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20 Comments

  1. AK’s have their virtues, yet also their problems in this day and age. The ability to ‘kit it out’ with modern accessories is relatively problematic relative to the AR. Having the ability to fight at night by locating and identifying the target can be made possible with the use of a red dot, or iron sights that are painted with a bright colored nail polish, and a light mounted on the barrel. I like a bright yellow on the sight post and rear ward surface of the wings of the front sight. If the target is only bracketed by the wings, a hit is likely. This a caveman’s version of an EOTech sight. The painted front sights are illuminated by the flashlight, and easy for the eyes to ‘pick up’ and take aim. It is surprisingly fast, and inexpensive. Here is solid way to mount a single mode high intensity flash light on the barrel just in front of the front hand guard and under the gas tube.:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001WJ4DGA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    To complete the outfit, this flashlight is affordable, and fits on the picatinny rail that is clamped onto the barrel. It is very important to use a single mode flashlight that can be quickly turn on and off without cycling through various modes that leave the shooter exposed. It can be position is such a way that the thumb of the supporting hand can quickly turn the light on and off. There is the optional remote switch that is unnecessary, and not recommend for this application:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VGH8286/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  2. Respectfully disagree with your criticism towards Tapco mags. I may have gotten lucky, but I own MANY, and have used and abused them over the past 7+ years in competition, tactical training, in all kinds of conditions, and have actually tried to get them to fail, and with tens of thousands of rounds through them, I have never had one hiccup, running Wasr, Saiga, Yugo, AMD rifles.

    Just my experience.

    1. Thanks for your input. I had bad experiences with Tapco mags in the mid-aughts, which matched their lousy reputation at the time. I moved to ((10))s and surplus steels, and never looked back. It’s very possible that they improved their product since that time. Any experience with Promag AK magazines?

  3. It’s any utterly reliable platform. From a durability standpoint, I dont believe there is a better weapon. Yes it’s not usable with an optic and red dot and silencer and light all attached to it as some ARs are all perked up on accessories.
    I ve never had an AK jam because it was dirty or underlubed. For a shtf weapon it’s the best.
    And ammo is still cheap and available.

  4. Its worth mentioning modern American AK rifles made by Palmetto State Armory. These are very high quality affordable rifles. Some models come with a hinged and railed dust cover. I’ve found this to be a superior option for optic mounting on an AK.

    1. I’m not sure if a hinged dust cover, or scope of any kind is a good idea. I’ve had it happen several times over the years where I had to clear the action by removing the dust cover and dumping a spent casing. The cover does not need to reinstalled for the rifle to operate, so clearing the action is very quick. Anything that would restrict access would concern me unless I had much experience with it. The standard cover pops off almost instantly, and is completely out of the way during the process.

      1. Thank you for bringing this up. This is an important consideration that I meant to discuss, but got sidetracked.

        The old version of UTG’s top cover mount secured with set screws in addition to the standard pushbutton that is built into the recoil spring assembly. This would be very slow to remove if you had to clear a malfunction. The hinged covers on PSA’s rifles that HP mentions appear to copy the Krinkov design (which will be discussed in a later section). This design, and the TWS dogleg rail, hinge at the rear sight cross pin and secure with just the pushbutton. They are very fast to open and shut. UTG’s new version also attaches this way, but I have no experience with it.

      2. For me, the PSA hinged cover is easier to manipulate than the standard cover thats on my AMD65. You can do it with one hand and dont have to worry about properly lining up the front into the groove. Pop it up, pop it down- easy. IMHO it’s a welcomed design upgrade and it provides a solid, reliable mount for whatever accessory you choose. Also IMO, optics are a must on fighting rifles.

        Good article, looking forward to the next installment.

  5. We got the Romanian version- I’d say strongly that every bullet in firearm you’ve have is gold right now. With the uncertainty of the elections in play (And real corruption in the vote process , especially mail in)… Americans are going to be grateful for every gun. you may want to buy some throwaway guns, like junky ones to “turn in” if Biden/Dems creeps out a win. We may not even know the results of the election until Christmas.

    In May/June I convinced a number of friends to get two of each caliber (because two is one, but 1=0).

    I told all my friends this year may be THE LAST year to easily obtain guns/ammo. I’m trying buy 1 @ Elk Creek for obvious reasons.

    AK is a great platform, made sloppy …I remember seeing it all over the world in every country I’ve ever been in. It’s hardy….You drop it in a river or quicksand and rinse it off =and it’s ready to go. Probably the most common caliber, useful to hunting and defense.

  6. Didn’t know UTG made optical mounts Bought one of their scopes off Amazon because it had good reviews . Seems okay but have no idea if it will hold up to heavy use.

    That’s the problem with older rifle designs. They had no option for mounting a scope. The AR-15
    being exception after eliminating the carry handle. Had a chance years ago to buy a WASR-10 for $300

    After handling one was obviously a crude weapon plus tales of canted sights and poor accuracy. Have read good things about American built a AK’s. Unfortunately since the communists have stolen the election the ability to procure firearms in the future seems grim.

    Great article by the way. Thanks for the contribution and info

    SL

  7. What a nice timely article, i have been in the market for an AK for a couple of months now and trying to educate myself on this item; want to diversify the inventory due to lack of availability of other caliber rounds.
    someone commented on keeping junk guns around in case of a buyback or gun grab i am of the camp that believes that this will be the time to use them !

    1. Excellent! You’re exactly the type of person that I was hoping to reach with this article. There are so many AK accessories that run the gamut from great to garbage, and many of them are not compatible with every AK variant. If you’re new to the platform, you’ll definitely want to stick around for the final part of the article, when I discuss the nomenclature and gear considerations for the most common variants. (Short version: it is easiest to go with the SLR107 or new WASR-10 that I mentioned in the intro.)

      It does seem like 7.62x39mm ammo inventory is bouncing back faster than 5.56, doesn’t it?

      1. Can’t answer your question, yet does seem to stand to reason that there is a huge global market and supply for AK ammo that would naturally seek higher profit margins that rising U.S. prices conveniently provide. I would think that there is ample foreign production of 7.62×39, however, foreign producers could easily be prevented from importing more. There is not nearly the production of 7.62×39 in country as there is of .223, and our military does not stockpile this ammunition. Should CW3 break out, the supply of AK ammo is limited. Fortunately 7.62×39 is still only half the price of 5.56 Nato/.223 making it easier to stockpile it for ourselves.

        The AK is primarily a short range weapon, that in the right hands, a good example can be almost as versatile as the AR. It’s greatest attribute is it’s durability and reliability that is simply unmatched by any other military arm. Unlike the AR and other platforms, it will more likely continue function in extreme cold weather, and in other harsh environments, and can easily be maintained by the least experienced shooter. I’ve owned and operated the full range of semi-autos, and can say the AK is the one I would grab if headed out the door into the unknown in a worst case scenario.

        1. re: “and can say the AK is the one I would grab if headed out the door into the unknown in a worst case scenario.”

          Agreed… reliable… instinctive… will continue to operate when cleaning, lubing not possible… (like on the run).

          As for loss of ammo source during “CW3”, that is a concern, but check out the Berdan Loader that the Sharpshooter 22 guys have. Drills a center hole for a boxer primer, and uses a sleeve to make the primer fit the pocket. I have often considered the possibility of just popping the primer out with the hydraulic method, reloading the primer cup with their primer mix (apparently its the old H-48 chlorate, Krag primer mix) , and reloading the steel case, possibly 2 to 6 times. Haven’t tried it yet, but cast lead bullets with a polymer coating might allow you to get to decent velocities without leading the barrel. One advantage of a steel case is, if you HAD to make fulminate of mercury primers, the mercury wont “rot” (amalgamate with) the iron as it would with brass. This would be very down and dirty ammo, but better than nothing. (and using chlorate or mercury primers WOULD require thorough cleaning).

    2. It’s not the razor, but it is the blades that get you. The much lower cost of ammunition will easily offset the higher price of a high quality rifle. PSA is out of stock. Arsenal brands are possibly the example they would emulate. These are Bulgarian rifles assembled by persons who know AK’s intimately. I would much rather go with this rifle than an inexpensive AR, or AK that is not necessarily entirely up to ‘spec’. ‘Mil-spec’ mostly refers to parts that are made to certain dimensions, and implies a standard, yet these parts could be of questionable quality in other important regards. Quality control during assembly is a critical part of the production process. I have had to repair 6 of this type of AR rifle, but only 2 AK’s. Even a shoddy example of an AK, if it runs, will continue to run. If you’d rather standardized on an AR, purchase one in higher price range, or get the highest quality AR you can afford. The lives of your family could be at risk.

      SLR107R-11EG 7.62X39MM OD GREEN SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE ENHANCED FIRE CONTROL GROUP
      Available Now!
      MSRP: $1,289.99
      SKU: SLR107-11EG

      https://www.arsenalinc.com/usa/firearms/rifles/slr-107-series/slr-107r-od-green-furniture-fixed-stock.html

  9. I’ve had a AK in the collection for many years. When it comes to optics, if found the authentic Russian stuff works best. After all, where did it come from? Try the PK-ASV, a excellent red dot that uses common watch batteries or the Obzor- no batteries needed. These have gone up in price the last several years, but are well worth the investment and built like a tank.

  10. When the UN/NATO troops arrive there should be lots of AKs just lying on the ground all over. Might I recommend a documentary on YouTube called “Hold a AK”, some strong language warning. Kalashnikov forever

  11. I ordered the last few parts this week for my first AKM build. went with a 80% receiver. I have the ammo stored away, I have the mags, and now I just need my buddy to help me with a few gunsmithing issues. this is a great compliment to my Ruger Ranch Rifle in 7.62×39.

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