armoury
LCT AK BABY & TX BABY
WHILST LCT AIRSOFT HAVE BEEN WOWING US WITH A HOST OF NEW MODELS , THAT ’ S NOT TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NEGLECTING THEIR EXTENSIVE “ BACK CATALOGUE ” AND AMONGST THE MODELS BENEFITTING FROM A RESTOCK ARE TWO DIMINUTIVE MODELS THAT WE LOVE - BUT NOT FOR THE MOST OBVIOUS OF REASONS !
These days , when it comes to my own airsoft , I ’ m
quite a dedicated opposing force ( OPFOR ) player ; whilst I love this in a fully immersive Military Simulation setting , it ’ s also a role that is becoming increasingly popular in more relaxed scenarios . Many players spend a lot ( and I mean a LOT !) of money getting their “ BLUFOR ” or modern Russian “ Ratnik ” gear absolutely nailed ( and full credit to them for that ) but OPFOR players can be much more relaxed in this respect , so it ’ s a great way for newer players to move on from just general skirmishing .
Equipment in relation to OPFOR is often very straightforward . I tend to play as a “ Militia Fighter ” and that means it can be as simple as throwing on some civilian clothing ( an old Adidas tracksuit top is an OPFOR “ must have ”!) mixed with army surplus gear , a canvas ChiCom chest rig and a concealed carry pistol holster . To give this loadout a distinctly different feel to modern military armed with M4s and H & Ks , my choice of primary is always some form of the venerable AK . For woodland scenarios that means my classic AKM / S or SVD but when things get a little more “ up close and personal ” in an urban setting , it ’ s my short AKS-74U that comes into play .
The “ SU ” is a cracking little bit of kit , and I ’ ve reviewed both gas and electric versions in the past ; my personal choice is an open bolt gas version , but this takes time and no little expense to get right , so many players will opt for an AEG version both for ease and cost-efficiency . Once upon a time , like all airsoft AK variants , you would have been limited to a select group of manufacturers but these days if you decide to opt for playing an “ SU ” wielding “ freedom fighter ”, your options are almost unlimited !
THE SHORT OF IT
To recap … No doubt inspired by the US carbines of the time , in 1973 the Soviets decided to look for a shorter weapon themselves , even shorter still than the folding stock AKS74 . The specifications set out requirements that the new weapon should weigh no more than 2.2 kg , have an overall length of 75 / 45 cm with the stock unfolded / folded , and a muzzle velocity of at least 700m / s . The challenge was taken up by Kalashnikov with the PP1 design , Stechkin with the TKB-0116 , Simonov with the AG-043 , Konstantinov with theAEK-958 and Dragunov , who called his model the “ MA ”. In fact , all the great Soviet firearms designers of the day wanted a piece of the action !
In 1977 the Glavnoye raketno-artilleriyskoye upravleniye MO RF , or GRAU , decided to adopt Kalashnikov ’ s model ( which was pretty much just a shortened AKS-74 ), as it promised significant production cost savings by utilising existing equipment for the AK-74 line . A final round of large-scale testing with Kalashnikov ’ s model was performed by airborne divisions and the AKS-74U (“ U ”, Ukorochenniy , or “ shortened ”) was officially adopted in 1979 .
The carbine ’ s compact dimensions were achieved by using a short 206.5 mm ( 8.1 in ) barrel and a reduction in the length of the operating mechanism ; this in turn led to a rise in the cyclic rate to 700rds / min . In order to effectively stabilize the round , the barrel ’ s twist rate was increased to adapt the AKS-74U for muzzle velocities of 720 m / s ( 2,362 fps ) and higher . A new gas block was installed at the muzzle end of the barrel , with an extremely distinctive muzzle booster . This featured an internal expansion chamber inside the cylindrical section of the booster , while the conical end acted as a nozzle to increase pressure inside the gas chamber by supplying an increased amount of propellant gasses from the barrel .
The chrome-lined muzzle booster also burnt any remaining propellant , which would normally reduce muzzle blast . However , due to the extremely short barrel and conical end of the booster , the muzzle blast was still dragon-like ! The forward sling loop was relocated to the left side of the carbine and the front sight was integrated into the gas block . The AKS-74U also had a different sighting system , with a U-shaped flip sight instead of the standard sliding notch rear sight . The rear sight is housed in a semi-shrouded protective enclosure that is riveted to the receiver ’ s spring-loaded top cover .
The AKS-74U bridged the gap between a submachine gun and an assault rifle . It was intended for use mainly with Special Forces , airborne infantry , rear-echelon support units and armoured vehicle crews . It is still used in these roles but has been augmented by various submachine guns and the AK- 105 .
OH BABY !
As an airsoft replica the AKS-74U is a personal OPFOR favourite ; it ’ s simple , straightforward , lightweight and extremely compact , especially with the stock folded
www . airsoftaction . net 21