Story of the RPK-74

The 5.45x39mm RPK-74 was an evolutionary development of Mikhail Kalashnikov’s original 1940’s-vintage AK-47. The earliest AK (Avtomat Kalashnikova) rifle fired the then radically new M43 7.62x39mm round and was built around a stamped steel receiver. This 35″, 7.7-lb. infantry rifle legitimately changed the world.

Alas, those early stamped receivers weren’t quite ready for prime time, so the rifle was redesigned around a heavy and expensive milled version cut from a big chunk of forged steel. This basic rifle soldiered on until 1959 when the stamped steel receiver was finally perfected. This optimized weapon was christened the AKM (Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanny). Most of what we call AK-47s on this side of the pond today are actually AKMs. (To learn more, read the differences between the AK-47 and the AKM.)

RTWT.