Saiga MK-107!

[gunfun 3,931]

The rails look well executed to me as long as they are straight. They managed to have the sense to keep the whole rail on the level too. It appears to me that there is a locating tab to eliminate side play at the rear of the dust cover and a hinge at the front. Similar arrangements on other AK variants and civilian enhancements have served well to support a scope. Even simpler covers with only a hinge such as a krink type have proven to be stable enough to work well with the low mass of iron sights. you called them slapped on crap, but they look to me like riveted on light weight structure that gives the user real choice and versatility.

 

The lower handguard could be longer to suit some preferences. I like that length fine.

That stock and pistol grip are a poor match. I would choose something folding with an adjustable cheek riser. I am more interested in the rifle than the bolt on kit. The modularity of all modern guns makes it easy to solve dumb execution like that.

 

I see plenty of ex military people who still love the AR platform and caliber, and buy them. The M4 series is a direct response to civilian improvements and personalization. The same can arguably be said for piston ARs There are clearly a variety of opinions on that matter such that definitive statements about what military personnel prefer mostly illustrate how strongly the speaker holds a view more than what the consensus is.

 

Frankly, I don't think military strategy or doctrine necessarily has much significance to a private individual nor do I put much weight in terms like "rifleman" or "target shooter". Usually that kind of thing is used as an elitist way to put down the other guy. I think there are useful things to learn from various disciplines and styles of shooting. I can take what the military does and use whichever of it seems to me to be useful or fun. I am no crack shot, but I guess I would say I focus on practical action shooting. I tend to evaluate rifles and techniques based on how I grew up using them. It sounds to me like you do the same. I want to be able to rapidly engage 3-4 small targets at around 200 yards and be able to put my sights on a target, tap 2-3 rounds onto it as fast as I can and move onto the next target as quickly as possible. That is how I used to do pest control, and it worked well. If I can do the same thing with more power or at longer ranges that is a plus in my book. I've never been interested in spending 10 minutes to do 3 shots on paper and see how tiny a group I can make, except as preparation for being able to do the other type of shooting.

 

I don't automatically think everything new is better, but this particular update looks like it is well executed, uncluttered and offers some real advantages. Blindly glomming on to each new thing is silly, but so is dogmatically resisting real improvements out of nostalgia.

 

This has improved controls, more controllable aiming for rapid fire and verification of your shots, increased modularity, probably enhanced rigidity, slightly improved mag changes (but still behind the times), and still keeps the functional components of a very proven system.

[ANDREY 40]

Frankly, I don't like it.

Why try to improve on perfection ? You can only make an AKM more complicated and less un-AKM like.

 

BRGDS, A

[thebuns1 4,323]

Frankly, I don't like it.

Why try to improve on perfection ? You can only make an AKM more complicated and less un-AKM like.

 

BRGDS, A

Its not really an improvement, as the concept has been tossed around since the '70s and earlier. This rifle stems its roots from the AL-7. Theres other weapons too that use balanced automatics as well, such as the AEK-971 and the AO-38 as well as others.

[MT Predator 2,294]

I see plenty of ex military people who still love the AR platform and caliber, and buy them.

 

That's because most of us are so familiar with them, we can run them efficiently in our sleep.

 

 

The M4 series is a direct response to civilian improvements and personalization. The same can arguably be said for piston ARs

 

Absolutley not true. The civilian variations are copied from the Military variant. Look up the XM177 Colt Commando then fast forward to the development of the M4. Piston driven ARs were a direct response to the Military's desire to improve upon the Direct Impingment system and still hasn't been formally adopted.

[storm6490 2,768]

Target shooter and rifleman are both good things. One shoots for fun, one shoots for work. To each is own and I know you are very into firearms. We will have to agree to disagree.

 

I belive the photo shown is not an actual setup. I also believe the mock up photoshop photo was done by someone who has no clue how to set up an operational weapon a d was going for the bling factor.

 

Lets see if its vaporware. It may be from the german izhmash importer listed at the show who was previously punished for re-exporting saiga rifles illegally.

 

As far as the AR, I know very few service men who were Infantry that own them. They will always be the wounding weapon to me.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Stryker0946

[Eric Pate 478]

There was an excellent write-up on Forgotten Weapons recently about the reasons militarys choose the weapons they do. Seem that it typically has little to do with the actual performance of the weapon itself.

 

Good read.

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/how-governments-choose-weapons-israel/

 

 

 

BTW, weren't flat-top ARs initially developed by Olympic for the civilian market? Seems I read that somewhere.

[mancat 2,368]

Olympic claims to have developed the first flat-top upper.

[storm6490 2,768]

Vaporware? Nothing on the display wall here...

 

 

nice saiga 12.... looks like CAA parts.... strange

[gunfun 3,931]

There are a lot of izh models that didn't make it to that wall though.

 

I can agree with you that the CAA furniture looks out of place on it.

[SgtRaven 531]

I hope with all those rails it still features the side rail as well... You could put 10 or 12 optics on that thing and still have room for a couple of flash lights, a survival kit, and a compass.

...and Twinkie pouch.

I don't consider myself a conservative, but feel like that defeats the KISS principle (Kalashnikov Indigenous Simplicity System).

 

Not to ridicule any more, but I am skeptical about wide acceptance of such concept among the AK/Saiga enthusiasts: added complexity and weight raise concern about potential reliability issues.

Personally, I'm not digging Russian way of accessorizing: often it's "over the top" and dysfunctional;...

 

I think directly-opposed double barrels with simultaneous firing would do better recoil compensation.

I'm calling our Vice-President on that one; Mrs. VP deserves better protection...

Edited March 9, 2013 by Sgt. Raven

[thebuns1 4,323]

To each is own though, but I hope to see these come into the country. I can do without the rails, and would likely keep a traditional AK stock on it. I would love to do some testing with this vs. my SGL31. I would like to see them bring in one of these too:

 

http://www.izhmash-arms.ru/eim/imp/191.html

[MT Predator 2,294]

Olympic claims to have developed the first flat-top upper.

Maybe to civilians. The Military had messed around with cutting the fixed carry handle on older models leaving the rear sight intact, then machining MIL-STD-1913 rail into the upper for an optic. I would imagine they cut some completely off as well before the flat-top was common.

[storm6490 2,768]

There are a lot of izh models that didn't make it to that wall though.

 

I can agree with you that the CAA furniture looks out of place on it.

I'm sitting on my hands waiting for a review. Surprised to not see webcast coverage of such an important event. Hope at least one reporter from the USA made it over there.

[storm6490 2,768]

Olympic claims to have developed the first flat-top upper.

Maybe to civilians. The Military had messed around with cutting the fixed carry handle on older models leaving the rear sight intact, then machining MIL-STD-1913 rail into the upper for an optic. I would imagine they cut some completely off as well before the flat-top was common.

 

 

 

They did, at the Rock Island in the 70's on an ar-10 using the picatinny rail invented by weaver and made standard M1913 by R.A.D. The M16A1 soon thereafter.

[thebuns1 4,323]

I thought we were discussing the AK-107?

[Zombiehunter762 376]

I will have to pass. It just doesn't do anything for me.