AK-74

The AK-74 is a Soviet assault rifle designed in 1974 by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an improved version of the AK-47, and was the standard assault rifle of the Soviet armed forces from 1974 to 1991, and is still the standard rifle for Russia and many other post-Soviet states. It uses the higher velocity, smaller, more lethal, and more accurate 5.45x39mm. Many models have a foldable stock, and/or polymer furniture and magazines versus the wood and metal used on the AK-47 and AKM. The AK-74 is accurate and effective out to 500 meters. It uses a standard 30 round box magazine typical of most assault rifles. It can also use a 45 box magazines form the RPK-74 and newer 60 round casket magazines, or a 100 round drum. Many types of optics can be fitted, as well as a GP-25 or GP-30 grenade launcher, a knife bayonet, and other accessories.

AK74
The AK-74 is available for purchase in Battlefield Heroes to players using the soldier class of the National Army. The Royal Army counterpart is the M16.

Tier 1 AK74
Released as part of the Battlefield Heroes goes Tier 1 event, the Tier 1 AK74 is the long-range variant of the AK74. The Tier 1 AK74, while having an attached scope and bayonet, cannot use either attachment, as these are purely for aesthetic purposes only.

SOF AK74
As a part of the Battlefield Heroes Christmas event, the SOF AK74 was released on December 2, 2010 for purchase through the in-game store. It features a winter camouflaged AK74 with a usable scope.

Singleplayer
The AK-74M is a common weapon for the PLR outside of Iran. It is less prevalent than its cousin, the AKS-74u, but is still very common. It, and the AKS-74u, are largely offset by the KH2002 during the missions taking place in Iran.

Multiplayer
The AK-74M is the standard assault rifle of the Russian Ground Forces' Assault kit, filling the same role as the United States Marine Corps' M16A3, although it can later be unlocked at 220,000 assault points for use in the USMC as well. The AK-74M is capable of select fire, with automatic and semi-automatic fire modes. It has more vertical recoil than the M16A3, but ends up with slightly less full-auto recoil due to its lower rate of fire. It also has open ironsights which provide a clear view of the target when firing in controlled bursts. It can fit the same attachments as the rest of the assault rifles.

Videos
<Video:Battlefield 3: AK74M Recoil Patterns (Video)|How each attachment affects the AK74M