This is a gunsmith’s point of view in the AR vs AK debate. Off the shelf, which gun is a better battle rifle design? Which is better for practical use and long term self defense? I’ve tried to leave my personal opinion (and love for shooting AKs) out of this. Accuracy A $1,000 AR will be more accurate than a $1,000 AK. AKs can be accurate. But it's cost prohibitive during the manufacturing process. AKs off the shelf are 2.5 to 5 MOA at 100 yards. Compare that to a standard ARs which is usually 1 to 2 MOA at 100 yards. From a manufacturing perspective, it’s much easier and affordable to ..read more

  This week we are covering the top 5 guns checked into our shop and why they are here. #5 Remington 742 The Remington 742 and its variants are some of the most common guns we see coming into the shop. This gun came out the in the same era as the Browning BAR. And though it’s a good gun, they made it to be a hunting rifle—meant to shoot 10 to 15 rounds per year. Nowadays, people treat these semi-auto rifles like they’re ARs and dump 100 rounds in a range trip. But since they aren’t made for that, they just don’t hold up. Most of the Remington 742s in our safe are checked in from wear. We ..read more

  This week we are featuring our favorite full autos.  As a Type 2 SOT and Type 7 FLL, we can have things and make things that the average person can’t have.  While any full auto will give you giggles, these are our top 5. #5 - vz 61 My favorite part of the full auto VZ is the top eject.  There’s just something about it that’s so fun. This PDW from Czechoslovakia was completed in 1961 and designed for security forces. It is a closed bolt, straight blowback is known most for its upward ejection and low recoil. Because it’s chambered in .32 ACP, it’s controllable and easy to ..read more

Saiga AK Upgrades BCM Gunfighter Stock Stock Adaptor from JMac Enhanced Trigger from ALG Front Sight Gas Block Combo from Definitive Arms Handguard from Kyhber Customs Sabrewerks KOP Optic Mount System Sig Romeo 5 Optic JMac RRD 4-C Muzzle Device   The Gunsmithing Story This customer shipped us his Saiga AK from Alaska. It was still in the sporterized configuration—it had a traditional shotgun stock without a pistol grip and the trigger was moved back four inches, making the gun long. He had seen our work on other AKs and wanted us to modernize his Saiga rifle, but not only did we desport ..read more

  This week’s gunsmithing feat is building two AK-74s from parts kits with original Bulgarian barrels. We can’t wait to share our build story and explain our process of building AKs. So let’s get started! Building AKs vs ARs Building an AK is something that non-gunsmiths can do on their own, but it requires a ton of special tooling. Unlike ARs, AKs and their parts aren’t standardized. While building an AR is like a puzzle, building an AK requires more tools and skill. Further, a non-gunsmith might be able to build a functional AK, but it will be hard to build a rifle that looks good. Most ..read more

  Customized AK-47 Features Make/Model: Arsenal SLR-107R Stock: Magpul Zhukov-S Handguard: RS Regulate Optic Mount: Sabrewerks KOP System Optic: Trijicon MRO Muzzle Device: LANTAC Dragon ALG Defense Advanced Combat Trigger (ACT) Krebs Custom Mk VI Safety Selector Railed Gas Tube from Midwest Industries Front Sight Gas Block Combo from JMac Circle 10 Waffle Magazine GunCandy Finish by McCluskey Arms The Gunsmithing Story This gunsmithing feat of the week is a fully customized black and gold AK-47. We put a ton of gunsmithing and Cerakote hours into this gun and can’t wait to tell you all a ..read more