[Raellus]

What percentage of Soviet/Warsaw Pact service rifles encountered in the ETO during the Twilight War, c.2000, would be AK-74 pattern (5.45x39mm) v. AKM pattern (7.62x39mm)?

The Soviets began production of the AK-74 (and replacement of the AKM) in 1974. From what I can glean, the rate of production was high, and replacement of the older model AKs happened fairly quickly. By the mid-to-late 1980s (IRL), if not earlier, most WP nations were producing their own license-built versions of the AK-74. I use the v1 chronology, so in my T2kU the Cold War doesn't end at the turn of the 1990s.

Licensed Copies
East Germany (known locally as the MPi-AK-74N)
Bulgaria

Unlicensed Derivatives
PA md. 86 (Romania)
wz88 Tantal (Poland)

I have little doubt that other Warsaw Pact nations would have compelled to acquire Soviet-made AK-74s or buy the license to produce their own version, had the Cold War continued.

I used to follow the rule of thumb that Soviet Category A & B formations would be equipped with AK-74s and Category C formations would be equipped with AKMs. Similarly, Polish regular army units carry the 5.45x39mm Tantal, while ORMO and ZOMO field the 7.62x39mm PMK. I'm starting to second-guess this system. It might be too simplistic, and I may be underestimating just how many 5.45x39mm rifles the USSR and WTO would have produced/issued by 1996 or so. Production wouldn't have necessarily ended with the TDM- rifles and ammo are both items that could be produced post-TDM, albeit in reduced quantities.

I'd like to hear your thoughts and reasoning on the ratio.

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