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Just as the RPK is the squad machine gun version of the AKM, the RPK-74 is a machine gun version of the AKM-74, firing the same ammunition. The RPKS-74 is a folding-stock version of the weapon. Instead of the prominent muzzle brake used on the AK-74, the machine gun has a short flash supressor. The magazine is longer than that normally used with the AK-74, but the magazines are interchangable. The RPK-74 has a bipod.
The 5.45-mm round of the RPK-74 has a considerably higher muzzle velocity than the 7.62-mm round of the RPK. However, both weapons probably have the same maximum range (2,500 meters) and effective range (800 meters). Unlike the RPK, the RPK-74 is compatible with the front firing ports of the BMP.
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Since its introduction in the late 1970s, the RPK-74 has become the standard squad machine gun in Soviet motorized rifle units. It is replacing both the RPK and PKM 7.62-mm weapons. Airborne squads also employ the RPKS-74.
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| Cartridge: | 5.45 x 39 mm | Operation: | gas, selective fire |
| Locking: | rotating bolt | Feed: | 45-, 40- or 30-round box magazine |
| Weight: | 4.6 kg empty | Length: | 1.06 m |
| Barrel: | 616 mm | Rifling: | 4 grooves, rh, 1 turn in 196 mm |
| Sights: | fore, cylindrical post; rear, tangent leaf with U-notch | Muzzle velocity: | 960 m/s |
| Rate of fire: | cyclic, 600-650 rds/min; practical, 150 rpm | Effective range: | 460 m |
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