The successor to the AK-47. It is currently employed by the Russian armed forces. The bullet caliber is 5.45X39mm. The bullet has a higher muzzle velocity than the old
47's 7.62X39mm. The 74 is more accurate than its predecessor, with an effective range of around 540 yards.
Mikhail Kalashnikov created this gun at the behest of the Soviet Military in response to the 5.56X54mm round
fielded by the M-16. This was done to keep up with the Americans more than anything else, and Mister Kalashnikov himself opposed the new gun. The new bullet is standard military
FMJ, but a hollow space in the tip enables the bullet to quickly tumble within two inches of penetration, resulting in horrible wounding. The weapon is as reliable than the
AK-47, substantially more accurate, lighter, and the ammunition doesn't weigh anywhere near as much. As far as cold war assault rifles go, this is about as close to god's own anti-son-of-a-bitch machine that you can get.
Example:
I don't own the AK-74 or the
AK-47, or any gun for that matter. However, I've conversed with a lot of
U.S.A.F. members and have found that the weapon is a brilliant combat arm and a worthy opponent to the
AR-10 family.