In late 2005, a Russian mineral exploration company discovered a series of large oilfields in southern Sudan. Sudan’s Military government, with its ability to hold the newly revitalised Sudanese People’s Liberation Army at bay beginning to falter, decided this new source of oil was its one sure-fire way to hold onto power.
Caliber: 5,45x39 mm
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt with 2 lugs
Overall length: 735 mm (490 mm with folded
buttstock)
Barrel length: 210 mm
Magazine capacity, 30 rounds standard
Weight empty: 2,71 kg
Effective range: about 200 meters
Rate of fire: 650-735 rounds per minute
The AKS-74U short assault rifle (the
"U" suffix means
"Ukorochennyj" in Russian =
"Shortened" in English) has been
developed in the late 1970s from the AKS-74
assault rifle. The AKS-74U was intended as a
personal defense weapon for tanks, guns,
helicopters and other vehicles crews, and for the
special operations forces, who required a compact
but relatively powerful individual automatic
weapon. The AKS-74U has the size and effective
range of a typical submachine gun, but has
advantage of the general issue, assault rifle
ammunition and magazines, as well as the parts
interchangeability with the general issue assault
rifle, the AK-74. Since its introduction the
AKS-74U, unofficially known as a
"Ksyukha" (variation of a Russian woman
name) or "okurok" (cigarette stub), also
had been issued to various Police and other Law
Enforcement forces acres the USSR and the
Post-USSR countries, including Russia.
Interestingly, the AKS-74U is known in the USA as
the "Krinkov", but what it means is a
mystery for me. The AKS-74U is somewhat popular
among its users due to its compact size, which
allows it to be carried in the cars and even
concealed under the clothes. On the other side,
its effective range of fire is greatly limited by
the poor accuracy at extended ranges, while the
bullet itself remains its lethality at much
greater ranges. The AKS-74U also known for its
tendency for rapid overheating during the
prolonged fire sessions. A special version of the
AKS-74U had been developed for the Special Forces
(SpetsNaz), which could be fitted with quickly
detachable silencer and a special 30mm silenced
grenade launcher model BS-1 "Tishina"
("silence").