Web search did not reveal much information, Krinks first appeared circa 1985?
If anyone has the history, details etc. a sticky post would be good. I gather they were intended for armored vehicle crew members. I want one.
Those of you with the knowledge and experience please share with the rest of us. Aside from being cool as hell are they effective? Would a pistol variant be worth building? I checked posts for the past year and found very little info in this area. Let's hear from the guys who know. Thank you.

the AKS-74U was made way before 85......it actually was developed in 75, just a year after the development of the AK-74 rifle. the soviet did develop a AKMS carbine in trial version for use with helicopter pilots, tank crews.....it wasn't actually put into production, but it was the basis for the the AKS-74U which was put into production.....

and you are correct that these were meant for tank crews.....along with their special forces (spetnaz), helicopter crews, and other combat vehicle crewmen, as well as secuity forces and front line commanders.

when the soviets launched the afgan invasion in 79, the spetnaz that was tasked to take over the presidental palace were armed with those weapons......so they were already well established in the soviet military arsenal up to that point.....the reason you didn't hear about them until just recently, or until the afgan war, is because of the soviet paranoia about secrecy.....hell the west didn't find out about the AK-74, except for maybe the ones in the know, until it debued on a may day parade a few years after it was already in full production......I was in germany in from 75-78 and never heard of a AK-74.

as for effective.......it pretty effective out to about 75-100 yards or so....it was never meant to be a primary infantry weapon, if that is what you mean....but more of a self defense/close combat weapon that is ultra portable to be quicky taken out of the confines of a armored vehicle, or for easy of carrying.. and for parachuting.

as for a pistol variant......that is up to you.....but it will be very awkward, and tiresome to shoot and aim...it's not going to weight and be the same size of a regular handgun where you can shoot it one handed..add a 30 round mag, and it will be pretty heavy...you will have to use both hands..and aiming and firing something like that I don't believe will be enjoyable.

with the AWB dead, just file a NFA application send 200 bucks and make a clone AKS-74U with the folding stock.....I mean seriously if you are going to go through the trouble of having one, go all the way and get a copy of the real thing.....instead of something that kinda looks like one, but isn't.

I got my approved form 1 back in 4 months, and now a gunsmith is building one for me......but just be aware that most of the good gunsmiths are backlogged since the AWB died......so it will be a few months for one to be built for you. and building one isn't all that easy, you will have to modify the receiver in the rear for the trunion, as well as the cut a hole for the stock unlock button, have to cut a slot in the front of the receiver prececiely for the latch catch, when you fold the stock, as well as the spring that has to go in from the bottom to the front trunion.....but I suppose if you are careful and know excatly what you are doing then it shouldn't be a problem.........but if you screw up that receiver, well then not only did you just damage the receiver.....but it's a NFA receiver that you just can't chuck and start on another one.....the serial numbers won't jive with the paperwork.....and that messed up receiver is the NFA weapon, so you just can't throw it away.....there are rules on how they are to desposed of and what paperwork has to be filed to get that off the NFA register....then you will have to go throught he whole paperwork process all over again....along with sending another 200 bucks to register another receiver. pretty expensive, and a headache if you screw it up.....better to have one built by a competent gunsmith who knows what he is doing.

Or you could just build it up first, leaving off the short bbl. *Then* do the paperwork and install the short bbl *after* it comes back approved. Or buy/build one with a short bbl and "permanently" attached fake silencer, file the paperwork and remove the silencer once the form is approved.

No worries about an expensive "oops" that way, and if you go the fake silencer route you can remove the silencer yourself with a grinder in about 5 minutes. Also you have the use of your gun for the months it will take for the paperwork to be processed.

Thanks for the input. I have an AK74 coming from Wolfsburg Bob and caught the Krink fever when I started looking into them....guess I better keep working the side jobs to support my new addiction.