The AK-74 is pretty much an AKM rechambered and rebored to fire a 5.45-mm cartridge.Externally, it has the same general appearance as the AKM, with two notable differences. It has a distinctive, two-port muzzle brake, giving it a slightly greater overall length than the AKM. It also has a smooth plastic magazine which is slightly shorter and is curved to a lesser extent than the grooved metal AKM magazine. It uses the same type of bayonet as the AK-series weapons. Although the AK-74 is somewhat heavier than the AKM when empty, its loaded weight is slightly less than that of the AKM; this is due primarily to the plastic magazine and its smaller-caliber ammunition. Like the AK and AKM, the AK-74 can mount a grenade launcher and a passive image intensifier night sight. There is also a folding-stock version, designated AKS-74, which has a Y-shaped, tubular stock. The stock has an extremely narrow buttplate, as opposed to the T-shaped, stamped-metal buttstock of the AKMS. The AK-74 fires 5.45 x 39-mm ball, ball-tracer, and incendiary-tracer rounds. The 5.45-mm round of the AK-74 has a considerably higher muzzle velocity than the 7.62-mm round of the AKM; this eliminates the range-limiting drawback of its predecessor. Like the AKM, the AK-
AK100 series
In 1995 Izmash Russia unveiled the latest versions of the AK74. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Arms manufacturers realised that new markets had to be found and offered new chamberings of the 74. The new series is the 100 series and has the synthetic furniture.
AK74 5.45 x 39 chambering AK101 5.56 mm Nato chambering AK102 5.56 mm Nato chambering but shortened with Krinkov style muzzle brake AK103 7.62 x 39 chambering AK104 7.62 x 39 chambering but shortened with Krinkov style muzzle brake
