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17 Comments

  1. It’s understandable why we are attracted to folding stocks. It makes the rifle so compact and easy to carry, yet unless there is a specific need for a compact AK, such as constant use inside a vehicle, I would stick to the original design and laminated wood stocks that provide a rock solid cheek weld, and can withstand the rigors of war and not break. Any modern accessory runs the risk of degrading the simple and rugged design that makes an AK what the AK should be. It takes us further away from what we may actually desire when it counts most. The Tapco stock in the video broke during what I would consider to be the proper manual of arms for the AK. A wire stock may not break, but it may not provide the rigidity required to successfully perform the operation demonstrated, and needed to resolve the malfunction. The short laminated stocks are the best. The short 13 inch length of pull is necessary when bulky winter clothing is worn. My favorite AK wears a Boyd hard wood stock cut to the correct length of pull for myself. It provides an ideal check weld and improved accuracy. In winter, it will be changed to a standard short laminated wood stock.

    1. Tunnel Rabbit,
      I’m with you. The AK is designed for the rough weather of th Soviet winters. A huge trigger guard for gloved hands. A shortened stock for large overcoats. Even the spare magazine pouch has a larger than life 3 and a half inch belt loops for an oversized leather belt for that extra large woolen trench coat. The cleaning kit, in the stock, was designed for use in the motor pool. You would utilize used transmission fluid to clean your disassembled AK and then oil it with used motor oil. Very economical. Runs every time.

      1. Exactly. It is also well suited for the short ranges and woods of Montana. And it is a rifle for the masses who have little training on how to maintain more sophisticated and refined rifles such as the AR-15. It will continue to function for years in austere conditions where there are no replacement parts, or gun smiths. If I had no access to lubricants, I could make Russian oil from Birch bark, or other woods. And if there were no solvents, brushes, or cloth to clean, simply boiling up a quart of water and flush the action and barrel would remove all debris and dirty lubricants from the mechanism. It is akin to an old tractor, tough and easy to maintain, whereas the AR is a race car, and requires more maintenance and care than the average person can do, especially when and where there are no tools, cleaning supplies, parts and technical knowledge to repair the rifle. Yes, it is easy to work on in general, but not necessarily easy to diagnose and fix.

        No, the AK is not perfect. It has fatal weakness in the trigger group. Do have spare springs and clips for that event, just in case. The rest of it will hold up even if a caveman were using it. And not all AK’s are crude and inaccurate. The trigger on my AK is far better than any of my AR’s, and it is just as accurate.

        I believe a long a bitter winter is ahead. Choose your rifle wisely.

  2. Although AK’s have been prohibited up here for almost 30 years, many of the modifications that you are discussing have been adapted to both the Chinese Type 81 ( a relatively recent import) and the venerable CZ-858.

    The Magpul Zhukov fore end, with its mounting hardware lends itself to relatively simple modifications to fit both of these firearms. The Zhukov Yugo stock has also been adapted to mount on them as well. In the case of the CZ-858, Stormwekx actually produced an adapter that allowed a straight bolt on. Gotta love Magpul.

  3. High quality AK magazine pouches for only $4.95, plus $1 shipping are hard to beat. These are surplus East German Ak-47 magazine pouches designed to hold four magazines. They can also easily handle AR-15 magazines. A wide belt, or for shoulder carry, a sling, can be threaded through the pouch loops in the rear of the pouch. These may also be used to house spare loaded mags in the field, and used as bandoleers. These may or may not be easily adapted to ALICE or Molly webbing, but they otherwise would work, and could be multi-purpose and used for other equipment. These pouches can be quickly modified and used for auxiliary rifles, and as shotgun ammunition pouches. All firearms in the inventory should have a means to carry ammunition. This is a inexpensive means to do so.

    https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1135420

    1. Those pouches are of good quality, I have several. Most of the East German “rain camo” stuff is well built, if not always super ergonomic. It used to be dirt cheap, and is still usually fairly inexpensive.
      I don’t know how easy it would be to use with ALICE gear, the belt loops might be wide enough for an ALICE belt, but I’ve never tried them. You can use it on MOLLE gear pretty easily with some paracord- it might not be pretty, but it will get the job done. The Chinese Type 81 chest rigs are hard to beat for the money for an AK as well, they work and they’re about as simple as you can get.

  4. As soon as the democrats control the White House and the Senate, the AK and AR platforms will either be outlawed, taxed out of affordability, or at a minimum, registered. Too many Americans are now ignorant of our history and heritage… thanks to our “education” system. This will result in skyrocketing prices on the remaining stock of government approved weapons.

    But alas… I rant.

    1. They might be “outlawed” but not all of them will be taxed, registered, or turned in. Many may be, but there will be a lot of them that will evade Mr. Fed’s radar.

      The other thing is, once large swaths of average everyday Americans get turned into felons by unconstitutional regulations, I believe that more than a few that decide they’ll start practicing some home gunsmithing and homebrew chemistry of the type that the ATF frowns upon.

    1. Arguably the SKS is a better rifle in many regards. I have a minty one. Using the stripper clips from actual Chinese military surplus ammunition, it feeds flawlessly. A comparison between the M1 Garand and the M1A, in terms of the advantages and disadvantages between a box fed magazine, and the en bloc clip systems could be made, yet the SKS is a different breed of Com bloc rifle, unlike the AK in important ways that are not widely understood. That said, the 30 round magazine of the AK, provides the continuity of fire necessary for maneuver. If different tactics were employed, suitable to the lower round count magazine of the SKS, then I would have no problem with it. Get the correct stripper clip available from Numrich Arms, or Sarco, and the SKS becomes a pleasure to operate and a viable weapon. Use the incorrect cheap garbage stripper clips, and the rifle is not viable.

  6. I had two post ban AKs of the Bulgarian and two of the Hungarian type. (One was named FEG.) I don’t remember much about either except that they had those terrible thumbhole stocks which I got retrofitted last year. Finding a folding stock retrofit on the milled receiver was impossible and had to get a standard fixed stock. The other two had stamped receivers and the Magpul folding stock worked fine.

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