Kalashnikov Automatic AKS-74u: characteristics

In 1970, on the basis of a standard AK-74 automatic weapon, a new modernized version was created by the weapon designers - the well-known AKC-74U. The reason that forced the development of a more advanced model of the Kalashnikov assault rifle was the need for army personnel in a small but effective weapon capable of hitting a target at a distance of at least 200 meters. The first result of the design work was the Kalashnikov 74-U assault rifle .

Begin work on improvement

At the end of 1970, the military leadership of the Soviet Union expressed its desire to staff the army with small-sized weapons. Since the new samples were intended for mass use, weapons designers were tasked with re-equipping with the least cost. In order to save government funds and simplify the process, the developers decided not to create a completely new model, but to modernize the existing AK-74.

What did the changes affect?

AKS-74U is a standard 74th Kalashnikov assault rifle with a truncated trunk, a modified trunk lid, a simplified aiming device and a blower, a special powder gas burner that functions as an expansion chamber and a flame arrester. In the design of the modernized compact automatic machine there is no retarder for the rate of fire.

The result of the design work

The AK-74U automatic machine has reduced combat characteristics in comparison with its analog. The model does not have the necessary armor penetration. For this reason, it was not widely used in the armed forces, as planned at the beginning. Nevertheless, AKS-74U is in demand in detachments of police and special forces, mainly carrying out their combat missions in urban conditions, where unpredictable ricochets are undesirable.

For whom is the highly specialized modification intended?

The foldable AKS-74U was designed primarily for arming the paratroopers and the crew of aviation equipment, payloads and combat vehicles. The compact size of the truncated assault rifle was approved by law enforcement and security personnel.

The design experience of reworking a long Kalashnikov assault rifle in such a small-sized model as the AKS-74U is used to create new models of disguised weapons intended for special services. This machine with its compactness compares favorably with the analog. AKS-74U can be placed in a special diplomat and fixed so that his pen will be fixed on the weapon. By pressing a certain button the diplomat opens, and the concealed weapon, prepared for shooting, is in hands. The small size of the AKS-74U is considered its strong point. It can equally be used by both the special forces of the KGB or the FSB to carry out secret assignments, as well as criminals.

Tactical and technical characteristics

The weapon has the following tactical and technical characteristics (TTX):

• AKS-74U has a length of 735 mm.
• The size with the folded butt is 490 mm.
• The length of the barrel is 210 mm.
• The highest firing efficiency is at a distance of up to 400 m.
• The range of a direct shot is 360 m.
• The speed of shots in the queue is 100/1 min.
• The rate of single firing is 40/1 min.
• The rate of fire is 735 rounds per minute.
• The cartridge AKS-74U has a caliber of 5.45x39 mm.
• The machine store is designed for 30 cartridges.
• The weight of the AKS-74U without ammunition is 2.71 kg.

What is a modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle?

The design of the AKS-74U has the following elements:

• Receiver with trunk;
• Sighting device;
• Folding butt;
• Pistol grip;
• The receiver cover;
• Shock-trigger mechanism;
• Flame arrester;
• A shutter frame containing a gas piston;
• gate;
• A gas tube in which there is a barrel;
• Return mechanism;
• Fore-end;
• Automatic store;
• belt.

What is provided for the machine?

Each fighter, equipped with one unit of AKS-74U, receives additional elements:

• Cover;
• ramrod;
• Oil can;
• Screwdriver;
• Four stores (one is inserted into the machine, three additional are contained in a special bag);
• Sighting device.

Aiming device

This device includes:

1. Celer . The design allows it to be used for firing in two positions:

• "P" - at distances not exceeding 350 meters;
• "5" - the shooting distance is 350-500 meters.

2. Self-illuminating nozzle. Designed to operate weapons at night. The folding telescope is mounted on a swivel, due to a wide slot, a wide fly is mounted on the fly of the machine. The self-illuminating nozzle when using a weapon in the daytime is not removed, but fixed in the lower position, allowing the shooter to use standard sighting devices without problems.

How does automation work?

The weapon works by using the energy of the powder gases, which are diverted from the barrel channel. During the shot, gases, pushing a bullet through a special hole in the wall of the trunk, accumulate in the gas chamber. There they interact with the front wall of the gas piston, resulting in its displacement. In addition, the bolt and the slide frame are shifted to the rear position. The valve is designed to open the barrel channel, remove the cartridge from the chamber and expel it. Due to the shutter frame, the return spring is compressed and the trigger is put on the self-timer cocking. The return mechanism AKS-74U moves the frame and the shutter from the rear position to the front. After the new cartridge has been sent to the chamber, the channel trunk closes. The trigger becomes the position of the combat platoon.

Ammunition for AKS-74U. Bullet characteristics

For the shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle bullets are provided:

1. Ordinary, caliber 5.45 mm. This type of bullets affects the enemy's living force, which is located in open areas or behind weak fences. The ammunition consists of a steel core, a shell (cover of a tombac) and a lead shirt between them.
2. Tracer bullets. These munitions perform three functions:

• Hit the enemy's living force;
• Indicate the goal (mainly at night);
• Correct the shooting.

Tracer bullets consist of a head (contains a steel core) and a bottom part (contains a pressured tracer composition).

The cartridge AKS-74U contains a steel core, which has the following breakthrough qualities:

• At a distance of 500 meters the AKS-74U bullet punches a steel sheet 0.3 cm thick;
• From 210 m, a sheet is punched, the thickness of which is 0.5 cm;
• With 500 m capable of penetrating a steel helmet (100% penetration);
• From 320 meters - damages body armor (probability of penetration is 50%);
• From 400 meters AX-74U bullet punches pine bars with a thickness of 200 mm;
• From 100 meters - a bullet with a steel core gets stuck in a brickwork at a depth of 8 cm;
• When hit from 400 m into a compacted loamy soil (parapet), a bullet is stuck at a depth of 20 cm.

Variants of the modernized AK-74

• AKS-74UN2 (night). This model contains, in contrast to the AKS-74U, a special bar, designed for installation of night sights. The weapon equipped with a night universal modernized rifle sight (NSPUM) is used for shooting at night.
• AKS-74UB (noiseless). In the design of this machine, instead of a regular muzzle nozzle, a special thread is used, which makes it possible to mount a muffler on the trunk. In addition to PBS, AKS-74UB is equipped with a silent underbarrel grenade launcher BS-1M. The modernization carried out transforms this model of the Kalashnikov assault rifle into a silent rifle-grenade launcher complex.

Izhevsk and Tula development

• In Izhevsk, the designers AKM-Kalashnikov and AE Dragunov AKS-74U was altered under the pistol-machine gun "Bison-2." The created weapons use 9-mm cartridges from the Makarov pistol.
• In the city of Tula Aks-74U was redesigned for shooting with 9 mm ammunition and was named "Tees".
• Symbiosis grenade launcher BS-1 caliber 30 mm and noiseless version of AKS-74U is a shooting and grenade launcher complex "Canaryka."

• Identical to its counterpart AKS-74U submachine gun "Heather", designed in CRI TOCHMASH. This submachine gun is inferior to the machine at the firing range (calculated up to 400 meters). The strength of the model is the ability to install collimator sights, as well as lightness and compactness, exceeding those for AKS-74U.

The design work to improve the truncated Kalashnikov assault rifle is still being carried out today.

Service of the machine. Terms of use

When caring for weapons provides for its full and incomplete disassembly.

Incomplete disassembly of AKS-74U is carried out during cleaning, lubrication and inspection of all units and mechanisms of the weapon. To perform this procedure, you need:

• Separate the store and inspect the chamber;
• To remove from the bag a bootstrap with accessories;
• Separate the flame arrester;
• Open the receiver;
• Separate the return mechanism;
• Separate the shutter frame and the bolt;
• Separate the gas tube with the barrel in it.

After these steps are completed, incomplete disassembly is considered complete. Going to the AKS-74U in reverse order.

Full disassembly is performed if the machine is heavily soiled or needs repair. To completely disassemble the machine, you need:

• Carry out incomplete disassembly;
• Dismantle the automatic store;
• Disassemble the return mechanism;
• Shock-trigger mechanism;
• gate;
• To separate the forehead of the machine.

After inspection and cleaning of all parts of the AKS-74U is going back.

To clean the weapon of carbon deposits, the developers are provided with a special gun lubricant and a cleaning solution for the trunk (RFS). These lubricants are preferably used at a temperature of at least 5 degrees Celsius. In winter, it is recommended to use winter PSD, after removing the remnants of the summer grease. This can be done with the help of rags. AKS-74U can be stored for a long time in a warehouse if it is completely processed by RFS and wrapped first in an inhibited (one layer), and then into paraffin paper.

AKS-74U was created during the development of the classic Kalashnikov assault rifle. Over time, the modernization touched this model too: on its basis, there were created "noiseless" and "nocturnal" versions, which were used in special services.

Nevertheless, the AK-74U Kalashnikov assault rifle remains the most popular automatic weapon in the Interior Ministry system.