Magpul For The Comrades

Magpul for years has been associated with ARs. While they finally came out with an AK compatible magazine last year as well as a pistol grip, that was about it. That is, until now.

They are releasing a number of items for the AK-47/74. First, they are extending the MOE line to include both a stock and handguard for the AK. Secondly, Magpul is releasing a new line called "Zhukov". Presumably this is named after the great Soviet military leader Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

This latter line will include the Zhukov-S folding stock for the AK and the Zhukov handguard which incorporates their M-LOK system.




According to a post at SoldierSystems.net, these products will release in Spring 2015 and will include plum as well as black.

SHOT Show Pre-Release: ALG Defense AK Trigger (Updated)

Let's face it, the triggers on your average AK were made by comrades who couldn't wait to get their next bottle of vodka. They work when they need to but they tend to be heavy and gritty like the comrades that made them.

The people at Geissele Automatics' sister company ALG Defense may have a solution to fix those triggers. According to their Instagram post, it is called the Lightning Bow and it will be released at SHOT Show. Geissele is going to be one of the participants at Media Day at the Range so I may have a chance to try it out.

If it is anywhere as good as their ALG MilSpec trigger for the AR, I think they may have something here.

A photo posted by ALG Defense (@algdefense) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:41am PST

UPDATE: ALG Defense has posted the details and the MSRP of their AK triggers on their Facebook page this afternoon.

New Product Announcement - The ALG AK Trigger

The ALG AK Trigger (AKT) is a single stage trigger machined from S7 tool steel for the AK47 and AK74 variant platform. The AKT features a smoother and shorter trigger pull than the stock trigger, and is ideal for combat and home defense use. It has a Manganese Phosphated finish for corrosion resistance.

In addition to the standard model, the Enhanced model has a pull that is even lighter and has a much crisper break which is ideal for precision and target shooting. The Enhanced trigger is hard lubed which creates a permanent self-lubricating surface which will enhance the smoothness of the trigger’s pull, and the hammer is Black Nitride processed for maximum abrasion and corrosion resistance.

Both models feature a unique trigger bow known as the Lightning Bow, which is a hybrid between a flat and a curved trigger bow that produces a very comfortable feel for the user over the stock trigger. For OEM’s and builders, the AKT will also lend three parts towards 922(r) Compliance.

MSRP: ALG AK Trigger: $49 ALG AK Trigger Enhanced: $75

***Please note: The straw coloring of the trigger is due to heat treatment on a prototype trigger.

Interesting Graphic

I came across this interesting graphic with an exploded drawing of an AK-47 this afternoon. I can't remember if I saw it first on Facebook or Tumblr. It is from a Russian site called Defending Russia.

Based on the camo, I'd say the guy holding the AK is with either the Spetnaz or the MVD Internal Troops.

by egorov.

Interesting Mix Of Old And New

I came across this video today on a subforum devoted to AKs. It is put out by the Matra Group of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What I liked about it is how they are using both CNC and more traditional machine tools and stamping machines to make AK-47 magazines.

If these magazines were made in the United States they would probably sell for $50 given all the handwork done in their assembly. A US-based company would have found a way to cut most of the skilled workers and have automated much of the process.

For The Mall Ninjas

This is the ultimate AK-47 Mall Ninja Tactical Zombie Destroyer with all the bells and whistles. It will wipe out hordes of zombies. You do need some arm strength to lift it if you want to take the requisite head shots needed to kill zombies. It is estimated to weigh 23 pounds unloaded.

Now For The Real AK Cleaning Video

Greg Hickok - Hickok45 - had people going with his spoof video on cleaning an AK-47/AK-74. Now he has released the real video below on cleaning an AK.

One thing Greg makes clear in this video is that you are often dealing with corrosive ammo. He refers to using Windex but prefers using Ballistol. I've used Windex myself in the past but anything that dissolve the corrosive salts will work. If I remember correctly, the British had a special funnel for pouring boiling soapy water down the barrels of their Enfield rifles which would work as well.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention?

Necessity is supposed to be the mother of invention. I'm sure that was the case when it comes to the AK-47 shown below. Not only does it use a guitar strap for a sling but it has a rather unique buttstock to say the least.

 

This picture is from a post on The AK Forum which was seeking unique examples of AKs for a calendar. I believe the poster called this the Poppy Farmer Special. There are a lot of other nice examples but none so unique as the one above.

Max Motors Targeted by ATF, Banks and General Motors

Ginny Simone of NRA News has an interview with Mark Muller of Max Motors in Butler, Missouri. Mr. Muller owns two new and used car dealerships in Missouri. He is being targeted because he gives away an AK-47 (or $500 in gas) with a new truck purchase. He doesn't pull any punches in his interview when he talks about calls from the ATF, crony capitalism, or Eric Holder.

 

BattleComp For The AK

Battle Comp Enterprises has developed one of their BattleComp muzzle breaks for the AK. I like my AK-74 and I know the AK family in general has a loyal following. But the AK being the AK, isn't a BattleComp muzzle break just a little too fancy for an AK? A muzzle break or compensator that cost about 1/3 the cost of the entire rifle just doesn't make a lot of economic sense to me.

Ninja AK-47

H/T Andy Langlois

Morally Outdated?

A few days ago the Russian Defense Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, began a firestorm of controversy in Russia (and in the blogosphere) by saying that the Kalashnikov and Dragunov SVDs sniper rifles are "morally outdated". He made it worse by saying he was thinking of buying foreign weapons.

Somehow I don't think these guys in this recruiting video for the Russian airborne, the VDV (vozdushno-desantnie voiska), would agree.



I still like my AK-74 but think those blue berets and blue-striped undershirts are a little...uh, different.

H/T SayUncle

Animated AK Or How To Really Waste Some Time

I love this!

I watch it over and over as if I don't have other things to do to get ready for Christmas.

This is from Miguel at Gun Free Zone.

C. K. Shivers - The Gun

Former Marine infantry officer and foreign correspondent for the New York Times C. K. Chivers recently published a book called The Gun. It is a look at the history, development, design, and role of the AK-47 in conflicts around the globe. The video below is a brief overview of the book as told by Chivers himself. One point made about the book is that it will not appeal to the hardcore AK fanatic. As the Kitup Blog says about it:

Chivers forced me to retract my statement during the lead in to the show that he was a “sort of gun expert.” He admits that he’s done a lot of reporting on guns, talked to a lot of fighters who use them and researched the history of firearms, but it’s not like Col. Doug Tamilio at PEO Soldier Weapons is ringing his phone off the hook with a job offer.


If you’re into the caliber debate, want to relive the ill-fated rush to field the M-16, are a student of the civil war, World War II and the Cold War, like the M-14 better than the AK-47, like the AK-47 better than the M-14, are a student of the inner workings of Soviet economic planning and international revolutions or are intrigued by how something as simple as a rifle gets from paper to palm, The Gun has something in it for you.

Christian at the Kitup Blog did a longer interview with Chivers. It runs about 30 minutes and can be found in the embedded player below.

Anatomy of an AK-47

From Every Day, No Days Off comes this cool animated x-ray view of the AK-47.

Not That Kind of AK

If you stumble across a website called the "AK Press", let me warn you in advance - it isn't about AK-47's or other Kalashnikov variants. It isn't some helpful site discussing the differences between an AK-47 and an AK-74 or suggesting which mixture of wood stains to use to get the perfect plum color on your stocks. It isn't a forum like AK-47 Net or the AK Files or the AK Forum.

Now that I've said what it isn't, I'll let them tell you what they are:

AK Press is a worker-run collective that publishes and distributes radical books, visual and audio media, and other mind-altering material. We're small: a dozen people who work long hours for short money, because we believe in what we do. We're anarchists, which is reflected both in the books we provide and in the way we organize our business. Decisions at AK Press are made collectively, from what we publish, to what we distribute and how we structure our labor. All the work, from sweeping floors to answering phones, is shared. When the telemarketers call and ask, "who's in charge?" the answer is: everyone. Our goal isn't profit (although we do have to pay the rent). Our goal is supplying radical words and images to as many people as possible.

Ah, jeez, where do these people come from? Unfortunately, having seen what passes for scholarship in some of the nation's colleges and universities, I think I know the answer to this.