Okay, now lets talk AK-47’s for a minute. Fellow I work with has one and it is the best AK build that I’ve ever seen. Simple and Elegant.
Take a look at this. This was built at a Rifle Dynamics Build Class. Battlecomp at the front, Krinkov Front Sight and Gas Block. I believe the Foregrip and Pistol Grip are US PALM. Ultimak Rail. T1 Micro. Krebs Safety. Rifle Dynamics AR Stock Adapter. And I think that’s a Bravo Company stock. Mag-Well Funnel, from – I’m not sure where.
Overall, this build is very light weight and handles like a sports car. The T1 Co-Witnesses with the Rifle Sights.
The Texture of the grip surfaces is very aggressive. Your hands lock into place and there is no slipping. This coupled with the fast handling, make this gun a very surefooted beast when going from target to target.
The Krebs safety lever really make this gun a step above. The lever is smooth and polished, making the operation easier than on most every other AK I’ve ever felt. The finger shelf allow the trigger finger to easily sweep the safety on or off. Thanks to the Mag Well, the reloads are faster than the average bear. These things combine to make this AK the easiest handling and most natural combat rifle I’ve dealt with that is not a custom built AR.
I can’t get over how light, and how precise this Kalash feels. The Trigger is excellent and there is no recoil thanks to the excellent Battlecomp muzzle brake.
All it needs is a Slipstream Treatment and it would be perfect.
To each his own, I guess. Features of that rifle which I really dig, include the Ultimak rail and the cowitnessed Aimpoint. Also the stippled US palm grip and AK-74 style lower handguard, and the fact that the builder left the original style mag catch alone.
Features of the rifle which earn a sold “meh” from me are the AR stock (I would have chosen a fixed length folder, but I’m not unbiased), the Krebs safety. The latter is understandable if your fingers are too short to operate the standard one without a grip shift, but understand you are building a potential bad habit into your training if you ever have to pick up a different AK. I’d have also gone for an out and out flash hider, but again, to each his own.
Features of the rifle I don’t care for are the mag well (a hardware solution to a training problem, and see above about introducing rifle-specific bad habits into your training), and the Bolton gas block, which is NOT a Krink gas block, which would be held in place by pins. That’s a US made replacement part that is held in place by pinch bolts. If it is installed correctly, it will *probably* stay in place and not cause any issues.
And the feature that earns a solid “WTF” is the cut off front sight block that was left in place. Except it wasn’t, because it had to be removed to install the Bolton block, and then pressed back into place afterward. That’s if the rifle was built from a complete kit with the original barrel. If it wasn’t, then it was pressed on and they actually drilled the pin holes afterward. The first possibility is almost understandable because the pre-existing pin cuts in the barrel would have been unsightly, but on the other hand, so is a cut off FSB that serves no purpose.
A third possibility, which I think is probably correct, is that they must have put it there for the spring plunger retainer for the compensator. Ultimately, any justification is an automatic fail, because if you are going to leave anything there at all, you might as well leave the FSB intact, and dispense with the Bolton block entirely, if that’s going to be the barrel length. Then you retain a longer sight radius for the irons, AND avoid any potential issues with the non standard gas block.
Really, the only way that this rifle makes any sense at all, is if it is intended to be an intermediate stage, and the owner is planning on paying $200 to the ATF and turning it into an SBR. If the barrel is going to be cut and rethreaded at some future stage, then the configuration is more logical.
Check out the big brain on Brad! My eyes started hurting trying to get through all the things you saw wrong with it. You may be right technically, I wouldn’t know. But I know it looks awesome and it will go boom when you ask it to. I’m not a fan of the Eastern Blockish looking AK’s. I want one that looks like this. I could do a folder too. Haven’t seen a decent looking AK or Galil option since the R4 I used to sleep with…
So, how about a Crusader option?
A Crusader option? You’d have to ask Crusader’s Head Gunsmith In Charge.
Joe.
If anyone can do it, Joe can.
Cutting and moving the gas block was an easy solution to a problem. It’s easier to drill a new gas hole and weld up the cut gas block than it is to put in a new barrel or try to clean up the first gas port.
So why do it? Frees up the barrel harmonics and helps accuracy for one. Looks bitchin is another.
That statement doesn’t make any sense. The original gas block wasn’t cut or moved; the builder used an aftermarket combo gas block in the original location.
Any improvement in accuracy that was seen is undoubtedly due more to the addition of the Ultimak, than the loss of part of the original FSB. The Ultimak adds a little stiffness to the barrel, and eliminates any preloaded force being exerted on the gas block by the gas tube. This helps reduce the vertical stringing which many AKs are prone to when they heat up.
If removing part of the FSB improved accuracy at all, then it would be better to just remove the whole thing to maximize the benefit. I think it makes an otherwise nice rifle look like a hack job, but again, what that rifle is really crying out for is SBR paperwork.
But again, to each his own. There’s no one “right” way to do it, and if the owner is happy with his rifle, then that’s the most important thing.
I like the look and concept of it, but also it looks like you work in a really fun office. I can only imagine what would happen if I brought a rifle into work to show a co-worker! You guys need a commercial production photo/videographer!? Haha
Ummmm AK goodnesss. I have (ahem) me some AK’s but I could make room for one of these..
I would like to get an ak, but don’t know enough about them to decide wich to get. I have seen wasr’s around before every thing went nuts, are they ok and do the parts interchange between manufacturers and countries? that and the prices and availabilities have gone wacko.
I wouldn’t even consider buying a WASR unless I could physically examine it for the defects that they sometimes exhibit. Things like canted sight blocks, draggy actions due to an improperly installed gas piston, etc. Many of them are very good rifles, but if you order one shipped to your FFL, it’s kind of a crap shoot.
Between eastern European manufacturers, basic parts like bolts, carriers, etc. will normally interchange. Parts from things like Yugos, Chinese, Galil, etc. do not. generally interchange with parts ffrom other nations’ AKs.
There was a time when I owned a few AK’s but being forced to consolidate calibers forced them out of my inventory about 5 years ago. The 2 nicest ones that I had was an original Krebs KTR-01 and a Vector underfolder that I kept bone stock except for a Krebs safety. I had an Ultimak on my Krebs along with EoTech 512, but the EoTech gave me fits after a few magazines as the Ultimak heated up so much that it about fried the optic.
The AK is very utilitarian and is proven to operate even after considerable neglect but they are on the heavy side and tend to not be the most accurate battle rifle out there. A custom rifle can only go so far when the available ammo will be the biggest limiting factor.
I really like the set-up. The only thing that’d make it more suitable for me would be to put a Krebs peep rear sight in place of the open rear, otherwise I think it’s a very sensibly modified carbine.
It kinda looks like a Galil to me. Put a rear sight on the receiver cover, add a side folding stock and a slightly different handguard, and there you have it.
I wish I could post pics of mine. It’s a wasr with a fab defense recoil buffing m4 stock, hogue pistol grip, tapco g2 single hook trigger, fab defense forend matching buttstock, ultimak gas tube, aimpoint comp c3, black hawk 2 point sling. Needed upgrades- slipstream treatment, Krebs customs flash hider, killflash for aimpoint, Krebs customs selecter lever.
I originally wanted a battle comp but I would rather be invisible.
I’m a fellow grunt to you sir. 173d abn 2-503 infantry chosen co.