American Army/Pentagon with their funding. Same shit everywhere. )
"Zastava" rifle/AR/carbine, GALIL and even Chinese "Type-" - was indeed a licensed AK copies. But yeah - GALIL was indeed heavily modified version, almost non-AK bcs, yea, it was need protection of extreme Izraeli's weather and condition.
Also, sadly - AK-12 (Prototype) was indeed meet same sad story with his USA Future Soilder M16 counterparts - Famous XM8 and VERY underrated Bushmaster ACR.
Also, Stoner (Creator/Father of M16 and all ArmaLite prodructs (From AR-1 to AR-15. After that - he leave company to make his own Patented Guns by HIS OWN NAME - "SR" rifle series) ) - was a bestie with Kalashnikov. You can find may videos and photos - of their family's with eachother, and also videos and photos with eachother on their own respected properties, where are their guns are produced. For exampe - you can find videos and photos when Stoner was on AK-plant, and same photos and videos then Kalashnikov was on ArmaLite, and then later (then Stoner made hiw own Gun Manufacter Company) - was on SR-series plant.
I’m gonna need the AK guy’s input on this
He's gonna pick on Chris for calling a AKS-74U a AK-74U
papa kalash
@@Stribog1337 And not distinguishing between AKM and AK-47. And claiming that plastic mags and grenade launchers first appeared with AK-74.
Seriously, there's a mistake in almost every single sentence of this video. Either technical, historical or factual.
This platform is so deadass universal we have all weapon roles based on it.
Beside all the rifles and the baby AK, we have the saiga auto shotgun, all RPK/RPD variants. If I'm not mistaken, the PP-19 is also based on the same platform.
I have a few ak-47s (akm) and without a nice brake, they really are not fun to shoot too much lol. There is a profound difference in recoil between those and my AR's. I imagine the 5.56 is extremely comparable in terms of recoil to the 5.45.
5.45 has less recoil then 5.56 and shoots flatter and smoother then any AR-15 I’ve ever shot.
GP-25 is a launcher that was never installed at the user level until AK-74M. AK(S)-74 and AKM(S) COULD be fitted with a GP-25 without an issue, but it required an armorer. AK-74M allows used to fit the GP30 and GP34 when desired. Also it can be used out to 400m distance.
AKS-74U is experiencing a renaissance. Thanks to huge amounts of them sitting in storage brand new covered in preservation oil, they became very sought after by SpetsNaz. It turned out that when not abused, they are capable or respectable accuracy, and are very good weapon for close-quarter combat such as hostage rescue in buildings.
AK-74 made it much easier to teach recruits to shoot. When correctly zeroed, out to 300m and with a sight setting 3, AK-74 is a point-and-shoot rifle with maximum bullet elevation above POA being 17cm. Out to 400m and sight setting 4 it's a centre mass shot rifle. Really that rifle is limited by its ammo being produced to a 5MOA specification. And given that Russian troops are taught to fire short burst at their targets, they compensate mistakes in aiming by the spread of the bullets in the burst. Modern AK-12 has a more precisely manufactured barrel and new iron sight that is more accuracy-friendly than older tangental sight. However older sight didn't obscure the battlefield as much as new sight does.
Recoil, as you said, is rather soft and the initial AK-74 with wooden parts was actually lighter. Modern AK-74M with the rails is around 3.4kg.
Is it better than AKM? For an average infantryman, yes. For SF? Depends on the mission.
I wonder if it has the same bullet instability problems the M-16s first had, when the bullets hit vegetation. In any case it seems they tried to imitate the .223 Remington round. The 5.56 NATO round is based on the Belgian SS-109 and it has a slightly heavier bullet that is more stable relative to the Remington one. This reduces the original tumbling effect and as a result, brought forth the inadequate stopping power of the round. Carrying more ammo is an advantage, but having to fire more rounds to stop someone, negates it.
The main point of developing 5.56 nato and the M16 was to reduce the weight and recoil compared to the M14 in 7.62 nato. Yes sacraficing stopping power at range but with the average engagement distance in Vietnam being under 100yds that didn't matter. As well as engagements usually being a "surprise" due to thick vegetation, flinch shooting was a common occurrence and was easier to achieve with a light recoiling rifle/carbine.
My point being I'm sure the ones in charge knew that 5.56 was underpowered but knew the benefits they traded it for.
5,45 bullet is longer that's why probability more stable
5.56 comes in multiple weights, from 55 grain, 62 grain, and 77 grain. The major advantage of 5.45 is relatively light (53 grain), high velocity (2950), with a relatively high BC (G7 .168). It does very well in the wind and has really good penetration in most situations. It's light, so you can carry a lot of it.
Worth noting most fascination with small arms is because you can actually own them. Any common recent battle rifle at this point is "good enough" because artillery, bombs, rockets and missiles actually do most of the killing. Guns are great fun though and one can never own too many. The variations between protagonist battle rifles don't lose or win battles but good hardware is satisfying.
Pls cover the Sar21, it's a rly underrated rifle often mistaken as a Aug clone.
This is why media should take responsibility of any form of reporting they can trigger any kind of conflict..
I think the AK will be around for a very long time. Perhaps as long as there's someone making ammunition for them.
As long as there is conflict, there will always be AKs.
The disrespect to the bakelites 😭
Well you forgot something, cappy...: you left out the *"S"* in what's supposed to be "AKS-74U". Though i may be nitpicking.
nice catch ! I'll get it next time
Nice to hear :)
Who is this “Jocko Willnick” person?
*Jocko Willink has entered the chat*
Jocko hears his name mispronounced and says to himself: Good
Why do I love your characters so much? 😂
Those AK's also can withstand frozen water very well, it seems. Much better than many many other rifles? :-)
Swiss SIG-510 and Finland AK handle better, there are a lot of weapons that can handle climate well
I do miss the old school shellac wood finish.
I think the russians saw how effective the M16 was in vietnam so that's why they went with polymer furniture and a smaller caliber.
Are you kidding?
@@Stribog1337
no
@@appalachianwarcriminal General of Russian Imperial Army Fedorov said this in 1910, nothing new. In 1920 he created cartridge 6.5x40 (7.62x39 was made from it).
great info, the 74 will be around in major use for another 25 years. thanks
because people will still be using the Ak-47 for another 25+ years. They are just too cheap to replace.
If you accept that the M16 action has been made immortal by the popularity of the civilian variant AR15 clones, then the immortality of the AK family is inevitable as well. Their choice of ammo will never have the same civilian adoption rate, due to the power of the free market. But among military users, the 5.45 is going to go up in popularity for all the obvious reasons.
Tell that to Russian civilians that grab Saiga-MK and Saiga TR-3 in 5.45 all over the country
Personally, I’ve always found it so weird that games call basically every AK an AK-47. The 47 had a limited release and never even became that widespread. It was always the AKM and AK-74 that were the most widespread and common.