AK-74 be used by the majority of countries of the former Soviet Union. Additionally, licensed copies were produced in Bulgaria (AK-74, AKS-74 and AKS-74U), and the former East Germany (MPi-AK-74N, MPi-AKS-74N, MPi-AKS-74NK). Besides former Soviet republics and eastern European countries, Mongolia, North Korean Special Forces, and Vietnamese People's Naval infantry use AK-74s. The AK-74 was designed by А. D. Kryakushin's group under the design supervision of Mikhail Kalashnikov and is an adaptation of the 7.62×39mm AKM assault rifle and features several important design improvements. These improvements were primarily the result of converting the rifle to the intermediate-caliber high velocity 5.45×39mm cartridge.
AK-12 model of the AK-12 5.45×39mm assault rifle is said to be more reliable, more accurate and better suited to the latest Russian military requirements. It is based on the AK-400 (Base Prototype) and it is still chambered for the 5.45×39mm cartridge. It has a cyclic rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute (RPM), a barrel length of , a maximum firing range of , and a standard magazine capacity of 30 rounds. It is also compatible using magazines from the AK-74, RPK-74, and the 96-round drum magazine from the RPK-16. The final production model of the AK-15 7.62×39mm assault