Aksu machine decryption. Izhevsk and Tula developments
Hot spots in the post-Soviet space
Tula Arms Factory
3 (loaded)
0.215 (magazine)
2.2 kg (NSPUM)
shots/min:
5.45 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle folding shortened, AKS74U(GRAU index - 6P26) - a shortened modification of the AK74 assault rifle, was developed in the late 1980s to arm the crews of combat vehicles, aircraft, gun crews, and paratroopers. It is also used in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and security structures due to its small size.
Features of the machine
Differences from AKS-74:
- trunk shortened by 2 times,
- shortened gas piston rod,
- a special muzzle is installed, serving as an expansion chamber and flame arrester,
- the receiver cover is hinged to the receiver in its front part,
- rear sight installations at 200 and 400 meters.
From the point of view of all mechanisms, the AKS74U is completely similar to the AK-74.
Advantages of AKS74U:
- high mobility and the ability to be carried concealed;
- high bullet penetration.
Flaws:
- short target firing range;
- low stopping effect of the bullet;
- tendency to quickly overheat when shooting.
Characteristics
The most effective fire is carried out at distances of up to 400 m. At group targets, concentrated fire is carried out at a distance of up to 800 m. The range of a direct shot at the chest figure is 360 m.
Combat rate of fire:
- when firing in bursts - up to 100 rounds per minute,
- when firing single shots - up to 40 rounds per minute.
Normal combat requirements for AKS74U:
- all four holes fit into a circle with a diameter of 15 cm;
- the average point of impact deviates from the control point by no more than 5 cm in any direction.
Testing of combat is carried out by single shooting at a test target or a black rectangle 35 cm high and 30 cm wide, mounted on a white shield 1 m high and 0.5 m wide. Firing range - 100 m, position - prone, cartridges - with an ordinary bullet , sight - P.
Indicators of the total dispersion of bullets with a steel core when firing in short bursts from the AKS74U prone position reduced to normal combat:
When shooting prone from the hand, the dispersion in height increases by 3 times, and in width - by 3.5 times.
When shooting while standing, the dispersion in height increases by 5.5 times, and in width by 6 times.
Device
AKS74U bolt and bolt carrier with a shortened piston.
AKS74U consists of the following main parts and mechanisms:
- barrel with receiver and receiver cover, with trigger mechanism, sighting device, folding stock and pistol grip;
- flame arrester;
- bolt carrier with gas piston;
- gate;
- return mechanism;
- gas tube with receiver lining;
- forend;
- shop;
- belt.
The AKS74U kit includes: a case, accessories (a cleaning rod, a cleaning rod, a brush, a screwdriver, a drift, an oil can, four clips and an adapter), three spare magazines and a bag for carrying magazines and accessories. The AKS74UN2 kit additionally includes NSPUM.
Sighting device
The AKS74U sighting device consists of a rotating rear sight and a front sight. The rear sight has two positions - for shooting at a distance of up to 350 m (“P”) and from 350 to 500 m (“5”).
The machine gun is also equipped with a device for shooting at night (self-luminous attachment), consisting of a folding rear sight with a wide slot (installed on the rotating rear sight) and a wide front sight (attached to the front sight of the weapon from above), on which luminous dots are applied. This device does not separate during operation - when shooting during the day, the front sight and rear sight are moved down and fixed, without interfering with the use of standard sighting devices.
Automation operating principle
The operation of the AKS74U automation is based on the use of the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel bore. When fired, part of the powder gases that push the bullet is directed through a hole in the barrel wall into the gas chamber, pressing on the front wall of the gas piston, throwing the piston and bolt frame with the bolt to the rear position. The bolt opens the barrel, removes the cartridge case from the chamber and throws it out. The bolt frame compresses the return spring and cocks the self-timer.
Under the action of the return mechanism, the bolt frame and bolt return to the forward position. The bolt sends a new cartridge into the chamber and locks the barrel. The bolt frame removes the self-timer sear from under the self-timer cocking of the trigger. The trigger is cocked.
The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt to the right around the longitudinal axis and, as a result, by moving its lugs past the lugs of the receiver.
Ammo
Shooting from the AKS74U is carried out with 5.45 mm cartridges with the following types of bullets:
- ordinary designed to defeat enemy personnel located openly or behind obstacles pierced by a bullet. The shell is steel covered with tombac, the core is steel, and there is a lead jacket between the shell and the core. Has no distinctive coloring.
- tracer designed for target designation and fire adjustment, as well as destruction of enemy personnel. In the shell in the head part there is a core, and in the bottom there is a block of pressed tracer composition. The color of the head part is green.
A bullet with a steel core of a 5.45 mm cartridge when fired from an AKS-74U provides the following penetrating effect:
- Penetration with a probability of 50% at a meeting angle of 90° of steel sheets of thickness:
- Penetration with 100% probability of a steel helmet at a distance of 500 m;
- Penetration with a 50% probability of body armor at a distance of 320 m;
- Penetration of 15-20 cm into a parapet made of compacted loamy soil at a distance of 400 m;
- Penetration with a probability of 50% of a wall made of dry pine beams 20 cm thick at a distance of 400 m;
- Penetration of 6-8 cm into brickwork at a distance of 100 m.
The lethal effect of the bullet is maintained at a distance of up to 1100 m, the maximum flight range is 2900 m. The muzzle energy of the bullet is 902 J.
Options
In later versions of the AKS74U, a side dovetail rail for mounting Cobra and PSO/POSP sights appeared on the left side of the receiver.
At the moment, TsNIITOCHMASH has already developed a new model of a submachine gun (Veresk), similar to the AKS-74U in accuracy, but lighter and more compact, with the ability to mount an optical sight. But for now, the AKS-74U remains the main automatic weapon of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since a large number of these weapons have already been produced and their service life has not expired, and the ministry does not see the need to re-equip ordinary employees.
Machine maintenance
Partial disassembly of the machine gun is carried out for cleaning, lubrication and inspection of the weapon in the following order:
- separating the magazine and checking that there is no cartridge in the chamber;
- removing the accessory case and cleaning rod from the bag;
- flame arrester compartment;
- opening the receiver cover;
- return mechanism compartment;
- separation of the bolt frame with the bolt;
- separating the bolt from the bolt frame;
- separation of the gas tube with the barrel lining.
Reassembly after partial disassembly is carried out in the reverse order.
Complete disassembly is carried out for cleaning in case of heavy contamination, as well as for repairs in the following order:
- incomplete disassembly;
- dismantling the store;
- disassembling the return mechanism;
- shutter disassembly;
- disassembling the trigger mechanism;
- forearm compartment.
Reassembly after complete disassembly is carried out in the reverse order.
In summer (temperatures above 5 °C) it is necessary to use gun lubricant and RFS (r solution h plaintiffs With barrels from carbon deposits), and in winter (from +5 °C to - 50 °C) - liquid gun grease (for lubrication and cleaning of carbon deposits), carefully removing (by washing all metal parts in liquid gun grease and wiping them with a clean rag) before this summer lubricant. To store it in a warehouse for a long time, the machine gun is lubricated with liquid gun lubricant, wrapped in one layer of inhibited paper, and then in one layer of waxed paper.
See also
- OTs-11 “Tiss” is an automatic rifle created at TsKIB SOO based on the AKS74U chambered for 9x39 mm.
- OTs-14 “Groza” - an assault rifle created at TsKIB SOO based on the AKS74U with a Kalashnikov bullpup layout
AK family Foreign Other
The table above shows the characteristics of the basic version of the standard configuration of the AKS74U assault rifle.
Shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle AKS74U and its modifications.
The Soviet military leadership, starting from the moment the 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle entered service, needed another new type of weapon that would be smaller in size than the AK47 and AKM, but would have more firepower than the automatic variants created under pistol cartridge (submachine guns). By that time, in the army and in the internal affairs units, such weapons were PPSh and PPS, chambered for a pistol cartridge of 7.62x25 mm caliber. This weapon proved itself well on the fronts of World War II, but by the 1960s - 1970s it was completely obsolete. And not only morally - Western competitors produced submachine guns with more adequate characteristics for such weapons: high stopping power of the bullet with low weight and small size of automatic weapons. For this reason, the USSR tested many different submachine guns, which fully coped with the task of urban police weapons (models designed by M. T. Kalashnikov also took part in the competitions). But, in addition to this, the army demanded from the Ministry of Defense a type of automatic weapon that would be lighter and smaller than conventional AKMs, but would have sufficient range and penetration. Models chambered for a pistol cartridge did not meet the last two qualities of the required army automatic small arms, because the cartridge is still a pistol cartridge, not designed for long-range aimed shots and for penetrating obstacles. The military required such automatic weapons to equip fighters in specialties for which the use of small arms is a secondary factor, but despite this, these categories of military personnel should have had such weapons. These categories included tankers, crews of infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, repair units, cryptographers, signalmen, headquarters and commandant's office, orderlies, sappers and similar military specialties, for whom carrying a rather large and heavy machine gun was burdensome and not justified, and a pistol in a combat situation it is clearly not enough. These military personnel required automatic combat weapons for self-defense, and for these categories of combat weapons, it was possible to sacrifice the effectiveness and accuracy of the weapon’s combat for the sake of minimizing dimensions and weight. As a result, after weighing all the pros and cons, high military officials, heads of internal affairs and police departments, as well as representatives of the KGB of the USSR came to the conclusion that the easiest way was to kill three birds with one stone, at the lowest cost.
It was decided this way: it was necessary to create a modification of the Kalashnikov assault rifle for close combat, since this design perfectly demonstrated its high operational capabilities, and most importantly, it could be produced on the same equipment as conventional Kalash, and fighters could be accustomed to the new weapon I wouldn’t have to (the operation of automation and disassembly and reassembly are similar). That is, the reason for this decision is the unification and proven reliability of weapons. It was not difficult to reduce the size and weight of the AK, although this would result in the loss of the already weak performance of the AK in terms of combat accuracy, especially in bursts. The range and effective firing range of intermediate cartridges were an order of magnitude superior to those of submachine guns, as was the penetrating effect of bullets.
As a result, the main requirements for a new melee weapon were the following:
- maximum unification in production and operation with standard army Kalashnikov assault rifles;
- small overall length of the weapon and its weight;
- folding stock;
- high armor penetration compared to submachine guns;
- sighting range up to 400 meters;
- reliability and unpretentiousness of the weapon.
Then the question arose about the need to create the AKS74U, although at that time this development did not yet exist, and, accordingly, neither did the name.
Basic AKS74U of early series.
In the early 1970s, the USSR developed a new intermediate cartridge for army small arms - 5.45x39, which was supposed to completely replace the 7.62x39 cartridge. The AK74 was created under this small-caliber cartridge and almost immediately put into service with the army. Accordingly, all calculations were made and new equipment was built in order to establish a conveyor production of this machine gun without major changes in the production base inherited from the production of AKM. This is where the finest hour came for the AKS74U.
The AKS74 was taken as the base model for the new small-sized assault rifle - that is, a regular AK74, but with a folding frame stock. Then the AKS74 had its barrel and gas tube docked to the extreme, and the sighting devices and method of attaching the receiver cover were redesigned (now it did not separate completely, but opened up and forward on a hinge).
AKS74U with the receiver cover open.
The operation of the automation and the basic design of the AKS74U was practically no different from the AK74, except that the powder gases were vented from the barrel almost immediately after the shot, the stroke of the gas piston became shorter, and the gas piston rod also became shorter (this was a consequence of the reduction in the length of the gas outlet tube, which was now completely located under the top pad, ending with the front sight).
A bolt group with a gas piston from a full-fledged AK74 assault rifle.
Piston with bolt frame from AKS74U. The difference is immediately visible: the gas piston of the AKS74U is much shorter than the piston of a conventional AK74.
The barrel of the machine gun came out of the fore-end and served as a support for the ring-mounted front sight. Then a muzzle was attached to the barrel, designed to at least slightly cool the barrel with the help of an expansion chamber and playing the role of a flame arrester in the form of a bell, which also reduced the sound wave acting on the shooter’s eardrums.
AKS74U assault rifles with unfolded butts from different angles.
AKS74U assault rifles with folded butts.
The AKS74U was supplied with ammunition from standard thirty-round AK74 and AKS74 magazines; in certain modifications, shortened magazines with a capacity of 20 rounds were attached to the machine gun, and if desired, for the AKS74U it was possible to use magazines from the RPK74 with 45 rounds, but such facts, if they occurred, were extremely rare .
The AKS74U sights had significant differences with the open sights of standard AKs. The front sight in the namushnik was located immediately behind the gas outlet tube cover. The rear sight frame was attached in the same place as a conventional AK, but continued along the top of the receiver cover right up to its middle, where it ended with the rear sight itself. The rear sight is protected on the sides by a frame, reversible, in two positions. It is believed that the range of a direct shot from this machine gun is 350 m. Therefore, on the rear sight, one of the fixed positions was the “P” option (direct shot), designed for firing at a distance of 350 meters, and the second position was “five” - designation “5 ", corresponding to the aiming point at a distance of 500 meters. For night shooting, the AKS74U was equipped with special luminous attachments for the front and rear sights: a light-fiber tube was put on the front sight, and a wide, slot-like separate attachment made of the same material was put on the rear sight. The trick is that in the twilight with such attachments it was much easier to conduct aimed fire, and during the day they did not need to be removed, you could simply switch the rear sight to the daytime version (P or 5), and the tip of the front sight was not covered by the attachment, so aiming during daylight hours it was the same as without the night attachments described above.
One of the options for traveling stowage AKS74U with ammunition and cleaning accessories.
Modifications of AKS74U.
AKS74UN and AKS74UN2 - a side mount is provided for a night vision sight.
AKS74UB - instead of a muzzle, a muffler is installed on a thread. Such weapons were intended for special forces.
AKS74UB with silencer.
Also, two variants of under-barrel grenade launchers were mounted on AKS74UB assault rifles - BS-1 "Silence" and BS-1M "Canary" of 30 mm caliber. The differences between these samples are in the principle of firing a shot from a grenade launcher. In the BS-1 grenade launcher, the shot was initiated by special “Mouthpiece” cartridges, the magazine with which was located in the handle of the grenade launcher. These cartridges cut off gases in their own cartridge case, which was quite difficult and expensive to produce.
AKS74UB “Silence” with a PBS-4 silencer and a magazine for 20 rounds.
And in the TS-1M version, these initiating cartridges became ordinary blanks, without a bullet, which simplified and reduced the cost of both the design itself and the operation of the grenade launcher.
AKS74UB "Canary" with muffler PBS-4.
In the FSB, the most noticeable example of the AKS74U is the automatic case. The usual Soviet “Diplomat” case, when you pressed a button on the handle of the case, opened and fell, leaving a machine gun ready for battle in the hands of the soldier.
Subsequently, the wooden fore-end, pad, handle and frame stock were replaced with black polymer ones, and standard side mounting brackets for any additional sighting devices, like on the AK74M, began to be installed on the left side of the receiver.
Modern AKS74U with an installed Cobra collimator and a front handle.
Since the beginning of the 1970s, after choosing a low-pulse intermediate (automatic) cartridge of small caliber, they began to create a new type of individual weapon - shortened automatic weapons. The thing is. that the internal ballistics of the new cartridge allowed the bullet to gain sufficient initial velocity even with a significantly shortened barrel, while at the same time the reduced recoil impulse gave hope for an easily controllable, small-sized melee weapon, convenient for operations in confined spaces. The Ministry of Defense Industry and GRAU in 1973 opened a corresponding competitive development on the topic “Modern”. A number of designers took part in the development of the new machine gun, including M. T. Kalashnikov, S. G. Simonov, I. Ya. Stechkin, E. F. Dragunov. The machine gun was configured in such a way that in the “on the chest” position with the butt folded, it did not extend beyond the size of the fighter in full gear.
At the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant, work on such an assault rifle was carried out in the design bureau headed by M. T. Kalashnikov, a group of designers led by S. N. Furman. The barrel length was determined at which the initial speed of a 5.45 mm bullet was equal to the speed of a 7.62 mm bullet when fired from an AKM assault rifle. The M. T. Kalashnikov Design Bureau prepared a sample of a shortened assault rifle, created on the basis of components and parts of the already produced AKS 74, which greatly simplified the organization of production, development and maintenance of a new type of weapon. Of course, when creating a shortened machine gun, a number of parts required modification. By the end of 1976, the machine gun was ready for military testing. They took place in Kirovobad on the basis of motorized rifle and airborne divisions. In 1979, the shortened assault rifle was adopted for service under the designation “Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding butt, shortened mod. 1974" AKS 74U (GRAU assigned it the index 6P26).
The barrel of the AKS 74U assault rifle was shortened to 206.5 mm, the initial bullet speed was reduced to 735 m/s. The aimed firing range was 500 m. The shortening of the barrel forced the gas chamber to be moved back and the front sight mount to be changed. Accordingly, the length of the piston rod and gas outlet tube was reduced. The shortening of the barrel and greater gas pressure at the muzzle of the barrel required the installation of a reinforced flash suppressor with an enlarged chamber for afterburning unburnt particles of gunpowder. The muzzle device also reduces the effect of the sound of a shot on the shooter.
With the gas chamber moved back, the rate of fire increased to 700 rounds/min, but the machine gun retained good controllability when firing in short bursts. To better stabilize the bullet in flight with a short barrel, the steepness of the rifling was increased - the length of the rifling stroke decreased from 200 to 160 mm.
The sector sight was replaced by a reversible L-shaped sight with rear sights designed for firing ranges of up to 350 m (which corresponds to the range of a direct shot from this weapon against a height figure) and 350-500 m. Placing the sight on the receiver cover made it possible to somewhat compensate for the reduction in the length of the aiming line . The receiver cover is designed to be hinged upward on an axis. The AKS 74U was equipped with a plastic pistol grip, wooden fore-end and receiver guard; later on the AKS 74U, as well as on the AK 74 and AKS 74, the wooden parts were replaced with plastic ones (made of glass-filled polyamide). Plastic parts slightly reduced the weight of the machine.
The machine gun uses the same plastic-cased magazines as the AK 74 and AKS 74. There is also a smaller plastic magazine with a capacity of 20 rounds.
AKS 74U was supplied to special forces units, tank crews, artillerymen, missilemen, as well as to arm special signal troops, sappers, motorists, etc. After the AKS 74U was adopted, other structures, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, showed interest in it.
The main advantage of the AKS 74U in comparison with a submachine gun (namely, this weapon is classified in this class abroad due to its small dimensions and limited sighting range) is the unification of the cartridge with other types of small arms. In turn, the AKS 74U units were widely used in the Izhevsk 9-mm submachine gun "Bizon-2", in Tula, on its basis, the modular rifle-grenade launcher complex OTs-14-4 "Groza" was developed (in the 9th and 7.62 mm variants) and an experimental 9 mm shortened assault rifle OTs-11 “Tise”.
The AKS 74U was also produced by the Tula Arms Plant. Tula-made assault rifles differed from Izhevsk ones in the length of the barrel lining and slightly elongated (compared to Izhevsk) wings on the sides of the sight.
Keeping the side-folding stock from the AKS 74, which is generally more convenient and reliable on a “long-barreled” machine gun, in a shortened one too increases the width of the weapon in the stowed position.
And the pointed bullet of the 5.45-mm cartridge produces frequent ricochets indoors or on the streets. Therefore, for “police” needs in the 1990s, other machine guns with different cartridges were developed. But even after this, the AKS 74U, created on a “military” order, finds wide application in law enforcement agencies, and a number of removable devices have been developed to expand its capabilities.
Tactical technical characteristics |
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AKS-74U assault rifle with folded stock | ||
5.45 mm automatic rifle AKS 74UN
Automatic AKS-74UN
The AKS 74U assault rifle is widely used in special forces units and, accordingly, could not help but receive “night” modifications. Automatic machines AKS 74UN (index 6P26N), AKS 74UN1, AKS 74UN2, AKS 74UNZ. equipped with a strap on the left side of the receiver for attaching a night sight bracket:
- AKS 74UN1 (6P26N1) with NSPU night sight;
- AKS 74UN2 (6P26N2) with NSPUM night sight;
- AKS 74UNZ (6P26NZ) with night sight NSPU-3.
5.45 mm automatic rifle with silent and flameless firing device AKSB 74U
Automatic AKSB 74U
With the adoption of a complex of small arms chambered for the 5.45x39 cartridge, the task arose of developing a “silent” modification of the machine gun for weapons of special forces units. It was not possible to successfully solve this problem on the basis of the AK 74 and AKS 74. With a small caliber, the relative length of the machine gun barrel increased,” and the bullets of US cartridges (with a reduced initial velocity) produced unstable ballistics.
The shortened AKS 74U turned out to be preferable as the basis for a “silent” machine gun. Its modification, designated AKSB 74U (adopted in 1985, almost simultaneously with the “night” modifications of the AKS 74U, was equipped with: a silent (silent) and flameless firing device PBS, a special sight, a cover plate on the top link of a folding metal butt, a magazine of reduced capacity The PBS device belongs to the “expansion type” silencers. Its action is based on the preliminary expansion of the powder gases of the shot, due to which they lose a significant part of their energy before entering the atmosphere, and the sound level of the shot is significantly reduced. The PBS also completely eliminates the flame of the shot. Subsonic initial. the bullet speed of the US cartridge eliminates another source of sharp sound - the ballistic wave. The design of the PBS device does not have a rubber seal (as, for example, in the PBS-1, used with the 7.62 mm AKM B assault rifle. Firing with both US and US cartridges is possible). ordinary cartridges.
noun
axe, axle, poleaxe
(ax)
stone ax - stone ax
battle ax - battle axis
bronze ax - bronze ax
hatchet
(hatchet)
hand ax - hand hatchet
Ch.
reduce
Collocations
the dreamy chock of the woodcutter's axe — the unclear dull sound of a woodcutter's ax
to grind one's own axe — pursue personal, selfish goals
two-handed ax — two-handed ax
to wield an ax — work with an ax
to set the ax to smth. / to lay the ax to the root of smth. — begin to destroy something.
to ax public spending — sharply reduce budget expenditures
ax blade — axe blade
butt of an axe — butt of an ax
bench ax — carpenter's ax
felling axe — a felling ax
Examples
They are facing the axe.
They are threatened with dismissal due to staff reduction.
I got the ax from school.
I was expelled from school.
The show has been given the axe.
This entertainment program has been closed.
Eleven ministers have been axed.
Eleven ministers were dismissed.
The boss told him that he had been axed.
The boss told him he was fired.
Kalashnikov assault rifle AKS-74U Photo (c) KardeN
Kalashnikov AKS-74U assault rifle with the butt folded down Photo (c) KardeN
Kalashnikov AKS-74U assault rifle with a collimator sight, ergonomic pistol grip fire control and front grip
AKS-74U (GRAU Index - 6P26, "5.45-mm folding shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle") - a shortened modification of the AK-74 automatic carbine, was developed in the late 1970s - early 1980s to arm the crews of combat vehicles and aircraft , gun crews, as well as paratroopers. It is also used in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and security structures due to its small size.
After the end of the Soviet-German war and the transition of the Soviet armed forces to the AK family of small arms, not a single production model of a submachine gun was adopted in the USSR, although the need for this type of weapon was observed quite urgently. Since the AKS and its descendants could not replace the PP due to their size, the creation of a weapon capable of filling this niche began after the adoption of an intermediate small-caliber cartridge of 5.45x39 mm.
In the late 60s - early 70s of the 20th century, a worldwide trend towards the creation of completely new tactical combat models of firearms by slightly altering existing assault rifles began to noticeably manifest itself. Designers from Belgium, the USA, Great Britain, and Hungary became trendsetters: by significantly shortening the barrel and using a folding stock, they smartly adjusted the weight and size parameters of standard assault rifles closer and closer to those characteristic of the submachine gun class, while maintaining a clear superiority in the power of fire.
The development of a compact model of a standard army weapon was started in the USSR as part of the “Modern” competition, in which eminent gunsmiths from Izhevsk, Kovrov, and Tula were involved.
A fairly simple and cheap small-sized sample was developed in 1975 in its own unique style at the design bureau under the leadership of S.G. Simonova. An experimental version of the gas exhaust AG-043 with a metal sliding shoulder rest was superior in weight (2.1 kg without cartridges) to many submachine guns and was “fed” from a standard plastic 30-round magazine from an AK-74. The AG-043 did not have any special advantages in terms of rate of fire, ballistics or operational reliability; its main captivating advantage remained its obvious compactness (which gave rise to sensational rumors about its “KGB” purpose as a concealed carry weapon - complete folding of the butt reduced the length of the weapon more than one and a half times, from 680 to 420 mm).
Tula TsKIB SOO presented several experimental versions of a shortened sample of I.Ya.’s design for state tests on the “Modern” theme in the early 1970s. Stechkina. His TKB-0116 could easily claim the title of the most unusual competitor. Automatic with a short stroke of the barrel, the rotation of which also carried out locking.
The main element of the gas engine was the muzzle, which also served as a flame arrester and compensator. A straight box magazine with 20 rounds of ammunition and a folding shoulder rest gave the weapon a certain charm. Very flattering reviews from testers, primarily in terms of combat accuracy, gave Stechkin’s “Modern” a good chance in fair competition.
Things were easiest in Izhevsk, where they created compact weapons based on the Kalashnikov design. The AKM design, worked out to the smallest detail, and the design of its 5.45 mm successor, coded A-3, eliminated the need to start all over again.
The barrel was shortened to 255 millimeters, the gas chamber and the base of the front sight were moved back (correspondingly reducing the length of the gas piston rod), and a voluminous cylindrical muzzle was introduced to ensure complete combustion of the gunpowder when fired. The sector sight was replaced with a simple L-shaped flip rear sight on the receiver cover, now permanently attached to the weapon and hinged upward when disassembled.
A wire metal stock with a rotating butt plate, like the Stechkin assault rifle, folded upward, reducing the total length of the weapon to 475 mm. In 1973, the first experimental Mini-Kalashnikov was slightly improved.
The trunk was “cut” by another 35 millimeters. The stock was borrowed from AKMS. The design of the gas outlet unit and the muzzle has been moderately improved - the machine gun has become more beautiful. The greater pressure of powder gases at the muzzle of the barrel urgently required the installation of a reinforced flash suppressor-afterburner. The 1976 prototype had an even shorter barrel (206.5 mm), a tubular figured shoulder rest folding to the right, and a weight reduced to 2.4 kg. The final version of the small-sized AK was maximally unified with the AKS-74, which had already been adopted by that time.
In the end, the Izhevsk version of the shortened AK ended up in the competition for a new compact assault rifle “due to the high unification of production and operation in relation to the AKS74 assault rifle.” The mechanisms, layout of controls and general structure were similar to the AKS-74, which not only reduced the cost of production and facilitated maintenance and repair, but also simplified the training of personnel.
However, the new compact AK also has some disadvantages. The barrel of the “baby”, shortened by half compared to the original, as one would expect, sharply reduced the initial speed of the bullet to 735 m/s and, hence, the effective firing range (along with the effective one). Therefore, the need for a complex sighting device naturally disappeared.
In 1980, under the brand name AKS-74U (6P26), the assault rifle began to enter the USSR troops.
Initially, the AKS-74U was equipped with a plastic pistol grip, a wooden fore-end and a barrel guard; later, around 1991, the wood was replaced with glass-filled polyamide on the AKS-74U, as well as on other members of the AK-74 family. Plastic parts increased wear resistance and slightly reduced the weight of the machine.
Features of AKS-74U
Differences from AKS-74:
- trunk shortened by 2 times,
- shortened gas piston rod,
- a special muzzle is installed, serving as an expansion chamber and flame arrester,
- the receiver cover is hinged to the receiver in its front part,
- installation of the rear sight at 350 and 500 meters,
- there is no rate of fire retarder,
- The rifling stroke length was reduced from 200 to 160 mm (for better stabilization of the bullet in flight with a short barrel).
From the point of view of all mechanisms, the AKS-74U is completely similar to the AK-74, with the exception of the trigger rotation limiter, installed instead of the tempo retarder.
Device
The operation of the AKS-74U automation is based on the use of the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel bore. When fired, part of the powder gases that push the bullet is directed through a hole in the barrel wall into the gas chamber, pressing on the front wall of the gas piston, throwing the piston and bolt frame with the bolt to the rear position. The bolt opens the barrel, removes the cartridge case from the chamber and throws it out. The bolt frame compresses the return spring and cocks the self-timer.
Under the action of the return mechanism, the bolt frame and bolt return to the forward position. The bolt sends a new cartridge into the chamber and locks the barrel. The bolt frame removes the self-timer sear from under the self-timer cocking of the trigger. The trigger is cocked.
The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt to the right around the longitudinal axis and, as a result, by moving its lugs past the lugs of the receiver.
AKS-74U consists of the following main parts and mechanisms:
- barrel with receiver and receiver cover, with trigger mechanism, sighting device, folding stock and pistol grip;
- flame arrester;
- bolt carrier with gas piston;
- gate;
- return mechanism;
- gas tube with receiver lining;
- forend;
- shop;
- belt.
The AKS-74U kit includes: a case, accessories (a cleaning rod, a cleaning rod, a brush, a screwdriver, a drift, an oil can, four clips and an adapter), three spare magazines and a bag for carrying magazines and accessories. The AKS-74UN2 kit additionally includes NSPUM.
Sighting device
The AKS-74U sighting device consists of a rotating rear sight and a front sight. The rear sight has two positions - for shooting at a distance of up to 350 m (“P”) and from 350 to 500 m (“5”).
The weapon also comes with a device for shooting at night (self-luminous attachment), consisting of a folding rear sight with a wide slot (installed on the rotating rear sight) and a wide front sight (put on the front sight of the weapon from above), on which luminous dots are applied. This device does not separate during operation - when shooting during the day, the front sight and rear sight are moved down and fixed, without interfering with the use of standard sighting devices.
Advantages
- high mobility and the ability to be carried concealed;
- high penetrating ability of the bullet;
- high reliability, easy to clean;
Flaws
- rather low accuracy of automatic fire due to a decrease in the initial velocity of the bullet;
- low target firing range compared to a full-size machine gun;
- low stopping effect of the bullet due to the use of a 5.45x39 mm cartridge;
- tendency to quickly overheat when firing in bursts for a long time; 6-8 magazines fired in automatic mode usually lead to overheating of the barrel and “spitting” (the problem is partially solved by replacing the forend with a ventilated one, such as RIS).
TTX AKS 74u
The most effective fire is carried out at distances of up to 400 m. At group targets, concentrated fire is carried out at a distance of up to 800 m. The range of a direct shot at the chest figure is 360 m.
Combat rate of fire:
- when firing in bursts - up to 100 rounds per minute,
- when firing single shots - up to 40 rounds per minute.
Normal combat requirements for AKS74U:
- all four holes fit into a circle with a diameter of 15 cm;
- the average point of impact deviates from the control point by no more than 5 cm in any direction.
Testing of combat is carried out by single shooting at a test target or a black rectangle 35 cm high and 30 cm wide, mounted on a white shield 1 m high and 0.5 m wide. Firing range - 100 m, position - prone, cartridges - with an ordinary bullet , sight - P.
Options
AKS-74UN2 (“night”) - a variant characterized by the presence of a rail for attaching a night sight. For shooting in natural light conditions at night, it is attached to a universal modernized night shooting sight (NSPUM).
AKS-74UB (“silent”) - an option for special forces, characterized by the replacement of the standard muzzle attachment with a thread for attaching a silencer (usually PBS-4) and the ability to install a silent under-barrel grenade launcher BS-1M. In this form, the machine gun forms a silent rifle-grenade launcher complex 6S1 “Canary”.
In later versions of the AKS-74U, a side dovetail rail for mounting Cobra and PSO/POSP sights appeared on the left side of the receiver.
Specifications
- Caliber: 5.45×39
- Weapon length: 735/490 mm
- Barrel length: 210 mm
- Weight without cartridges: 2.7 kg.
- Rate of fire: 650-700 rds/min
- Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
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