5.45x39mm
Silky-soft recoil even by small-bore standards, but the glory days of seven-cent surplus are gone and supply now runs feast-or-famine.
Family
Rifle
Introduced
1974
Origin
Soviet Union
Military
5.45x39mm (7N6 ball, Soviet/Russian service)
History
The Soviet answer to 5.56 NATO, the 5.45x39mm arrived in 1974 with the AK-74 and remains the Russian service cartridge. Its long, light bullet earned a fearsome reputation in Afghanistan. American shooters embraced it during the era of very cheap surplus 7N6, until a 2014 import ban cut off the spigot.
What it's used for
Iconic platforms
AK-74 and AKS-74U, American-built AK-74 clones, and a handful of 5.45 AR uppers.
Common load types
FMJ, mostly imported or surplus steel-case, with limited commercial soft point.
Reference only — not loading data, not ballistics advice, and KitID links to no ammunition sellers. Know your local law before you buy anything that goes bang.