Escape from Tarkov — 5.45×39 rounds pt.2

The first article of this series is available here: Escape from Tarkov ― Ammo History

■ A Round That Seemed Complete

Last time, we looked at how the 5.45×39 round was born as a design focused on hitting the target.
It was light, low in recoil, and easy to handle.
And after impact, it could lose stability inside the body and cause significant damage.
At that point, it seemed like a nearly complete solution for infantry ammunition.
But this round, too, was not truly complete.

■ A New Enemy — Body Armor

The battlefield continued to change.
The equipment worn by soldiers evolved,
and helmets and body armor became increasingly common.
This created a new problem.
Even when the round hit, it no longer always stopped the target.
Early 5.45 ammunition, such as 7N6, known in Tarkov as PS,
was effective against unarmored opponents,
but it had clear limitations against protective equipment.

■ The First Improvement — Better Penetration

The early round was built primarily around one idea:
damage caused by its behavior inside the body, especially yawing.
But in the face of armor, that alone was no longer enough.

■ 7N10, the PP Round

• reinforced core

• improved penetration

In Tarkov, this corresponds to PP.
At this stage, the 5.45 round began to expand its role.
It was no longer just a round that disrupted tissue after impact.
It was becoming a round that could also penetrate.

■ The Real Fight Against Armor

The improvements did not stop there.

■ 7N22, the BP Round

• reinforced steel core

• designed to counter protective equipment

In Tarkov, this corresponds to BP.
From this point on, the character of the ammunition clearly began to change.

■ 7N24 / 7N39, BS and Igolnik

• high-hardness core materials, including tungsten in some variants

• very high penetration capability

In Tarkov, these are BS and Igolnik.
At this stage, the goal becomes clear.
It is no longer primarily about damaging the inside of the body.
It is about getting through first.

■ This Raises an Important Question
■ Did It Stop Tumbling?

This is an important point.
The short answer is:
It did not completely stop tumbling.
However, the priority had changed.

■ Early Stage: 7N6 / PS

• lightweight

• hollow nose structure

• rear-shifted center of gravity

This made it easier for yaw to occur early after impact.

■ Later Stage: BP / BS / Igolnik

• harder core

• more stable structure

• greater emphasis on penetration

These rounds can still show post-penetration instability,
but it is generally less pronounced than in the earlier design.

■ In Other Words

The early versions were designed more around damaging from within.
The later versions were designed first to get through armor,
and then affect the target after penetration.

■ The Competition Between Ammunition and Armor

This is where the structure becomes clear.
The progression looks like this:

1. lightweight and control-focused rounds such as PS

2. added penetration with PP and BP

3. armor-focused performance with BS and Igolnik

In other words, new demands kept being added over time.
This was not just a matter of refinement.
It was an endless competition between ammunition and armor.

■ The Shift Away from the Original Design Philosophy

This is one of the most important points.
Originally, 5.45 was a round built around

• ease of hitting

• controllability

But as it evolved,
new demands began to dominate:

• penetration

• anti-armor performance

In other words,
the original philosophy was gradually overwritten by the realities of the battlefield.

■ How Tarkov Reproduces This

This structure is very easy to understand in-game as well.

• PS → cheap, basic round

• PP / BP → intermediate, balanced options

• BS / Igolnik → high-penetration rounds

The player is constantly forced to think not just about what they are shooting at,
but what they need to get through.

■ In One Sentence

The 5.45 round was not something that was complete from the beginning.
It was a round that kept gaining new roles as the battlefield changed.

■ Next Preview

Next time, we will look at why rounds like 5.45 are not truly unique,
and why the world as a whole converged on small-caliber, high-velocity ammunition.
We will explore that question alongside a comparison with 5.56.

The next article is available here: Escape from Tarkov — 5.45×39 rounds pt.3

Note:

The background ideas and actual gameplay experience discussed in this series are also touched on during my weekly streams every Friday.

The format is different from writing, but it may help deepen your understanding from another angle.

If you’re interested, feel free to stop by.

▶ YouTube : B.K. Gaming Channel
▶ Twitch : kaz_the_minotaur