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Browse: Home / Russian Military

What is the difference between AK-74 and AK-47 riffles?

Question by Shaun S: What is the difference between an AK-47 and a AK-74 automatic riffle?
What is the difference between a AK-47 and a AK-74. Which Country manufactures these weapons. We are looking to the way the re-booting of the AK-74 makes the weapon preform.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Jason J
Ak- 47 was designed by a Russian back in 1947. They are now made all over the world including here in the U.S. I am not familiar with the 74.

Answer by Charlie S
The principal difference is that it fires the 5.45 X 39 mm round as opposed to the 7.92X33 mm round of the AK-47.
There are many models of both rifles, with some recent verions of the ak-74 being equipped with a poly amide stock , which replaces the laminated wood stock of earlier versions.

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Comments ( 3 )

  1. A A says

    Basically, the difference is in the caliber.

    The AK-47, designed in 1947, uses the 7.62X39mm ammunition, and the AK-74, developed in 1974 and directly copied from the AK-47 platform, uses the 5.45X39mm ammuntion.

    Both weapons are of Russian/Soviet Union origin, and they are the major manufacturers of the firearms. Other countries have made the AK-47 (sometimes illegally copying it, other times with the permission of Russia/Soviet Union), so it is just as likely that other countries have copied the AK-74 also.

    Both weapons (assuming that you are asking about the assault rifle, full automatic versions) operate in an identical manner.

    Reasonably, the only significant difference to the user would be a lighter weapon (5.45X39mm is smaller, and weighs less than 7.62X39mm) with slightly less recoil. The action and performance should be similar in all other aspects.

    Reply
  2. frazshamim says

    there are three types of firing option avilable with AK-74.
    when the fire selector lever is at top the gun cannot be fired.
    when the lever is in middle position then it behaves as a fully automatic gun.. one squeeze of the trigger and it will keep firing until it has run our of bullets or until u have released the trigger.
    when the lever is in the lowest position it will behave as a semi automatic gun and will fire one shot with one squeeze of the trigger

    Reply
  3. Lady G says

    Well, my fiance says that the AK47 was made in 1947 and the AK74 was made in 1974. The 74 is more of a sub-machine gun than an assault rifle like the AK47. The 74 also uses a smaller bullet. It was made in Russia and the number is basically “model of 19…”

    Reply

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