Percentage of AK-74 v. AKM in the T2kU ETO, c.2000

[Raellus]

Thanks for those figures and estimates, VW. That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Originally Posted by Vespers War

However, one question is how many RPK-74 will be available. Without LMGs in 5.45x39mm, taking on the AK-74 makes logistics even more of a pain, since a military will have the AK-74 in 5.45x39mm, the RPK in 7.62x39mm, the PKM in 7.62x54mmR, and the DshK and/or NSV in 12.7x108mm. Sticking with the AKM at least means your rifles and LMGs use the same ammunition, while the PKM uses the same caliber as your designated marksman's rifle.

I find it odd that Warsaw Pact nations didn't follow the USSR's lead and adopt a 5.45x39mm version of RPK (i.e. the RPK-74). It's not like the USSR gave its client states much of a choice. From what I can find online, only Bulgaria and Romania produced 5.45x39mm RPKs, and production in the latter country didn't begin until 1993, after the Cold War ended (IRL). It seems even odder since most of the WP nations that produced copies of the AK-74 also produced carbine versions (i.e. the AKSU-74). Why not change the entire panoply? It seems like that would have been a more efficient, cost-effective approach, and, as VW pointed out, would have simplified logistics as well.

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