Before we begin talking about the Sureshot Armament MK3, let’s see why this concept of “chassis system” even came to exist on AKs. If we’ll take an honest look at most rifles we are using today, it seems that the progress stopped somewhere around 1959. In that year, Colt started manufacturing AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner, and IZHMASH, the biggest Soviet arms factory, began mass production of the AKM, the direct predecessor of most Kalashnikov rifles we see today.

Circle 10 AK has released a new product or rather a set of products – an AK-74 parts kit. According to the company, all components of these kits are made in the USA. Most of the parts are made by Circle 10 AK themselves but some are outsourced from other US manufacturers. All outsourced parts are exclusively made for these kits.

TFB friend Brandon Herrera, aka The AK Guy, started several years ago the “crazy” project of manufacturing a .50 BMG AK-based rifle, the AK-50. The project is still ongoing and, with Brandon’s internet fame, more and more people started questioning if it will ever reach completion. Brandon decided to jokingly offer a treat to his impatient fans, by building the AK-50 Lite in .50 Beowulf.

The Meridian Defense Pestilence is one of four rifles from Meridian Defense Corp’s Apocalypse Series.  Each of these rifles is handcrafted by using a mix of both imported and American parts.  These special projects division “apocalypse” themed rifles aim to be a cut above the rest in both looks and performance.  Rather than taking their word for it, I borrowed a friend’s Pestilence rifle and headed to the range to see just how good this AK variant could be.

Thousands of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, hundreds of PKM machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades launchers together with dozens of advanced Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles were found and interdicted on a stateless dhow in the North Arabian Sea. The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey, part of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, intercepted the boat and discovered the cargo during a routine boarding.

Recently we had a look at the Kalashnikov AKV-521 carbine with interchangeable uppers. In this Photo Of The Day, the time has come for the version chambered in .366 TKM, aimed at the Russian civilian market. The .366 TKM is a redesigned 7.62×39 cartridge that has been necked up to accommodate a 9,55 mm “slug” and cut to 37 mm (9.55x37mm). The caliber is said to be accurate up to around 100-150 meters.

IWI USA released today a new version of its popular Galil ACE, the GEN II. This latest configuration is reportedly born to bring to the successful model improvement based on collecting user feedback. Indeed it brings to the table a few new features that most users will definitely appreciate. Let’s see in a bit more detail.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves introduces the IWI Galil ACE Gen 2. This version of the ACE takes the Galil ACE – which was introduced 13 years ago in 2008 – to its next, logical evolution, with a bevy of upgrades, tweaks, and new barrel and caliber options. What’s new with it, and which version should you get? Check out today’s video to find out.

Photo Of The Day and we go back in history a few years. We’re looking at Syrian Democratic Forces soldiers providing security during a simulated patrol mission in the Deir ez-Zor province, in Syria, 2018. As you can see in the following pictures, they’re all equipped with various Kalashnikovs.

In Vlad’s article from the beginning of this year titled  “AK 2.0 – Finnish Upgrade Kit for Kalashnikov Rifles by Value Manufacturing”, we got a good introduction to Value Manufacturing. In this Photo Of The Day, we take a closer look at what the upgrades look like. Please note that this is just a photo-based article for your leisure, without pricing. However, you can find links and more details below to take you further.

Kalashnikov Group posted some interesting photos on Facebook, which will be the subject for today’s Photo Of The Day. For details on the background of this new rifle please check  Hrachya’s article “ Kalashnikov Concern Shows The Prototype of Upcoming 500-Series AKs – The AKV-521 Rifle“.

Ever since I picked up a pair of Arsenal’s Legion Izhevsk Saiga 5.45’s, I’ve quite enjoyed the 5.45×39 AK74 platform.  I’ve found my particular examples to be soft-shooting and accurate to boot.  The value-priced (at the time I bought it) 5.4×39 ammunition aids matters as well, as I don’t mind dumping mag after mag of steel-cased ammo.  Though I’ve got some Russian and Bulgarian AK74 magazines, I did not have a large quantity of them.  A few years ago, when I saw Magpul was putting out an AK74 version of their extremely popular and prolific PMAGs, I was enthused to give them a try.

First unveiled at TFB’s GunFest 2021, the Zastava PAP M90 PS is the newest rifle from Zastava Arms that’s destined for American shores. The Zastava Arms M90 features a fully chrome-lined 18.25″ barrel that comes with an adjustable gas system from the factory.  All of this in a 5.56 chambering makes the M90 a very desirable option for fans of AKM pattern rifles. Zastava Arms USA CEO Ranko was kind enough to allow me to do this full in-depth review of this pre-production rifle. Let’s go over what sets the M90 apart.

I’ve been quite surprised over the past couple of months at just how many people still seem to be out shooting not only for training but recreationally as well. Despite the ammo shortage, it seems like people are just dying to get out of the house and blast some targets after being coupled up all last year. Schmeisser and ATI have just introduced a new magazine for AK owners with their 60-round AK quad stack magazine.

US Palm has come out with a production version of what has been a long-time inside joke within the AK owners community – a special edition Banana magazine. The Banana magazine is a refreshed version of the US Palm AK-30 magazine which claims to be the most advanced AK magazine currently on the market.

One of the most frequently upgraded parts of Kalashnikov rifles is the stock. Although there is a variety of aftermarket stocks designed to fit the standard AK rear trunnions, the use of adapters that allow attaching AR-15 buffer tubes or Picatinny rail compatible stocks has also become quite popular drastically expanding the possible stock options for the good ol’ AK-47 and its derivatives. JMac Customs recently came up with a new family of products designed for attaching various stocks to AK rifles. This product line consists of rear trunnions called Modular Rear Kalashnikov Trunnion (MRKT) and stock adapters that are attached to each other via a new mounting interface called Infinity Mount.

Welcome everyone to the 85th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Yugoimport is a Serbian state-owned company that showcases at IDEX, under a single umbrella, a variety of defense-related products from the country. The firearms at the booth are manufactured by the well-known Zastava Arms company, although the models showcased usually aren’t the ones exported for the civilian market.

Ukrainian Mayak arms plant has designed an AK variant called KalashNash that has a quick barrel change feature. It is possible to change the caliber of this rifle to any popular intermediate cartridge (5.56×45, 7.62×39,  5.45×39, 6.5 Grendel, etc.) by swapping the populated barrels and using caliber-specific bolts and magazines. Presumably, the two slots cut at the front bottom portion of the chamber area (see the picture below) are where the barrels are retained in the front trunnion.

The Arms of America first announced their plans of importing Polish FB Radom Mini Beryl pistols back at SHOT Show 2020. Fast forward a little over a year and these AK pistols are now in the USA and available through Arms of America and Atlantic Firearms. Let’s see what features these mini AKs pack.

APS Firearms is a manufacturer of various AR and now AK parts and accessories that can be had for a very affordable price. In fact, years ago I purchased one of the APS firearms AR-15 ambidextrous charging handles and was impressed with both the performance and price of the handle. Now APS FIrearms has gotten into the AK furniture manufacturing business and they are starting out strong with laminate stocks for both standard and Yugo AKs.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves undertakes a full review of the Zastava M90. The Zastava M90 is chambered in 5.56x45mm – the same round as the AR-15 – but has several other differences from the Zastava M70, including a three-position selectable gas regulator, a longer 18.25-inch barrel, a Magpul Zhukov folding stock and a Hogue rubber foregrip, and a modified gas piston. While versions of the M90 have been imported in the past, most often, these were modified by importers and often of so-so quality. This M90 will be the real deal – 100% Zastava. Could this be one of the best AKs in the US market today? Would James buy it?

We all know by now that finding ammo on the shelves or in stock is like finding a needle in a haystack anymore. With 9mm and 5.56 Nato hitting all-time price records, it’s time to get creative and find an alternative caliber to train with at the range. I will be the first to admit, my absolute favorite firearm to shoot is a well-sorted AR-15 with some sort of 9mm handgun.

Down in the Big Easy on the last day of GunFest 2021, Cody Wilson and his team from Ghost Gunner brought out their Ghost Gunner 3 and a new product that has been highly anticipated for the past year. The Ghost Gunner AK-47 kit is finally here.

When it comes to firearms training schools, Thunder Ranch is among the foremost in the business. For almost 30 years, this premier institution now based in Oregon has served to provide top-level instruction for a variety of gun/shooting types and the full spectrum of students. Courses are offered for everyone from individual citizens looking to protect themselves and their families, to military/law enforcement personnel who may have to shoot competently in the line of duty. Thunder Ranch‘s founder and president/director is the inimitable Clint Smith, a veritable icon in the industry.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves interviews Adam with Century about the new Thunder Ranch edition VSKA AK. From Century and Davidson’s press release:

Zastava Arms USA will have a new M70 AKM configuration coming around in late February 2021. Zastava USA brought their new rifle to TFB’s GunFest 2021 for us to get a good look. The modernized M70 will have numerous new features coming from the factory, such as a specially made muzzle brake, full length, M-LOK compatible aluminum handguard, a side-mounted optics rail that’s aligned with the barrel, along with a Tango Down pistol grip and Magpul Zhukov stock.

In this episode of TFBTV‘s #GunFest2021 coverage, James Reeves talks with Ranko of Zastava Arms about Zastava’s new modular 7.62x39mm M70 as well as new .223 polymer magazines for the M85 and M90 Zastava AKs in .223.

In this episode of #GUNFEST2021, James Reeves meets with his friend, Ranko, of Zastava Arms, to discuss the NEW (well, new to the US) Zastava M90.

Zastava Arms arrived at TFB’s GunFest 2021 with the brand new PAP M90 PS.  The Serbian made Zastava M90 is being imported by Zastava USA to satisfy customer requests for a full size 5.56 AKM pattern rifle.  In addition to its larger size, the Zastava M90 is packed with new features while maintaining the quality and consistency Zastava is known for.