The 5.45×39 mm intermediate round is, of course, not new. It was developed in Russia for the new AK project in the early 70s and later called the AK-74. This potent round was nicknamed the Poison Bullet by Mujahideen in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan conflict of 1979-1989, due to its tremendous wounding effects on its target. Since then, the round has only gained in popularity within the Pak-Afghan region, while other areas of the former Soviet Union have moved away to different cartridges such as the NATO standard 5.56×45 mm. A few militaries, most notably the Russians, still use the venerable 5.45 round.

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Fig. 1.1. Front face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm ammunition. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

Fig. 1.2. Front face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm ammunition alongside recovered spent cases from the same sample. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

The Poison Bullet

The 5.45×39 mm round itself is called Kalakov within Pakistan and Afghanistan. The round is also used interchangeably with AK-patterns which utilize the cartridge apart from the Krinkov, which refers to any short AK-pattern self-loading carbine that follows the AKS-74U pattern. The round is also known as Triple 2 (.222) within Pakistan or دو سو بائیس (Doh-Soh-Biys), which is 222 in Urdu.

Fig. 1.3. Bottom face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm ammunition alongside recovered spent cases from the same sample. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

Fig. 1.4. Top face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm ammunition alongside recovered spent cases from the same sample. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

Fig. 1.5. Top face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm ammunition. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

Although the Pak-Afghan region sits right on the ex-Soviet doorstep, the round was not always available in quantity, apart from the ammunition already left over by the Soviets during the Soviet-Afghan war. Due to this and a clampdown on global smuggling routes and methods, the price has only increased in the last 10 years until it is no longer a viable option for a combat rifle within the region, especially Pakistan.

These factors pushed the ammunition-smiths, mainly of the infamous Darra Adamkhel, but also other parts of the FATA/KPK region, into fabricating and manufacturing the components necessary to assemble complete rounds. At first, these were crude and cheap, using poor-quality materials such as steel cases that rusted easily. However, they made improvements until they created a decent enough replacement. Varying qualities are still available, including steel and brass-cased types. They have made a decent shooting round that competes against the factory/ex-Soviet rounds.

Fig. 1.6. Side face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm projectile alongside the rounds propellant powder. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

Darra Techniques

The Darra smiths follow specific techniques to make their components. Firstly, smiths use fire-forming to form a case, shaped similarly to a 5.45, and bottleneck. Due to this method and their methods for trimming the case head, the case heads are not always uniform. However, it is the simplest way to make a casing outside of using spent casings of factory ammunition. Secondly, the projectiles are a little more tricky, and there are a couple of variations and techniques.

Fig. 1.7. Rear face: A Darra-made 5.45×39 mm projectile’s rear. The rear is crimped and plugged, here. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

There is a solid copper machined variation which isn’t used much, and another lead with a copper jacket and/or a copper plug on top of the lead. Two methods form the copper jacket; these include plating or a thin sheet, shaped and lead-filled. The primers (locally called the Pataka) are nothing special, a simple soft metal cap filled with locally made ignition compound. The process isn’t difficult at all.

Explosive Propellant

It is the powder that we have to really look at. The powders or explosive propellant used currently in Darrai ammunition looks like proper ammunition-grade powder. It is a protruded cylindrical/conical shape but seems dirty as it leaves plenty of carbon on the rifle’s action/chamber when fired. Manufacturing occurs locally using frankly dangerous techniques or is procured from either state or non-state-licensed explosives manufacturers, though the latter is less common. After all this, they even add the red sealant to mimic the sealant found on standard 7N6 5.45×39mm ammunition. Not only does this look like factory ammunition from an ex-Soviet manufacturer at a glance, but it also seems to shoot relatively reliably.

Ammunition Comparisons

Looking at the market for 5.45 or Kalakov rounds, it is different from region to region. An original Soviet factory round of 5.45×39mm runs around Rs200 within FATA and between Rs400-Rs500 elsewhere in Pakistan. This locally produced steel-cased round runs around Rs45 a round in FATA and about Rs100-120 elsewhere. Compare this with the ever-popular 5.56×45mm, a standard ‘green-tip’ M855 round runs around Rs75 a pop in FATA. Although the round isn’t favored by many people in Pakistan anymore due to its high cost and low availability of the original factory ammunition, users are switching to the more readily available 5.56×45 mm. The ingenuity of gun and ammunition smiths keeps the 5.45×39mm, the Poison Bullet, alive in Pakistan for now.

Fig. 1.8. Top face: Darra-made 5.45×39 mm rounds resting in a crate, post-production. (Image source: Khyber Abdullah collection)

The evolution of the Khyber gunsmith and market trade is extremely interesting. We can see that the market follows worldwide and regional trends, as well as setting its own.

Key: DAK = Darra Adamkhel, Darrai = Darra made, FATA= Federally Administered Tribal Areas, KPK = Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

By ABDULLAH K.

Read the original article in its entirety at SilahReport.com.

Compare this to “Blood Eagle 9mm” and see which sounds better for a SyFy channel action flick.