This Change Might Be Huge for 5.45 AKs

(Intro)

Many years ago, BSG added a weapon that was wildly underused because it lacked the attachments to make it competitive with other guns. The AK-101 and 102 were some of the least used weapons in the game for a long time. And then they got the love they needed. More muzzle attachments and an adapter to use 5.56 muzzles and suppressors immediately made those two guns viable and arguably some of the better rifles in the game. It always surprises me how much the muzzle on a weapon can drastically affect the stats of it. It’s one of the most important parts to making an effective rifle. So, it comes as a pleasant shock to me that the 5.45 AKs can now also use 5.56 muzzle devices too. This was something I wasn’t expecting; a crossover of calibers like that in this game seems really antithetical to the lore of the game. USECs versus BEAR. But in the spirit of having as much weapon customization possible, it makes perfect sense. There are just less AK muzzle devices than there are for an M4. Especially suppressors that don’t tank the ergonomics of the gun either. This change is small on the grand scheme of things; more options is always a good thing. But let’s discuss how impactful this change is, how much your options do open up, and why you should be taking advantage of this change as soon as you can.

(How to Attach 5.56 Suppressors on 5.45)

Before we talk about the variety of new options you have to add for AK muzzle devices, you first need to be able to attach them to the weapon. Because they don’t just go on the gun. You need the AK CNC Warrior adapter. Originally, this could only be put on the AK 101 and 102, and this attachment was not in the game when these two weapons were added. So, it’s taken years for these guns to get the variety they so desperately needed. This adapter is unlocked after completing “Gunsmith – Part 17”. Definitely not an early game item, and this quest isn’t completable until at least level thirty-one. Even now, I don’t have that gunsmith unlocked yet because I still need a damn RSASS. But either way, once you get the muzzle piece, you can start modifying regular 5.45 AKs with fancy 5.56 muzzles and suppressors.

(Which Muzzle Should You Use?)

If you are planning on running a 5.45 AK loud, then I honestly wouldn’t even recommend you go to these lengths to get a 5.56 muzzle on it. The DTK-1 and the PWS muzzles built for the 5.45 caliber are more than capable, and are reasonably prices. Obviously, the J-Mac is the min/max option for a loud AK. But if you want to attach a suppressor on your gun, this is where the 5.56 options really come into play. There are tons more options available to you that can be picked up for a fraction of the price the 5.45 suppressors go for on the flea. The NT-4 is a personal favorite of mine, but just compare the prices and you’ll find something for under thirty thousand rubles. The main statistic you need to pay attention to, is of course the ergonomics penalties. No suppressor has a penalty lower than –17; so, you will need to make up the difference with high-ergo handguards, foregrips, buttstocks and the like to compensate for the harsh penalty any of the 5.56 suppressors bring. But it’s easy enough to have an AK with a 5.56 suppressor, reach over forty ergonomics. Combine that with the AK CG101 adapter to put 5.56 pistol grips on your AK, and you have the recipe for a hybrid weapon that meshes the two calibers better than something like the Mutant.

(The Saker vs the Waffle)

One comparison I wanted to make directly were the two best in slot suppressors for 5.45 and 5.56. The Saker versus the Waffle; which is better? Well, the Waffle uses the Hexagon Reactor muzzle device and combined they have a recoil reduction of –17% and an ergo penalty of –20. The Saker on the other hand, uses the ASR muzzle and combined they have a recoil reduction of –16% and an ergo penalty of –24. So technically, the waffle is still the best suppressor for your 5.45 AKs, but the saker is close behind it, and can sometimes be purchased at a fraction of the price.

(Variety is the Spice of Life)

Whether or not you end up using the best in slot items doesn’t really matter. There is nothing wrong with having more options to customize your weapons. And being able to blend potentially two different caliber attachments on one weapon is cool and unique. It’s something that unless you read the patch notes, and went out of your way to try, you might not even realize you can do this unless BSG adds a gunsmith that requires you to do so. The potential for the 5.45 AKs now is huge; even if, again, you aren’t using the best, if you find a 5.56 suppressor on your scav run, that can now be used by an AK; something not previously possible. Before this patch, there were only four, technically five usable suppressors for AKs (I say five because of the hybrid 46, but it’s so bad stat-wise I only use it on bolt-actions). Regardless, being able to simply make more guns because you have more options is at the core of Tarkov. The game over the years has only embraced this more and more; and while sometimes it might not make sense in the real world, for the purposes of a game that is essentially gunsmith porn, anytime a class or specific type of weapon gets more attention I will always take it.

(Outro)

Adding 5.56 suppressors to AKs isn’t a revolutionary change. It doesn’t fix the issues Tarkov has. But it gives you a reason to pick up the weapons in that class and trick them out in new an interesting way. And anything to keep us playing and add some variety to elements and mechanics that might grow old or stale the more you play is always a pleasant experience. I will definitely be taking advantage of this newfound variety and I encourage everyone else to do the same and at least give them a try. You never know, you might find you new favorite build for the reliable Kalashnikov. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know in the comments down below your thoughts on this change, if you have any new builds, you enjoy using and be sure to subscribe for more videos about the little things in Tarkov being changed or added that can make such a huge difference. I hope to see you in future ones.