Ak74 vs. AK47
I know the AK74 shoots the 5.45x39 round and most AK47's the 7.62x39 round. What are the advantages to the AK74 round and the rifle? Why did the Combloc countries change to this rifle and round? What are other differences in these two rifles? Thanks for your answers.
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I don't know what their stated reason would be if you gave them truth serum and asked them why, but the 5.45 offers:
*lighter ammo
*flatter trajectory, longer range
*gun may be easier to shoot, especially full auto, especially if you use a compensator to reduce the recoil stemming from the powder.
*some feel a small caliber high velocity bullet may be more deadly than a larger, slower, heavier one when you are talking about nonexpanding military bullets because it has more of a tearing effect.
The 5.45x39 has an air space underneath the nose of the jacket which is supposed to cause the nose of the bullet to flatten and bend which is claimed to make it deadlier, but some sources online did gelatin testing of bullets (firing into special gelatin which simulates flesh) and they did not detect an unusual degree of deformation or tumbling. Also, it is not germane to a discussion of 7.62 vs. 5.45 because, conceptually speaking at least, it would be possible to introduce a similar design to the 7.62x39 or in other words, they didn't need to switch rifles and calibers just to get the special bullets.
The switch to smaller, higher velocity projectiles may also have something to do with advancements in body armor.0 -
I always figured they thought we had made a good choice of calibers. 0 -
There was an interview with Kalishnokov before he died and he was adamantly opposed to going to a 22 caliber. According to him, the Soviets saw us using the 5.56 and thought that was the way to go. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by rsnyder55
There was an interview with Kalishnokov before he died and he was adamantly opposed to going to a 22 caliber. According to him, the Soviets saw us using the 5.56 and thought that was the way to go.
He isn't dead. He just turned 91.0 -
Obviously, a 21 caliber bullet of 50 to 60 grains traveling at 2800-2900fps will have a flatter trajectory than a 30 caliber 123 grain traveling at 2200-2300. Whether it has similar wounding capabilties is up to the bullet design plus other scientific factors. My reading indicates the 5.45x39 was meant to provide better penetration of protective vests at a greater range than the 7.62x39. My experience with the 5.45x39 is that Russian commercial FMJ is definitely more severe on steel targets than 5.56 military FMJ at 150-200 yards. Neither is comparable to the 7.62x51 at any range on steel but don't try to hide behind a car door from a shooter with either. I put on a demo for a KC firefighter after his unit was fired on while responding to a house fire. After the demo, he realized the only safe place was on the other side of the pumper's FULL water tank or the rear axle 0 -
quote:Originally posted by ni hao
I know the AK74 shoots the 5.45x39 round and most AK47's the 7.62x39 round. What are the advantages to the AK74 round and the rifle?
The rifle designs are fundamentally similar, so apart from the caliber and a few minor upgrades to the then 30 year old design, there isn't all that much of a difference when it comes to the actual rifles. The AK74 does have a muzzle brake, and slight difference in the stock design. It also has a version with a nice folding stock, though again, you could build a 7.62x39 gun with any/all of these features if you wanted to.
The smaller caliber ammo offers: Flatter trajectory, lower recoil (especially an advantage in burst fire), and *possibly* better wounding effect due to the extremely high velocity light round.
Note that even if the round terminal ballistics (wounding) are similar, being able to do the same job with a lighter round is still an advantage.
The .22 rounds probably cost s bit less too, on a round-for-round basis.
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Why did the Combloc countries change to this rifle and round? What are other differences in these two rifles? Thanks for your answers.
First of all, you have to realize that the Soviet Union was the hegemon, and it basically gave away the designs to all the other "satellite" countries. So this basically came from Russia.
Ultimately, the reason probably was that they were copying the USA.
Its not so crazy. The USA comes out with a high-tech space age polymer gun using a small high velocity round, and they figure we've spent gazillions of dollars and years of research developing it, and it just HAS to be the "best" thing possible.
The thought at the time was that the good terminal effectiveness of the .223 round was due to round tumbling within the target. It turns out that this is probably NOT true, but the Russians basically took this idea to an extreme in creating their 5.45 round.0 -
Thanks you for your answers. As usual, I learned alot from you. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
The thought at the time was that the good terminal effectiveness of the .223 round was due to round tumbling within the target. It turns out that this is probably NOT true, but the Russians basically took this idea to an extreme in creating their 5.45 round.
Someone tested one into ballistic gelatin and they don't tumble. They yaw but not unusually more than other military fmj's. The point does not deform unusually much either. Sierra matchkings have an air space under the front of the jacket which is free of core, but I read that those are considered nonexpanding by our armed services.
The gun probably has a twist rate compatible with a steel core penetrator round which would be longer for the same weight, IF it is true that the caliber was changed to help defeat body armor. So they can afford to make the lead core ammo kind of long, with a hollow nose, which is supposed to be good for stability, like the matchking.0 -
The Russians took the AK-74 and its .22 caliber ammo to Afghanistan and did not do well with it. (The AK-47 wasn't any much better for longer range shooting.) The Mooj sat up in the rocks with old British .303 rifles and shot the heck out of the Russkies. The Russians took the wrong gun to a shooting contest. They should have dipped into their reserve stocks of SVt-40 rifles that fire the big 7.62X54R ammo. 0 -
The 7.62x39mm round will tend to over penatrate the target,not very good at long range(about 300 yards at most). The 5.45x39mm has longer range,shoots flatter,less recoil which means more control during rapid fire,the magazine can carry more ammo and this round is designed to hit the target and stop.For the average shooter it is personal preference,I prefer the 7.62x39mm. 0
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