Home Blog Page 94

Cugir PSL 54: The Romanian Military’s DMR

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

The Romanian PSL rifle is a scaled-up AK with a long history of use and a good reputation, but is this glorified RPK with a scope worth the asking price?

 

What Is A PSL 54?

  • Designated Marksman Rifle Based On AK Action
  • Chambered For 7.62x54r
  • Made In Cugir, Romania
  • Issued Romanian Military DMR, 1974-Present Day
  • Currently Imported Into U.S. By Century International Arms

Like any true Kalashnikov, the Cugir PSL 54 is a rugged, reliable machine that accomplishes exactly what it was designed to do. As a designated marksman rifle the PSL wasn’t built to win accuracy competitions, but to engage man-sized targets within 1000 meters. Its prominence in warzones across the globe stands to reason that it does this quite well.

While the PSL may not be as refined as the SVD that inspired it, it has become an even more prominent rifle in global conflicts due to its more robust design and cost-efficient construction.

PSL rifles nearly identical to their military counterparts are currently available in the United States. While very functional rifles with a lot of historical charm, their high price tag deters many from adding one to their collection.

PSL Rifles being used during the Romanian Revolution of 1989.
PSL Rifles being used during the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Photo:Wikipedia

Development And Proliferation

While the USSR once shared technical information with the Socialist Republic of Romania to assist in their domestic production of AK-style rifles, by the time the SVD Dragunov had entered service the countries’ relationship had declined. No longer having access to the newest Soviet tech, Romania began the development of its own DMR that would be similar in form and function to the Russian SVD. The resulting rifle was the PSL, and it entered Romanian military service in 1974.

Since its adoption, the PSL has remained the standard-issue DMR for Romanian armed services and is possibly Cugir’s most popular export. For decades, these rifles have been sold to governments in the Middle East and Africa where they have been loved for their consistent reliability regardless of environmental conditions.

Ethiopian soldier training with a PSL.
Ethiopian soldier training with a PSL. Photo:Wikipedia

Design Details

At the heart of the PSL’s design is the RPK, the light machine gun version of the Kalashnikov. Like the RPK, the PSL’s stamped receiver is made from a thicker gauge of steel and features a bulged, strengthened front trunnion. On the RPK the purpose of these reinforced components is to sustain a high volume of fire, whereas on the PSL it is to handle the higher pressures of the full-powered 7.62x54r cartridge.

While the PSL is chambered for the same cartridge as the SVD, and also feeds from a 10-round magazine, they are not interchangeable. PSL magazines can be differentiated by the distinctive X-shape on the side of the body.

PSL Magazine
PSL 10-round magazine, notice the X-stamp.

The PSL was designed to fire light-ball ammunition, and they have been known to have durability issues after running excessive amounts of heavy-ball through them. This is important to keep in mind if you’re looking to get one yourself.

The original scope designed for the PSL was the Romanian-made LPS 4×24 telescopic sight, and it was essentially a copy of the Russian PSO-1.

Import Models

When PSLs were first brought into the U.S. in the late 1990's, they were very affordably priced. Their low-cost and Romanian origin caused many to turn their noses up at them, and they did not become very popular. They were originally brought in by several importers under several different names. Cugir’s quality control in this period was less than what it is today, and PSLs had a reputation for being very hit-or-miss when it came to accuracy. While the MOA capability did vary between individual guns, they were all generally accurate enough for their intended role as a DMR.

In 2018, Century Arms began importing PSLs into the United States again under their exclusive contract with Cugir. These new imports are built with all new production parts and have better QC than previous batches. They now also ship with a Russian-made PO 4×24 scope.

Despite being purpose-built as semi-automatic rifles, the original configuration PSLs were considered machine guns by the ATF. This is due to the safety-sear and third pin hole leftover in the design from its RPK origins. This means imported PSLs are built on Romanian semi-auto receivers designed specifically for the U.S. market. Besides this small internal change and the lack of a bayonet lug, the imported PSLs are identical to their military counterparts.

Currently imported PSL rifle. Notice the lack of a bayonet lug.
Currently imported PSL rifle. Notice the lack of a bayonet lug and Russian-made scope.

The PSL is a formidable weapon and is possibly Romania’s most prolific original weapon design. The widespread proliferation of the PSL combined with the longevity of its design means that these rifles will be a common sight on battlefields for decades to come.

While it is still a good gun, the general consensus surrounding currently imported PSLs is that they are too expensive for what they are. At the end of the day these are still just scaled-up RPKs with a scope, yet Century has the MSRP for the PSL set at almost $1,000 higher than their Romanian RPK import. I remember when these started to get imported again a few years back, after the initial excitement faded most retailers were left with plenty still in stock. Even as I write this, there are PSLs available online at prices below their MSRP.

While they are very functional and historically interesting unless you are a diehard Combloc collector the PSL probably isn’t the rifle for you. I’m not sure what practical role this could fill for the average American shooter that a scoped AR-10 build couldn’t for less money.

As much as I appreciate the PSL, I wouldn’t be able to justify spending over two thousand dollars on one. That being said, it is still cheaper than the Zastava M91 or any variant of a genuine SVD. So, if you need a scoped 7.62x54r rifle in your life the PSL still may be your best bet.

For more information on the Cugir PSL Rifle, please visit the importer's site at centuryarms.com.

More Romanian AKs

Video: The Basics Of Selecting A Gun Light

By
Elwood Shelton
-
0

There's more to picking a gun light than simply strapping a torch to your heater.

Quick fact: assailants prefer the shadows. Yes, quite the breaking news, but something to keep well in mind when preparing to defend yourself against these felonious meatheads. To this end, it’s generally wise to have some sort of method of identifying a threat when light is scarce or outright absent. This, dear reader, leads us to gun lights.

Quite handy devices, freeing up both hands for more important jobs, say like, getting your pistol on target. But similar to all gear and gadgets meant to guard your life, picking the right one takes some consideration and understanding of what you opting into. Jamie Caldwell, a former special operator and instructor with 1-Minute Out, breaks down the bare essentials of gun lights in the above video.

Of course, a mounting system on the gun itself is paramount, though largely moot at this point. Most guns tailored for personal defense and concealed carry already boast a rail of some sort, making things easy. From there, what goes under the microscope is does a gun light’s operating system mesh with you as a shooter. Some might find a toggle switch at the back of the light simple to flick on and off when indexing, others might feel more comfortable with a pressure pad that activates when a handgun is gripped. Either is viable, but it’s worth the time and effort to parse out what is most intuitive to you before investing in one.

Features are another factor. Strobe setting and laser-sight additions are some of the more obvious, but more nuanced features, such as body material and run-time, are perhaps more important. You want to make certain you have assets built into your gun light that ensures it’s ready to go the moment you are. Also, for those new to on-weapon lighting solutions, there more to it than the torch you strap to your gun. You’ll also have to research and invest in a holster compatible with your light and gun. And in all likelihood, another hanger when you aren’t running a light.

Any way you cut it, picking the proper gun light takes study. But finding the right one vastly enhances the capabilities of your personal defense gun.

Get more training from Panteao Productions.

Get More Instruction From Jamie Caldwell:

Developing A Dry Fire Training System

By
Richard A. Mann
-
0

No ammo. No range. No Problem. A dry fire training system allows you to keep your skills sharp in the confines of your own home. Here are five areas to work on.

What Should Be Part Of A Dry Fire Training System:

Competency with a defensive handgun is a perishable skill. You need to practice on a regular basis to improve or just remain proficient. That takes time and money, and time and money are the two things most of us have the least. For many, a trip to the range can consume a half or full day, and with range fees and ammunition, it can cost a hundred bucks or more. What might surprise you, especially if you’re a new shooter, is that you can practice the most important of those perishable skills at home, without ammunition.

G-Sight Training Aid

Typically, this type of practice is called dry practice or dry-fire practice, meaning, it’s practice without ammunition. Too often shooters don’t give dry practice the credit it deserves. This is probably partly because dry practice is boring, but mostly because dry practice is very boring. However, just because it’s boring does not mean it’s not helpful. In fact, almost every athletic endeavor—shooting is an athletic endeavor—can be improved with some form of dry practice.

Here are five of the most critical aspects of employing a defensive handgun in an effective manner that can be improved upon without ever firing a single shot. All these practices can be conducted at home for a few minutes each day to create a fruitful dry fire training system. You just need to find a safe place where you’re undisturbed, make sure your handgun is—for damn sure—unloaded, that there’s no ammunition around and concentrate.

Firearm Presentation

Being able to get your pistol out of your holster and orientated toward the threat quickly and efficiently is a critical aspect of weaponcraft with regard to the defensive handgun. It starts with clearing the cover garment and establishing a shooting grip while the handgun is in the holster. It ends with the handgun properly orientated with the sights on the target. A great way to work on this is with a shot timer and a smartphone.

The par time feature on shot timers make them ideal for a dry practice training system.
The par time feature on shot timers make them ideal for a dry practice training system.

A shot timer, such as the PACT Club Timer, comes with a par time feature. This par time feature allows you to set the shot timer to beep after a certain amount of time. It also has a delay start feature. Set the delay start and par time to 3 seconds and stand ready with your handgun concealed as you most often carry it.

At the signal, draw the handgun, present it toward the target, and make a trigger press when the sights are properly aligned. Your goal is to accomplish this before you hear the second beep, which will occur 3 seconds after the first. You can then gradually adjust the par time, with the ultimate goal of getting it down to about 1 second.

The smartphone can be used to video your draw stroke. To do this, you’ll need a helper, or you can also use a tripod and a smartphone mount. G-Sight, which manufacturers a device we’ll discuss shortly, also makes a tabletop tripod and smartphone mount that works great for this. You can record your draw stroke in real-time or even slow motion. The idea is to watch your draw stroke to make sure you’re performing each step correctly.

More Firearms Training And Drills:

Holstering

Putting your handgun back into your holster is also very important. Why? This is the activity that most often results in self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Because holsters that cover the trigger guard and inside the waistband (IWB) carry are so popular, and because shooters often forget to remove their finger from the trigger guard when they holster, the holster or the waistband presses against the finger, the finger presses against the trigger, and the gun goes bang. This is often accompanied by a scream and a fluent expression of profanity.

Developing your handgun presentation skills—drawing the handgun—can be critical to maximizing your chances of surviving a lethal confrontation. Equally important and simple to add to a dry fire training system, practicing holstering your handgun safely and efficiently.
Developing your handgun presentation skills—drawing the handgun—can be critical to maximizing your chances of surviving a lethal confrontation. Equally important and simple to add to a dry fire training system, practicing holstering your handgun safely and efficiently.

Many instructors teach that you should be able to holster your handgun without looking at the holster. There are times when this could be a valuable skill, particularly in law enforcement, but for the civilian shooter, the frequency of needing to holster without looking is rare.

Every dry practice session should include at least 20 or so repetitions of the slow and methodical holstering of your handgun. This will condition you to holster your handgun slow and methodically. The need to holster in a hurry is just as rare as needing to holster without looking. On the upside, by the repetitive practice of holstering your handgun, you’ll eventually be able to do it—if you feel the need to—without looking.

Sight Alignment and Trigger Control

The secret to shooting accurately is really no secret at all; it’s simply the proper alignment of the sights and a trigger press that doesn’t disturb that alignment. This is something that dry practice can definitively improve upon, and there are several inexpensive ways to do it.

A pencil is a great tool to help develop sight alignment and trigger control. It’ll work great with a semi-auto, not so much with a revolver.
A pencil is a great tool to help develop sight alignment and trigger control. It’ll work great with a semi-auto, not so much with a revolver.

One of the oldest methods is to draw a small target about the size of a pencil eraser on a sheet of notebook paper and tape it to the wall. Alternatively, you can just tape a target to the wall. Then, insert a sharpened pencil in the barrel of the handgun. Next, aim at the target, with the pencil about an inch from the target, and press the trigger. The pencil will make a dot on the target when the hammer hits the eraser and pushes it out of the barrel. Do this about five times and you’ll have a five-shot—pencil dot—group on the paper. The goal is for all the pencil dots to be in the same place.

Another technique is to balance a dime on top of the pistol’s slide or barrel. This won’t work on Glocks or other pistols with flat slides. But, with handguns with rounded slides or exposed barrels, place the dime on the barrel or slide, establish a sight picture, and press the trigger without letting the dime fall off.

A more modern approach is to use a device like the one offered by G-Sight. Their Expert Laser Marksman System is a laser module that fits inside the chamber of your pistol. When you press the trigger, the device emits a laser flash that you can see on the target. One of the things that makes the ELMS system so revolutionary is that when combined with their G-Sight LTP app, the camera on your smartphone records these laser flashes on the target.

After firing a 10-shot group you can review those imaginary bullet impacts—laser flashes—on your smartphone. You’ll need the tripod and phone mount mentioned earlier, and G-Sight offers several affordable options. In fact, a complete system with the ELMS, tripod and mount retails for as little as $110.

Malfunctions

Being able to keep your pistol operational is a highly desirable skill. Stoppages/malfunctions occur and that guy by the name of Murphy tends to ensure they occur at the least opportune moment. You prepare for these moments by staging stoppages in your handgun and clearing them. The best way to learn how to clear stoppages is with dummy rounds.

Type 3 malfunction rounds are dummy rounds that simulate a Type 3 malfunction. You can mix these rounds in with live ammo when conducting live fire. This will help you train to clear complex malfunctions.
Type 3 malfunction rounds are dummy rounds that simulate a Type 3 malfunction. You can mix these rounds in with live ammo when conducting live fire. This will help you train to clear complex malfunctions.

A common dummy round inserted in the chamber of your handgun will simulate a failure to fire. A new dummy round called the Type 3 Malfunction Round, does a great job of simulating a more complex stoppage where—for a variety of reasons—a cartridge fails to fully chamber.

By setting up these stoppages at home and going through the clearing procedures, you can create a conditioned response. Then, when you’re on the range conducting live-fire, you can use these dummy rounds—spaced throughout your magazines—to create stoppages you’re not expecting. If you’ve done your dry-fire homework, you’ll be ready to further train to create an even more conditioned response to stoppages.

Reloading

It’s a fact that most actual defensive handgun engagements involving civilians rarely exceed the expenditure of more than a single load. In other words, most defensive handgun engagements are over before a reload is required or conducted. That, however, doesn’t mean reloading your handgun with speed and grace is something you shouldn’t learn to do. In fact, sometimes a reload is the best way to deal with a stoppage. A shot timer can help you develop this skill so that you can accomplish the task faster.

If you plan to keep your gun in the fight reloading practice is a must in any dry fire training system.
If you plan to keep your gun in the fight reloading practice is a must in any dry fire training system.

Set the par time on the shot timer to about 4 seconds. Then, fill up several magazines with dummy rounds, put one in the gun and the rest in your magazine pouches or wherever you normally carry them. Now, with the handgun orientated toward the target, when you hear the start signal on the timer, conduct a reload.

There are essentially three different types of reloads to practice. With the speed reload, you’re simply ejecting one magazine and inserting a new one. With the slide-lock reload, you start with the gun in slide lock and then eject the magazine, insert a new one and drop the slide. For the tactical reload, you retain the partially expended magazine that’s in the gun—for potential later use—and insert a new one.

You can work on all of these reload techniques with the par time feature on the shot timer. For speed and slide-lock reloads, a good goal is something between 2 and 3 seconds. For a tactical reload, time isn’t so much of a concern because you should only conduct a tactical reload when you have time.

Frequency Of Practice

So, how much of your week should your dry fire training system monopolize? I dry practice every day. It might only be four or five trigger presses or presentations, or I may spend as long as 20 minutes working on sight alignment and trigger control, immediate action or reloading. Handling your handgun every day, even for just a few moments, gets you more familiar with it. If you can do it without the adverse expenditure of time or money, it only makes sense.

But don’t overlook the assistance dry-fire practice can provide in conjunction with a trip to the range for live fire. Intermingling dry fire with live fire while on the range can help you get the most out of the time and money you’re spending, while actually making loud noises.

As a final consideration and reminder: safety first. When conducting any form of dry practice, make sure your handgun is unloaded, that no live ammunition is anywhere near you and that you’re always pointing your handgun in a safe direction. Bullet holes in your television, family members or yourself have a way of creating a bad day. Being humans of sound mind and caring nature, that’s something we like to avoid.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2020 EDC issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

ANR Design: No Compromise Holsters And Accessories

By
Jay Pinsky
-
0

Focusing on quality and performance, ANR Design has earned a dedicated following in the competitive holster and accessories market.

What Sets ANR Apart From Other Holster Makers:

  • Alex Costa laid the groundwork for the company in 2013 making his own Kydex holster.
  • ANR's holsters are known for their superior performance and dash of irreverence.
  • In addition to hangers, ANR also produces 3D-printed accessories.
  • The manufacturer has striven to grow, but slowly, as not to compromise the quality of its products.

Most people probably don’t think, “pheasants,” when they consider their next tactical holster purchase. I do … well, I do now anyway.

You see, last year, I got invited on my first wild pheasant hunt with Zach Hein from CZ-USA. Born and raised in Kansas, Zach wanted me to experience a few of the things that matter the most to him: his Midwestern family, hunting pheasants—and one of his very best hunting buddies, Alex Costa. Costa owns ANR Design, a New Hampshire-based thermoplastic solutions and holsters company.

Here’s an example of ANR Design’s Kydex Appendix Light Bearing IWB holster.
Here’s an example of ANR Design’s Kydex Appendix Light Bearing IWB holster.

Zach’s family is a living Norman Rockwell experience of Americana: The pheasants of Kansas are glorious, and while I hunted beside Alex, I learned he is exactly the kind of man you want building holsters for you—he’s meticulous, pragmatic, painstakingly self-critical, and, above all else, a patriot.

Regardless of how smart or well-trained anyone in the firearms industry might be, at the end of the day, I want to buy a product from a company that cares about what it makes. And, from the way Costa treated strangers to the way he treated Zach, me, and the dogs … I know he gives a damn.

Never Heard of ANR Design?

“In 2013, I started getting interested in firearms classes and needed holsters and equipment for class,” Costa said. “At the time, there were only a few reputable Kydex holster makers, and prices were very high compared to today’s prices. I decided to make my own, per a suggestion from a roommate at the time. I started with two partners, and we began using a third-party manufacturing company for 3D-printed metal accessories—tie bars, money clips, cuff links, and GoPro mounts, which were selling and bringing in a very small income. This funded the Kydex holster-making side of the business.

“Our brand image is filter-less, rough, honest, hard-use, tattooed, and sometimes crude,” Costa pointed out. “We portray our business exactly how we are in real life: We beat the crap out of our gear. We’re each putting 50,000-plus rounds downrange a year. We wear our heart on our sleeve and are brutally honest. This attracts some people and pushes others away.”

Speaking of customers, clever marketing and a savvy Internet presence certainly helped ANR Design from
the start.

The company makes customized Kydex holsters for a variety of handguns.
ANR Design makes customized Kydex holsters for a variety of handguns.

“We are honest—to a fault,” Costa explained. “Transparency with the customer, whether they like it or not, is important to us. The customer is not always right. We try to communicate, accommodate, and maintain absolute honesty through every level of the customer experience. This has created a very strong cultlike customer base. They appreciate the quality customer service on top of the social media transparency we have. I personally answer up to 200 questions a day on our Instagram stories. Accessibility is key.”

No one is successful alone. Costa’s list of friends (such as Zach Hein) and mentors aren’t too far from his mind. Costa said Josh Eastman of Beyond the Brand Media certainly started out as a mentor for him when he first launched his business.

“Josh really helped me dial in my website and helped create the brand that is ANR today. Josh is a very close friend. We’re both very successful in our industries and spend countless hours bouncing ideas off each other for improvements for our businesses. I can 100 percent attribute a large portion of my digital successes to Josh’s hard work.”

Catching the Public’s Eye

Solid marketing and a reputation for being direct and honest might be desirable, especially in the life-and-death world of the firearms industry. Nevertheless, the bottom line for any business is the success or failure of its products.

“Our 3D printed accessories caught the eye of a few larger companies. This helped bridge some future collaboration opportunities that catapulted the company forward. Locals at classes saw our holsters and started offering cash.

One of the products ANR makes is the ANVL UKON, a micro Trijicon RMR rifle mount that incorporates a single focal plane, absolute co-witness, backup iron sight package.
One of the products ANR Design makes is the ANVL UKON, a micro Trijicon RMR rifle mount that incorporates a single focal plane, absolute co-witness, backup iron sight package.

“We registered the business in January 2014 and continued building holsters in my basement workshop for almost two and a half years,” Costa added. “My first employee came to work in my basement with me.”

Costa’s success wasn’t the result of some childhood dream or empowered patriotic quest—at least at first. Why did he choose to start a business in the firearms industry?

“I didn’t mean to,” Costa admitted. “Honestly, I was happy working in the commercial food industry. But the company I worked for had a massive layoff in 2014. I was forced to find work elsewhere. Then, I was a warranty engineer at an automotive parts company but was absolutely miserable. By this time, we were working from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. (after our regular jobs were finished for the day) every night during the week, pushing holsters through our website.”

Slow and Steady: The ANR Way

Like many Americans, especially now, Costa’s luck wasn’t golden, even with the slow, but steady, success of his new business.

“A series of unfortunate events left me jobless a year later, but ANR was healthy enough to support me,” Costa said. “I worked in production molding for a billion-dollar company, so it came as second nature to learn manufacturing and tool production. I graduated in 2010 with a degree in mechanical engineering, so I had the education and experience to do this. My partner, Jon, has a business background, and I was completing my master’s degree in business administration. Our goals early on were to build our business organically, never borrow money, never have investors and never grow too fast to bankrupt the business.”

The company works with firearms manufacturers to create and refine accessories, such as holsters.
ANR Design works with firearms manufacturers to create and refine accessories, such as holsters.

No, there were no magic beans, lottery winnings or rich, dead uncles to anchor their dream. Alex and the rest of his employees simply busted their butts. It was this kind of personal investment that made ownership of their company— and their dream—so much more valuable to them than what it was worth financially at the time.

As anyone with the slightest firearms acumen might imagine, the current political climate and our ongoing pandemic have played significant roles in ANR Design’s business.

According to Costa, “Politics certainly boost panic buying and sales. Election years always have a small boost to sales. Economic unrest and fear of the government or looting boosts sales. War boosts sales on our military sales side of the business.

“COVID-19 catapulted us into a new tier of customers,” he added. “It pushed on-the-fence gun buyers to take the plunge. All those new gun owners need holsters. Eighty percent of our historical business consists of return customers. Between riots and COVID-19, we are at a 278 percent increase of business, year to date. The increased business has helped motivate us to be much more efficient in production. The increased sales have financially opened many doors for us to pursue some very expensive and exciting projects we couldn’t afford last year.”

No Direct Influence Needed

One thing about Costa and ANR Design is this: Don’t bother comparing his gear to anyone else’s. He doesn’t, and here’s his simple reason why:

The folks at ANR take great pride in the company’s honesty of firearms and usage with its products.
The folks at ANR Design take great pride in the company’s honesty of firearms and usage with its products.

“Honestly, I spend zero time looking at other people’s products. I spend zero time analyzing other goods on the market. The reason is that I want zero inspiration from a competitor. I want zero influence in my goods and services from a competitor. However, I know that it’s almost 100 percent unavoidable, especially when a lot of our changes come from customer suggestions. Generally, customer suggestions come from other experiences with other people’s products. We make sure to keep an open mind to a lot of these suggestions so that we can create our interpretation of the suggestion for the development of a product.”

ANR Design’s goals are the same as most companies; they want to grow and be more successful. For ANR Design, the devil’s in the details.

“We want to keep growing and keep providing quality goods and services to the marketplace,” Costa explained. “We’re starting to get very heavy in the military industry, and I find much joy in special project development for special ops units. It feels new and fresh to me. We’ll continue to align ourselves with more gun companies and provide OEM support of holsters for new guns.”

The ANR Design, Now And In The Future

Despite ANR Design’s ever-growing success, Costa seems to never lose sight of his good fortune as a key collaborator in the success of others in the gun industry.

“We’re lucky: We get to see, handle, and test-fire new guns all the time—long before press releases. It’s truly a privilege to develop a holster for a prototype firearm so there are aftermarket accessories prepared for the firearm’s launch. We hope more and more companies choose us. We thrive on innovation and the development of new holsters.”

ANR Design is a small business that is continuing to grow through innovation and determination.
ANR Design is a small business that is continuing to grow through innovation and determination.

Moving forward, Costa is clear on what he thinks his brand is and will be.

“The brand is exactly what I want it to be, and it’s only getting healthier,” he said. “We’re adapting to the ever-changing landscape. We’re changing the way we sell things. We’re increasing the capabilities and offerings of our web store. We’d like to be an online one-stop shop.”

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Must-Read Articles on Concealed Carry Holsters

New American-Made AK-74 Parts Kits From Circle 10 AK

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

Circle 10 AK just released an American-made parts kit for building AK-74s, and if the parts are made as well as they claim, it could be just what the U.S. 5.45 market needed.

 

Some Of The Other Things You Will Need To Complete Your AK-74:

  • Receiver
  • Riveting Tool
  • Trigger Guard Riveting Jig
  • Barrel Press Kit
  • 12-Ton Press
  • Drill Press
  • Skills

The American AK market has been severely lacking 5.45×39 options for a while now. Complete AK-74s have stopped coming in for a variety of reasons, and the supply of surplus parts kits has seemingly dried up. The parts kits that do come in are very expensive and haven’t even included barrels since the ATF banned their importation in 2005. There are many new American AK-enthusiasts who wish that they had an AK-74 in their collection. For some time now the only available 5.45 AKs were from Palmetto State Armory, and while they made a noble effort the end result was unfortunately not up to Kalashnikov standards.

While American-made AKs have had a rocky past, and I remain skeptical of the quality of any AK that is not from an ex-communist dictatorship, this new parts kit from Circle 10 AK shows a lot of promise.

Circle-10-AK-US-Made-AK74-Parts-Kit-3 copy
The full parts kit from Circle 10 AK.

Parts Quality

All parts included in this kit are new production and made in the U.S. Some of the parts are made in-house by Circle 10 AK themselves, while others have been outsourced.

The included 16” barrel has been chrome-lined, but the manufacturer is not listed. Some U.S.-made AK barrels have had issues in the past, so hopefully this one will prove to be of decent quality.

The most important parts of the rifle—the bolt, bolt carrier, and front trunnion—are all made from forgings. This is the proper method for making these components and is a good sign of their quality.

Forged parts are great news for this kit, but the overall quality of its components won’t be truly known until they have been built into complete guns and abused with thousands of rounds of fire.

Home-Built

Keep in mind that building an AK is nothing like assembling an AR. AKs require more tools and knowhow than most people have, and you should do research and gauge your skill level before embarking on a home-build project.

For those looking to learn, however, this is an ideal kit to do it on because it has no historical significance. If you’re going to make a mistake, it would be better for everyone if you did it on this new-production American kit rather than original Russian parts from the ‘70s.

The included rear trunnion is for a fixed stock, but the front trunnion has been drilled to accommodate a side-folder latch. It would only take a rear trunnion swap to build this kit into an AKS-74 or AK-74M style of rifle.

AKS-74
Russian AKS-74 with side-folding triangle stock. The Circle 10 AK kit could be built into something similar. Photo:Wikipedia

I am excited to see these new Circle 10 AK kits built out and tested. If their forged parts can withstand the high chamber pressures of 5.45 without issue, Circle 10 AK may have just provided for an excellent new option for American shooters looking to get into the AK-74 platform.

The parts kit has an MSRP of $849.95, but don’t forget to factor in the cost of hiring an experienced builder or of buying the tools needed to do it yourself.

For more information on Circle 10 AK, please visit circle10ak.com.

Imported 7.62 AK Options

Cugir Mini Draco: The Goldilocks AK Pistol

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

If you think the Draco is too big, and the Micro Draco is too small, then the Cugir Mini Draco should be just right.

 

What Is A Cugir Mini Draco?

  • 7.62×39 AK Pistol
  • 7.75-Inch Chrome-Lined Barrel
  • Made In Cugir, Romania
  • Non-Standard Handguards
  • Standard AK Iron Sights
  • A2 Birdcage Flash Hider

We’ve already discussed Cugir’s Standard Draco and Micro Draco AK pistols, and there isn’t too much more that can be said about their intermediate-length Mini Draco. Cugir-made AKs are known for being rugged, reliable machines regardless of their barrel length. In terms of build-quality, I consider all of their models to be equal.

So, with three great AK pistol options available from Cugir, the only thing you have to ask yourself before buying one is how small do you want to go?

Mini Draco

Why The Mini Draco?

As with all things in weapons design, everything is a tradeoff. The Micro Draco is the king of compactness, but it comes at the cost of muzzle velocity and space to put your supporting hand. The standard Draco offers better ballistic performance and ergonomics but is not nearly as easy to stow away. The Mini Draco is the happy medium between these other two designs.

The Mini Draco has a slightly higher muzzle velocity than the Micro, and its handguards are larger as well. The shorter barrel and gas system compared to the standard model also makes the Mini much handier.

comparison
Standard Draco (top) versus Mini Draco (bottom).

Note that the included A2 flash hider adds a relatively significant amount of length to this little pistol. While this could be removed for extra compactness, 7.62×39 produces a lot of noise and muzzle flash when fired from a barrel this short so you will probably want to keep it on, if not replace it with an even more effective device.

Sights

Another advantage of the Mini Draco over the Micro is the sights. Micro Dracos have U-notch, Krinkov-esque sights on the dust cover that may be alright for quick-acquisition at close ranges, but the standard AK rear sight on the Mini will allow for much more accurate shooting.

7.62×39 loses minimal velocity out of short barrels, so the accuracy of the Mini Draco should still be sufficient to make good hits at medium ranges. Keep in mind that while the shorter barrel has little effect on mechanical accuracy, the shorter sight radius between the front and rear irons will result in lower practical accuracy when compared to a full-sized WASR or even a standard Draco.

The Mini Draco does not include a side-scope rail, so mounting optics will require a little more creativity.

Handguards

Like the Micro, the Mini Draco also has a non-standard handguard, only of a different style. While the Micro’s handguard is carved into a hand or finger stop-type shape, the Mini’s are much plainer. The Micro handguard’s unique shape helps to prevent the shooter from injuring themselves with the super short barrel, but it can also inhibit reloads. The fat lip on its rear end hangs over the receiver, and it has the potential to crush your finger while rocking out an empty mag. This is not a problem on the Mini Draco.

As far as options for replacing the handguards, it is possible to modify a standard AKM-pattern set to fit if you don’t mind a little woodworking.

There are also a few aftermarket Mini Draco handguard options as well, most of which are tactical in nature and provide real estate for mounting accessories or optics.

Mini Draco with modded handguard.
Mini Draco with modified AKM handguards. Photo:User K20egcw on Reddit

All Cugir AK pistols have the potential to be both fun range toys and effective personal defense weapons. Which model you select out of the three available sizes is purely dependent on personal preference and what you plan on using it for. Each Draco comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, so for those who can’t make up their minds the Mini Draco will offer the best of both worlds.

For more information on Mini Dracos, please visit the importer's site at centuryarms.com.

More Imported AK Pistols and Rifles

Escort DF12: The Newest AR-Pattern Shotgun

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

Imported from Turkey, the new Escort DF12 is a rugged, semi-auto 12-gauge with familiar handling and controls.

 

DF12 Specs:

  • 12-Gauge, 3″ Magnum Chamber
  • 18-Inch Barrel
  • 8.9 Pounds
  • 5+1 Capacity
  • 5 Included Chokes (F, IM, M, IC, CYL)

Turkey is one of largest producers of shotguns in the world, and Hatsan USA imports many different models into the United States. Their popularity around the globe is partly due to their affordability, and while the Escort DF12 may not be the cheapest shotgun Hatsan has to offer, it’s easy to see where the extra money is going.

Escort DF12, black
Escort DF12, black.

Rugged

The Escort DF12 is constructed from robust aircraft-grade metal alloy, with both the upper and lower receivers built tough enough to handle the hottest of 12-gauge magnum slugs. Its barrel has been hard chrome-plated to prevent oxidation and withstand wear.

The Cerakote finish offered in either black or FDE provides good resistance against the elements as well.

Versatile

The DF12 is chambered for 3-inch magnum shells, but Hatsan claims that it will reliably cycle 2 ¾-inch shells too. It includes a 5-piece choke system that can accommodate everything from slugs to birdshot.

These features enable the DF12 to be a suitable choice for hunting a variety of game as well as for trapshooting or home defense.

The DF12’s charging handle is also reversible, making it ideal for both left- and right-handed shooters.

Familiar Handling

Patterned after the most popular rifle in America, the DF12 should be easy to learn and use for anyone who is at all familiar with the AR-15. The included carry handle/rear sight assembly was directly copied from the AR, and its stock and pistol grip appear that they can be swapped out for standard aftermarket AR-15 parts as well.

The included stock features an adjustable comb height, allowing for a proper sight picture regardless of whether you are running irons or a red dot. Picatinny rails on top of the receiver and handguards provide for ample space to mount an optic, and the railing underneath the handguard is ideal for the included angled foregrip or any other accessories.

DF12 Angled Grip
DF12 handguard with included angled foregrip.

This shotgun includes a lot of extra modularity and features not seen on similar semi-auto, magazine-fed designs, and it even comes with flip-up fiber optic TruGlo sights. It ships with a 5-round magazine in the box, and 2-rounders are also available for purchase. These may be fine for hunting, but for a shotgun that seems to have been designed with tactical applications in mind it would be nice if larger mags were available as well.

Assuming that the Escort DF12 is as reliable as advertised, this seems like a decent shotgun for an MSRP of $699.99.

For more information on Escort, please visit escortshotgunsusa.com.

More Guns From Escort

WBP Mini Jack And Lynx: AK Pistols Straight Outta Poland

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

For those who want a Draco with a bit more style, look no further than the WBP Mini Jack or Lynx.

What Are WBP AK Pistols?

  • 7.62x39mm
  • 10.2-Inch Chrome-Lined Barrel
  • Two Available Variants
  • Made In Rogów, Poland

AKs from WBP have been growing in popularity over recent years as other imported AK options have dwindled. Available, foreign-made AKs in the U.S. are currently limited to three manufacturers—Cugir, Zastava, and now WBP. Cugir and Zastava have longer histories, but WBP has shown a lot of promise for a relatively new company getting into AK production. So far, their guns have garnered a reputation of being just as reliable and functional as any AK from a more established military arsenal. The cherry on top is that WBP guns have a nicer fit and finish than most other AKs on the market, too.

WBP Mini Jack
WBP Mini Jack

Variants


There are two AK pistol models currently imported from WBP, the Mini Jack and the Lynx. The Mini Jack is the more classic, traditional model with wooden handguards, while the Lynx is the tactical variant.

The Mini Jack is essentially WBP’s pistol version of their Fox rifles. Besides the shorter barrel length, the Mini Jack only differs from the Fox in a few ways. The Mini Jack has a combination gas block and front sight, with a proportionally shorter gas piston. Unlike the Fox, the Mini Jack has no way to mount the uniquely Polish FB Radom rail system. It does include a standard-pattern side scope rail for mounting optics, however.

As the tactical model, the Lynx has the same guts as the Mini Jack but comes with black polymer furniture instead of wood, and segments of Picatinny on top for mounting optics in lieu of a side scope rail. The Picatinny rails are found on the rear sight block and gas tube, and have been aligned to allow for the seamless mounting of optics. Keep in mind that because the rear sight has been entirely replaced with Picatinny rail, there are no usable iron sights on the Lynx.

The Lynx also features an enhanced safety selector and magazine release for easier manipulation.

Both the Lynx and the Mini Jack have a barrel threaded for 14×1 LH muzzle devices, but a barrel nut has been spot welded on for legal importation. Removing this weld is easy and legal and will allow for the mounting of most common AK brakes and flash hiders.

WBP Lynx
WBP Lynx

Pistol Brace Or SBR?


Unlike ZPAP92s, WBP AK pistols are not pre-drilled to accommodate a variety of brace options. If you wish to put a brace on your Mini Jack or Lynx it will require either modifications to the rear of the receiver or the use of a simpler brace mounting option, like something from SB Tactical which attaches above the pistol grip.

Either of these pistols could be converted to an SBR as well, but their rear trunnion makes for an extra interesting option. WBP also sells select-fire AKs to military and police forces around the world, and one of their available models is an under-folder Mini Jack variant. Under-folders require a special rear trunnion, and that same trunnion is used in their semi-auto Mini Jacks that are sold in America.

Assuming that you have jumped through the ATF’s hoops to do so legally, an SBR’d Mini Jack could be converted to an under-folder without swapping the rear trunnion—something that can’t be said about any other AK pistol import.

The addition of either a brace or a stock will make any AK pistol far more practical than one without one, especially when trying to use an optic.

WBP Mini Jack, factory select-fire underfolder model.
WBP Mini Jack, factory select-fire underfolder model.

Both the WBP Mini Jack and the Lynx are fine AK pistol options. They offer a nicer fit and finish than Cugir-made guns, and the Lynx’s tactical rail options provide for a more modern AK platform out of the box than anything else on the market. You will have to decide whether the features found on WBP AK pistols justify the higher price than their competitors’ options.

For more on WBP, please visit wbprogow.com.

More Currently Imported AKs

WBP Fox: An AKM With Some Polish Flair

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

Nice finish and plenty of features—but does the Polish WBP Fox measure up to more established countries' AKs?

What’s a WBP Fox?

  • Semi-Automatic AKM-Pattern Rifle In 7.62×39
  • Chrome-Lined 16-Inch Barrel
  • Made By WBP In Rogów, Poland
  • Standard AK Scope Rail On Side Of Receiver
  • Mounting Option For FB Radom Beryl Rail System

As discussed in our previous article on WBP, they are a newer company that has been making complete AK rifles for just over 10 years. They began as a commercial enterprise, giving them less of a proven track record than state-run military arsenals like Cugir or Zastava. That being said, WBP has a relationship with the famous FB Radom plant, and some WBP components like barrels are even manufactured by FB. WBP has exported select-fire and sporter AK variants to customers across the world, for both commercial and military purposes. The WBP Fox is their semi-auto, sporter AK model that is currently being imported and sold by Arms Of America.

WBP Fox, Russian Sunburst

Whats In A Name?

There’s a story behind how the Fox got its name. In WBP’s earlier days, when they were mostly supplying AKs to the Polish commercial market, they received a unique request from a fox hunter. This customer wanted one of their AKs, but in a configuration that he viewed as ideal for hunting foxes—with a side scope rail and a thumbhole stock.

When WBP began designing the AK they planned to export to the United States, they ended up with a similar configuration to what the fox hunter asked for. The American market also wanted the scope rail, and the thumbhole stock was required for legal importation. Reminded of that hunter's request, they named this rifle the Fox.

Fit And Finish

WBP guns look and feel better than AKs from Cugir. They are generally assembled with more care, meaning nicer rivets, no canted sights, and nothing comes pre-scratched. The black powder-coat finish is much more visually appealing than Cugir’s Parkerization as well.

The bolt carrier on the WBP Fox is left in the white, however. This looks nice to some but it provides less protection than one that has been finished, even when it's as crude as Cugir's.

Optics Options

WBP Foxes also have more options for mounting optics than most other AKs. They not only come with a standard-pattern side scope rail but also with a special Beryl-style rear trunnion and rear sight block to accommodate an FB Radom rail system. This style of rail can be purchased separately, and while it’s not historically appropriate for an AKM-pattern gun, it is uniquely Polish. These rail systems can be seen in service with Polish armed forces on their 5.56 Beryl rifles.

WBP Fox FB Radom Rail system.
WBP Fox with FB Radom Rail system. Photo:Atlantic Firearms

Polish Piston Or Polish Wood

One quirk with any imported gun, but especially with AKs, is 922r compliance. This is mostly something that importers and sellers have to worry about, but the result is you will have to make a choice when purchasing a WBP Fox—do you want a Polish gas piston or Polish wood furniture?

What 922r essentially means is that semi-auto rifles and shotguns—ones deemed “not being particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes”—may not be imported. There's a workaround for this law, using a certain amount of American-made components. Hence the reason why AKs sold stateside vary from the versions sold in their home countries.

The WBP Foxes being sold by Arms Of America come in a few different flavors, but they are mostly identical besides the furniture. Several of the options come with American-made furniture, meaning that the gas piston is legally allowed to be of Polish origin. Some other variants instead come with Polish furniture, so one more part elsewhere had to be made in America. In this case, that component is the gas piston made by CNC Warrior. Some people have claimed to have experienced issues with these American pistons, but others seem to have had no problem with them. Personally, I’d still prioritize the Polish piston since it is integral to the weapon's function, unlike the furniture.

WBP Fox "Classic" with Polish furniture.
WBP Fox “Classic” with Polish furniture.

WBP Foxes seem like very nice rifles, but they are expensive as far as AKMs go. As it stands, I trust the reliability of a Cugir or Zastava AK more than a WBP simply because they’ve been at it longer. WBP guns show a lot of promise and I’m keeping an open mind about them going into the future; I could easily see WBP someday becoming a staple of the American AK market.

If you want a reliable AK with a proven track record, a WASR will suit your needs for several hundred dollars less. If you want your AK to be prettier and feature some unique Polish traits, however, a WBP could be just what you’re looking for.

For more information on WBP, please visit wbprogow.com.

More Currently Imported AKs

KE Arms Civil Defense Rifle: What Would Stoner Do (On A Budget)?

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

KE Arms has released a budget version of their WWSD carbine called the Civil Defense Rifle or CDR. It follows the same design principles that went into the original project but with some omissions to cut costs.

What The CDR Tries To Accomplish:

  • Project how Eugene Stoner would have evolved the AR-15 with modern materials.
  • Utilizes a polymer lower and pencil profile barrel to cut weight.
  • Based on the WWSD rifle, but with fewer amenities to cut its price tag.

The Original WWSD

The What Would Stoner Do carbine was the brainchild of YouTubers Ian McCollum and Karl Kasarda. The idea first came to them while shooting an original configuration M16A1, and the rifle’s balance and low weight reminded them of what an AR15 truly should feel like as intended by Eugene Stoner. Part of what made the AR platform so revolutionary for its time was its use of modern manufacturing techniques and materials like aluminum and polymer. Some aspects of the AR were limited by contemporary manufacturing methods, such as the pencil-profile barrel that originally had subpar heat-treating.

KE Arms Civil Defense Rifle.
KE Arms Civil Defense Rifle.

Now that technology has had time to catch up to the design, the developers of the WWSD decided to take things to what they viewed as the logical conclusion of Stoner’s mindset, expanding the carbine’s use of polymers and other modern materials like carbon fiber.

At the core of the design is the new KP-15 monolithic polymer lower receiver from KE Arms. While attempts at polymer lowers have mostly resulted in failure in the past, the KP-15’s design has supposedly corrected any strength issues plaguing the material. So far it seems the KP-15 is a great improvement over previous plastic lowers, having survived strenuous full-auto endurance tests. The new lower helps reduce the carbine’s overall weight, one of Stoner's primary goals when he designed the AR.

The Civil Defense Rifle

The WWSD concept piqued many shooters’ interests, but at an MSRP of $1,699.99 it was a bit pricey for such a novel concept. A large contributor to that price tag was the development and setup cost of molding a new polymer lower, something that was integral to the WWSD concept. Because of this, the KP-15 lower is also included on the new Civil Defense Rifle.

Because so much of the cost stems from this new lower, the Civil Defense Rifle still has an MSRP of $1249.99 despite being the “budget” version. Both versions are sold exclusively through Brownells.

The Civil Defense Rifle is very similar in form and function to the original WWSD, but omits certain “luxury” features to cut the cost by about $450. The resulting CDR is a rifle that's almost as nice as a WWSD, but is marginally heavier and slightly less ambidextrous.

CDR 2

Is It Worth It?

The WWSD project was certainly an interesting thought experiment. I agree with its general premise—if Stoner were alive today, he would have used the most modern techniques and materials available to design his rifle to be as lightweight and handy as possible. But at what cost?

The WWSD carbine’s MSRP is actually comparable to that of a Colt AR-15 Sporter in the 1960s after adjusting for inflation. While the government may have been willing to spend that much for the most cutting-edge tech, ARs did not catch on with civilian shooters until decades after this.

You will have to decide whether the WWSD or CDR bring enough to the table to justify the price tag for you. In my opinion, they don’t. I think the greatest improvement found in either of these designs is the return to a pencil-profile barrel. One of the first changes made to the M16 after its adoption was the switch to a heavier profile barrel to allow for more sustained fire without shifting the point of impact. With modern heat treatment techniques, pencil barrels like the 16” Faxon used in the WWSD and CDR can achieve the same thing while retaining their slimmer profile.

I don’t deny that the other features of the CDR are improvements as well, but I would argue that a pseudo-M16A1 or CAR-15 clone using a modern Faxon pencil barrel will be almost every bit as handy and usable as either of the new designs utilizing a KP-15 lower, and they will cost less too. Personally, I’d rather abide by what Stoner actually did than what some speculated he would have done. But what the hell do I know? I’m an AK guy.

For more information on KE Arms, please visit kearms.com.

Get On Target With The AR:

Zastava M91 Sniper Rifle: A Military DMR For The Commercial Market

By
Adam Borisenko
-
1

The Zastava M91 is a scaled-up AK from Serbia that's design was inspired by the famous Soviet SVD. It is a reliable and accurate rifle, but is it worth the price tag?

What’s An M91?

  • Designated Marksman Rifle Based On AK Action
  • Chambered For 7.62x54r
  • Current Issue DMR For Serbian Armed Forces
  • Presently Available Import From Zastava Arms

Many people are infatuated with the iconic appearance of the Soviet SVD Dragunov, and it's easy to see why. It is one of the most recognizable firearms in movies and video games, and it has been a part of the public consciousness since at least the Vietnam War. One could almost say that the SVD is unmistakable, but that’s not true. The SVD’s design is so prolific that it has been copied more than once, and people often do mistake these copies for the real thing. One of these SVD-inspired weapons is the Zastava M91, and while it may not be a genuine Dragunov, it's about as close as most people can get to one without putting a lien on their house.

M91 with original wooden furniture.
M91 with original wooden furniture. Photo:Wikipedia

Not An SVD

It's important to note that while the Zastava M91 and Cugir PSL are distinct designs from the SVD, both rifles were inspired by it in concept and appearance.

Like the SVD, Zastava M91s were designed as designated marksmen or sniper rifles for use with armed forces. They are both semi-automatic and chambered for the full-power 7.62x54r cartridge, and come outfitted with magnified optics. They both feed from 10-round detachable box magazines, but the magazines are not interchangeable between designs.

When Yevgeny Dragunov designed the SVD, he made it aesthetically similar to Kalashnikov rifles in order to remain thematically consistent with the rest of the Soviet arsenal. The internal design was completely different, however. The SVD utilizes a short-stroke gas-piston system, and the differences are apparent once the weapon is field-stripped. The Zastava M91 on the other hand is truly an AK at heart. Its action is a long-stroke piston system, the same as a normal AK but scaled up for the more powerful cartridge. This major difference in design means an M91 will never be quite as mechanically accurate as an SVD, but will have a comparatively more robust and simple action. That being said, both designs are sufficiently accurate and reliable for their intended roles.

M91 In Military Service

Adopted in 1992, the M91 replaced the Zastava M76 rifle in Yugoslavian/Serbian military service. It has seen action from the Yugoslav Wars to current conflicts in the Middle East. Over time, its design has been updated from the original SVD-styled wooden furniture to a more modern, synthetic design with Picatinny rails on the handguard.

The adoption of the M91 and its subsequent design changes were part of a larger push towards modernization being implemented by the Serbian Army.

M91, as imported by Zastava.
M91, as imported by Zastava.

Zastava's Import

The M91 is currently imported and sold by Zastava Arms USA. It comes with the modern-style synthetic furniture and includes a 4X24 POSP scope that mounts via a Yugo-stye scope rail. Its barrel is chrome-lined and just a bit over 24 inches long. M91s are imported with a tack-welded muzzle nut that can be removed for the installation of 14×1 LH threaded flash hiders.

M91 gas regulator and railed polymer handguards.
M91 gas regulator and railed polymer handguards.

It also features an adjustable gas regulator to help tune the system for any kind of ammunition or environment.

Worth It?

With an MSRP of $3,499.99, this is an expensive AK variant. It is also far cheaper than any genuine SVD that could be had on the second-hand market, so it's up to you to decide how badly your SVD-itch needs scratching. The M91 is a fine rifle, but speaking strictly about performance I’m not sure if it’s worth the price tag. There are more accurate and cheaper rifles available, with more practical features and chambered in more common calibers. If you’re shopping for something to get into precision rifle competitions with, you’ll be better off looking elsewhere.

The niche that the M91 fills in the US market is not one of performance, but style. This rifle is for those who want to LARP as an Eastern European sniper but can’t afford a real Russian or Chinese Dragunov. If that sounds like you, the M91 is a well-made and reliable rifle to do it with.

For more information on Zastava Arms, please visit zastavaarmsusa.com.

More Articles On Zastava

Video: Effectively Shooting With A Handheld Light

By
Gun Digest Editors
-
0

Effectively shooting with a handheld light is, well, a handful. Jamie Caldwell offers some techniques to get a grip on the challenge.

Best-case scenario, you’ll have a weapons light directly attached to your defensive handgun. In reality, this won’t always be the case. Maybe running this type of setup is too bulky for your carry profile or your gun doesn’t happen to sport an accessory rail. Whatever the case, a weapons light might prove a bridge too far.
Then what’s the solution for low-light situations?

Well, unless you wear your night-vision nogs everywhere after dark, it's time to learn to shoot with a handheld light. Honestly, as former special operator and current instructor with 1-Minute Out Jamie Caldwell points out in the above video, it’s easier said than done. At issue, is how to shed light while maximizing the ability to get hits. The difficulty in this comes from the fact the support hand in most techniques is off the gun, essentially forcing much more inaccurate one-hand shooting.

Now, the key point here is “most techniques” because there are some which allow a fundamental two-hand grip. Caldwell demonstrates one, where the light is clutched between two of the support-hand fingers while gripping the gun. It’s a solid system, though it takes some practice to make it an efficient tactic. For some, especially those with smaller hands, it may even prove prohibitive.

This leads us to another point, not every lighting technique will work for every shooter. In addition to the methods Caldwell covers, shooters should do their homework and investigate other ways to deploy a handheld light. Then they should experiment and find what works best for them. Not every system is compatible with every shooter, it takes time and effort to parse out how to light up a target, then effectively engage it.

Get more training from Panteao Productions.

Get More Instruction From Jamie Caldwell:

SureFire OBC-556: Taming Short-Barrel ARs

By
Patrick Sweeney
-
0

Taming recoil and preventing wear, the SureFire OBC-556 makes for a more pleasant AR pistol, SBR or even carbine.

How Does The OBC-556 Work:

  • The bolt carrier group slows down cycle rate through a number of design changes.
  • Cam slot angles and timing changed so it takes longer for the bolt to unlock.
  • Dead-blow weight added into the rear of the carrier to slow the BCG's momentum.
  • Shorter “H” buffer creates a longer travel distance.

Short barrels, as in AR pistols, are en vogue. And SBRs are all the rage, for those who can get them. They do, however, have problems. Basically, they require such a sharp gas input to jolt the system into working that they can be harsh in recoil. Adding in a heavier buffer helps, but sometimes you need more. Enter SureFire and their Optimized Bolt Carrier.

The OBC-556 was designed by Jim Sullivan, who was the guy who debugged the initial AR-15 for Eugene Stoner and Armalite. I had a chance to visit him a while back (a story for another time) and got the lowdown on the OBC, which he was doing with and for SureFire.

The SureFire OBC-556 comes with everything you need: complete bolt-carrier group, buffer, and spring.
The SureFire OBC-556 comes with everything you need: complete bolt-carrier group, buffer, and spring.

The OBC slows down your ARs cyclic rate by means of three design changes Sullivan put into it. First, he went into the cam slot on the carrier and changed the angles and timing on that, so the carrier has to work harder and takes longer to unlock the bolt. Second, he put a dead-blow weight into the rear of the carrier, so the carrier movement has to “pick up” the weight as it cycles. That slows it down some more. And third, in conjunction with a stronger buffer spring, he installed an “H” buffer, but one that’s shorter. To accommodate the shorter buffer, the gas key is shorter (so it won’t hit the rear ring of the receiver, another story to tell at a later time) and travels longer.

The end result is a bolt that takes longer to unlock, moves slower because of the added weight, and travels a longer distance, which also adds time. Your AR pistol, SBR, and even carbine or rifle shoot softer. And since the bolt takes more time to travel, this gives your magazines a better chance to lift the cartridge stack and have the top round firmly pinned against the feed lip on its side, ready to feed as the bolt comes forward.

Get On Target With The AR:

Does The OBC-556 Make A Difference?

You’re thinking, “This is all well and good, but does it really make a difference?” Well, that depends. If your AR is a bit marginal, or it gets cranky when it gets dirty, then yes. If you find weather changes can mean reliability changes, then yes again. If your AR has been utterly reliable in all situations, with all ammo, and never failed—then I really can’t say this will improve on that. But … it won’t make it worse.

To test the changes, I took advantage of an opportunity: a day with a select-fire AR lower. No, not an M16/M4, because it didn’t leave the factory that way, but a “papered” select-fire lower—an R&D project by a local manufacturer.

I tested it with two uppers, an M4 clone from Bravo Company and an 11.5-inch SBR upper, also a product of BCM. I used two types of ammunition, Federal XM193 and Hornady Frontier .223 Rem., both 55-grain FMJ, because they’re common.

You’ll know which AR has the SureFire in it—the company won’t let you down there. Or in function, either.
You’ll know which AR has the SureFire in it—the company won’t let you down there. Or in function, either.

The M4 upper, with a “H” buffer (normal in a lot of ARs) ran at 800 rpm with XM193, and 763 rpm with the Hornady. Using the SureFire OBR, the XM193 ran at 702 rpm, and the Hornady was 696 rpm. That’s a 12 percent and 9 percent reduction in cyclic rate, respectively.

The 11.5-inch upper has XM193 running at 797 rpm and the Hornady at 775 rpm. With the SureFire OBC installed, the rates were 705 and 688 rpm, respectively. Again, 12 percent and 11 percent reductions.

The OBC also reduced cyclic rates when I installed various suppressors on those uppers, which is where such a setup can really shine. Yes, it was a fun day. Yes, I have a long list of volunteers.

Now, this goodness—indeed, any goodness—does not come free. The OBC-556 has a retail price of $399. However, a box-stock bolt-carrier assembly will run you anywhere from $150 to $225 plus the buffer and spring, and that’s before you go and get any extras such as platings or exotic alloys. So, the SureFire bump isn’t as big as it appears at first blush.

Once you’ve built a few ARs, you might find that you need or want an improvement. SureFire certainly has that for you. And if you’re putting a suppressor on your AR pistol, then the SureFire OBC-556 is a must-have.

For more information on the OBC-556, please visit surefire.com.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

WBP: New Polish AKs With Humble Beginnings

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

WBP AK rifles and pistols are some of the only available imported AKs in the US right now. Are they on par with the likes of Zastava and Cugir? Or are they merely commercial-grade AKs with an inflated reputation?

Who Is WBP?

  • Commercial AK manufacturer from Rogów, Poland.
  • Have supplied commercial and military customers.
  • Two basic models of WBP AKs currently imported by Arms Of America.
  • Less common than Zastava or Cugir AKs, and command a higher price.

While Poland obviously has a long history of producing Kalashnikov rifles due to their membership in the Warsaw Pact, WBP is not directly part of that history.

WBP Jack select-fire rifle.
WBP Jack select-fire rifle.

Based out of Rogów, Poland, WBP began as a refurbisher of AK rifles for the Polish commercial market. They started producing individual parts as needed to supplement their refurbishing business until they eventually had the capacity to manufacture nearly complete rifles.

They are a relatively new kid on the AK block, having produced complete AKM rifles for just over 10 years now. Unlike Zastava in Serbia or Cugir in Romania, WBP is not a state-run military arsenal. For Poland that honor goes to FB Radom, a name you’ve likely heard before. FB Radom is the Polish government’s primary producer of military rifles, having made everything from licensed AK-47 and AKM copies to AKs of their own design like the Tantal and Beryl (as well as other non-AK weapons).

FB Radom Mini Beryl.
FB Radom Beryl. Photo:Wikipedia

While WBP may be not be a historical, state-run factory, it does have an active relationship with FB Radom. This lends them credibility over other commercial AK manufacturers who are completely on their own. So, now that WBP guns are some of the only available imported AKs on the US market, what should you know about them?

Milspec Standards

Despite not being a state-run factory built during the Soviet days, WBP makes a serious effort to match the quality of established AK “brands”. While its first guns were purely for the commercial market, WBP has supplied various armed forces across the globe. Militaries, police, and security contractors from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa have purchased WBP select-fire AKs. While they are not the issued service weapon of any nation’s army, they are certainly used in areas of unrest.

Theoretically, some of these guns could have been floating around hotspots and seeing action for over 10 years now. While impressive, the real test of a Kalashnikov’s quality is whether those same rifles will be in working order 50-plus years from now, something that is commonplace for Soviet-produced AKs. Plenty of old Polish AKs made by FB Radom have survived through to the present day as well, so their quality should not be in question. Considering that WBP guns use barrels produced by FB Radom, that means that at least one component is of true Mil-Spec quality.

It is true that many misunderstand the quality implied by the term Mil-Spec. People often use it without understanding that it means “as cheap as possible while still being good enough,” because that’s how governments operate. While many commercially available AR-15s far surpass Mil-Spec in terms of quality, the same is generally not true for AKs. Because original AKs were produced in state-run arsenals, exclusively for military use, the rifle's reliability is essentially synonymous with Mil-Spec. There are some notable exceptions to this, like later-production Iraqi AKs. But as a rule of thumb Mil-Spec is better than commercial in the AK world.

The relationship between WBP and FB Radom is a two-way street. Not only do WBP guns use FB barrels (amongst other components), but WBP has also produced some parts for FB Radom guns as well. As FB Radom is a supplier of military contracts, the parts WBP produces for them are proofed in-house by a government inspector. While the WBP commercial guns are not proofed this way, it is safe to assume many of their components are made to the same level of quality.

Speaking of inspections, WBP does some of their own. They claim that each individual rifle is test-fired 30 times at the factory, far above the average of two or three. This is a positive, as it means they have about 28 more chances to catch a malfunction if there is one. It is also slightly concerning, or at least has the potential to be. Test firing a weapon this many times is unusual, and I can’t help but wonder if this practice arose due to an unacceptable number of defective rifles leaving the factory beforehand. Perhaps they are just being overzealous about defending their fledgling reputation. Either way, their rigorous testing should ensure you don’t end up with a lemon.

WBP also puts each new design through a 15,000-round endurance test. While that is only a fraction of the round count a true AK should be able to survive, this testing is much more than what most other commercial manufacturers perform.

Availability

WBP guns are currently imported exclusively through Arms of America. Like all other imported AKs, once they are stateside they undergo a conversion to bring them to standard spec. This process includes opening the magazine well from single-stack to double-stack, among other things.

There are two main AK configurations from WBP:  WBP Fox rifle and Mini Jack pistol. They are both basic AKM pattern guns available with a variety of furniture options.

While their numbers have ramped up the past couple of years, WBP AKs are nowhere near as prominent as either Zastava or Cugir guns. When they do come in stock, they typically sell out within several minutes due to high demand and low availability. Their price has been incrementally rising with each batch sold, and the last price-hike caused several to begin wondering if WBPs are still a good value.

WBP Mini Jack Pistol.
WBP Mini Jack Pistol, imported by Arms of America.

They are very photogenic AKs for sure. They have a military-style black painted finish and a bolt carrier that’s been left in the white. The wood furniture made by Atlantic pairs with it nicely to give the rifle a classic Soviet AK look. But are aesthetics enough to justify the hefty price tag? Their performance so far seems on par with any other imported AK. In and of itself, this is a big achievement for a company with commercial roots. But for those looking for a reliable AKM pattern rifle, WASRs are more available, cheaper, and come with the decades-long reputation of Cugir. They are also uglier than WBPs.

If you are willing to pay a few hundred dollars more for an AK with a nicer finish but a less-proven track record, then a WBP may be just the AK for you. It’s a bet on a horse that may end up losing or may end up winning. Years from now WBP guns may rank as objectively higher quality than WASRs. Until that day, American AK buyers will still have to make their choice between the tried and true Romanian beasts of burden and these new, pretty Polish options from WBP.

For more information on WBP, please visit wbprogow.com.

Note: Due to WBP being a new company, there is not a wealth of information available on them. One of the only valuable sources is YouTuber and AK expert William “Misha” Trotter, who interviewed a WBP employee over email and published the answers in a 2018 video. Some of the information here was learned through that video, so thank you to Misha for that and for all his other great work as well.

More Currently Imported AKs

New Venom 5-25×56 FFP Scope From Vortex

By
Adam Borisenko
-
1

Vortex Optics’ newest variable power rifle scope, the Venom 5-25×56 FFP, aims to provide shooters with a high-quality, competition ready optic that’s both budget and learner friendly.

Features Of The Venom 5-25×56 FFP:

  • 5-25 Power Magnification
  • 56mm-Diameter Objective Lens
  • 34mm Tube
  • RevStop Zero System
  • First Focal Plane EBR-7C Reticle

Vortex Optics is known for making rifle scopes that are of higher quality than their prices would suggest. While there are several reputable manufacturers of optics, Vortex brings affordability and an unconditional lifetime warranty to the table as well. Their new Venom 5-25×56 FFP is no different. This scope is shockproof, waterproof, and nitrogen gas purged to ensure that the shooter’s view through the lenses remains immaculate.

Vortex Venom 5-25x56 FFP Scope

Scaling Reticle

The FFP in the scope’s name stands for First Focal Plane, meaning that the reticle scales in size as the magnification level is adjusted. The Venom 5-25×56 FFP’s magnification can be adjusted between 5x to 25x zoom, and the FFP feature keeps the reticle large and visible enough throughout for accurate, long-range shooting.

Accurate Holdovers

The Venom 5-25×56 FFP’s reticle is Vortex’s new EBR-7C, which features technical information for quickly calculating holdovers at any magnification level. The optic is available with either MOA or MRAD measurements on the reticle. A throw lever is also included for even faster zoom adjustments. The larger 34mm tube provides ample space for turret travel, enabling a high level of adjustment for things like bullet drop.

EBR-7C Reticle
EBR-7C Reticle

Return To Zero

Being able to quickly return to zero can be crucial during competition use. When on the clock you want to be able to start dialing in for your next target as soon as possible. Without a quick return to zero feature, this process is much more arduous. Thankfully, the Venom 5-25×56 FFP features Vortex’s RevStop zero system, which enables the shooter to return their scope to exactly where it was previously zeroed. If competing with someone whose scope lacks this feature, you could already be calculating your next holdover while they’re still fumbling with dials.

The Venom 5-25×56 FFP follows the Vortex tradition of optics that combine premium features with ease of use and affordability. With an MSRP of $699.99, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a scope that can reach out beyond 1000 yards for less.

For more on Vortex Optics, please visit vortexoptics.com.

Other Glass From Vortex

Zastava M57 and M70A: The Yugoslavian Tokarevs

By
Adam Borisenko
-
1

Just like with their Kalashnikovs, the Yugoslavians put their own twist on a famous Soviet weapon when they developed their M57 Tokarev pistol. Widely available both as original military surplus and new production, these guns are more than just historical relics.

Zastava Tokarevs That Can Be Found Stateside:

  • Surplus M57, Blued, 7.62 Tok.
  • New M57A, Blued, 7.62 Tok.
  • New M57A, Chrome, 7.62 Tok.
  • New M70AA, Blued, 9mm
  • New M70AA, Chrome, 9mm

Tokarevs of any variety may be the most popular foreign military surplus handgun in the United States. They have been imported for a long time, and the sheer scale of their production numbers meant that they were extremely affordable. While some variants, like original Russian TTs, were more collectible and demanded a higher price, clones from places like China, Poland, and Yugoslavia were cheap enough for many to buy them as beaters or glove box guns. While the surplus Tokarevs have dried up some in recent years, as surplus tends to do, Zastava is still manufacturing and importing two new production variants on the classic design- The M57A and the M70AA.

Surplus M57.
Surplus M57 pistol, notice the non-original safety that has been added. Photo:Wikipedia

The Original M57

Tokarevs are a functional copy of John Browning’s early automatic pistol designs. Externally they resemble a Browning 1903, and internally they are very similar to a 1911’s short-recoil tilting-barrel action. Chambered for 7.62x25mm, these single-action pistols saw heavy use in WWII by the Soviets and continued to see use by their allies and guerrilla forces afterward up through today.

They were produced by several countries, and all were nearly identical to the original Russian design besides one: the Yugoslavian M57. Adopted in 1957, Zastava’s Tokarev copy once again mixed things up from the original Soviet design. The M57 is the only Tokarev clone to have a 9-round magazine rather than an 8-rounder, and the grip is appropriately longer to compensate for this. While the unique features of Yugoslavian Kalashnikovs were not always necessarily improvements, the changes they made to their Tokarev are an objective improvement.

Not only does the M57 gain an extra round in the magazine, bringing the total capacity to 10 rather than the usual 9, but the extended pistol grip is also much more ergonomic than the Soviet-pattern clones that often leave part of the shooter’s hand hanging off the bottom. With the longer grip, the M57 begins to feel much more like a 1911 in the hand than the stubbier Tokarevs ever could.

All original military Tokarev designs utilized a half-cock safety, with no other controls on the gun beside a slide-release lever and magazine-eject button. Notably, the magazine release is positioned in the Western style, near the trigger guard where the thumb naturally rests. Most handguns of European design, including the later Soviet Makarov, feature a magazine release on the heel of the pistol-something which is foreign to many American shooters.

Due to the 1968 Gun Control Act, all imported auto-loader handguns are required to have a manual safety, so the Tokarev’s original half-cock wouldn’t cut it. This led to the addition of a variety of aftermarket safeties being installed on these guns to make them legal for sale. Unfortunately, most of these unoriginal safeties are terrible and some even impede the function of the gun. Some can be removed but will leave a small hole in the frame where it was once installed.

7.62 Tokarev

7.62x25mm is well-respected as far as antiquated cartridges go. Surplus and new production ammo is widely available (or at least it was during more normal times), and its bottlenecked design gives it better performance than most would predict. 7.62 Tokarev was derived from the 7.63x25mm cartridge, which was commonly used in C96 Mausers. The Soviets took this cartridge and only slightly modified it for their own use, with the most notable difference being 7.62 Tokarev being loaded much hotter. For this reason, 7.62 Mauser can be fired from a Tokarev pistol, but 7.62 Tokarev should never be fired from a Mauser.

While this other ammo type can be used in a pinch, it defeats much of the point of the hotter 7.62 chambering. Part of the reason why 7.62 Tokarev is so loved is because of the ballistic qualities that it gains from the higher-pressure load. It is quite a high velocity for a handgun cartridge, lending itself to not only good accuracy but some better penetration capabilities as well. It is not “armor-piercing” ammo, and mileage may vary depending on the exact load and armor being tested, but you can find videos online showing 7.62 Tokarev successfully passing through level IIIA soft armor.

7.62x25mm Tokarev.
7.62x25mm Tokarev. Photo:Wikipedia

The M57A

One of Zastava’s imports of current-production Tokarevs. The M57A is identical in function and caliber to the original M57, but with the addition of a slide-mounted safety at the factory. This allows them to be legally imported and sold without modification. While in my opinion the original half-cock safety was good enough and the addition of a manual safety was an unfortunate molestation of the design, laws are laws and the Zastava-designed safety is much better than the aftermarket abominations found on surplus guns. While surplus Tokarevs often have extra character from their wear, the current M57 imports feature very nice, deep bluing and will be mechanically sounder than those which have potentially had hundreds of rounds put through them.

M57A
M57A, blued version. Notice the new factory-installed safety.

The M70AA

This version is Zastava’s current production import of their M70A pistol which was adopted in about 1970. The only difference between the M70A and the M57 was the caliber, chambered for 9mm Luger rather than the original 7.62x25mm. The M70AA is simply the updated version of their 9mm Tokarev with the addition of a manual safety for importation purposes. It is otherwise identical to the M57A besides the switch to the more prolific caliber. The magazine still holds 9-rounds, but it is not interchangeable with 7.62 M57 mags.

M70AA
M70AA, chrome version.

While I love the historical novelty of genuine military surplus, if you are in the market for a Tokarev as a shooter, Zastava’s new production guns are the best choice to make. They do not suffer from the addition of a shoddy aftermarket safety like most surplus variants have, and it will come in brand-new condition. The larger grip and extended magazine also make the Zastava variants more desirable. With the option between the original caliber and 9mm, available in both blued and chromed versions, either will make a great choice for a shooter or collector looking for a functional pistol with a lot of historical charm.

For more information on Zastava Arms, please visit zastavaarmsusa.com.

More Zastava Articles

1...939495...429Page 94 of 429

MUST READ ARTICLES

Get The

Magazine

Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing.

Subscribe Now

Get The

Newsletter

Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com.

Sign Up

Get The

Book

Get the 79th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book.

Buy Now

Information

Subscriptions

Resources

Business