The legendary reliability of Kalashnikov rifles has once again been confirmed under extreme conditions. An open source — the Telegram channel "Lik voiny" — has published video footage demonstrating the astonishing survivability of an AK-74 rifle, model 1974, after sustaining serious damage.
The weapon sample was pierced clean through by a shell fragment: on the right side of the receiver cover, a relatively compact entry hole was recorded, while on the left side an extensive deformation of the metal formed with partial destruction of the structure. The fire mode control mechanism was critically damaged — the selector lever (safety selector) is completely missing. Despite such extensive damage to the supporting elements and the loss of one of the key control units, the rifle retained the functionality of its main systems: the bolt group continues to complete the full reloading cycle, and the trigger mechanism provides automatic fire.
The case clearly demonstrates the principles of excessive strength and fault tolerance embedded during the design process by designer Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. The simplicity of the kinematic layout, large clearances between moving parts, and the minimization of the number of precision units allow the weapon to remain operational even with a partial loss of the structural integrity of the body.