PSA GF3 AK: A Pic-Heavy Update

Following up on my ongoing review of Palmetto State Armory’s GF3, I’ve got around 1.5k rounds down the tube on it now and probably another 300-400 in blanks. Nothing serious and nothing it shouldn’t be able to handle, running basic drills of snap shots, mag changes and using it as a training and OPFOR weapon in the Scout Course with the blank ammo. So while it doesn’t have a giant round count, its been beat on in a pretty realistic combat environment- my opposing force runs the AKs pretty hard in the woods.

That has a value all its own- will the rivets hold? Will the triangle sidefolding stock hold up to getting smacked around in a woodland environment? Does it live up to the legendary durability of Com-Bloc Kalashnikovs?

Well, I let the pics be the guide, but so far, PSA has made a solid AK.

Let’s pull the action apart and see what’s going on in there.

Even when running a flash can, it doesn’t look to be prematurely beating the rear trunnion. I had this happen on an early WASR, that lead to it beating the rivets loose. Fortunately that doesn’t seem to be an issue here.

No marks of binding on the piston or bolt carrier. It could use a good cleaning though.

No deformation of the rear of the bolt carrier. This is an issue to look for in any model of AK. If the steel is too soft, it will ‘mushroom’ from hitting the hammer during the ejection cycle. Too hard, and you’ll have stress fractures.

Bolt face is looking good, nothing unexpected and no signs of premature wear.

Guide rails and front trunnion looking good.

The crown and threads, although dirty, are not showing unexpected signs of wear.

Couple of knicks and gouges in the handguard, but that’s all part of the Kalashnikov experience. The laminate has held up well.

The weapon is holding up well, and I have no complaints from my end. Getting beat on in the woods, drug through the mud and rocking and rolling in simulated combat, it has not yet failed, taking every kind of ammo and magazine run through it by myself and students in class. The AK makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons, and right now 7.62×39 ammo and magazines are still plentiful at reasonable prices.

For now, at least.

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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 .

15 Comments

  1. JB August 7, 2020 at 10:07

    How bout the locking lugs?
    Primary and Secondary, which one is more worn?

    The Century Built AK’s i have seen, the secondary locking lug shows lots of wear with the Primary untouched.

    Headspace?

    • NC Scout August 7, 2020 at 10:27

      The lugs are good, they actually have the least wear on them.

      Since there hasn’t been any feeding issues, I haven’t checked the headspace. When I get to 2500 or so I will.

  2. Anonymous August 7, 2020 at 10:29

    5

  3. Matt Bracken August 7, 2020 at 12:36

    What are you running for a flash hider on the muzzle end? How’s it working out at night in the woods, light signature-wise?

  4. Alan Burquist August 7, 2020 at 19:37

    Yep, that’s an AK! Looks like Palmetto is doing a great job on the old girl!
    My Honeys are from Zastava, all they wanna do is, Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang, LOL!
    I have an M70 NPAP and a M92PV pistol.. And a VEPR12, but that’s kinda different..

    • Johnny Paratrooper August 7, 2020 at 21:29

      But did you pick up one of those PSL’s or one of those RPK clones by Century? plus 75, 75 round drums?
      The PSL turned into a disappointment considering it shot TALL strings after one magazine. SOLD
      The RPK clone with drums is a freaking BEAST. And they were $700!!!

      WHO SELLS AN RPK FOR $700!!!!???? We bought those things so fast.

      • Alan Burquist August 8, 2020 at 07:51

        Before the Kung Flu, they wanted 3K for an M91, 2K for a PSL.. Wanted one, but not at that price.. Serious competition in those price brackets.. Hell, I only paid $1250 for my Savage BA Stealth in .338L, including optic and extra mags, was about 2K.. 3K is Nemo country, or a single shot .50.. And 2K will get semi auto rifles that will outshoot a PSL, hands down..

        Now, after the Kung Flu, I can’t estimate gun values any more.. Guess I’m out of that market.. I have lots of guns already, more that I’d need in the Ball Room Blitz… Working on stashing the extras.. Blue barrels and dig dig dig in our Back 40, ya know..

        We’re lucky, on guns and ammo we are well set..
        Other things for me to do, to get ready for the coming shit show..
        Divesting my assets, living will, etc.. In case I end up dead in a ditch somewhere!

        • NC Scout August 8, 2020 at 08:13

          Yeah the prices on the new production PSLs are pretty silly, to say the least.

          • Johnny Paratrooper August 8, 2020 at 09:48

            3K for an M91!!!! WHAT!!! WHY!!! The CETME is/was like $650!!!

            Have you ever tried zeroing a PSL? It’s a 3-4 MOA gun.

            The barrel heats up way too fast. It’s not even enjoyable to shoot because you sit there waiting for that barrel to cool off.

            I sold that POS so fast.

            A $450 dollar Savage with the factory shipped Nikon “Circles of Death” Scope is a better rifle all day. Without a doubt the superior weapon.

            Some say bolt guns are obsolete. That simply isn’t true.

  5. Anonymous August 7, 2020 at 20:39

    4.5

  6. Johnny Paratrooper August 7, 2020 at 21:25

    Good looking little rifle.

    Have you tried that white lighting gun grease? That stuff is unbeatable. The ammo might be sold out, but there is lots of other stuff we can buy before we cry. Plus, grease always has a use. ALWAYS.

    You should check out the MCarbo heavy Spring for the AK. It’s 15% stronger. It’ll keep that chamber closed a nano second longer. My groups’ AK’s can spit some embers from the chamber on rapid fire. Embers are light, and a source of ignition in a Ghillie or Drybrush like Wyoming. The spring appears to have solved a problem that I didn’t know existed until I decided it did.
    And a Fibered buffer. The buffer speeds up the reset on the bolt IMHO and smooths the impulse out. If it doesn’t induce malfunctions for whatever reason. Some AK’s eat anything. Some are picky(I blame the old Warsaw magazines)

    https://www.mcarbo.com/ak-47-extra-power-recoil-spring.aspx

    I am aware that not all AK’s like buffers. We bought buffers and springs for all our AK’s and for whatever reason one of them didn’t feed right or something with a fibered buffer and it wouldn’t take a set. So we put it in the spare parts box. It wasn’t worth messing with. The extra power spring worked right away. It ROCKS. You’ll be surprised I think. There’s a lot of mass on the AK bolt and it’s not a linear increasing force.

    • NC Scout August 8, 2020 at 00:47

      Indeed I have. You can actually see it on the bolt carrier group in the pics. White lithium grease.

      • Johnny Paratrooper August 8, 2020 at 14:35

        That would explain the lack of wear and tear on the guts.

        When I left the Deuce and the MD/NG Scout/Snipers (I was a Ghost SQL; not a Reaper TL) white lithium grease was required under orders from the commanders on all machine guns. Probably to save on wear and tear during wartime. That stuff is really, really amazing. I doesn’t burn off, and, for whatever reason stays the color white after belts and belts of ammo.

        I have no idea how, or why. But it do.

        Frankly, it feel like a waste of money to clean off and reapply.

  7. […] just picked up an AK-104 and plan on beating the living hell out of it, and if its on par with the GF-3 and AK-P I have, its going to be more than up to the […]

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