PSA AK-P: First Shots, First Thoughts

“AKs are outdated.”

“AKs have too much flash at night”

“But AKs can’t mount modern optics”

“..b…b-but AKs can’t efficiently interface modern enablers, like an IR laser”

Yeah, we’ve all heard it. And maybe in the past some of it was true. I’ve been an AK shooter for almost twenty years now and unlike damn near the entirety of the internet-land, I’ve run one once or twice overseas and trained and worked with not one but two nation’s armed forces on using them (Iraqi Army and Afghan Border Police) and while that doesn’t make me an all-knowing, all-seeing guru, it does give me a unique perspective into the weapon’s capability and a healthy respect for its virtues as a platform. My goal for this project is to find out what the modern AK can do- just like how we don’t look at the M16A1 as the paragon of combat capability by today’s standards when compared to a free-floated M4, what can we do with an AK?

So that said, Palmetto State Armory’s AK-P is an interesting beast. A compact, lightweight weapon with an MLOK handguard and railed topcover.

Heavier firepower than the AR, the undisputed AK reliability, all in a tight little package. Good for CQB, working in and out of vehicles, and in tight vegetation or thick woodland. But not only that, the 7.62×39 does not lose much in the way of velocity from a shorter barrel. What you do get is a lot more blast from a weapon already known for a distinctively blinding flash at night, which requires a more effective way to tame that beast. For this project I’m using a 4 Piece Bulgarian-style flash hider from CNC Warrior. It negates nearly all muzzle rise and blast, even at night, while cutting down on felt recoil as well. The PSA AK-P threads are the AK-74 standard 24×1 right hand, as opposed to the AKM’s 14×1 left hand.

In the past, many of the criticisms of the AK and modern optics came from difficulties in mounting scopes centerline to the bore. There’s a number of companies out there that have done a good job of addressing it, but all have had their shortcomings either in shift of zero or just general kludgy-ness. PSA has taken on the railed top cover and I’m happy to say that so far, it surpassed my expectation.

After zeroing the Primary Arms red dot, we opened the hinged cover and closed it multiple times. No shift was noticed, having not problem keeping all of the rounds in the head and in the A zone doing ready up drills at 50 meters.

I think its time to paint this thing. We’re gonna be working with it a lot more. 

 

 

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

8 Comments

  1. Calvin April 29, 2020 at 08:28

    I think this is an amazing offering – thanks for the insight on the CNC Warrior Flash Hider! Any thoughts on how durable the hinge cover is or might be, related to bearing mass while subjected to reciprocating recoil? A Microdot, mounted close to the hinge should probably be OK long term. I’m curious as to whether something with much more mass (say a Primary Arms 1-6×24 /w rings) might be too much. Also the hex head screw that holds the top cover in place to the hinge is reputed to work loose under recoil – so a dab of paint to monitor is helpful.

    • NC Scout April 29, 2020 at 08:33

      Its STIFF. The hinge is reinforced by two more metal plates running outside the rear sight hinge. Its hard to open due to the rigidity, so I have no doubt that its stiff.

      That said I don’t know how the length of the 1-6 would work with the relative short mounting distance. A prismatic optic would probably be better.

  2. Anonymous April 29, 2020 at 09:12

    5

  3. Anonymous April 29, 2020 at 15:26

    4.5

  4. Mas Casa April 29, 2020 at 15:48

    Looking forward to the long-term review, no matter what occurs. Picked up a PSA GF3 in late March and love it. As a tangent, what optic mount do you run on your AKMs?

    • NC Scout April 29, 2020 at 15:57

      Oh man, that’s a hell of a question :)

      I’ve run everything from the original LPS side mount on an old IOR 4×24 to Horse’s original RS Regulate 30mm Mount for an IOR QR-TS 3x scope that they no longer make. I’ve used Midwest Industry’s side mount rail that I wasn’t crazy about because it made the gun it was on (wasr10) handle weird and the Texas Weapon Systems tip cover rail. Until now, the best one in my opinion was the Ultimak with a mini-dot like an Aimpoint T1. But with this, PSA has (so far at least) knocked it out of the park. I have my fingers crossed that they build a full size based on this as well.

  5. vyt1az April 30, 2020 at 10:42

    This is close to my ideal AK setup without having to spend the extra money on a rail + TWS dog leg to get it that way. For the same money as other AKs plus adding rails/top cover, you now have money left over for an optic or Zenitco Perst.

    I’d be interested to find out if opening/closing the top cover will have a more noticeable shift when tested with a scope.

    Let’s hope PSA is listening and makes a longer barreled version like you said. PSA is fixing the top sticking points I have with AKs: the different platforms and variances that make it hard to find common parts, constant researching to avoid garbage like cast trunions or soft bolts, and mounting accessories.

  6. […] Since my first shots with it, around 500 rounds and two cleanings since, the top cover has experienced no shift in zero. That’s one of the biggest questions people have when it comes to the hinged top cover, and so far, so good. The Primary Arms red dot I have mounted is fast and efficient, having a lower-third cowitness with the iron sights. The unexpected best feature of this weapon is, without a doubt, the handguard. PSA’s in-house MLOK design really is one of the best I’ve used, and I was a big fan of Ultimak’s full length rail back in the day. It was solid as a rock. The problem was it was great a decade ago when most handguards were like cheesegraters and quality meant heavy. The MLOK design brings it forward a decade, allowing me to put rails where I need them while keeping the whole thing lightweight. For a compact pistol-carbine, its fast- faster than a full length AK. […]

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