RPK-74
The RPK-74, the squad-level light machine gun of the AK-74 family, has provided sustained automatic fire for Russian and allied infantry since the 1970s. Featuring a heavier barrel, bipod, and 45-round magazine, it remains in widespread front-line service.
The standard Soviet/Russian 5.45×39mm light machine gun, derived from the AK-74 assault rifle, providing squad-level sustained automatic fire since 1974.
Overview
The RPK-74 (GRAU index 6P18) is the standard squad automatic weapon of the Soviet and Russian infantry, chambered for the 5.45×39mm intermediate cartridge. It is a magazine-fed, gas-operated light machine gun built on the AK-74 receiver, equipped with a heavier, fixed barrel and an integral bipod. The weapon entered service alongside the AK-74 in 1974 and has since become one of the most widely proliferated light machine guns in the world, remaining in front-line use by Russian and numerous former Soviet-aligned forces.
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