The legacy of the AK will forever be that it has killed more men than any other weapon. Even though it has been 70 years since the gun\u2019s creation, it is estimated that more than 250,000 people are still killed every year by AKs, and that number isn\u2019t necessarily decreasing. Mikhail Kalashnikov himself said, \u201cWhen I saw Bin Laden with his AK-47, I got nervous. But what can I do, terrorists aren't fools; they too chose the most reliable guns.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is true that Kalashnikov intended the AK to be used legitimately by the Russian military for defense, he was taken aback as much as anyone else by where the rifle spread to and what it became when things were all said and done. Kalashnikov died a Russian hero at age 94, but he nevertheless expressed regret in his later years for his part in creating the deadliest weapon man has ever produced. <\/p>\n","post_title":"How The AK-47 Became The Deadliest Weapon Of All Human History","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":126638,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2020-03-24 06:00:34","post_date_gmt":"2020-03-24 10:00:34","post_content":"\n\nThe Kalashnikov Komrad is invading the U.S. market, and it's one badass looking shotgun ... excuse us, firearm. Based on the Russian Saiga design, the 12-gauge Kalashnikov<\/a> Komrad sports a 12.5-inch barrel. Best of all, the Komrad remains non-NFA.\n\n[in_content post=\"206063\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\nKalashnikov Komrad Details<\/h2>\nKalashnikov USA plans to offer the Komrad for a limited time. The company will produce an undisclosed small number of arms then retire the model. The Komrad also marks the first ever direct-to-consumer firearm from Kalashnikov. No tax stamp and non-NFA, the Komrad delivers tremendous appeal.\n\nFirstly, the item that stands out most in the photos is that Special Edition Russian Tiger Camo finish. We know it's not for everyone, but there's no denying that sex appeal.\n\nThe semi-automatic Komrad, based on the iconic Saiga shotgun, features a 12.5-inch barrel. It also weighs 12 pounds. Manufactured in the United States, it accommodates both 2.75- and 3-inch shells. It runs everything from low brass birdshot to slugs because of its adjustable gas system, according to Kalashnikov USA. Note: due to the shortened barrel length and decreased dwell time, Kalashnikov USA recommends ammo no less than 1,340 fps.\n\nThe Komrad also comes with an SB Tactical pistol brace, adjustable pistol grip, tri-rail forend and vertical forward grip. Another feature is the standard, side-mounted optics rail, not to mention the threaded muzzle nut. The Komrad ships with two, five-round magazines. Additionally, it accepts Kalashnikov's 10-round magazines, as well as most Saiga accessories. Lastly is MSRP, which lands at $1,249.\n\nThe Saiga shotgun design holds a great appeal among certain groups of tactical and competitive shooters. With a pistol brace and super-short barrel, the Komrad breathes new life into the iconic Russian hammer. For more information, visit kalashnikov-usa.com<\/a>.","post_title":"Kalashnikov Komrad: The New Non-NFA, 12-Gauge, Semi-Auto Firearm","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2020\/03\/24\/kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":127952,"post_author":"608","post_date":"2019-07-15 10:28:20","post_date_gmt":"2019-07-15 14:28:20","post_content":"Thanks to modern movies, TV shows, and, most notably, video games, the AK-47 is arguably one of the most famous firearms ever made. The now infamous AK-47 was probably best summed up in the 2005 Nicholas Cage film Lord of War.<\/em> In\u00a0the opening sequence, Cage\u2019s character, Yuri Orlov, offers the following monologue:\n\n[in_content post=\"205509\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\n\u201cOf all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova<\/em> model of 1947, more commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It\u2019s the world\u2019s most popular assault rifle, a weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood, it doesn\u2019t break, jam or overheat. It\u2019ll shoot whether it\u2019s covered in mud or filled with sand. It\u2019s so easy even a child can use it, and they do.\u201d\n\nAs the above monologue continues, Cage\u2019s character adds the facts that the Soviets put the AK-47 on a coin, and Mozambique had it on its flag. Today, it enjoys recognition as the digital gun of choice among video gamers around the world. Hip hop sons mention its name; countless movies show it.\n
AK Stand-Ins<\/strong><\/h3>\nYet, while the AK-47 is famous today, less than 40 years ago, it was largely unknown to most people outside of military circles. Even as American soldiers faced it in Vietnam, few back home knew much, if anything, about this firearm. It wasn\u2019t really until the late 1980s that the AK-47 got its close-up in movies.\n\nPrior to the 1990s, the AK-47 was a favorite among insurgents and revolutionaries, but even in movies depicting those soldiers, the AK-47 rarely appeared. Not a single AK-47 is even seen in the 1968 John Wayne film The Green Berets.<\/em> That would remain true for many of the early Vietnam War films to follow.\n\nThe U.S. government actually had a ban on all weapons imported from the Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War (between 1947 and 1989), and as a result, actual AK-47s weren\u2019t available. The AK-47s used in Apocalypse Now <\/em>were in fact Chinese Norinco Type 56 copies of the AK-47, and until the late 1980s, this would be as close as most Western filmmakers could get.\n\nMeanwhile, even in the Soviet Union, the AK-47 was seldom the star. It\u2019s generally believed that the AK-47\u2019s first appearance in a movie actually came in 1956 in the Soviet-made romantic comedy Maksim Perepelitsa<\/em>. The weapon is seen in a few scenes when the title character serves in the Red Army. This movie wasn\u2019t even screened outside of Russia until the end of the Cold War, and even today, it\u2019s almost impossible to find on home video.\n\n
![\"Kalashnikov](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/POP_AK_47_Vodka-1024x575.1563196320.jpg\")
<\/a>\nCovert Kalashnikov<\/h3>\nHowever, it is noteworthy that Soviet military censors even allowed AK-47s to be used at all, as Western military leaders only knew that the Red Army had issued a new select-fire rifle. Even in the intelligence community, little was known about it.\n\nThat film actually came out a year before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, an event that has largely been credited as the first time Western military analysts were able to take note of what had been only a rumored Soviet automatic weapon at the time. What is also noteworthy is that it would be nearly two decades before the AK-47 appeared in any movie outside of the Soviet Union.\n\nThe United States\u2019 ban on Warsaw Pact weapons actually kept the AK-47 from getting its close-up even in films about Vietnam, but the Israel Defense Forces managed to capture thousands of the assault rifles in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the subsequent Yom Kippur War of 1973. As a result, many of these were lent or sold to the country\u2019s film industry.\n
Big-Screen Debut<\/h3>\nThe first \u201cWestern\u201d film to feature a true AK-47 was the 1977 Israeli-made feature Operation Thunderbolt; <\/em>it\u00a0chronicled the daring Israeli commando raid on the Entebbe Airport on July 4, 1976. That movie was actually one of three films made about the raid (there were two American movies made around the same time). But it was the only one that accurately depicted the Ugandan military equipped with AK-47s. Another film released in 2018, 7 Days in Entebbe<\/em>, features AK-47s in the hands of the Ugandans as well as the hijackers\/terrorists.\n\n
![\"Kirk](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/POP_TheFuryKirkDouglas-1024x575.1563196326.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\nWhile not exactly an \u201caction star,\u201d Kirk Douglas, who famously played Spartacus, has the largely forgotten distinction of being the first American actor to use an AK-47 in a film. He briefly carried one in the 1978 Brian De Palma horror thriller The Fury<\/em>. Scenes were filmed in Israel, and again, captured firearms were provided by the film\u2019s armorers, hence the AK-47 made its American big-screen debut to little, if any, fanfare.\n\nHowever, a wave of Vietnam War films made in the 1980s brought attention to the AK-47. But again, due to the ban, American filmmakers typically made do with the Chinese Norinco Type 56. Today it\u2019s often easy to spot these, as many featured a folding bayonet\u2014something true AK-47s never had. The overall shape of the gun was close enough for many filmmakers. After all, few Americans had even heard of the firearm.\n\nIt wasn\u2019t until the 1986 Chuck Norris film Delta Force<\/em>, utilizing Israeli armorers, that American producers finally included real AK-47s. The producers of Rambo III<\/em>, released in 1988, also turned to Israeli armorers, and that film also featured real AK-47s. However, both Delta Force <\/em>and Rambo III<\/em> still relied on Type 56 stand-ins as well. A limited number of AK-47s were available at the time.\nThe Empire Crumbles<\/h3>\nWith the fall of the Soviet Union, vast quantities of AK-47s were suddenly available. And the embargo on the importation of the firearm ended. Throughout the 1990s, real Soviet-vintage AK-47s were finally available for use in movies.\n\nBut even so, in the firearm\u2019s most famous shootout in the movie Lord of War<\/em>, the pivotal scene still lacked sufficient actual AK-47s. When Nicholas Cage\u2019s character is in a weapons arsenal in Ukraine inspecting the firearms, those are actually SA Vz. 58 automatic rifles produced in the Czech Republic. While the Vz. 58 is similar to the AK-47 externally, the two weapons feature no common parts, including the magazine.\n\nThe reason for these stand-ins is that, while the scene was set in Ukraine in 1991, it was actually filmed outside of Prague in 2004. According to the director, Andrew Niccol, in the DVD commentary, those were real guns rented from a real arms dealer, as it was cheaper for the production to rent 3,000 real guns than to rent 3,000 blank-converted props!\n
Hollywood Goes AK<\/h3>\nIn the 1990s the firearm also began catching the eye of movie and TV producers, video game makers and rappers. The gun<\/a> became so iconic that you\u2019ve already seen it in various TV shows. In the pilot episode of The Sopranos<\/em>, Carmela actually wielded one.\u00a0The AK-47 has made appearances in Breaking Bad<\/em>, Tyrant<\/em> and The Night Manager<\/em>, among countless other TV shows.\n\nRapper King Lil G may have one of the most famous songs about the firearm, aptly named \u201cAK47.\u201d Meanwhile, Lil Wayne\u2019s track \u201cKill\u201d calls out the firearm repeatedly. But it was actually the ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones who first mentioned the AK-47; it happened in the song \u201cGuns and the Young\u201d way back in 1992. Such diverse musical artists as British glam rockers Manic Street Preachers, industrial band KMFDM and heavy metal\u2019s Megadeth have all written songs that include the AK-47. It\u2019s a firearm that has managed to transcend music genres as easily as an electric guitar.\n\n[in_content post=\"198193\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n
Toasting The AK-47<\/h3>\nAs the inventor of the AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov never made any direct profits from the production of the AK-47. But the weapons designer said he was always more motivated by the calling to serve to his country than money. Despite that fact, he owned 33 percent of the German company Marken Marketing International. The company revamped the trademarks and produces merchandise with the Kalashnikov name, including vodka, umbrellas, and knives.\n\n
![\"Kalashnikov](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/POP_Lamp-1024x575.1563196322.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\nA total of 13,000 special AK-47-shaped bottles of Kalashnikov vodka were produced and shipped in wooden boxes designed to look like Cold War rifle crates. These were only exported from Russia to Australia, so they have become extremely popular among collectors.\n\nOther companies have cashed in on the AK-47, producing their own rifle-shaped bottles. It was part of a wave of spirit imports, including a Red Army Vodka bottle shaped like an artillery shell. Another similar brand offered its vodka in a bottle shaped like a Soviet Red Army canteen. Clearly, the spirit of Kalashnikov lives on in spirits as well as firearms.\n\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at <\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>. For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How the AK-47 Became a Pop Culture Firearms Icon","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/07\/15\/kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128254,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2019-06-10 08:48:47","post_date_gmt":"2019-06-10 12:48:47","post_content":"XTech Tactical recently announced the release of its newest AK accessory<\/a>, the MAG47 MIL 30-round magazine. Dubbed the \"Militia Special,\" the XTech Tactical MAG47 MIL utilizes a strong design and incorporates stainless steel feed lips.\n\n[in_content post=\"174648\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nThe company calls the MAG47 MIL the \"strongest U.S.-made rifle magazine ever made.\" XTEch Tactical developed the MAG47 in response to a consumer torture test completed at the request of XTech Tactical. The company requested that consumers compare the MAG47's durability to the legendary Bulgarian and Russian military-issued magazines.\n\nThe MAG47 features stainless steel feed lips, a solid machined steel rear lug, stainless steel spring and extremely durable polymer. The magazine easily field strips for cleaning and maintenance, according to XTech Tactical. The magazine retails for $34.95, and $1 from every magazine sold from the company website will go to Gun Owners of America.\n\n\u201cWe are proud to share that the MAG47mil was developed as a result of our direct interaction with consumers. With the ever-rising costs of the before mentioned options, we are very excited to continue to raise the bar for US AK magazines while supporting the fight to retain our standard capacity rights\u201d, stated Jeremy Deadman, XTech Tactical\u2019s Director of Sales and Marketing.\n\nThe second new release from XTech Tactical is an entry level option for its AK47 magazine line up, the OEM47. Made in the USA, the OEM47 features the same geometry and feeding as the MAG47 line without the steel reinforcements. The OEM47 is a great option for those seeking magazines for recreational use, according to XTech Tactical.. The OEM47 retails for $14.95.\n\nFor more information, visit xtechtactical.com<\/a>.","post_title":"XTech Tactical Releases MAG47 MIL 30-Round Magazines for AK Rifles","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/06\/10\/xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128808,"post_author":"882","post_date":"2019-04-03 06:00:30","post_date_gmt":"2019-04-03 10:00:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nPerhaps the first of his generation, Brandon Herrera has gone from casual YouTube and Instagram influencer to manufacturer. Starting in 2014, Brandon\u2019s YouTube channel offered a casual and fun approach to firearms with a blend of humor and useful information. But talking about AKs<\/a> on YouTube and manufacturing them are two very different things, and Brandon\u2019s jump is even greater than that as he works to produce an AK chambered in .50 BMG. We wanted to find out how a man in the vanguard of the firearms industry got started, and what fueled his mission to produce a .50-caliber AK.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203893\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\nWhy AKs? What got you into AKs?<\/h3>\r\nIt\u2019s kind of a weird fixation, right? Believe it or not, the first gun I ever shot was an AK. Some dads would start their 8-year old out on a .22 or something, but not mine. I got a Chinese under-folder right off the bat, and it just kind of went from there. As a teenager, I was very mechanically inclined, so I\u2019d take the AK apart and put it back together a million times, seeing how it all worked. It somehow never got boring to me. So, while the other 15-year-olds were chasing girls, I was tinkering with Soviet weapons.\r\n
You built your first AK with Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics, right?<\/h3>\r\nCorrect. I took the Rifle Dynamics AK Build course about five or so years ago. It was a great introduction to the fundamentals of building an AK, and I continue to learn more and more as time goes on.\r\n
Why work toward a .50-caliber AK?<\/h3>\r\nIt started as a joke, honestly. About four or five years ago, I thought, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be funny if somebody did that?\u201d It would have ended there if people didn\u2019t tell me it was impossible. From that point, it became a challenge. I didn\u2019t even think about building it as something to produce and sell until much later on, so that\u2019s pretty funny, looking back at it.\r\n
What resistance have you faced jumping into the industry?<\/h3>\r\nI guess like anything else there are the \u201cold guard\u201d types who approach new guys with contempt, and there are those who try to help them along to find their place. Luckily, the gun industry has been full of great folks I\u2019ve come to call friends over the years. It\u2019s great when industry people can find ways to collaborate instead of push each other down. There\u2019s enough room under the sun for everybody, you know? Plenty of industry to go around.\r\n
How \u201cThe AK Guy\u201d company start?<\/h3>\r\nIt officially started two years ago when I knew I wanted to try to make this my full-time job. I had already thrown a bit of money at the AK-50 project, and I knew I wanted to build other AKs, too. I was on a law school track at Campbell University at the time, and I remember it being a big deal when I decided to drop out and pursue the gun career. My friends and family probably thought I was insane, but I don\u2019t regret it for a second. I could either be a likely unhappy lawyer or build a .50-caliber AK. It was an easy choice.\r\n
Getting a Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT) license, starting a firearm manufacturing business and so on at such an early age is uncommon. Did you encounter any flak or resistance from the government?<\/h3>\r\nShockingly, not at all. It\u2019s actually pretty funny. The ATF has been the opposite of what I was expecting going in. They seem like they\u2019re genuinely there to help dealers follow the law, and not to catch them so they can throw the book at them. At least that\u2019s what my experience has been.\r\n
Meet The AKG-47<\/h3>\r\nWhile we await the release of the AK-50, The AK Guy currently offers the AKG-47 with standard Romanian furniture, refinished Russian furniture or Magpul furniture. I got my hands on the AKG-47 with Russian furniture for a range session or two.\r\nAKG-47s are built using virgin Romanian parts kits, which have about the best quality that can currently be found on the U.S. market. Additionally, the rifles aren\u2019t a mishmash of surplus military parts cobbled together in the U.S., and they aren\u2019t U.S.-made attempts to replicate something the Eastern Europeans have been doing for decades.\r\n\r\nThe AKG-47 brings you the best of both worlds by using new, un-issued, matching parts from Romania along with a U.S. receiver. After assembly, the guns are finished in graphite black Cerakote for good, long-lasting looks. The color retains a military appearance but with the added toughness of Cerakote.\r\n\r\nUpon first inspection, the AKG-47 felt different than what I\u2019m used to with AKs. I own a variety of surplus guns, American-made guns and a few no-longer-importable Vepr rifles. Also, the fit and finish of the AKG-47 exceeds what I have experienced on Saigas and Veprs. While I do own an older WASR import that has proven itself reliable time and time again, the finish wore off quickly. In the Pacific Northwest, that means certain death for firearms. The AKG-47 has them all beat.\r\n
AK Guy Criticism<\/h3>\r\nBrandon\u2019s experience in social media has made him well aware of criticisms\u2014both deserved and not\u2014when it comes to AK builds. A top concern among critics is often the quality of the rivet job. Some use tapered rivets, and others do not. The question comes down to what the receiver was made for. Meanwhile, the AKG-47 uses Russian-spec rivets seated down flush with the 1mm U.S. receiver. And in a move loved by some and hated by others, the AKG-47 is branded with The AK Guy logo. Also, this logo is carefully etched into the receiver to be deep enough to remain visible after the Cerakote is applied. As an owner of several AKs, I applaud this move to brand an AK in a way that is artful and clearer than simple Electropen or stamping.\r\n\r\nOn the topic of stampings, it is clearly evident that the rifle is built of virgin parts, as the only marking on the original Romanian parts is \u201cAKG-47\u201d on the front trunnion. Also, the spiritual home of the AKG-47\u2014the Romanian parts kit\u2014is all new.\r\n
In The Field<\/h3>\r\nThe range session started by testing the magazine fit. For the uninitiated, this is one of the most common challenges with AKs. This is because the receiver is stamped steel from which a magazine well must be cut, and because there are so many (only moderately standardized) magazines, that fit can be troublesome. Americans prefer a tighter fit, but for which magazine? After cutting the sheet metal that becomes the receiver, of course we\u2019d prefer edges that are rounded, but that also removes material. Surely you can see that making a receiver that fits Eastern European magazines\u2014or even more troublesome American polymer magazines\u2014can be a challenge.\r\n\r\nI tested the AKG-47 with Croatian, Hungarian, Magpul, Master Molder, Romanian, Serbian, TAPCO, U.S. Palm and XTech magazines. The front-to-rear fit was snug on most, with some side-to-side play that is normal with AKs. Every magazine functioned flawlessly, though releasing the magazine understandably required a little more effort than on my old beater build, which has had thousands of rounds through it.\r\n\r\nWithout having tens of thousands of rounds on hand for an unrealistic torture test, the AKG-47 appeared to be exactly what Brandon Herrera intended it to be: an affordable, reliable AK that, while not being a custom shop build, is still reliable than an e-blast discount gun. Accuracy testing came next.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Testing Results<\/h3>\r\nTo be fair to myself and the rifle, I fired all of my five-shot groups at 50 yards. Running the rifle as equipped out of the box meant iron sights. Contrary to what many believe, Soviet and later Russian military doctrine was entirely defensively based. Designated marksman rifles like the PSL were intended more for harassing fire than for precision, and the AK-47 was generally employed to halt or end threats at 300 meters and closer. The AK was never intended for precise shooting, nor were the iron sights. Further, in keeping with the minimalist spirit, only a front rest from Range Systems was used to support the rifle. This accuracy test was practical and represents what an end-user can expect in the field.\r\n\r\nI chose some common loads from Wolf Performance Ammunition, Red Army Standard, TulAmmo and Golden Tiger. For premium ammunition, Nosler did not shy from the chance to demonstrate what its Silver State Armory 123-grain Flat Base Tipped (FBT) ammo can do. It should be noted that the Red Army Standard ammunition on hand was from a previous manufacturer, and the current ammunition is produced by Vympel, which was previously sold in the U.S. under the Golden Tiger name.\r\n
For The People<\/h3>\r\nIt certainly appears that Brandon Herrera, The AK Guy, who has risen from social media to manufacturer, has faithfully built the people\u2019s AK. Additionally, the AKG-47 provides a fit and finish above that of the old surplus guns and is made with new parts. The AKG-47 makes for a quality AKM without pushing the price point into the thousands. This is exactly what Brandon Herrera had in mind with his rifles, and he\u2019s definitely accomplished that. Now we\u2019ll just have to wait patiently for more to come. In the meantime, we put some slow-motion AKG-47 sex appeal at the bottom of this post.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit theakguy.com<\/a>.\r\n
The AK Guy AKG-47 Specifications<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n \t
The AK Guy AKG-47 Performance<\/h3>\r\n
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Stock Options<\/h3>\r\nThe Magpul MOE AK Stock only fits stamped receivers and is not compatible with rifles that have milled receivers, like Yugo-pattern AKs and Norinco Type 56s because of differences in the rear trunnion\u2019s tang. Magpul says you might have to do some minor fitting of the stock, but I found the MOE AK Stock fit perfectly on my Polish build.\r\n\r\nThe MOE AK Stock is lighter than the laminated wooden stock, and the 12.8-inch length of pull works for me if I\u2019m wearing extra gear. It also features a rubber recoil pad and a hidden storage compartment that can hold optics batteries or cleaning rod tips. Whatever I store in the compartment, I include a bit of foam so the parts won\u2019t rattle when the lid is closed.\r\n\r\nTo start, use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the two buttstock screws. With the screws removed, pull the factory stock out from the rear of the receiver. If the stock is stubborn, use the rubber mallet to gently tap it free.\r\n\r\nInsert the MOE wedge block for the MOE AK Stock using the included hex screw, washer and nut. Make sure the washer is between the screw head and the hole in the stock. The hole in the stock is in the forward end, inside the storage compartment. Note how the nut fits flush into the wedge block. The long screw pulls the wedge into the stock so there\u2019s no wiggle.\r\n
Magpul AK Installation<\/h3>\r\nNext, insert the two weld nuts into the T-slot at the top forward end of the stock. The first weld nut goes into the slot dimple down and hole-end first. The second goes in hole-end last, dimple down. The hole in each weld nut must be aligned with the two screw holes in the rear trunnion. The weld nuts slide around in the slot, so use the long hex wrench to position them.\r\n\r\nTake the 7\/16-inch button-head screw and place the brass conical washer tapered-side down. Insert them into the first, forward-most trunnion hole, and tighten them to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the hex wrench. Next, insert the 3\/8-inch screw through the second or rear-most trunnion tang hole, and tighten it to 30 to 40 foot-pounds. Tighten the wedge block to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the long hex wrench. Make sure the stock is flush with the rear of the receiver, with no gaps. Finally, snap the storage compartment cover into place.\r\n\r\nMagpul also offers cheek risers that are compatible with MOE stocks and snap over the comb of the stock. The cheek risers come in 0.25-, 0.5- and 0.75-inch heights. I find the extra height gives me a better cheekweld when using optics.\r\n
New Handguard<\/h3>\r\nMagpul offers two MOE handguards for the AK and AKM. The standard MOE AK handguard will only work with handguard retainers that don\u2019t include a sling loop. You can install it on a rifle that has a sling loop, but you\u2019ll first need to cut off the loop. My Polish AK has the loop, and I wanted to keep it, so I used the MOE AKM handguard.\r\nMagpul inserts stainless-steel heat shields into the handguard to protect the operator from excessive heat during extended fire, and M-LOK slots along the sides and bottom of the handguard allow you to attach various accessories, including lights, lasers, sling swivels and grips.\r\n\r\nFirst, install the bottom half of the MOE AKM handguard by inserting the two square lugs at the rear of the handguard into the open end at the front of rifle\u2019s receiver, and pivot it toward the barrel. Then, slide the handguard retainer rearward along the barrel until it fits over the front of the handguard. Rotate the cam lever down to lock it into place.\r\n\r\nYou will need to remove the gas tube from the upper portion of the factory handguard by grasping the rear retaining cap with the channel-lock pliers, or by securing it in a vise and rotating the handguard 180 degrees to free it. Replace it with the MOE upper handguard by rotating it back 180 degrees to lock it into the front and rear retainers. Reinstall it on the rifle, and rotate the gas cylinder tube lock downward.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Grip Time<\/h3>\r\nMagpul\u2019s MOE AK+ Grip also has a hidden compartment. It\u2019s flatter and wider than the factory grip, and it has textured rubber overmolding so you\u2019ll still have traction with sweaty hands.\r\n\r\nAK pistol grips are typically attached to the receiver via a long screw and a T-shaped nut inside the receiver. The screw\/nut combination pulls the grip into the bottom of the receiver to secure it. Use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the factory grip.\r\nKeep the T-nut, and position it in the hole at the bottom of the receiver so it angles toward the butt of the rifle. Insert the included screw into the Magpul MOE AK+ Grip, and hold it in place with a screwdriver. Then, with your other hand, hold the T-nut in place inside the receiver. Tighten the screw, and you\u2019re good to go.\r\n
Lock & Load<\/h3>\r\nReassemble the rifle and conduct a systems check. The only other MOE part you might want to consider is Magpul\u2019s PMAG 30 AK\/AKM GEN M3, an inexpensive, lightweight, 30-round, polymer magazine designed for AK-platform rifles in 7.62x39mm. It features a removable floorplate, constant-curve geometry, a low-friction follower and steel-reinforced locking lugs. It\u2019s a must if you want to keep running and gunning without any jams.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit magpul.com<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at\u00a0<\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong> For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How to Bring Your AK Into the 21st Century With Magpul AK Upgrades","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:56:48","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:56:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/04\/01\/21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
The use of the AK by groups such as these at the exclusion of every other weapon has made the AK the ultimate symbol of insurgency, anti-Western sentiment and underdog forces in general. Egypt erected a massive concrete statue of an AK muzzle with a bayonet fixed to it. Mozambique\u2019s flag bears an AK silhouette, and rappers wear diamond-studded AK-47 necklaces. The weapon is so popular at this point that it is even a favorite of American recreational shooters. This mystique has no doubt played a role in the wide and continued use of the AK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legacy of the AK will forever be that it has killed more men than any other weapon. Even though it has been 70 years since the gun\u2019s creation, it is estimated that more than 250,000 people are still killed every year by AKs, and that number isn\u2019t necessarily decreasing. Mikhail Kalashnikov himself said, \u201cWhen I saw Bin Laden with his AK-47, I got nervous. But what can I do, terrorists aren't fools; they too chose the most reliable guns.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is true that Kalashnikov intended the AK to be used legitimately by the Russian military for defense, he was taken aback as much as anyone else by where the rifle spread to and what it became when things were all said and done. Kalashnikov died a Russian hero at age 94, but he nevertheless expressed regret in his later years for his part in creating the deadliest weapon man has ever produced. <\/p>\n","post_title":"How The AK-47 Became The Deadliest Weapon Of All Human History","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":126638,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2020-03-24 06:00:34","post_date_gmt":"2020-03-24 10:00:34","post_content":"\n\nThe Kalashnikov Komrad is invading the U.S. market, and it's one badass looking shotgun ... excuse us, firearm. Based on the Russian Saiga design, the 12-gauge Kalashnikov<\/a> Komrad sports a 12.5-inch barrel. Best of all, the Komrad remains non-NFA.\n\n[in_content post=\"206063\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n Beyond being a useful tool for legitimate, low-budget armies, the AK\u2019s strengths have made it a favorite of criminals, pirates and terrorists. The Vietnam War and the Soviet\u2013Afghan War proved the effectiveness of the weapon but also made it the defining arm of the underdog warfighter. After its success in those conflicts, it was the weapon aspiring guerilla armies and terrorists wanted most of all, and it was also the easiest for them to get.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The use of the AK by groups such as these at the exclusion of every other weapon has made the AK the ultimate symbol of insurgency, anti-Western sentiment and underdog forces in general. Egypt erected a massive concrete statue of an AK muzzle with a bayonet fixed to it. Mozambique\u2019s flag bears an AK silhouette, and rappers wear diamond-studded AK-47 necklaces. The weapon is so popular at this point that it is even a favorite of American recreational shooters. This mystique has no doubt played a role in the wide and continued use of the AK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The legacy of the AK will forever be that it has killed more men than any other weapon. Even though it has been 70 years since the gun\u2019s creation, it is estimated that more than 250,000 people are still killed every year by AKs, and that number isn\u2019t necessarily decreasing. Mikhail Kalashnikov himself said, \u201cWhen I saw Bin Laden with his AK-47, I got nervous. But what can I do, terrorists aren't fools; they too chose the most reliable guns.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is true that Kalashnikov intended the AK to be used legitimately by the Russian military for defense, he was taken aback as much as anyone else by where the rifle spread to and what it became when things were all said and done. Kalashnikov died a Russian hero at age 94, but he nevertheless expressed regret in his later years for his part in creating the deadliest weapon man has ever produced. <\/p>\n","post_title":"How The AK-47 Became The Deadliest Weapon Of All Human History","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":126638,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2020-03-24 06:00:34","post_date_gmt":"2020-03-24 10:00:34","post_content":"\n\nThe Kalashnikov Komrad is invading the U.S. market, and it's one badass looking shotgun ... excuse us, firearm. Based on the Russian Saiga design, the 12-gauge Kalashnikov<\/a> Komrad sports a 12.5-inch barrel. Best of all, the Komrad remains non-NFA.\n\n[in_content post=\"206063\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n Since this conflict, nearly all fighting that has taken place in the Middle East has featured AK-47s. By this time, the Soviet Union was supplying guns and production rights to anyone who would have them. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, vast arms deposits went missing, never to be seen again.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond being a useful tool for legitimate, low-budget armies, the AK\u2019s strengths have made it a favorite of criminals, pirates and terrorists. The Vietnam War and the Soviet\u2013Afghan War proved the effectiveness of the weapon but also made it the defining arm of the underdog warfighter. After its success in those conflicts, it was the weapon aspiring guerilla armies and terrorists wanted most of all, and it was also the easiest for them to get.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The use of the AK by groups such as these at the exclusion of every other weapon has made the AK the ultimate symbol of insurgency, anti-Western sentiment and underdog forces in general. Egypt erected a massive concrete statue of an AK muzzle with a bayonet fixed to it. Mozambique\u2019s flag bears an AK silhouette, and rappers wear diamond-studded AK-47 necklaces. The weapon is so popular at this point that it is even a favorite of American recreational shooters. This mystique has no doubt played a role in the wide and continued use of the AK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The legacy of the AK will forever be that it has killed more men than any other weapon. Even though it has been 70 years since the gun\u2019s creation, it is estimated that more than 250,000 people are still killed every year by AKs, and that number isn\u2019t necessarily decreasing. Mikhail Kalashnikov himself said, \u201cWhen I saw Bin Laden with his AK-47, I got nervous. But what can I do, terrorists aren't fools; they too chose the most reliable guns.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is true that Kalashnikov intended the AK to be used legitimately by the Russian military for defense, he was taken aback as much as anyone else by where the rifle spread to and what it became when things were all said and done. Kalashnikov died a Russian hero at age 94, but he nevertheless expressed regret in his later years for his part in creating the deadliest weapon man has ever produced. <\/p>\n","post_title":"How The AK-47 Became The Deadliest Weapon Of All Human History","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:05:37","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/ak-47-became-the-deadliest-weapon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":126638,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2020-03-24 06:00:34","post_date_gmt":"2020-03-24 10:00:34","post_content":"\n\nThe Kalashnikov Komrad is invading the U.S. market, and it's one badass looking shotgun ... excuse us, firearm. Based on the Russian Saiga design, the 12-gauge Kalashnikov<\/a> Komrad sports a 12.5-inch barrel. Best of all, the Komrad remains non-NFA.\n\n[in_content post=\"206063\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\nKalashnikov Komrad Details<\/h2>\nKalashnikov USA plans to offer the Komrad for a limited time. The company will produce an undisclosed small number of arms then retire the model. The Komrad also marks the first ever direct-to-consumer firearm from Kalashnikov. No tax stamp and non-NFA, the Komrad delivers tremendous appeal.\n\nFirstly, the item that stands out most in the photos is that Special Edition Russian Tiger Camo finish. We know it's not for everyone, but there's no denying that sex appeal.\n\nThe semi-automatic Komrad, based on the iconic Saiga shotgun, features a 12.5-inch barrel. It also weighs 12 pounds. Manufactured in the United States, it accommodates both 2.75- and 3-inch shells. It runs everything from low brass birdshot to slugs because of its adjustable gas system, according to Kalashnikov USA. Note: due to the shortened barrel length and decreased dwell time, Kalashnikov USA recommends ammo no less than 1,340 fps.\n\nThe Komrad also comes with an SB Tactical pistol brace, adjustable pistol grip, tri-rail forend and vertical forward grip. Another feature is the standard, side-mounted optics rail, not to mention the threaded muzzle nut. The Komrad ships with two, five-round magazines. Additionally, it accepts Kalashnikov's 10-round magazines, as well as most Saiga accessories. Lastly is MSRP, which lands at $1,249.\n\nThe Saiga shotgun design holds a great appeal among certain groups of tactical and competitive shooters. With a pistol brace and super-short barrel, the Komrad breathes new life into the iconic Russian hammer. For more information, visit kalashnikov-usa.com<\/a>.","post_title":"Kalashnikov Komrad: The New Non-NFA, 12-Gauge, Semi-Auto Firearm","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2020\/03\/24\/kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":127952,"post_author":"608","post_date":"2019-07-15 10:28:20","post_date_gmt":"2019-07-15 14:28:20","post_content":"Thanks to modern movies, TV shows, and, most notably, video games, the AK-47 is arguably one of the most famous firearms ever made. The now infamous AK-47 was probably best summed up in the 2005 Nicholas Cage film Lord of War.<\/em> In\u00a0the opening sequence, Cage\u2019s character, Yuri Orlov, offers the following monologue:\n\n[in_content post=\"205509\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\n\u201cOf all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova<\/em> model of 1947, more commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It\u2019s the world\u2019s most popular assault rifle, a weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood, it doesn\u2019t break, jam or overheat. It\u2019ll shoot whether it\u2019s covered in mud or filled with sand. It\u2019s so easy even a child can use it, and they do.\u201d\n\nAs the above monologue continues, Cage\u2019s character adds the facts that the Soviets put the AK-47 on a coin, and Mozambique had it on its flag. Today, it enjoys recognition as the digital gun of choice among video gamers around the world. Hip hop sons mention its name; countless movies show it.\n
AK Stand-Ins<\/strong><\/h3>\nYet, while the AK-47 is famous today, less than 40 years ago, it was largely unknown to most people outside of military circles. Even as American soldiers faced it in Vietnam, few back home knew much, if anything, about this firearm. It wasn\u2019t really until the late 1980s that the AK-47 got its close-up in movies.\n\nPrior to the 1990s, the AK-47 was a favorite among insurgents and revolutionaries, but even in movies depicting those soldiers, the AK-47 rarely appeared. Not a single AK-47 is even seen in the 1968 John Wayne film The Green Berets.<\/em> That would remain true for many of the early Vietnam War films to follow.\n\nThe U.S. government actually had a ban on all weapons imported from the Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War (between 1947 and 1989), and as a result, actual AK-47s weren\u2019t available. The AK-47s used in Apocalypse Now <\/em>were in fact Chinese Norinco Type 56 copies of the AK-47, and until the late 1980s, this would be as close as most Western filmmakers could get.\n\nMeanwhile, even in the Soviet Union, the AK-47 was seldom the star. It\u2019s generally believed that the AK-47\u2019s first appearance in a movie actually came in 1956 in the Soviet-made romantic comedy Maksim Perepelitsa<\/em>. The weapon is seen in a few scenes when the title character serves in the Red Army. This movie wasn\u2019t even screened outside of Russia until the end of the Cold War, and even today, it\u2019s almost impossible to find on home video.\n\n
<\/a>\nCovert Kalashnikov<\/h3>\nHowever, it is noteworthy that Soviet military censors even allowed AK-47s to be used at all, as Western military leaders only knew that the Red Army had issued a new select-fire rifle. Even in the intelligence community, little was known about it.\n\nThat film actually came out a year before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, an event that has largely been credited as the first time Western military analysts were able to take note of what had been only a rumored Soviet automatic weapon at the time. What is also noteworthy is that it would be nearly two decades before the AK-47 appeared in any movie outside of the Soviet Union.\n\nThe United States\u2019 ban on Warsaw Pact weapons actually kept the AK-47 from getting its close-up even in films about Vietnam, but the Israel Defense Forces managed to capture thousands of the assault rifles in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the subsequent Yom Kippur War of 1973. As a result, many of these were lent or sold to the country\u2019s film industry.\n
Big-Screen Debut<\/h3>\nThe first \u201cWestern\u201d film to feature a true AK-47 was the 1977 Israeli-made feature Operation Thunderbolt; <\/em>it\u00a0chronicled the daring Israeli commando raid on the Entebbe Airport on July 4, 1976. That movie was actually one of three films made about the raid (there were two American movies made around the same time). But it was the only one that accurately depicted the Ugandan military equipped with AK-47s. Another film released in 2018, 7 Days in Entebbe<\/em>, features AK-47s in the hands of the Ugandans as well as the hijackers\/terrorists.\n\n
<\/a>\n\nWhile not exactly an \u201caction star,\u201d Kirk Douglas, who famously played Spartacus, has the largely forgotten distinction of being the first American actor to use an AK-47 in a film. He briefly carried one in the 1978 Brian De Palma horror thriller The Fury<\/em>. Scenes were filmed in Israel, and again, captured firearms were provided by the film\u2019s armorers, hence the AK-47 made its American big-screen debut to little, if any, fanfare.\n\nHowever, a wave of Vietnam War films made in the 1980s brought attention to the AK-47. But again, due to the ban, American filmmakers typically made do with the Chinese Norinco Type 56. Today it\u2019s often easy to spot these, as many featured a folding bayonet\u2014something true AK-47s never had. The overall shape of the gun was close enough for many filmmakers. After all, few Americans had even heard of the firearm.\n\nIt wasn\u2019t until the 1986 Chuck Norris film Delta Force<\/em>, utilizing Israeli armorers, that American producers finally included real AK-47s. The producers of Rambo III<\/em>, released in 1988, also turned to Israeli armorers, and that film also featured real AK-47s. However, both Delta Force <\/em>and Rambo III<\/em> still relied on Type 56 stand-ins as well. A limited number of AK-47s were available at the time.\nThe Empire Crumbles<\/h3>\nWith the fall of the Soviet Union, vast quantities of AK-47s were suddenly available. And the embargo on the importation of the firearm ended. Throughout the 1990s, real Soviet-vintage AK-47s were finally available for use in movies.\n\nBut even so, in the firearm\u2019s most famous shootout in the movie Lord of War<\/em>, the pivotal scene still lacked sufficient actual AK-47s. When Nicholas Cage\u2019s character is in a weapons arsenal in Ukraine inspecting the firearms, those are actually SA Vz. 58 automatic rifles produced in the Czech Republic. While the Vz. 58 is similar to the AK-47 externally, the two weapons feature no common parts, including the magazine.\n\nThe reason for these stand-ins is that, while the scene was set in Ukraine in 1991, it was actually filmed outside of Prague in 2004. According to the director, Andrew Niccol, in the DVD commentary, those were real guns rented from a real arms dealer, as it was cheaper for the production to rent 3,000 real guns than to rent 3,000 blank-converted props!\n
Hollywood Goes AK<\/h3>\nIn the 1990s the firearm also began catching the eye of movie and TV producers, video game makers and rappers. The gun<\/a> became so iconic that you\u2019ve already seen it in various TV shows. In the pilot episode of The Sopranos<\/em>, Carmela actually wielded one.\u00a0The AK-47 has made appearances in Breaking Bad<\/em>, Tyrant<\/em> and The Night Manager<\/em>, among countless other TV shows.\n\nRapper King Lil G may have one of the most famous songs about the firearm, aptly named \u201cAK47.\u201d Meanwhile, Lil Wayne\u2019s track \u201cKill\u201d calls out the firearm repeatedly. But it was actually the ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones who first mentioned the AK-47; it happened in the song \u201cGuns and the Young\u201d way back in 1992. Such diverse musical artists as British glam rockers Manic Street Preachers, industrial band KMFDM and heavy metal\u2019s Megadeth have all written songs that include the AK-47. It\u2019s a firearm that has managed to transcend music genres as easily as an electric guitar.\n\n[in_content post=\"198193\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n
Toasting The AK-47<\/h3>\nAs the inventor of the AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov never made any direct profits from the production of the AK-47. But the weapons designer said he was always more motivated by the calling to serve to his country than money. Despite that fact, he owned 33 percent of the German company Marken Marketing International. The company revamped the trademarks and produces merchandise with the Kalashnikov name, including vodka, umbrellas, and knives.\n\n
<\/a>\n\nA total of 13,000 special AK-47-shaped bottles of Kalashnikov vodka were produced and shipped in wooden boxes designed to look like Cold War rifle crates. These were only exported from Russia to Australia, so they have become extremely popular among collectors.\n\nOther companies have cashed in on the AK-47, producing their own rifle-shaped bottles. It was part of a wave of spirit imports, including a Red Army Vodka bottle shaped like an artillery shell. Another similar brand offered its vodka in a bottle shaped like a Soviet Red Army canteen. Clearly, the spirit of Kalashnikov lives on in spirits as well as firearms.\n\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at <\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>. For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How the AK-47 Became a Pop Culture Firearms Icon","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/07\/15\/kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128254,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2019-06-10 08:48:47","post_date_gmt":"2019-06-10 12:48:47","post_content":"XTech Tactical recently announced the release of its newest AK accessory<\/a>, the MAG47 MIL 30-round magazine. Dubbed the \"Militia Special,\" the XTech Tactical MAG47 MIL utilizes a strong design and incorporates stainless steel feed lips.\n\n[in_content post=\"174648\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nThe company calls the MAG47 MIL the \"strongest U.S.-made rifle magazine ever made.\" XTEch Tactical developed the MAG47 in response to a consumer torture test completed at the request of XTech Tactical. The company requested that consumers compare the MAG47's durability to the legendary Bulgarian and Russian military-issued magazines.\n\nThe MAG47 features stainless steel feed lips, a solid machined steel rear lug, stainless steel spring and extremely durable polymer. The magazine easily field strips for cleaning and maintenance, according to XTech Tactical. The magazine retails for $34.95, and $1 from every magazine sold from the company website will go to Gun Owners of America.\n\n\u201cWe are proud to share that the MAG47mil was developed as a result of our direct interaction with consumers. With the ever-rising costs of the before mentioned options, we are very excited to continue to raise the bar for US AK magazines while supporting the fight to retain our standard capacity rights\u201d, stated Jeremy Deadman, XTech Tactical\u2019s Director of Sales and Marketing.\n\nThe second new release from XTech Tactical is an entry level option for its AK47 magazine line up, the OEM47. Made in the USA, the OEM47 features the same geometry and feeding as the MAG47 line without the steel reinforcements. The OEM47 is a great option for those seeking magazines for recreational use, according to XTech Tactical.. The OEM47 retails for $14.95.\n\nFor more information, visit xtechtactical.com<\/a>.","post_title":"XTech Tactical Releases MAG47 MIL 30-Round Magazines for AK Rifles","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/06\/10\/xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128808,"post_author":"882","post_date":"2019-04-03 06:00:30","post_date_gmt":"2019-04-03 10:00:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nPerhaps the first of his generation, Brandon Herrera has gone from casual YouTube and Instagram influencer to manufacturer. Starting in 2014, Brandon\u2019s YouTube channel offered a casual and fun approach to firearms with a blend of humor and useful information. But talking about AKs<\/a> on YouTube and manufacturing them are two very different things, and Brandon\u2019s jump is even greater than that as he works to produce an AK chambered in .50 BMG. We wanted to find out how a man in the vanguard of the firearms industry got started, and what fueled his mission to produce a .50-caliber AK.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203893\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\nWhy AKs? What got you into AKs?<\/h3>\r\nIt\u2019s kind of a weird fixation, right? Believe it or not, the first gun I ever shot was an AK. Some dads would start their 8-year old out on a .22 or something, but not mine. I got a Chinese under-folder right off the bat, and it just kind of went from there. As a teenager, I was very mechanically inclined, so I\u2019d take the AK apart and put it back together a million times, seeing how it all worked. It somehow never got boring to me. So, while the other 15-year-olds were chasing girls, I was tinkering with Soviet weapons.\r\n
You built your first AK with Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics, right?<\/h3>\r\nCorrect. I took the Rifle Dynamics AK Build course about five or so years ago. It was a great introduction to the fundamentals of building an AK, and I continue to learn more and more as time goes on.\r\n
Why work toward a .50-caliber AK?<\/h3>\r\nIt started as a joke, honestly. About four or five years ago, I thought, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be funny if somebody did that?\u201d It would have ended there if people didn\u2019t tell me it was impossible. From that point, it became a challenge. I didn\u2019t even think about building it as something to produce and sell until much later on, so that\u2019s pretty funny, looking back at it.\r\n
What resistance have you faced jumping into the industry?<\/h3>\r\nI guess like anything else there are the \u201cold guard\u201d types who approach new guys with contempt, and there are those who try to help them along to find their place. Luckily, the gun industry has been full of great folks I\u2019ve come to call friends over the years. It\u2019s great when industry people can find ways to collaborate instead of push each other down. There\u2019s enough room under the sun for everybody, you know? Plenty of industry to go around.\r\n
How \u201cThe AK Guy\u201d company start?<\/h3>\r\nIt officially started two years ago when I knew I wanted to try to make this my full-time job. I had already thrown a bit of money at the AK-50 project, and I knew I wanted to build other AKs, too. I was on a law school track at Campbell University at the time, and I remember it being a big deal when I decided to drop out and pursue the gun career. My friends and family probably thought I was insane, but I don\u2019t regret it for a second. I could either be a likely unhappy lawyer or build a .50-caliber AK. It was an easy choice.\r\n
Getting a Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT) license, starting a firearm manufacturing business and so on at such an early age is uncommon. Did you encounter any flak or resistance from the government?<\/h3>\r\nShockingly, not at all. It\u2019s actually pretty funny. The ATF has been the opposite of what I was expecting going in. They seem like they\u2019re genuinely there to help dealers follow the law, and not to catch them so they can throw the book at them. At least that\u2019s what my experience has been.\r\n
Meet The AKG-47<\/h3>\r\nWhile we await the release of the AK-50, The AK Guy currently offers the AKG-47 with standard Romanian furniture, refinished Russian furniture or Magpul furniture. I got my hands on the AKG-47 with Russian furniture for a range session or two.\r\nAKG-47s are built using virgin Romanian parts kits, which have about the best quality that can currently be found on the U.S. market. Additionally, the rifles aren\u2019t a mishmash of surplus military parts cobbled together in the U.S., and they aren\u2019t U.S.-made attempts to replicate something the Eastern Europeans have been doing for decades.\r\n\r\nThe AKG-47 brings you the best of both worlds by using new, un-issued, matching parts from Romania along with a U.S. receiver. After assembly, the guns are finished in graphite black Cerakote for good, long-lasting looks. The color retains a military appearance but with the added toughness of Cerakote.\r\n\r\nUpon first inspection, the AKG-47 felt different than what I\u2019m used to with AKs. I own a variety of surplus guns, American-made guns and a few no-longer-importable Vepr rifles. Also, the fit and finish of the AKG-47 exceeds what I have experienced on Saigas and Veprs. While I do own an older WASR import that has proven itself reliable time and time again, the finish wore off quickly. In the Pacific Northwest, that means certain death for firearms. The AKG-47 has them all beat.\r\n
AK Guy Criticism<\/h3>\r\nBrandon\u2019s experience in social media has made him well aware of criticisms\u2014both deserved and not\u2014when it comes to AK builds. A top concern among critics is often the quality of the rivet job. Some use tapered rivets, and others do not. The question comes down to what the receiver was made for. Meanwhile, the AKG-47 uses Russian-spec rivets seated down flush with the 1mm U.S. receiver. And in a move loved by some and hated by others, the AKG-47 is branded with The AK Guy logo. Also, this logo is carefully etched into the receiver to be deep enough to remain visible after the Cerakote is applied. As an owner of several AKs, I applaud this move to brand an AK in a way that is artful and clearer than simple Electropen or stamping.\r\n\r\nOn the topic of stampings, it is clearly evident that the rifle is built of virgin parts, as the only marking on the original Romanian parts is \u201cAKG-47\u201d on the front trunnion. Also, the spiritual home of the AKG-47\u2014the Romanian parts kit\u2014is all new.\r\n
In The Field<\/h3>\r\nThe range session started by testing the magazine fit. For the uninitiated, this is one of the most common challenges with AKs. This is because the receiver is stamped steel from which a magazine well must be cut, and because there are so many (only moderately standardized) magazines, that fit can be troublesome. Americans prefer a tighter fit, but for which magazine? After cutting the sheet metal that becomes the receiver, of course we\u2019d prefer edges that are rounded, but that also removes material. Surely you can see that making a receiver that fits Eastern European magazines\u2014or even more troublesome American polymer magazines\u2014can be a challenge.\r\n\r\nI tested the AKG-47 with Croatian, Hungarian, Magpul, Master Molder, Romanian, Serbian, TAPCO, U.S. Palm and XTech magazines. The front-to-rear fit was snug on most, with some side-to-side play that is normal with AKs. Every magazine functioned flawlessly, though releasing the magazine understandably required a little more effort than on my old beater build, which has had thousands of rounds through it.\r\n\r\nWithout having tens of thousands of rounds on hand for an unrealistic torture test, the AKG-47 appeared to be exactly what Brandon Herrera intended it to be: an affordable, reliable AK that, while not being a custom shop build, is still reliable than an e-blast discount gun. Accuracy testing came next.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Testing Results<\/h3>\r\nTo be fair to myself and the rifle, I fired all of my five-shot groups at 50 yards. Running the rifle as equipped out of the box meant iron sights. Contrary to what many believe, Soviet and later Russian military doctrine was entirely defensively based. Designated marksman rifles like the PSL were intended more for harassing fire than for precision, and the AK-47 was generally employed to halt or end threats at 300 meters and closer. The AK was never intended for precise shooting, nor were the iron sights. Further, in keeping with the minimalist spirit, only a front rest from Range Systems was used to support the rifle. This accuracy test was practical and represents what an end-user can expect in the field.\r\n\r\nI chose some common loads from Wolf Performance Ammunition, Red Army Standard, TulAmmo and Golden Tiger. For premium ammunition, Nosler did not shy from the chance to demonstrate what its Silver State Armory 123-grain Flat Base Tipped (FBT) ammo can do. It should be noted that the Red Army Standard ammunition on hand was from a previous manufacturer, and the current ammunition is produced by Vympel, which was previously sold in the U.S. under the Golden Tiger name.\r\n
For The People<\/h3>\r\nIt certainly appears that Brandon Herrera, The AK Guy, who has risen from social media to manufacturer, has faithfully built the people\u2019s AK. Additionally, the AKG-47 provides a fit and finish above that of the old surplus guns and is made with new parts. The AKG-47 makes for a quality AKM without pushing the price point into the thousands. This is exactly what Brandon Herrera had in mind with his rifles, and he\u2019s definitely accomplished that. Now we\u2019ll just have to wait patiently for more to come. In the meantime, we put some slow-motion AKG-47 sex appeal at the bottom of this post.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit theakguy.com<\/a>.\r\n
The AK Guy AKG-47 Specifications<\/h3>\r\n
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The AK Guy AKG-47 Performance<\/h3>\r\n
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Stock Options<\/h3>\r\nThe Magpul MOE AK Stock only fits stamped receivers and is not compatible with rifles that have milled receivers, like Yugo-pattern AKs and Norinco Type 56s because of differences in the rear trunnion\u2019s tang. Magpul says you might have to do some minor fitting of the stock, but I found the MOE AK Stock fit perfectly on my Polish build.\r\n\r\nThe MOE AK Stock is lighter than the laminated wooden stock, and the 12.8-inch length of pull works for me if I\u2019m wearing extra gear. It also features a rubber recoil pad and a hidden storage compartment that can hold optics batteries or cleaning rod tips. Whatever I store in the compartment, I include a bit of foam so the parts won\u2019t rattle when the lid is closed.\r\n\r\nTo start, use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the two buttstock screws. With the screws removed, pull the factory stock out from the rear of the receiver. If the stock is stubborn, use the rubber mallet to gently tap it free.\r\n\r\nInsert the MOE wedge block for the MOE AK Stock using the included hex screw, washer and nut. Make sure the washer is between the screw head and the hole in the stock. The hole in the stock is in the forward end, inside the storage compartment. Note how the nut fits flush into the wedge block. The long screw pulls the wedge into the stock so there\u2019s no wiggle.\r\n
Magpul AK Installation<\/h3>\r\nNext, insert the two weld nuts into the T-slot at the top forward end of the stock. The first weld nut goes into the slot dimple down and hole-end first. The second goes in hole-end last, dimple down. The hole in each weld nut must be aligned with the two screw holes in the rear trunnion. The weld nuts slide around in the slot, so use the long hex wrench to position them.\r\n\r\nTake the 7\/16-inch button-head screw and place the brass conical washer tapered-side down. Insert them into the first, forward-most trunnion hole, and tighten them to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the hex wrench. Next, insert the 3\/8-inch screw through the second or rear-most trunnion tang hole, and tighten it to 30 to 40 foot-pounds. Tighten the wedge block to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the long hex wrench. Make sure the stock is flush with the rear of the receiver, with no gaps. Finally, snap the storage compartment cover into place.\r\n\r\nMagpul also offers cheek risers that are compatible with MOE stocks and snap over the comb of the stock. The cheek risers come in 0.25-, 0.5- and 0.75-inch heights. I find the extra height gives me a better cheekweld when using optics.\r\n
New Handguard<\/h3>\r\nMagpul offers two MOE handguards for the AK and AKM. The standard MOE AK handguard will only work with handguard retainers that don\u2019t include a sling loop. You can install it on a rifle that has a sling loop, but you\u2019ll first need to cut off the loop. My Polish AK has the loop, and I wanted to keep it, so I used the MOE AKM handguard.\r\nMagpul inserts stainless-steel heat shields into the handguard to protect the operator from excessive heat during extended fire, and M-LOK slots along the sides and bottom of the handguard allow you to attach various accessories, including lights, lasers, sling swivels and grips.\r\n\r\nFirst, install the bottom half of the MOE AKM handguard by inserting the two square lugs at the rear of the handguard into the open end at the front of rifle\u2019s receiver, and pivot it toward the barrel. Then, slide the handguard retainer rearward along the barrel until it fits over the front of the handguard. Rotate the cam lever down to lock it into place.\r\n\r\nYou will need to remove the gas tube from the upper portion of the factory handguard by grasping the rear retaining cap with the channel-lock pliers, or by securing it in a vise and rotating the handguard 180 degrees to free it. Replace it with the MOE upper handguard by rotating it back 180 degrees to lock it into the front and rear retainers. Reinstall it on the rifle, and rotate the gas cylinder tube lock downward.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Grip Time<\/h3>\r\nMagpul\u2019s MOE AK+ Grip also has a hidden compartment. It\u2019s flatter and wider than the factory grip, and it has textured rubber overmolding so you\u2019ll still have traction with sweaty hands.\r\n\r\nAK pistol grips are typically attached to the receiver via a long screw and a T-shaped nut inside the receiver. The screw\/nut combination pulls the grip into the bottom of the receiver to secure it. Use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the factory grip.\r\nKeep the T-nut, and position it in the hole at the bottom of the receiver so it angles toward the butt of the rifle. Insert the included screw into the Magpul MOE AK+ Grip, and hold it in place with a screwdriver. Then, with your other hand, hold the T-nut in place inside the receiver. Tighten the screw, and you\u2019re good to go.\r\n
Lock & Load<\/h3>\r\nReassemble the rifle and conduct a systems check. The only other MOE part you might want to consider is Magpul\u2019s PMAG 30 AK\/AKM GEN M3, an inexpensive, lightweight, 30-round, polymer magazine designed for AK-platform rifles in 7.62x39mm. It features a removable floorplate, constant-curve geometry, a low-friction follower and steel-reinforced locking lugs. It\u2019s a must if you want to keep running and gunning without any jams.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit magpul.com<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at\u00a0<\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong> For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How to Bring Your AK Into the 21st Century With Magpul AK Upgrades","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:56:48","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:56:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/04\/01\/21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Kalashnikov Komrad Details<\/h2>\nKalashnikov USA plans to offer the Komrad for a limited time. The company will produce an undisclosed small number of arms then retire the model. The Komrad also marks the first ever direct-to-consumer firearm from Kalashnikov. No tax stamp and non-NFA, the Komrad delivers tremendous appeal.\n\nFirstly, the item that stands out most in the photos is that Special Edition Russian Tiger Camo finish. We know it's not for everyone, but there's no denying that sex appeal.\n\nThe semi-automatic Komrad, based on the iconic Saiga shotgun, features a 12.5-inch barrel. It also weighs 12 pounds. Manufactured in the United States, it accommodates both 2.75- and 3-inch shells. It runs everything from low brass birdshot to slugs because of its adjustable gas system, according to Kalashnikov USA. Note: due to the shortened barrel length and decreased dwell time, Kalashnikov USA recommends ammo no less than 1,340 fps.\n\nThe Komrad also comes with an SB Tactical pistol brace, adjustable pistol grip, tri-rail forend and vertical forward grip. Another feature is the standard, side-mounted optics rail, not to mention the threaded muzzle nut. The Komrad ships with two, five-round magazines. Additionally, it accepts Kalashnikov's 10-round magazines, as well as most Saiga accessories. Lastly is MSRP, which lands at $1,249.\n\nThe Saiga shotgun design holds a great appeal among certain groups of tactical and competitive shooters. With a pistol brace and super-short barrel, the Komrad breathes new life into the iconic Russian hammer. For more information, visit kalashnikov-usa.com<\/a>.","post_title":"Kalashnikov Komrad: The New Non-NFA, 12-Gauge, Semi-Auto Firearm","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2020\/03\/24\/kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":127952,"post_author":"608","post_date":"2019-07-15 10:28:20","post_date_gmt":"2019-07-15 14:28:20","post_content":"Thanks to modern movies, TV shows, and, most notably, video games, the AK-47 is arguably one of the most famous firearms ever made. The now infamous AK-47 was probably best summed up in the 2005 Nicholas Cage film Lord of War.<\/em> In\u00a0the opening sequence, Cage\u2019s character, Yuri Orlov, offers the following monologue:\n\n[in_content post=\"205509\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\n\u201cOf all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova<\/em> model of 1947, more commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It\u2019s the world\u2019s most popular assault rifle, a weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood, it doesn\u2019t break, jam or overheat. It\u2019ll shoot whether it\u2019s covered in mud or filled with sand. It\u2019s so easy even a child can use it, and they do.\u201d\n\nAs the above monologue continues, Cage\u2019s character adds the facts that the Soviets put the AK-47 on a coin, and Mozambique had it on its flag. Today, it enjoys recognition as the digital gun of choice among video gamers around the world. Hip hop sons mention its name; countless movies show it.\n
AK Stand-Ins<\/strong><\/h3>\nYet, while the AK-47 is famous today, less than 40 years ago, it was largely unknown to most people outside of military circles. Even as American soldiers faced it in Vietnam, few back home knew much, if anything, about this firearm. It wasn\u2019t really until the late 1980s that the AK-47 got its close-up in movies.\n\nPrior to the 1990s, the AK-47 was a favorite among insurgents and revolutionaries, but even in movies depicting those soldiers, the AK-47 rarely appeared. Not a single AK-47 is even seen in the 1968 John Wayne film The Green Berets.<\/em> That would remain true for many of the early Vietnam War films to follow.\n\nThe U.S. government actually had a ban on all weapons imported from the Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War (between 1947 and 1989), and as a result, actual AK-47s weren\u2019t available. The AK-47s used in Apocalypse Now <\/em>were in fact Chinese Norinco Type 56 copies of the AK-47, and until the late 1980s, this would be as close as most Western filmmakers could get.\n\nMeanwhile, even in the Soviet Union, the AK-47 was seldom the star. It\u2019s generally believed that the AK-47\u2019s first appearance in a movie actually came in 1956 in the Soviet-made romantic comedy Maksim Perepelitsa<\/em>. The weapon is seen in a few scenes when the title character serves in the Red Army. This movie wasn\u2019t even screened outside of Russia until the end of the Cold War, and even today, it\u2019s almost impossible to find on home video.\n\n
<\/a>\nCovert Kalashnikov<\/h3>\nHowever, it is noteworthy that Soviet military censors even allowed AK-47s to be used at all, as Western military leaders only knew that the Red Army had issued a new select-fire rifle. Even in the intelligence community, little was known about it.\n\nThat film actually came out a year before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, an event that has largely been credited as the first time Western military analysts were able to take note of what had been only a rumored Soviet automatic weapon at the time. What is also noteworthy is that it would be nearly two decades before the AK-47 appeared in any movie outside of the Soviet Union.\n\nThe United States\u2019 ban on Warsaw Pact weapons actually kept the AK-47 from getting its close-up even in films about Vietnam, but the Israel Defense Forces managed to capture thousands of the assault rifles in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the subsequent Yom Kippur War of 1973. As a result, many of these were lent or sold to the country\u2019s film industry.\n
Big-Screen Debut<\/h3>\nThe first \u201cWestern\u201d film to feature a true AK-47 was the 1977 Israeli-made feature Operation Thunderbolt; <\/em>it\u00a0chronicled the daring Israeli commando raid on the Entebbe Airport on July 4, 1976. That movie was actually one of three films made about the raid (there were two American movies made around the same time). But it was the only one that accurately depicted the Ugandan military equipped with AK-47s. Another film released in 2018, 7 Days in Entebbe<\/em>, features AK-47s in the hands of the Ugandans as well as the hijackers\/terrorists.\n\n
<\/a>\n\nWhile not exactly an \u201caction star,\u201d Kirk Douglas, who famously played Spartacus, has the largely forgotten distinction of being the first American actor to use an AK-47 in a film. He briefly carried one in the 1978 Brian De Palma horror thriller The Fury<\/em>. Scenes were filmed in Israel, and again, captured firearms were provided by the film\u2019s armorers, hence the AK-47 made its American big-screen debut to little, if any, fanfare.\n\nHowever, a wave of Vietnam War films made in the 1980s brought attention to the AK-47. But again, due to the ban, American filmmakers typically made do with the Chinese Norinco Type 56. Today it\u2019s often easy to spot these, as many featured a folding bayonet\u2014something true AK-47s never had. The overall shape of the gun was close enough for many filmmakers. After all, few Americans had even heard of the firearm.\n\nIt wasn\u2019t until the 1986 Chuck Norris film Delta Force<\/em>, utilizing Israeli armorers, that American producers finally included real AK-47s. The producers of Rambo III<\/em>, released in 1988, also turned to Israeli armorers, and that film also featured real AK-47s. However, both Delta Force <\/em>and Rambo III<\/em> still relied on Type 56 stand-ins as well. A limited number of AK-47s were available at the time.\nThe Empire Crumbles<\/h3>\nWith the fall of the Soviet Union, vast quantities of AK-47s were suddenly available. And the embargo on the importation of the firearm ended. Throughout the 1990s, real Soviet-vintage AK-47s were finally available for use in movies.\n\nBut even so, in the firearm\u2019s most famous shootout in the movie Lord of War<\/em>, the pivotal scene still lacked sufficient actual AK-47s. When Nicholas Cage\u2019s character is in a weapons arsenal in Ukraine inspecting the firearms, those are actually SA Vz. 58 automatic rifles produced in the Czech Republic. While the Vz. 58 is similar to the AK-47 externally, the two weapons feature no common parts, including the magazine.\n\nThe reason for these stand-ins is that, while the scene was set in Ukraine in 1991, it was actually filmed outside of Prague in 2004. According to the director, Andrew Niccol, in the DVD commentary, those were real guns rented from a real arms dealer, as it was cheaper for the production to rent 3,000 real guns than to rent 3,000 blank-converted props!\n
Hollywood Goes AK<\/h3>\nIn the 1990s the firearm also began catching the eye of movie and TV producers, video game makers and rappers. The gun<\/a> became so iconic that you\u2019ve already seen it in various TV shows. In the pilot episode of The Sopranos<\/em>, Carmela actually wielded one.\u00a0The AK-47 has made appearances in Breaking Bad<\/em>, Tyrant<\/em> and The Night Manager<\/em>, among countless other TV shows.\n\nRapper King Lil G may have one of the most famous songs about the firearm, aptly named \u201cAK47.\u201d Meanwhile, Lil Wayne\u2019s track \u201cKill\u201d calls out the firearm repeatedly. But it was actually the ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones who first mentioned the AK-47; it happened in the song \u201cGuns and the Young\u201d way back in 1992. Such diverse musical artists as British glam rockers Manic Street Preachers, industrial band KMFDM and heavy metal\u2019s Megadeth have all written songs that include the AK-47. It\u2019s a firearm that has managed to transcend music genres as easily as an electric guitar.\n\n[in_content post=\"198193\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n
Toasting The AK-47<\/h3>\nAs the inventor of the AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov never made any direct profits from the production of the AK-47. But the weapons designer said he was always more motivated by the calling to serve to his country than money. Despite that fact, he owned 33 percent of the German company Marken Marketing International. The company revamped the trademarks and produces merchandise with the Kalashnikov name, including vodka, umbrellas, and knives.\n\n
<\/a>\n\nA total of 13,000 special AK-47-shaped bottles of Kalashnikov vodka were produced and shipped in wooden boxes designed to look like Cold War rifle crates. These were only exported from Russia to Australia, so they have become extremely popular among collectors.\n\nOther companies have cashed in on the AK-47, producing their own rifle-shaped bottles. It was part of a wave of spirit imports, including a Red Army Vodka bottle shaped like an artillery shell. Another similar brand offered its vodka in a bottle shaped like a Soviet Red Army canteen. Clearly, the spirit of Kalashnikov lives on in spirits as well as firearms.\n\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at <\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>. For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How the AK-47 Became a Pop Culture Firearms Icon","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/07\/15\/kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128254,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2019-06-10 08:48:47","post_date_gmt":"2019-06-10 12:48:47","post_content":"XTech Tactical recently announced the release of its newest AK accessory<\/a>, the MAG47 MIL 30-round magazine. Dubbed the \"Militia Special,\" the XTech Tactical MAG47 MIL utilizes a strong design and incorporates stainless steel feed lips.\n\n[in_content post=\"174648\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nThe company calls the MAG47 MIL the \"strongest U.S.-made rifle magazine ever made.\" XTEch Tactical developed the MAG47 in response to a consumer torture test completed at the request of XTech Tactical. The company requested that consumers compare the MAG47's durability to the legendary Bulgarian and Russian military-issued magazines.\n\nThe MAG47 features stainless steel feed lips, a solid machined steel rear lug, stainless steel spring and extremely durable polymer. The magazine easily field strips for cleaning and maintenance, according to XTech Tactical. The magazine retails for $34.95, and $1 from every magazine sold from the company website will go to Gun Owners of America.\n\n\u201cWe are proud to share that the MAG47mil was developed as a result of our direct interaction with consumers. With the ever-rising costs of the before mentioned options, we are very excited to continue to raise the bar for US AK magazines while supporting the fight to retain our standard capacity rights\u201d, stated Jeremy Deadman, XTech Tactical\u2019s Director of Sales and Marketing.\n\nThe second new release from XTech Tactical is an entry level option for its AK47 magazine line up, the OEM47. Made in the USA, the OEM47 features the same geometry and feeding as the MAG47 line without the steel reinforcements. The OEM47 is a great option for those seeking magazines for recreational use, according to XTech Tactical.. The OEM47 retails for $14.95.\n\nFor more information, visit xtechtactical.com<\/a>.","post_title":"XTech Tactical Releases MAG47 MIL 30-Round Magazines for AK Rifles","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/06\/10\/xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128808,"post_author":"882","post_date":"2019-04-03 06:00:30","post_date_gmt":"2019-04-03 10:00:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nPerhaps the first of his generation, Brandon Herrera has gone from casual YouTube and Instagram influencer to manufacturer. Starting in 2014, Brandon\u2019s YouTube channel offered a casual and fun approach to firearms with a blend of humor and useful information. But talking about AKs<\/a> on YouTube and manufacturing them are two very different things, and Brandon\u2019s jump is even greater than that as he works to produce an AK chambered in .50 BMG. We wanted to find out how a man in the vanguard of the firearms industry got started, and what fueled his mission to produce a .50-caliber AK.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203893\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\nWhy AKs? What got you into AKs?<\/h3>\r\nIt\u2019s kind of a weird fixation, right? Believe it or not, the first gun I ever shot was an AK. Some dads would start their 8-year old out on a .22 or something, but not mine. I got a Chinese under-folder right off the bat, and it just kind of went from there. As a teenager, I was very mechanically inclined, so I\u2019d take the AK apart and put it back together a million times, seeing how it all worked. It somehow never got boring to me. So, while the other 15-year-olds were chasing girls, I was tinkering with Soviet weapons.\r\n
You built your first AK with Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics, right?<\/h3>\r\nCorrect. I took the Rifle Dynamics AK Build course about five or so years ago. It was a great introduction to the fundamentals of building an AK, and I continue to learn more and more as time goes on.\r\n
Why work toward a .50-caliber AK?<\/h3>\r\nIt started as a joke, honestly. About four or five years ago, I thought, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be funny if somebody did that?\u201d It would have ended there if people didn\u2019t tell me it was impossible. From that point, it became a challenge. I didn\u2019t even think about building it as something to produce and sell until much later on, so that\u2019s pretty funny, looking back at it.\r\n
What resistance have you faced jumping into the industry?<\/h3>\r\nI guess like anything else there are the \u201cold guard\u201d types who approach new guys with contempt, and there are those who try to help them along to find their place. Luckily, the gun industry has been full of great folks I\u2019ve come to call friends over the years. It\u2019s great when industry people can find ways to collaborate instead of push each other down. There\u2019s enough room under the sun for everybody, you know? Plenty of industry to go around.\r\n
How \u201cThe AK Guy\u201d company start?<\/h3>\r\nIt officially started two years ago when I knew I wanted to try to make this my full-time job. I had already thrown a bit of money at the AK-50 project, and I knew I wanted to build other AKs, too. I was on a law school track at Campbell University at the time, and I remember it being a big deal when I decided to drop out and pursue the gun career. My friends and family probably thought I was insane, but I don\u2019t regret it for a second. I could either be a likely unhappy lawyer or build a .50-caliber AK. It was an easy choice.\r\n
Getting a Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT) license, starting a firearm manufacturing business and so on at such an early age is uncommon. Did you encounter any flak or resistance from the government?<\/h3>\r\nShockingly, not at all. It\u2019s actually pretty funny. The ATF has been the opposite of what I was expecting going in. They seem like they\u2019re genuinely there to help dealers follow the law, and not to catch them so they can throw the book at them. At least that\u2019s what my experience has been.\r\n
Meet The AKG-47<\/h3>\r\nWhile we await the release of the AK-50, The AK Guy currently offers the AKG-47 with standard Romanian furniture, refinished Russian furniture or Magpul furniture. I got my hands on the AKG-47 with Russian furniture for a range session or two.\r\nAKG-47s are built using virgin Romanian parts kits, which have about the best quality that can currently be found on the U.S. market. Additionally, the rifles aren\u2019t a mishmash of surplus military parts cobbled together in the U.S., and they aren\u2019t U.S.-made attempts to replicate something the Eastern Europeans have been doing for decades.\r\n\r\nThe AKG-47 brings you the best of both worlds by using new, un-issued, matching parts from Romania along with a U.S. receiver. After assembly, the guns are finished in graphite black Cerakote for good, long-lasting looks. The color retains a military appearance but with the added toughness of Cerakote.\r\n\r\nUpon first inspection, the AKG-47 felt different than what I\u2019m used to with AKs. I own a variety of surplus guns, American-made guns and a few no-longer-importable Vepr rifles. Also, the fit and finish of the AKG-47 exceeds what I have experienced on Saigas and Veprs. While I do own an older WASR import that has proven itself reliable time and time again, the finish wore off quickly. In the Pacific Northwest, that means certain death for firearms. The AKG-47 has them all beat.\r\n
AK Guy Criticism<\/h3>\r\nBrandon\u2019s experience in social media has made him well aware of criticisms\u2014both deserved and not\u2014when it comes to AK builds. A top concern among critics is often the quality of the rivet job. Some use tapered rivets, and others do not. The question comes down to what the receiver was made for. Meanwhile, the AKG-47 uses Russian-spec rivets seated down flush with the 1mm U.S. receiver. And in a move loved by some and hated by others, the AKG-47 is branded with The AK Guy logo. Also, this logo is carefully etched into the receiver to be deep enough to remain visible after the Cerakote is applied. As an owner of several AKs, I applaud this move to brand an AK in a way that is artful and clearer than simple Electropen or stamping.\r\n\r\nOn the topic of stampings, it is clearly evident that the rifle is built of virgin parts, as the only marking on the original Romanian parts is \u201cAKG-47\u201d on the front trunnion. Also, the spiritual home of the AKG-47\u2014the Romanian parts kit\u2014is all new.\r\n
In The Field<\/h3>\r\nThe range session started by testing the magazine fit. For the uninitiated, this is one of the most common challenges with AKs. This is because the receiver is stamped steel from which a magazine well must be cut, and because there are so many (only moderately standardized) magazines, that fit can be troublesome. Americans prefer a tighter fit, but for which magazine? After cutting the sheet metal that becomes the receiver, of course we\u2019d prefer edges that are rounded, but that also removes material. Surely you can see that making a receiver that fits Eastern European magazines\u2014or even more troublesome American polymer magazines\u2014can be a challenge.\r\n\r\nI tested the AKG-47 with Croatian, Hungarian, Magpul, Master Molder, Romanian, Serbian, TAPCO, U.S. Palm and XTech magazines. The front-to-rear fit was snug on most, with some side-to-side play that is normal with AKs. Every magazine functioned flawlessly, though releasing the magazine understandably required a little more effort than on my old beater build, which has had thousands of rounds through it.\r\n\r\nWithout having tens of thousands of rounds on hand for an unrealistic torture test, the AKG-47 appeared to be exactly what Brandon Herrera intended it to be: an affordable, reliable AK that, while not being a custom shop build, is still reliable than an e-blast discount gun. Accuracy testing came next.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Testing Results<\/h3>\r\nTo be fair to myself and the rifle, I fired all of my five-shot groups at 50 yards. Running the rifle as equipped out of the box meant iron sights. Contrary to what many believe, Soviet and later Russian military doctrine was entirely defensively based. Designated marksman rifles like the PSL were intended more for harassing fire than for precision, and the AK-47 was generally employed to halt or end threats at 300 meters and closer. The AK was never intended for precise shooting, nor were the iron sights. Further, in keeping with the minimalist spirit, only a front rest from Range Systems was used to support the rifle. This accuracy test was practical and represents what an end-user can expect in the field.\r\n\r\nI chose some common loads from Wolf Performance Ammunition, Red Army Standard, TulAmmo and Golden Tiger. For premium ammunition, Nosler did not shy from the chance to demonstrate what its Silver State Armory 123-grain Flat Base Tipped (FBT) ammo can do. It should be noted that the Red Army Standard ammunition on hand was from a previous manufacturer, and the current ammunition is produced by Vympel, which was previously sold in the U.S. under the Golden Tiger name.\r\n
For The People<\/h3>\r\nIt certainly appears that Brandon Herrera, The AK Guy, who has risen from social media to manufacturer, has faithfully built the people\u2019s AK. Additionally, the AKG-47 provides a fit and finish above that of the old surplus guns and is made with new parts. The AKG-47 makes for a quality AKM without pushing the price point into the thousands. This is exactly what Brandon Herrera had in mind with his rifles, and he\u2019s definitely accomplished that. Now we\u2019ll just have to wait patiently for more to come. In the meantime, we put some slow-motion AKG-47 sex appeal at the bottom of this post.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit theakguy.com<\/a>.\r\n
The AK Guy AKG-47 Specifications<\/h3>\r\n
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The AK Guy AKG-47 Performance<\/h3>\r\n
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Stock Options<\/h3>\r\nThe Magpul MOE AK Stock only fits stamped receivers and is not compatible with rifles that have milled receivers, like Yugo-pattern AKs and Norinco Type 56s because of differences in the rear trunnion\u2019s tang. Magpul says you might have to do some minor fitting of the stock, but I found the MOE AK Stock fit perfectly on my Polish build.\r\n\r\nThe MOE AK Stock is lighter than the laminated wooden stock, and the 12.8-inch length of pull works for me if I\u2019m wearing extra gear. It also features a rubber recoil pad and a hidden storage compartment that can hold optics batteries or cleaning rod tips. Whatever I store in the compartment, I include a bit of foam so the parts won\u2019t rattle when the lid is closed.\r\n\r\nTo start, use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the two buttstock screws. With the screws removed, pull the factory stock out from the rear of the receiver. If the stock is stubborn, use the rubber mallet to gently tap it free.\r\n\r\nInsert the MOE wedge block for the MOE AK Stock using the included hex screw, washer and nut. Make sure the washer is between the screw head and the hole in the stock. The hole in the stock is in the forward end, inside the storage compartment. Note how the nut fits flush into the wedge block. The long screw pulls the wedge into the stock so there\u2019s no wiggle.\r\n
Magpul AK Installation<\/h3>\r\nNext, insert the two weld nuts into the T-slot at the top forward end of the stock. The first weld nut goes into the slot dimple down and hole-end first. The second goes in hole-end last, dimple down. The hole in each weld nut must be aligned with the two screw holes in the rear trunnion. The weld nuts slide around in the slot, so use the long hex wrench to position them.\r\n\r\nTake the 7\/16-inch button-head screw and place the brass conical washer tapered-side down. Insert them into the first, forward-most trunnion hole, and tighten them to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the hex wrench. Next, insert the 3\/8-inch screw through the second or rear-most trunnion tang hole, and tighten it to 30 to 40 foot-pounds. Tighten the wedge block to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the long hex wrench. Make sure the stock is flush with the rear of the receiver, with no gaps. Finally, snap the storage compartment cover into place.\r\n\r\nMagpul also offers cheek risers that are compatible with MOE stocks and snap over the comb of the stock. The cheek risers come in 0.25-, 0.5- and 0.75-inch heights. I find the extra height gives me a better cheekweld when using optics.\r\n
New Handguard<\/h3>\r\nMagpul offers two MOE handguards for the AK and AKM. The standard MOE AK handguard will only work with handguard retainers that don\u2019t include a sling loop. You can install it on a rifle that has a sling loop, but you\u2019ll first need to cut off the loop. My Polish AK has the loop, and I wanted to keep it, so I used the MOE AKM handguard.\r\nMagpul inserts stainless-steel heat shields into the handguard to protect the operator from excessive heat during extended fire, and M-LOK slots along the sides and bottom of the handguard allow you to attach various accessories, including lights, lasers, sling swivels and grips.\r\n\r\nFirst, install the bottom half of the MOE AKM handguard by inserting the two square lugs at the rear of the handguard into the open end at the front of rifle\u2019s receiver, and pivot it toward the barrel. Then, slide the handguard retainer rearward along the barrel until it fits over the front of the handguard. Rotate the cam lever down to lock it into place.\r\n\r\nYou will need to remove the gas tube from the upper portion of the factory handguard by grasping the rear retaining cap with the channel-lock pliers, or by securing it in a vise and rotating the handguard 180 degrees to free it. Replace it with the MOE upper handguard by rotating it back 180 degrees to lock it into the front and rear retainers. Reinstall it on the rifle, and rotate the gas cylinder tube lock downward.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Grip Time<\/h3>\r\nMagpul\u2019s MOE AK+ Grip also has a hidden compartment. It\u2019s flatter and wider than the factory grip, and it has textured rubber overmolding so you\u2019ll still have traction with sweaty hands.\r\n\r\nAK pistol grips are typically attached to the receiver via a long screw and a T-shaped nut inside the receiver. The screw\/nut combination pulls the grip into the bottom of the receiver to secure it. Use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the factory grip.\r\nKeep the T-nut, and position it in the hole at the bottom of the receiver so it angles toward the butt of the rifle. Insert the included screw into the Magpul MOE AK+ Grip, and hold it in place with a screwdriver. Then, with your other hand, hold the T-nut in place inside the receiver. Tighten the screw, and you\u2019re good to go.\r\n
Lock & Load<\/h3>\r\nReassemble the rifle and conduct a systems check. The only other MOE part you might want to consider is Magpul\u2019s PMAG 30 AK\/AKM GEN M3, an inexpensive, lightweight, 30-round, polymer magazine designed for AK-platform rifles in 7.62x39mm. It features a removable floorplate, constant-curve geometry, a low-friction follower and steel-reinforced locking lugs. It\u2019s a must if you want to keep running and gunning without any jams.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit magpul.com<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at\u00a0<\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong> For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How to Bring Your AK Into the 21st Century With Magpul AK Upgrades","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:56:48","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:56:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/04\/01\/21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Kalashnikov Komrad Details<\/h2>\nKalashnikov USA plans to offer the Komrad for a limited time. The company will produce an undisclosed small number of arms then retire the model. The Komrad also marks the first ever direct-to-consumer firearm from Kalashnikov. No tax stamp and non-NFA, the Komrad delivers tremendous appeal.\n\nFirstly, the item that stands out most in the photos is that Special Edition Russian Tiger Camo finish. We know it's not for everyone, but there's no denying that sex appeal.\n\nThe semi-automatic Komrad, based on the iconic Saiga shotgun, features a 12.5-inch barrel. It also weighs 12 pounds. Manufactured in the United States, it accommodates both 2.75- and 3-inch shells. It runs everything from low brass birdshot to slugs because of its adjustable gas system, according to Kalashnikov USA. Note: due to the shortened barrel length and decreased dwell time, Kalashnikov USA recommends ammo no less than 1,340 fps.\n\nThe Komrad also comes with an SB Tactical pistol brace, adjustable pistol grip, tri-rail forend and vertical forward grip. Another feature is the standard, side-mounted optics rail, not to mention the threaded muzzle nut. The Komrad ships with two, five-round magazines. Additionally, it accepts Kalashnikov's 10-round magazines, as well as most Saiga accessories. Lastly is MSRP, which lands at $1,249.\n\nThe Saiga shotgun design holds a great appeal among certain groups of tactical and competitive shooters. With a pistol brace and super-short barrel, the Komrad breathes new life into the iconic Russian hammer. For more information, visit kalashnikov-usa.com<\/a>.","post_title":"Kalashnikov Komrad: The New Non-NFA, 12-Gauge, Semi-Auto Firearm","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:15:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2020\/03\/24\/kalashnikov-komrad-12-gauge-saiga\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":127952,"post_author":"608","post_date":"2019-07-15 10:28:20","post_date_gmt":"2019-07-15 14:28:20","post_content":"Thanks to modern movies, TV shows, and, most notably, video games, the AK-47 is arguably one of the most famous firearms ever made. The now infamous AK-47 was probably best summed up in the 2005 Nicholas Cage film Lord of War.<\/em> In\u00a0the opening sequence, Cage\u2019s character, Yuri Orlov, offers the following monologue:\n\n[in_content post=\"205509\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\n\u201cOf all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova<\/em> model of 1947, more commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It\u2019s the world\u2019s most popular assault rifle, a weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood, it doesn\u2019t break, jam or overheat. It\u2019ll shoot whether it\u2019s covered in mud or filled with sand. It\u2019s so easy even a child can use it, and they do.\u201d\n\nAs the above monologue continues, Cage\u2019s character adds the facts that the Soviets put the AK-47 on a coin, and Mozambique had it on its flag. Today, it enjoys recognition as the digital gun of choice among video gamers around the world. Hip hop sons mention its name; countless movies show it.\n
AK Stand-Ins<\/strong><\/h3>\nYet, while the AK-47 is famous today, less than 40 years ago, it was largely unknown to most people outside of military circles. Even as American soldiers faced it in Vietnam, few back home knew much, if anything, about this firearm. It wasn\u2019t really until the late 1980s that the AK-47 got its close-up in movies.\n\nPrior to the 1990s, the AK-47 was a favorite among insurgents and revolutionaries, but even in movies depicting those soldiers, the AK-47 rarely appeared. Not a single AK-47 is even seen in the 1968 John Wayne film The Green Berets.<\/em> That would remain true for many of the early Vietnam War films to follow.\n\nThe U.S. government actually had a ban on all weapons imported from the Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War (between 1947 and 1989), and as a result, actual AK-47s weren\u2019t available. The AK-47s used in Apocalypse Now <\/em>were in fact Chinese Norinco Type 56 copies of the AK-47, and until the late 1980s, this would be as close as most Western filmmakers could get.\n\nMeanwhile, even in the Soviet Union, the AK-47 was seldom the star. It\u2019s generally believed that the AK-47\u2019s first appearance in a movie actually came in 1956 in the Soviet-made romantic comedy Maksim Perepelitsa<\/em>. The weapon is seen in a few scenes when the title character serves in the Red Army. This movie wasn\u2019t even screened outside of Russia until the end of the Cold War, and even today, it\u2019s almost impossible to find on home video.\n\n
<\/a>\nCovert Kalashnikov<\/h3>\nHowever, it is noteworthy that Soviet military censors even allowed AK-47s to be used at all, as Western military leaders only knew that the Red Army had issued a new select-fire rifle. Even in the intelligence community, little was known about it.\n\nThat film actually came out a year before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, an event that has largely been credited as the first time Western military analysts were able to take note of what had been only a rumored Soviet automatic weapon at the time. What is also noteworthy is that it would be nearly two decades before the AK-47 appeared in any movie outside of the Soviet Union.\n\nThe United States\u2019 ban on Warsaw Pact weapons actually kept the AK-47 from getting its close-up even in films about Vietnam, but the Israel Defense Forces managed to capture thousands of the assault rifles in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the subsequent Yom Kippur War of 1973. As a result, many of these were lent or sold to the country\u2019s film industry.\n
Big-Screen Debut<\/h3>\nThe first \u201cWestern\u201d film to feature a true AK-47 was the 1977 Israeli-made feature Operation Thunderbolt; <\/em>it\u00a0chronicled the daring Israeli commando raid on the Entebbe Airport on July 4, 1976. That movie was actually one of three films made about the raid (there were two American movies made around the same time). But it was the only one that accurately depicted the Ugandan military equipped with AK-47s. Another film released in 2018, 7 Days in Entebbe<\/em>, features AK-47s in the hands of the Ugandans as well as the hijackers\/terrorists.\n\n
<\/a>\n\nWhile not exactly an \u201caction star,\u201d Kirk Douglas, who famously played Spartacus, has the largely forgotten distinction of being the first American actor to use an AK-47 in a film. He briefly carried one in the 1978 Brian De Palma horror thriller The Fury<\/em>. Scenes were filmed in Israel, and again, captured firearms were provided by the film\u2019s armorers, hence the AK-47 made its American big-screen debut to little, if any, fanfare.\n\nHowever, a wave of Vietnam War films made in the 1980s brought attention to the AK-47. But again, due to the ban, American filmmakers typically made do with the Chinese Norinco Type 56. Today it\u2019s often easy to spot these, as many featured a folding bayonet\u2014something true AK-47s never had. The overall shape of the gun was close enough for many filmmakers. After all, few Americans had even heard of the firearm.\n\nIt wasn\u2019t until the 1986 Chuck Norris film Delta Force<\/em>, utilizing Israeli armorers, that American producers finally included real AK-47s. The producers of Rambo III<\/em>, released in 1988, also turned to Israeli armorers, and that film also featured real AK-47s. However, both Delta Force <\/em>and Rambo III<\/em> still relied on Type 56 stand-ins as well. A limited number of AK-47s were available at the time.\nThe Empire Crumbles<\/h3>\nWith the fall of the Soviet Union, vast quantities of AK-47s were suddenly available. And the embargo on the importation of the firearm ended. Throughout the 1990s, real Soviet-vintage AK-47s were finally available for use in movies.\n\nBut even so, in the firearm\u2019s most famous shootout in the movie Lord of War<\/em>, the pivotal scene still lacked sufficient actual AK-47s. When Nicholas Cage\u2019s character is in a weapons arsenal in Ukraine inspecting the firearms, those are actually SA Vz. 58 automatic rifles produced in the Czech Republic. While the Vz. 58 is similar to the AK-47 externally, the two weapons feature no common parts, including the magazine.\n\nThe reason for these stand-ins is that, while the scene was set in Ukraine in 1991, it was actually filmed outside of Prague in 2004. According to the director, Andrew Niccol, in the DVD commentary, those were real guns rented from a real arms dealer, as it was cheaper for the production to rent 3,000 real guns than to rent 3,000 blank-converted props!\n
Hollywood Goes AK<\/h3>\nIn the 1990s the firearm also began catching the eye of movie and TV producers, video game makers and rappers. The gun<\/a> became so iconic that you\u2019ve already seen it in various TV shows. In the pilot episode of The Sopranos<\/em>, Carmela actually wielded one.\u00a0The AK-47 has made appearances in Breaking Bad<\/em>, Tyrant<\/em> and The Night Manager<\/em>, among countless other TV shows.\n\nRapper King Lil G may have one of the most famous songs about the firearm, aptly named \u201cAK47.\u201d Meanwhile, Lil Wayne\u2019s track \u201cKill\u201d calls out the firearm repeatedly. But it was actually the ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones who first mentioned the AK-47; it happened in the song \u201cGuns and the Young\u201d way back in 1992. Such diverse musical artists as British glam rockers Manic Street Preachers, industrial band KMFDM and heavy metal\u2019s Megadeth have all written songs that include the AK-47. It\u2019s a firearm that has managed to transcend music genres as easily as an electric guitar.\n\n[in_content post=\"198193\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n
Toasting The AK-47<\/h3>\nAs the inventor of the AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov never made any direct profits from the production of the AK-47. But the weapons designer said he was always more motivated by the calling to serve to his country than money. Despite that fact, he owned 33 percent of the German company Marken Marketing International. The company revamped the trademarks and produces merchandise with the Kalashnikov name, including vodka, umbrellas, and knives.\n\n
<\/a>\n\nA total of 13,000 special AK-47-shaped bottles of Kalashnikov vodka were produced and shipped in wooden boxes designed to look like Cold War rifle crates. These were only exported from Russia to Australia, so they have become extremely popular among collectors.\n\nOther companies have cashed in on the AK-47, producing their own rifle-shaped bottles. It was part of a wave of spirit imports, including a Red Army Vodka bottle shaped like an artillery shell. Another similar brand offered its vodka in a bottle shaped like a Soviet Red Army canteen. Clearly, the spirit of Kalashnikov lives on in spirits as well as firearms.\n\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at <\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>. For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How the AK-47 Became a Pop Culture Firearms Icon","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:16:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/07\/15\/kalashnikov-pop-culture-firearms-icon\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128254,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2019-06-10 08:48:47","post_date_gmt":"2019-06-10 12:48:47","post_content":"XTech Tactical recently announced the release of its newest AK accessory<\/a>, the MAG47 MIL 30-round magazine. Dubbed the \"Militia Special,\" the XTech Tactical MAG47 MIL utilizes a strong design and incorporates stainless steel feed lips.\n\n[in_content post=\"174648\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nThe company calls the MAG47 MIL the \"strongest U.S.-made rifle magazine ever made.\" XTEch Tactical developed the MAG47 in response to a consumer torture test completed at the request of XTech Tactical. The company requested that consumers compare the MAG47's durability to the legendary Bulgarian and Russian military-issued magazines.\n\nThe MAG47 features stainless steel feed lips, a solid machined steel rear lug, stainless steel spring and extremely durable polymer. The magazine easily field strips for cleaning and maintenance, according to XTech Tactical. The magazine retails for $34.95, and $1 from every magazine sold from the company website will go to Gun Owners of America.\n\n\u201cWe are proud to share that the MAG47mil was developed as a result of our direct interaction with consumers. With the ever-rising costs of the before mentioned options, we are very excited to continue to raise the bar for US AK magazines while supporting the fight to retain our standard capacity rights\u201d, stated Jeremy Deadman, XTech Tactical\u2019s Director of Sales and Marketing.\n\nThe second new release from XTech Tactical is an entry level option for its AK47 magazine line up, the OEM47. Made in the USA, the OEM47 features the same geometry and feeding as the MAG47 line without the steel reinforcements. The OEM47 is a great option for those seeking magazines for recreational use, according to XTech Tactical.. The OEM47 retails for $14.95.\n\nFor more information, visit xtechtactical.com<\/a>.","post_title":"XTech Tactical Releases MAG47 MIL 30-Round Magazines for AK Rifles","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 16:17:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/06\/10\/xtech-tactical-mag47-mil-magazine-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":128808,"post_author":"882","post_date":"2019-04-03 06:00:30","post_date_gmt":"2019-04-03 10:00:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nPerhaps the first of his generation, Brandon Herrera has gone from casual YouTube and Instagram influencer to manufacturer. Starting in 2014, Brandon\u2019s YouTube channel offered a casual and fun approach to firearms with a blend of humor and useful information. But talking about AKs<\/a> on YouTube and manufacturing them are two very different things, and Brandon\u2019s jump is even greater than that as he works to produce an AK chambered in .50 BMG. We wanted to find out how a man in the vanguard of the firearms industry got started, and what fueled his mission to produce a .50-caliber AK.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203893\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\nWhy AKs? What got you into AKs?<\/h3>\r\nIt\u2019s kind of a weird fixation, right? Believe it or not, the first gun I ever shot was an AK. Some dads would start their 8-year old out on a .22 or something, but not mine. I got a Chinese under-folder right off the bat, and it just kind of went from there. As a teenager, I was very mechanically inclined, so I\u2019d take the AK apart and put it back together a million times, seeing how it all worked. It somehow never got boring to me. So, while the other 15-year-olds were chasing girls, I was tinkering with Soviet weapons.\r\n
You built your first AK with Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics, right?<\/h3>\r\nCorrect. I took the Rifle Dynamics AK Build course about five or so years ago. It was a great introduction to the fundamentals of building an AK, and I continue to learn more and more as time goes on.\r\n
Why work toward a .50-caliber AK?<\/h3>\r\nIt started as a joke, honestly. About four or five years ago, I thought, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be funny if somebody did that?\u201d It would have ended there if people didn\u2019t tell me it was impossible. From that point, it became a challenge. I didn\u2019t even think about building it as something to produce and sell until much later on, so that\u2019s pretty funny, looking back at it.\r\n
What resistance have you faced jumping into the industry?<\/h3>\r\nI guess like anything else there are the \u201cold guard\u201d types who approach new guys with contempt, and there are those who try to help them along to find their place. Luckily, the gun industry has been full of great folks I\u2019ve come to call friends over the years. It\u2019s great when industry people can find ways to collaborate instead of push each other down. There\u2019s enough room under the sun for everybody, you know? Plenty of industry to go around.\r\n
How \u201cThe AK Guy\u201d company start?<\/h3>\r\nIt officially started two years ago when I knew I wanted to try to make this my full-time job. I had already thrown a bit of money at the AK-50 project, and I knew I wanted to build other AKs, too. I was on a law school track at Campbell University at the time, and I remember it being a big deal when I decided to drop out and pursue the gun career. My friends and family probably thought I was insane, but I don\u2019t regret it for a second. I could either be a likely unhappy lawyer or build a .50-caliber AK. It was an easy choice.\r\n
Getting a Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT) license, starting a firearm manufacturing business and so on at such an early age is uncommon. Did you encounter any flak or resistance from the government?<\/h3>\r\nShockingly, not at all. It\u2019s actually pretty funny. The ATF has been the opposite of what I was expecting going in. They seem like they\u2019re genuinely there to help dealers follow the law, and not to catch them so they can throw the book at them. At least that\u2019s what my experience has been.\r\n
Meet The AKG-47<\/h3>\r\nWhile we await the release of the AK-50, The AK Guy currently offers the AKG-47 with standard Romanian furniture, refinished Russian furniture or Magpul furniture. I got my hands on the AKG-47 with Russian furniture for a range session or two.\r\nAKG-47s are built using virgin Romanian parts kits, which have about the best quality that can currently be found on the U.S. market. Additionally, the rifles aren\u2019t a mishmash of surplus military parts cobbled together in the U.S., and they aren\u2019t U.S.-made attempts to replicate something the Eastern Europeans have been doing for decades.\r\n\r\nThe AKG-47 brings you the best of both worlds by using new, un-issued, matching parts from Romania along with a U.S. receiver. After assembly, the guns are finished in graphite black Cerakote for good, long-lasting looks. The color retains a military appearance but with the added toughness of Cerakote.\r\n\r\nUpon first inspection, the AKG-47 felt different than what I\u2019m used to with AKs. I own a variety of surplus guns, American-made guns and a few no-longer-importable Vepr rifles. Also, the fit and finish of the AKG-47 exceeds what I have experienced on Saigas and Veprs. While I do own an older WASR import that has proven itself reliable time and time again, the finish wore off quickly. In the Pacific Northwest, that means certain death for firearms. The AKG-47 has them all beat.\r\n
AK Guy Criticism<\/h3>\r\nBrandon\u2019s experience in social media has made him well aware of criticisms\u2014both deserved and not\u2014when it comes to AK builds. A top concern among critics is often the quality of the rivet job. Some use tapered rivets, and others do not. The question comes down to what the receiver was made for. Meanwhile, the AKG-47 uses Russian-spec rivets seated down flush with the 1mm U.S. receiver. And in a move loved by some and hated by others, the AKG-47 is branded with The AK Guy logo. Also, this logo is carefully etched into the receiver to be deep enough to remain visible after the Cerakote is applied. As an owner of several AKs, I applaud this move to brand an AK in a way that is artful and clearer than simple Electropen or stamping.\r\n\r\nOn the topic of stampings, it is clearly evident that the rifle is built of virgin parts, as the only marking on the original Romanian parts is \u201cAKG-47\u201d on the front trunnion. Also, the spiritual home of the AKG-47\u2014the Romanian parts kit\u2014is all new.\r\n
In The Field<\/h3>\r\nThe range session started by testing the magazine fit. For the uninitiated, this is one of the most common challenges with AKs. This is because the receiver is stamped steel from which a magazine well must be cut, and because there are so many (only moderately standardized) magazines, that fit can be troublesome. Americans prefer a tighter fit, but for which magazine? After cutting the sheet metal that becomes the receiver, of course we\u2019d prefer edges that are rounded, but that also removes material. Surely you can see that making a receiver that fits Eastern European magazines\u2014or even more troublesome American polymer magazines\u2014can be a challenge.\r\n\r\nI tested the AKG-47 with Croatian, Hungarian, Magpul, Master Molder, Romanian, Serbian, TAPCO, U.S. Palm and XTech magazines. The front-to-rear fit was snug on most, with some side-to-side play that is normal with AKs. Every magazine functioned flawlessly, though releasing the magazine understandably required a little more effort than on my old beater build, which has had thousands of rounds through it.\r\n\r\nWithout having tens of thousands of rounds on hand for an unrealistic torture test, the AKG-47 appeared to be exactly what Brandon Herrera intended it to be: an affordable, reliable AK that, while not being a custom shop build, is still reliable than an e-blast discount gun. Accuracy testing came next.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Testing Results<\/h3>\r\nTo be fair to myself and the rifle, I fired all of my five-shot groups at 50 yards. Running the rifle as equipped out of the box meant iron sights. Contrary to what many believe, Soviet and later Russian military doctrine was entirely defensively based. Designated marksman rifles like the PSL were intended more for harassing fire than for precision, and the AK-47 was generally employed to halt or end threats at 300 meters and closer. The AK was never intended for precise shooting, nor were the iron sights. Further, in keeping with the minimalist spirit, only a front rest from Range Systems was used to support the rifle. This accuracy test was practical and represents what an end-user can expect in the field.\r\n\r\nI chose some common loads from Wolf Performance Ammunition, Red Army Standard, TulAmmo and Golden Tiger. For premium ammunition, Nosler did not shy from the chance to demonstrate what its Silver State Armory 123-grain Flat Base Tipped (FBT) ammo can do. It should be noted that the Red Army Standard ammunition on hand was from a previous manufacturer, and the current ammunition is produced by Vympel, which was previously sold in the U.S. under the Golden Tiger name.\r\n
For The People<\/h3>\r\nIt certainly appears that Brandon Herrera, The AK Guy, who has risen from social media to manufacturer, has faithfully built the people\u2019s AK. Additionally, the AKG-47 provides a fit and finish above that of the old surplus guns and is made with new parts. The AKG-47 makes for a quality AKM without pushing the price point into the thousands. This is exactly what Brandon Herrera had in mind with his rifles, and he\u2019s definitely accomplished that. Now we\u2019ll just have to wait patiently for more to come. In the meantime, we put some slow-motion AKG-47 sex appeal at the bottom of this post.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit theakguy.com<\/a>.\r\n
The AK Guy AKG-47 Specifications<\/h3>\r\n
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The AK Guy AKG-47 Performance<\/h3>\r\n
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Stock Options<\/h3>\r\nThe Magpul MOE AK Stock only fits stamped receivers and is not compatible with rifles that have milled receivers, like Yugo-pattern AKs and Norinco Type 56s because of differences in the rear trunnion\u2019s tang. Magpul says you might have to do some minor fitting of the stock, but I found the MOE AK Stock fit perfectly on my Polish build.\r\n\r\nThe MOE AK Stock is lighter than the laminated wooden stock, and the 12.8-inch length of pull works for me if I\u2019m wearing extra gear. It also features a rubber recoil pad and a hidden storage compartment that can hold optics batteries or cleaning rod tips. Whatever I store in the compartment, I include a bit of foam so the parts won\u2019t rattle when the lid is closed.\r\n\r\nTo start, use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the two buttstock screws. With the screws removed, pull the factory stock out from the rear of the receiver. If the stock is stubborn, use the rubber mallet to gently tap it free.\r\n\r\nInsert the MOE wedge block for the MOE AK Stock using the included hex screw, washer and nut. Make sure the washer is between the screw head and the hole in the stock. The hole in the stock is in the forward end, inside the storage compartment. Note how the nut fits flush into the wedge block. The long screw pulls the wedge into the stock so there\u2019s no wiggle.\r\n
Magpul AK Installation<\/h3>\r\nNext, insert the two weld nuts into the T-slot at the top forward end of the stock. The first weld nut goes into the slot dimple down and hole-end first. The second goes in hole-end last, dimple down. The hole in each weld nut must be aligned with the two screw holes in the rear trunnion. The weld nuts slide around in the slot, so use the long hex wrench to position them.\r\n\r\nTake the 7\/16-inch button-head screw and place the brass conical washer tapered-side down. Insert them into the first, forward-most trunnion hole, and tighten them to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the hex wrench. Next, insert the 3\/8-inch screw through the second or rear-most trunnion tang hole, and tighten it to 30 to 40 foot-pounds. Tighten the wedge block to 30 to 40 foot-pounds using the long hex wrench. Make sure the stock is flush with the rear of the receiver, with no gaps. Finally, snap the storage compartment cover into place.\r\n\r\nMagpul also offers cheek risers that are compatible with MOE stocks and snap over the comb of the stock. The cheek risers come in 0.25-, 0.5- and 0.75-inch heights. I find the extra height gives me a better cheekweld when using optics.\r\n
New Handguard<\/h3>\r\nMagpul offers two MOE handguards for the AK and AKM. The standard MOE AK handguard will only work with handguard retainers that don\u2019t include a sling loop. You can install it on a rifle that has a sling loop, but you\u2019ll first need to cut off the loop. My Polish AK has the loop, and I wanted to keep it, so I used the MOE AKM handguard.\r\nMagpul inserts stainless-steel heat shields into the handguard to protect the operator from excessive heat during extended fire, and M-LOK slots along the sides and bottom of the handguard allow you to attach various accessories, including lights, lasers, sling swivels and grips.\r\n\r\nFirst, install the bottom half of the MOE AKM handguard by inserting the two square lugs at the rear of the handguard into the open end at the front of rifle\u2019s receiver, and pivot it toward the barrel. Then, slide the handguard retainer rearward along the barrel until it fits over the front of the handguard. Rotate the cam lever down to lock it into place.\r\n\r\nYou will need to remove the gas tube from the upper portion of the factory handguard by grasping the rear retaining cap with the channel-lock pliers, or by securing it in a vise and rotating the handguard 180 degrees to free it. Replace it with the MOE upper handguard by rotating it back 180 degrees to lock it into the front and rear retainers. Reinstall it on the rifle, and rotate the gas cylinder tube lock downward.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"203818\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Grip Time<\/h3>\r\nMagpul\u2019s MOE AK+ Grip also has a hidden compartment. It\u2019s flatter and wider than the factory grip, and it has textured rubber overmolding so you\u2019ll still have traction with sweaty hands.\r\n\r\nAK pistol grips are typically attached to the receiver via a long screw and a T-shaped nut inside the receiver. The screw\/nut combination pulls the grip into the bottom of the receiver to secure it. Use the flat-blade screwdriver to remove the factory grip.\r\nKeep the T-nut, and position it in the hole at the bottom of the receiver so it angles toward the butt of the rifle. Insert the included screw into the Magpul MOE AK+ Grip, and hold it in place with a screwdriver. Then, with your other hand, hold the T-nut in place inside the receiver. Tighten the screw, and you\u2019re good to go.\r\n
Lock & Load<\/h3>\r\nReassemble the rifle and conduct a systems check. The only other MOE part you might want to consider is Magpul\u2019s PMAG 30 AK\/AKM GEN M3, an inexpensive, lightweight, 30-round, polymer magazine designed for AK-platform rifles in 7.62x39mm. It features a removable floorplate, constant-curve geometry, a low-friction follower and steel-reinforced locking lugs. It\u2019s a must if you want to keep running and gunning without any jams.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit magpul.com<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the March 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Grab your copy at\u00a0<\/em>OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong> For digital editions, visit\u00a0<\/em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"How to Bring Your AK Into the 21st Century With Magpul AK Upgrades","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:56:48","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:56:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2019\/04\/01\/21st-century-magpul-ak-upgrades\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
