The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

SDC · September 2, 2009, 08:12 PM

Here's a picture of the AKS-74U from "Kalashnikov", Parad Publishing House, 2004, Moscow. The design team put the top cover on a hinge in order to keep the sights lined up after the rifle was stripped and re-assembled, and in this photo, you can see the hinge in front of the protective "ears" around the rear sight. This rifle was also made with a synthetic forearm and handguard.

The description that accompanies these photos reads (as best as my Russian can make it out):

p.106

AKS-74U shortened automatic

(Photographs of left and right sides of the AKS-74U automatic, with and without stock folded)

Towards the end of 1976, the Kalashnikov Design Bureau produced a short automatic based on the components used in the already-adopted AKS-74, which greatly simplified the production, development, and maintenance of the new type of weapon. Here is how N.N. Shklyaev, a former representative of GRAU at the “IZHMASH” factory, recalls it: “Approximately one year after the adopted rifles and machine guns entered production, there was an idea to develop a shortened 5.45mm automatic. It was also designed by the Kalashnikov designers. The head designer was S.N. Furman, a former supervisor of military production at this same factory. Based on the AK-74, Furman’s group designed a barrel in which the muzzle velocity of the 5.45mm bullets was equal to that of 7.62mm bullets fired from the AKM. This design continued to be modified slightly to arrive at a short automatic, which was named after its adoption as the AKS-74U. (NB. commonly also known as the AKSU).
In late 1976, this automatic was ready for troop trials, which took place amongst motorized and airborne divisions in Kirovobad (NB. currently “Gyanzhe”/”Ganja” in Azerbaijan, approximately 1800 km south-south-east of Moscow)... As a result of testing, it was noted that the AKS-74U automatic could be issued to reconnaissance, communications, and engineering troops, as well as gunners, missile personnel, tankers, and drivers.

p.107

After adoption, various other organizations and structures expressed interest in the automatic.”
In 1979, the shortened automatic was first issued - so joining the 5.45mm family of new weapons.
The barrel of the AKS-74U (“avtomat Kalashnikova ukorochenny (NB. “ukorochenny” means “shortened”) M1974", index 6P26) was shortened to 206.5mm, with the muzzle velocity of the bullets reduced to 735 metres/second. Its range of effective aimed fire was reduced to 400 metres. The shortened barrel required changes to the front of the gas chamber, and to the mount for the front sight. The lengths of the gas piston and gas tube were reduced accordingly. The higher gas pressures at the muzzle required the installation of a more effective flash-hider. This device also reduces the effect of the muzzle blast on soldiers while firing.
The movement of the gas chamber rearwards increased the rate of fire to 700 rpm (NB. due to the higher port pressures). To better stabilize the bullet in flight, the rate of twist was increased - the length for one turn was reduced from 200mm to 160mm. The sights were flip-over L-type, with one position for targets up to 350 metres, and the other for targets between 350 and 500 metres, and the rear sight was located on the top cover of the automatic to allow the sight radius to be increased to 235mm. The top cover was attached to the receiver with a pin, and could be rotated up around that pin for disassembly. The AKS-74U uses a plastic pistol grip, and the forearm and handguard were originally laminated plywood, but later changed to plastic (polyamide fibreglass). The automatic used the plastic magazine of the AK-74. The use of plastic parts slightly reduced the weight of the automatic.
The AKS-74U was also modified to produce the AKS-74UN and AKS-74UN2 variants, capable of mounting the NSPU and NSPUM night sights.
The main benefit of the AKS-74U as compared to submachine guns is that it uses the same ammunition as other rifles. Its portability allows its use in a confined space. The parts of the AKS-74U are widely used in the 9mm “Bizon-2" submachine guns.
The AKS-74U is produced at the Tula Weapons factory. The Tula-produced automatics differed from those from Izhevsk in the length of the handguard, and the slightly-longer protective wings on the sight.
Shortening the barrel to make the automatic more manoeuvrable caused a marked deterioration in accuracy (the 5.45mm cartridge was originally developed for a barrel of greater length). The initial velocity has a sufficient reserve of energy to allow the defeat of targets (including body armour), but in this case, the range of fire and the range of bullet effectiveness are much closer together. The type of folding stock used in the AKS-74U is generally more convenient and reliable, but for a “long” rifle, it makes it too wide in the folded position. The pointed bullet in the 5.45mm cartridge indoors or on the streets makes ricochets more frequent. Therefore, for “police” and other purposes, during the 1990s, other types of weapons were developed. But after that, the AKS-74U, created to fill a “military” role, saw widespread use, and a number of removable devices were created to expand its capabilities. In particular, for use during twilight ad darkness, the Belorussian Optical and Mechanical Association (BelOMO) developed the TsL-03 complex, which includes a red laser designator (mounted on the front sight), and a tactical halogen flashlight (on the forearm).

Tactical-mechanical characteristics
Cartridge - 5.45x39mm (M1974)
Weight without magazine - 2.485 kg
Weight with unloaded magazine - 2.71 kg
Weight with loaded magazine - 3.0 kg
Length with extended stock - 730mm
Length with folded stock - 490mm
Sight radius - 235mm
Length of barrel - 206.5mm
Length of rifled portion of barrel - 164.5mm
Number of grooves - 4
Length of one rotation of rifling - 160mm
Muzzle velocity - 735 metres/second
Muzzle energy - 918 Joules
Cyclic rate - 700 rpm
Practical rate of fire, semi/full - 40/100 rpm
Magazine capacity - 30 rounds
Effective range - up to 500 metres
Point-blank range against a standing figure - 350 metres
Effective range of the bullet - 1100 metres
Maximum range of bullet’s trajectory - 2900 metres

September 2, 2009, 08:12 PM	#8
SDC Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: People's Republic of Kanada Posts: 1,652	Here's a picture of the AKS-74U from "Kalashnikov", Parad Publishing House, 2004, Moscow. The design team put the top cover on a hinge in order to keep the sights lined up after the rifle was stripped and re-assembled, and in this photo, you can see the hinge in front of the protective "ears" around the rear sight. This rifle was also made with a synthetic forearm and handguard. The description that accompanies these photos reads (as best as my Russian can make it out): p.106 AKS-74U shortened automatic (Photographs of left and right sides of the AKS-74U automatic, with and without stock folded) Towards the end of 1976, the Kalashnikov Design Bureau produced a short automatic based on the components used in the already-adopted AKS-74, which greatly simplified the production, development, and maintenance of the new type of weapon. Here is how N.N. Shklyaev, a former representative of GRAU at the “IZHMASH” factory, recalls it: “Approximately one year after the adopted rifles and machine guns entered production, there was an idea to develop a shortened 5.45mm automatic. It was also designed by the Kalashnikov designers. The head designer was S.N. Furman, a former supervisor of military production at this same factory. Based on the AK-74, Furman’s group designed a barrel in which the muzzle velocity of the 5.45mm bullets was equal to that of 7.62mm bullets fired from the AKM. This design continued to be modified slightly to arrive at a short automatic, which was named after its adoption as the AKS-74U. (NB. commonly also known as the AKSU). In late 1976, this automatic was ready for troop trials, which took place amongst motorized and airborne divisions in Kirovobad (NB. currently “Gyanzhe”/”Ganja” in Azerbaijan, approximately 1800 km south-south-east of Moscow)... As a result of testing, it was noted that the AKS-74U automatic could be issued to reconnaissance, communications, and engineering troops, as well as gunners, missile personnel, tankers, and drivers. p.107 After adoption, various other organizations and structures expressed interest in the automatic.” In 1979, the shortened automatic was first issued - so joining the 5.45mm family of new weapons. The barrel of the AKS-74U (“avtomat Kalashnikova ukorochenny (NB. “ukorochenny” means “shortened”) M1974", index 6P26) was shortened to 206.5mm, with the muzzle velocity of the bullets reduced to 735 metres/second. Its range of effective aimed fire was reduced to 400 metres. The shortened barrel required changes to the front of the gas chamber, and to the mount for the front sight. The lengths of the gas piston and gas tube were reduced accordingly. The higher gas pressures at the muzzle required the installation of a more effective flash-hider. This device also reduces the effect of the muzzle blast on soldiers while firing. The movement of the gas chamber rearwards increased the rate of fire to 700 rpm (NB. due to the higher port pressures). To better stabilize the bullet in flight, the rate of twist was increased - the length for one turn was reduced from 200mm to 160mm. The sights were flip-over L-type, with one position for targets up to 350 metres, and the other for targets between 350 and 500 metres, and the rear sight was located on the top cover of the automatic to allow the sight radius to be increased to 235mm. The top cover was attached to the receiver with a pin, and could be rotated up around that pin for disassembly. The AKS-74U uses a plastic pistol grip, and the forearm and handguard were originally laminated plywood, but later changed to plastic (polyamide fibreglass). The automatic used the plastic magazine of the AK-74. The use of plastic parts slightly reduced the weight of the automatic. The AKS-74U was also modified to produce the AKS-74UN and AKS-74UN2 variants, capable of mounting the NSPU and NSPUM night sights. The main benefit of the AKS-74U as compared to submachine guns is that it uses the same ammunition as other rifles. Its portability allows its use in a confined space. The parts of the AKS-74U are widely used in the 9mm “Bizon-2" submachine guns. The AKS-74U is produced at the Tula Weapons factory. The Tula-produced automatics differed from those from Izhevsk in the length of the handguard, and the slightly-longer protective wings on the sight. Shortening the barrel to make the automatic more manoeuvrable caused a marked deterioration in accuracy (the 5.45mm cartridge was originally developed for a barrel of greater length). The initial velocity has a sufficient reserve of energy to allow the defeat of targets (including body armour), but in this case, the range of fire and the range of bullet effectiveness are much closer together. The type of folding stock used in the AKS-74U is generally more convenient and reliable, but for a “long” rifle, it makes it too wide in the folded position. The pointed bullet in the 5.45mm cartridge indoors or on the streets makes ricochets more frequent. Therefore, for “police” and other purposes, during the 1990s, other types of weapons were developed. But after that, the AKS-74U, created to fill a “military” role, saw widespread use, and a number of removable devices were created to expand its capabilities. In particular, for use during twilight ad darkness, the Belorussian Optical and Mechanical Association (BelOMO) developed the TsL-03 complex, which includes a red laser designator (mounted on the front sight), and a tactical halogen flashlight (on the forearm). Tactical-mechanical characteristics Cartridge - 5.45x39mm (M1974) Weight without magazine - 2.485 kg Weight with unloaded magazine - 2.71 kg Weight with loaded magazine - 3.0 kg Length with extended stock - 730mm Length with folded stock - 490mm Sight radius - 235mm Length of barrel - 206.5mm Length of rifled portion of barrel - 164.5mm Number of grooves - 4 Length of one rotation of rifling - 160mm Muzzle velocity - 735 metres/second Muzzle energy - 918 Joules Cyclic rate - 700 rpm Practical rate of fire, semi/full - 40/100 rpm Magazine capacity - 30 rounds Effective range - up to 500 metres Point-blank range against a standing figure - 350 metres Effective range of the bullet - 1100 metres Maximum range of bullet’s trajectory - 2900 metres __________________ Gun control in Canada: making the streets safer for rapists, muggers, and other violent criminals since 1936. Last edited by SDC; September 2, 2009 at 08:19 PM.