Why are AK 74s not more popular???

I don't know of anyone that likes to shoot steel case ammo out of an AR

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I do. I typically get 2 MOA which is more than good enough for shooting 4-8 MOA steel plates. As they say, "Quantity has a quality of its very own!" I've shot tens of thousands of rounds of the stuff over the last ten years and don't find it breaks anything beyond normal wear and tear on high round count guns.

I can barely keep up with my pistol reloading, so reloading for my ARs would mean I'd rarely shoot them.

3) It's "mildly" corrosive. Not any big deal, at all. I've got my AKS-74 sitting now since the weekend without cleaning (because I'm going to shoot it again today), and it hasn't shown any signs of surface rust starting.

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"mildly" corrosive is like slightly pregnant, no such thing. You may get away with it in Central PA but in Houston or Oregon or other high humidity areas you'd likely be regretting it. The chrome lined barrels and gas pistons really help. I'd bet dollars to donuts there is some corrosion inside your gas tube, But its of no consequence unless it starts eating through. Certainly no reason to avoid 7n6 ammo, which as you have said is very good. I like it enough that I also have a 5.45x39 AR upper (chrome lined barrel).

I'd bet dollars to donuts there is some corrosion inside your gas tube,

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Yes, a wee bit over the years. I usually do a simple hot-water cleanup after shooting though, so no issues.

Yes, a wee bit over the years. I usually do a simple hot-water cleanup after shooting though, so no issues.

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About impossible to get all the nooks and crannies in there but its really just a cover to protect your hand -- lots of videos on YouTube of AKs shooting without the gas tube installed.

We agree its not a big deal to clean after shooting corrosive ammo, I can wait several hours, but not a few days before cleaning so I don't shoot corrosive ammo if I'm not 100% sure I'll have time to clean afterwards -- my major limitation to shooting corrosive ammo, so I tend to do 200-300 rounds of it in a steel plate outing. I sure have shot a lot of it in 5.45x39 and 7.62x25 over the years. I'll miss the 5.45x39 more than I do the 7.62x25 when it gets to that point.

About impossible to get all the nooks and crannies in there but its really just a cover to protect your hand -- lots of videos on YouTube of AKs shooting without the gas tube installed.

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True. I've found a 12 ga. bore brush does a great job.

True. I've found a 12 ga. bore brush does a great job.

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Yup, a 12 ga swab and bore brush are the best I've found for the job.

I Just bought my 1st AK74

Waffen Werks, wood furniture, and a spam can of ammo. Kalif legal too!!

LOVE THIS GUN

The only real draw to them was cheap ammo. Now that 5.45 costs as much as 7.62x39, it does not make much sense to have an AK in the less-common caliber. If you want a cheap high-velocity military round, steel .223 is available for basically the same price as well. I don't really see a role for the 5.45 any more.

See it as a cheap version of an AK 5.56. I like the way it shoots. No complaints.

I will only speak for myself.

Therefore, I can't be incorrect if I stick to my point of view.
Given that I'm one of the people who won't buy another - I am directly connected to them not being "more popular".

I don't like almost any standard and most aftermarket ergonomics.
Don't like steel cased ammo.
Don't get the accuracy I demand.
Don't like the limited modification parameters with basic tools.
Loaded mags weigh a ton
Won't even start on 5.45... no new calibers for me.
Cruddy sights.

Now, I know this list can be whittled away at but some of the issues are essentially impossible to address on an acceptable level (to me).

So, as I said above - these are some of the reasons that I don't assist in AKs being "more popular".

I have owned several guns throughout the years which I shot corrosive ammo through... I use Windex as part of the cleaning process (before actually putting any light coating of oil or CLP on them).... Never had a problem. The ammonia in Windex is (theoretically) what neutralizes the corrosive effect.

I would own an AK-74, if we still lived in a world of cheap AKs. But those days are likely behind us for good (short of a massive war we aren't involved in that involved the manufacture of millions of them, and then the post war dumping of parts kits of them. And, of course no more stupid import bans).

Do kinda hate that the 7N6 stuff is no longer to be imported.... Why can't manufacturers avoid "pistolizing" everything?

I love my '74. I also love when people ask what I am shooting at the range and I tell them, "AK74" and they love to correct me with their all-knowing-mall-ninja-knowledge and say, "Don't you mean Ak-47... derp derp derp what a dummy!!" It is always a fun discussion!

The reason I think they are not more popular is people are afraid of change. The AK47 is so well known in America that importers don't import 74s or the 74s are harder to import... and the 47 sells so well that it is a non-issue to the importers. Also think the 74's cartridge is too similar to the AR15 so people just get an AR and stick with the different caliber of 7.62 AK/SKS so they have more variety. Just my 2 cents.

My twin brother and I love '-74s and shoot them in 200 yard field matches, Project Appleseed, including 400 yard AQTs, they are also our fighting rifles and home defense guns. 2 MOA accuracy prone with a loop sling. I just started shooting the Wolf 69 gr offering, and got 1.5 MOA at 100 yards with a loop sling and good NPOA.

The only real draw to them was cheap ammo. Now that 5.45 costs as much as 7.62x39, it does not make much sense to have an AK in the less-common caliber. If you want a cheap high-velocity military round, steel .223 is available for basically the same price as well. I don't really see a role for the 5.45 any more.

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I agree with the cheap ammo suggestion but for AK's there is still a role for 5.45 until such time where 5.56 AK mags and rifles are more commonly available.

Like the AR stuff getting to such blowout prices I was tempted by the 74's that were low cost along with the cases of ammo at near too good to be true prices. But I hate having to order ammo when just resupplying what I've shot in the last week or two is all I really need to do and I hate cleaning guns, which is made more urgent by the use of corrosive.

So I stuck with the 47. Glad I did because 5.45 at my local store shelves was rare and $3/box more than 7.62x39

Dang. 7n6 is STILL cheaper than almost anything else. Cheaper now than when I last bought a case. Seeing less than $0.20 a shot, if you search around a little.

Affordable 5.45x39mm AK's are hard to find. I shot a SAR-1 in 7.62x39mm for years, and for a while was looking to pick up a similarly affordable 5.45. Never found one.

I don't know of anyone that likes to shoot steel case ammo out of an AR.

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I do. I use steel-case for plinking at 100 yards or less, and save the brass case for shooting at 200+.

Even the cheapest brass-case I can find costs twice what noncorrosive steel-case does.

If I didn't already have an ak-74, a 5.45x39 AR-15, and a bunch of stockpiled 7n6, I wouldn't go that route now because of the import ban. 5.56 makes a lot more sense. As it is I picked up spares of the 5.45 specific components of the AR-15 since I doubt there will be long term availability of those.

I suspect part of it is that people who went AK got an AK-47 first. AK-74s weren't available. So they are invested in 7.62x39 ammo and magazines.

Ammonia has nothing to do with neutralizing the corrosive salts in primers. It's the water in the windex, bore cleaner, Hoppes, what ever other magic solution you use, that is dissolving them and washing them out of the barrel.

I use steel case ammo in my AK-47, AK-74, and AR-15's just about every week.
I really like the AK-74. 5.45 has low recoil, very similar to 5.56, and the Bulgarian is one of the favorite guns for new shooters at the range. 7n6 is still cheaper than 7.62 ammo online and some of the other 5.45 ammo is in the same ballpark as cheap 7.62 at around $.21 per round. When the 7n6 dries up then maybe it will be an issue finding ammo but I have been shooting it for 12-13 years now with only slight ammo issues. During the shortage of 2013 I could still find 5.45 online at below $.20.
Am I rushing out to buy another? Nope. I think I paid $229 for mine used with no mags.

I just handled my AK 74 Bulgarian and it points naturally. In fact i just bought an extra mag colored brown. This is my SHTF gun...