The AK-74 is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974 as a successor to the AKM. While primarily associated with the Soviet Union, it has been used by many countries since the 1970s. It is chambered for the 5.45×39mm cartridge, which replaced the 7.62×39mm cartridge of Kalashnikov's earlier automatic weapons for the Soviet Armed Forces.
The AK-74 was designed by А. D. Kryakushin's group under the design supervision of Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an adaptation of the 7.62×39mm AKM assault rifle and features several important design improvements.These improvements were primarily the result of converting the rifle to the intermediate-calibre high velocity 5.45×39mm cartridge. In fact, some early models are reported to have been converted AKMs, re-barreled to 5.45×39mm. Compared with the preceding AKM, the AK-74 has better effective firing range, accuracy (a main development goal), and reliability. About 50% of the parts in the AK-74 and AKM are the same (including pins, springs and screws).

"I prefer seeing you in an airsoft field than in a funeral."