The ak74 (5.45x39)
Most everyone knows about the ak47, it was a simplistic
masterpiece. But few know about the ak74. The ak47 was designed in 1947 and
aimed at ending ww2, it wasn’t finished in time, but it went on to change
warfare the world around. During the Vietnam conflict the USA proved the
concept of a smaller rifle cartridge that would enable the soldier to carry
more ammo, and the USSR decided to update their work horse to compete. Enter
the ak74 (designed in 1974) it fired the new at the time 5.45x39 cartridge, was
slightly lighter, and came with a muzzle break that actually worked. The
Vietcong called the round “the poison bullet” though why is contended openly by
those who love the gun. The 74 is a vast improvement in both accuracy and range
as the projectile flies much flatter than the 7.62x39.
I really like the idea of an AK. The simplicity and
subsequent reliability, to me, are very appealing. In practice, I hate the stock
length, they are unwieldy, and inaccurate, and I don’t like charging them (I am
right handed which means I must either go over the top or under the mag to
reach around to the charging handle.) I also hate the sights, and the safety,
and rocking in the mags (they don’t go straight in), and I don’t like that they
don’t have a last round bolt hold open. I decided one day that it was all somehow
fixable, so I bought an ak74 (because it is so cheap to shoot and I like the
idea of the round) and set to work fixing everything wrong with it. I first got
a longer stock (tapco) and tec sight for it, then I installed a tapco trigger,
and a flared magwell, and I installed a non recripicating left side charging
handle, and I topped it off with a new fore end. As AK’s go it was a really
good one. I sighted it in at 100 yards and with irons, started killing steel at
300 yards. It shot great. And charging it was a huge improvement, but I still
never bonded with it. Like all guns I buy I have a reason for getting it, good,
bad, nostalgic or emotional. This one was nostalgic. I got this one because I
wanted to like AK’s again, I thought it would bring me back to the galil, and
in many ways it did, but in the process it showed me my error in missing the
galil, I am not an AK guy, no matter how I try, but my lesson on that did not
end with the good old 74.
THE GOOD:
Tec sights are a must for any AK. They are a bit pricy, but
worth every penny. Not only do they give you a good ghost ring sight, but they
extend the sight radius by almost a foot, by placing the sight at the rear of
the receiver. You can be so much more precise with the gun because of this one
little upgrade.
the tapco trigger is still long in pull but much more consistent
and much lighter. I really like them, make sure the spring ends are under the
hammer or it will not work though.
the ak74 is a better alternative
in many ways to the ak47.
THE BAD:
the magwell made
almost no difference; I like them on some guns but not on this one.
I love the left side
charging handle but in hind sight it was probably not worth the extra money.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I really want to be
an AK guy, but no matter how many I own or how I try I still cannot bring
myself to love the gun the idea is amazing, the concept beautiful, but the
practice leaves much to be desired.
(I couldn't any pics of this one so i found some that were close)