6A43

6A43 is a designation that can refer to several distinct entities, primarily within the realm of firearms and ammunition. The most common association is with the 6A43 automatic rifle, a Soviet-designed weapon developed in the late 1980s. This rifle was intended as a more powerful and longer-range alternative to the standard AK-74. It featured a distinctive bullpup configuration, meaning the action and magazine were located behind the trigger group, allowing for a shorter overall length while maintaining a standard barrel length. The 6A43 was chambered for the 5.45x39mm cartridge, the same as the AK-74, but was also designed to fire a more potent 5.45x39mm incendiary-tracer round. Despite its innovative design, the 6A43 saw limited production and service, largely overshadowed by the AK-74 and its variants.

Another context for 6A43 relates to ammunition. Specifically, it can denote a type of 5.45x39mm cartridge. This designation is often associated with specialized rounds designed for the 6A43 rifle or similar weapons, such as armor-piercing or incendiary variants. These rounds were engineered to offer enhanced performance characteristics compared to standard ball ammunition. The development and availability of these specialized cartridges were directly linked to the firearms designed to utilize them.