Best AKS-74U build in Escape from Tarkov, from attachments to ammo

The AKS-74U has become one of the most reliable weapons to run in Escape from Tarkov, and the best build will almost guarantee your success in your raids.

Harry Boulton

17th Jan 2024 11:50

Images via Battlestate Games

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The AKS-74U has become one of the top price-to-performance weapons in Escape from Tarkov, and our pick for the best build will let you dominate every raid in the early to mid-wipe.

You can go out and spend a small fortune on a meta build with parts from the Flea Market, but finding a gun that excels entirely from the Traders is certainly a trickier challenge. That's where the AKS-74U steps in, as these attachments are both accessible and affordable, making it ideal for daily use in the game.

Best AKS-74U build & attachments in Escape from Tarkov

AKS-74U Legal Arsenal Piligrim railed dust cover (5,819₽, Skier LL1)
DeltaPoint Cross Slot Mount base ($14, Peacekeeper LL1)
Leupold DeltaPoint Reflex Sight ($155, Peacekeeper LL2)
AK GP-25 accessory kit recoil pad (4,051₽, Prapor LL2)
AK TAPCO SAW-Style pistol grip (5,544₽, Mechanic LL2)
AKS-74U Zenit B-11 handguard (5,974₽, Skier LL1)
Zenit RK-4 tactical foregrip (9,145₽, Skier LL2)
AK Zenit DTK-1 7.62x39/5.45x39 muzzle brake-compensator (4,865₽, Skier LL2)
SureFire XC1 tactical flashlight (18,866₽, Mechanic LL1)

Overall cost: 77,419₽

This build is just fantastic for the price, giving you 66 vertical recoil and 76 ergonomics for under 80,000₽ - you can't get much better than that in the early stages. You will need to be at Loyalty Level 2 for Prapor, Skier, Peacekeeper, and Mechanic to complete this build - but you could also pick up the odd piece from the Flea Market or sub it out for an available alternative too.

Image of the best AKS-74U build in Escape from Tarkov

In terms of upgrades, you'd be looking to switch from the DTK-1 to the AK-74 thread-type JMac Customs RRD-4C multi-caliber muzzle brake at Mechanic LL3 for extra recoil dampening. Additionally, swap out the RK-4 for either the Magpul AFG tactical foregrip or Magpul RVG foregrip once you reach Peacekeeper LL3 - but these can also be purchased for roughly the same price on the Flea too.

You could also swap out the SureFire XC1 for the classic NCStar Tactical blue laser LAM-module if you're looking to save some money, but I prefer the versatility of a flashlight/laser combo - as the former can be especially strong in close-range encounters.

If you're just starting out and don't have access to the Flea Market or LL2 Traders, then pick up all of the LL1 parts listed, swap out the DeltaPoint for the Walther MRS reflex at Skier LL1, then keep the pistol grip and muzzle brake as default.

Best AKS-74U ammo in Escape from Tarkov

The best ammo that you can buy from Traders or the Flea Market for the AKS-74U is 5.45x39mm 7N40, which is available at Prapor LL4 for 981₽ per round.

For our build, which centres on LL2 Trader items, the best ammo you can get is unfortunately only 5.45x39 FMJ from Prapor LL2 at 108₽ per round. This isn't great as it only deals 55 damage with 24 penetration, which won't do much at all to anything above Class 3 armour and thus will struggle beyond the first few weeks of the wipe.

Image of 5.45x39 PP ammo in Escape from Tarkov

You can purchase 5.45x39mm PP from the Flea Market, but it hovers around 857₽ per round which is extortionate and defeats the purpose of this semi-budget build.

What we instead recommend is looking for various 5.45x39 ammo packs in your raids, as you can easily and regularly find PP, BT, and sometimes even BP/BS scattered across the maps, and that will be a much better source for better ammo and will save you a tonne of money in the long run. I've managed to find plenty on Interchange behind Goshan on my scav runs, so I'd definitely recommend trying your luck there.

You'll now be set with an ideal AKS-74U build, so test it out in a few of your next raids and realise why it's such a popular choice in patch 0.14.

About The Author

Harry Boulton

Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.

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