AKS-74
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.97 kg
- Introduced
- 1974
About
What it is, and why it matters
The AKS-74 is a Soviet gas-operated, selective-fire assault rifle and the side-folding-stock variant of the AK-74, chambered in 5.45x39mm. Developed for airborne and mechanized troops who needed a more compact weapon, it replaces the AK-74's fixed stock with a triangular metal buttstock that folds to the left side of the receiver. It retains the AK-74's long-stroke gas piston, rotating bolt, and distinctive muzzle brake, which sharply reduces recoil and muzzle climb in automatic fire.
First seen publicly by Western observers during the 1979 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, the AKS-74's folding stock and large muzzle brake made it an instantly recognizable symbol of Soviet airborne and special-purpose units.
The 'S' (Skladnoy) denotes the folding stock. Early production used wooden furniture before a transition to plum and black polymer. The AKS-74N adds a side rail for night and IR optics.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Izhevsk Machine Building Plant (Izhmash)
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1974
- Variant of
- Folding stock
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 940 mm
- Sight radius
- 379 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.97 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 900 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1389 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 3150 m
- Rate of fire
- 650 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side folding stock
Muzzle brake
Rotating bolt
Long stroke gas piston
Chrome lined bore
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 2.97 kg | 3.40 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 940 mm | 940 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 415 mm | 415 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the AKS-74
How much does the AKS-74 weigh?
The AKS-74 weighs 2.97 kg (6.55 lb) empty and 3.60 kg (7.94 lb) loaded. It is the 5th lightest of 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the AKS-74?
The AKS-74 is chambered in 5.45x39mm.
How many rounds does the AKS-74 hold?
The AKS-74 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the AKS-74?
The AKS-74 is 940 mm (37.0 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the AKS-74?
The AKS-74 is made by Izhevsk Machine Building Plant (Izhmash) (Russia). It was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
When was the AKS-74 introduced?
The AKS-74 was introduced in 1974.
How does the AKS-74 operate?
The AKS-74 uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Soviet Armed Forces
- 1974
- Soviet Airborne Forces (VDV)
- 1974
- Russian Armed Forces
- 1991
Provenance
Confidence in this record
85%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/aks-74' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "aks-74", "name": "AKS-74", "manufacturer": { "id": "izhmash", "name": "Izhevsk Machine Building Plant (Izhmash)", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1807, "website": "https://kalashnikovgroup.ru", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "9758b272c4082a5b8a3cb74546ec83f848df13e131b9700224561e9ac6c8647a" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "SU", "year_introduced": 1974, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 2970, "action_type": "gas_operated"}