Munitions

5.45×39mm cartridge

Also known as
  • 5.45 x 39 mm
  • 5.45×39mm Soviet

The 5.45×39mm cartridge is a Soviet intermediate rifle round developed in the early 1970s for the AK-74 family and still in service. This relationship-only page records the cartridge's origin, official dimensions, major service-load variants, and the cataloged rifles that fire it without inheriting conflict-use claims from the parent weapon page.

5.45×39mm cartridge, Soviet intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions
Image source: 5.45x39mm.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Built by
Soviet
Type
Soviet intermediate rifle cartridge
Service note
Adopted in 1974 and still in service
Designer
M. Sabelnikov and Soviet design team
Designed
Early 1970s
Produced
1974-present

Specifications

Caliber
5.45 mm / 5.45x39 mm
Case type
Bottlenecked, tapered, rimless
Case length
39.82 mm
Overall length
57.00 mm
Bullet diameter
5.60 mm
Case capacity
1.75 ml
Maximum pressure
3550 bar
Standard service load
7N6, 3.43 g at about 870-900 m/s
Service Load Family

The cartridge family moved from the original 5N7 ball round to later service loads that changed penetration, tracer behavior, or velocity for specific roles.

LoadRoleSource-backed note
5N7Original service ballAmmunition Store identifies 5N7 as the original 5.45x39 mm service cartridge pattern tied to the AK-74 program.
7N6Improved ballThe same source says 7N6 became the 1974 service load and later added a hardened steel penetrator.
7N10Improved penetrationAmmunition Store dates 7N10 to 1992 and describes it as a penetration-focused load with a 3.62 g projectile.
7N22Armor-piercing loadThe source dates 7N22 to 1998 and lists it as another 3.62 g load in the service family.
7U1Subsonic loadAmmunition Store describes 7U1 as a 5.2 g subsonic round at about 303 m/s for suppressed use.

Source labels used here: 5.45×39mm cartridge | Ammunition Store.

Variants
  • 5N7
  • 7N6
  • 7N10
  • 7N22
  • 7N24
  • 7U1
Firearms Using It

Kalashnikov's AK-74M specifications list 5.45x39 mm as the used cartridge, and Weaponsystems.net describes the round as the cartridge developed for the AK-74.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
AK-74, Assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAK-74Soviet assault rifle family

Kalashnikov Group identifies the AK-74M as a 5.45 mm rifle, and Modern Firearms describes the AK-74 family as chambered for the 5.45x39 mm cartridge.

Sources: AK-74M Specifications, AK-74 / AK-74M Rifle

Timeline

5.45×39mm cartridge Key Events

  1. Soviet development begins

    Ammunition Store identifies the cartridge as an early-1970s Soviet design by M. Sabelnikov and colleagues for the AK-74 program.

    Sources: 5.45×39mm cartridge | Ammunition Store

  2. 5N7 enters service

    The same source places the original 5N7-pattern load in service in 1974 as the standard round for the AK-74 family.

    Sources: 5.45×39mm cartridge | Ammunition Store

  3. 7N6 hardens the service load

    Ammunition Store describes 7N6 as a 1987 improved service ball load with a hardened steel penetrator and a 3.43 g projectile.

    Sources: 5.45×39mm cartridge | Ammunition Store

  4. 7N10 and 7N22 extend the family

    The cartridge family expanded again with 7N10 in 1992 and 7N22 in 1998, both described as later loads that improved penetration.

    Sources: 5.45×39mm cartridge | Ammunition Store

C.I.P. Dimension Snapshot

C.I.P. publishes the current reference dimensions for the 5.45×39mm cartridge, which are useful when comparing chamber geometry and pressure limits.

MeasureOfficial value
Case length39.82 mm
Overall length57.00 mm
Bullet diameter5.60 mm
Case capacity1.75 ml
Maximum pressure3550 bar

Source labels used here: 5,45 x 39 TAB. I | C.I.P.

Media

5.45×39mm cartridge Images

5.45×39mm cartridge, Soviet intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions - view 1
Source: 5.45 x 39 mm.svg
5.45×39mm cartridge, Soviet intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions - view 2
Source: 5.45x39mm.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
.308 Winchester cartridge, Centerfire rifle cartridge in .308 Win, MunitionsMunitions.308 Winchester cartridgeCenterfire rifle cartridge in .308 Win.308 Winchester is a centerfire, rimless bottleneck rifle cartridge introduced by Winchester in 1952 and still loaded by major ammunition makers for hunting, match, and sporting use. C.I.P. lists 308 Winchester and 7,62 x 51 as alternate names, while SAAMI cautions that chamber fit alone does not guarantee safe interchangeability. This relationship-only page records the cartridge family and its rifle links without inheriting any conflict-use claims from a parent weapon page.
RPK/RPK-74, Squad automatic weapon / light machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunThe RPK and RPK-74 are Kalashnikov-pattern squad automatic weapons that extend the AK family with a longer, heavier barrel, bipod, and higher-capacity magazines for infantry fire support. The 7.62 x 39 mm RPK paralleled the AKM, while the 5.45 x 39 mm RPK-74 followed the AK-74; Conflict Armament Research later documented both RPK and RPK-74 examples in Ukraine, and Amnesty International listed both types among Islamic State machine guns in Iraq and Syria.

Sources

AK-74M SpecificationsPublisher: Kalashnikov Concern | Note: Supports the AK-74 family's 5.45 mm chambering and baseline cartridge relationship context. | Accessed: 2026-06-23AK-74 / AK-74M RiflePublisher: Modern Firearms | Note: Supports the AK-74 family's 5.45x39 mm chambering and general background context. | Accessed: 2026-06-235.45x39mm Soviet | Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports origin, service status, cartridge type, and baseline cartridge specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-235.45x39mm cartridge backgroundPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports general cartridge background and historical development context. | Accessed: 2026-06-235.45x39mm.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary 5.45x39mm cartridge diagram. | Accessed: 2026-06-235.45 x 39 mm.svgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the C.I.P. dimension diagram of the cartridge. | Accessed: 2026-06-237.62x39mm and 5.45x39mm.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the comparison image showing 5.45x39mm beside 7.62x39mm. | Accessed: 2026-06-235.45×39mm cartridge | Ammunition StorePublisher: Ammunition Store | Note: Supports early-1970s development, 1974 service introduction, variant evolution, used-by context, and representative service-load data for the 5.45×39mm cartridge family. | Accessed: 2026-06-275,45 x 39 TAB. I | C.I.P.Publisher: C.I.P. | Note: Supports official 5.45×39mm cartridge dimensions, case capacity, and maximum pressure specification. | Accessed: 2026-06-27