The AK SBR reviewed herein started as a Romanian 7.62×39 AK Draco pistol imported by Century International Arms. Certain weapons evolve over time as a user searches for best utility. Experience with a 5.45×39 Krinkov led to an appreciation of what a SBR offers in terms of portability and handling. Almost immediately after the economical Draco AK pistol was uncovered the quest to maximize it began.

The Draco SBR quest began in earnest upon reviewing a Suarez International Warrior Talk forum discussion about adding a rear sling point on a Draco AK pistol. The work involved with the rear sling attachment was not significantly less than what would be involved to just alter the existing rear trunnion of the Draco to accept a stock. Red Jacket Firearms was turned to in assisting with the Draco SBR project. 7.62×39 Krinkov style rifles or kits are currently scarce and the Draco SBR seemed a good alternative.

The Draco was fired in its original pistol configuration before converting it into a SBR. The Draco AK pistol, while interesting, lacked much in terms of accuracy past normal handgun ranges with added negatives of weighing 5.5 pounds and muzzle blast of a rifle round. Draco is the Latin word for dragon. The Draco AK certainly lived up to this vision of a fire breathing apparition with substantial amounts of muzzle blast and flash. While definitely categorized as a fun firearm, the Draco in its pistol form is limited in its effectiveness. A Krebs Custom Quad Rail was added to the Draco while still in its pistol form in an effort to increase its accuracy and effective range potential. An Insight Technology M6x laser/light and various red dot sights were utilized to no avail with the AK pistol. The results still were not satisfactory.

Century International Arms imports the Draco AK pistol. The Draco AK pistol utilizes the same forend length as a standard AK. This simplifies finding accessories for it compared to the more specialized Krinkov versions with reduced length forends. The piston length is not the same. Yes, the 11inch barrel length is longer compared to an 8.5inch barreled Krinkov, but this is a viable compromise considering alternatives are slim when searching for a 7.62×39 Krinkov kit. The Draco has a unique front gas block and sight compared to other full size AKs and the rear sight is modified for shorter ranges expected from a pistol.

Turning the Draco AK pistol into a SBR transforms it into a more serious firearm. Yes, the 11 inch barrel sacrifices some performance versus 16 inch barrels, but this is the price for any SBR. Increased handling and portability more than compensates for any velocity lost. The 7.62×39 is less affected in this regard than 5.56 or 7.62×51 chamberings. Lessons rediscovered in Iraq and Afghanistan about terminal ballistics further enhances 7.62×39 AK credentials. However, the lack of a rear stock nestled in your shoulder impacts effectiveness. This is based on multiple points of contact represented by a shoulder stock as compared to a handgun. This consists of shoulder, cheek, and hands spread further apart for more stability compared to a handgun.

Three performance upgrades were sought in converting the Draco AK pistol into the Draco SBR. The first, and most important, involved modifying the rear trunnion to add a stock. Second, based on previous experiences with a 5.45×39 AK SBR, was foregoing the standard wood forend by replacing it with a Krebs Custom Quad rail. Lastly, wanting to take advantage of the first two improvements, an Aimpoint T1 optic was added to the Krebs Quad rail, which is a vast improvement over the standard open sights. This only reinforced correctness of decision to add a stock to the Draco to better take advantage of 7.62×39 potential and AK handling characteristics.

This SBR project would not have been possible without the involvement of Red Jacket Firearms. Red Jacket has established itself as a major resource for U.S. AK devotees. A quick phone call to Red Jacket owner Will Hayden discussed expectations for the Draco. Red Jacket modified the rear trunnion and added a DPH folding stock with ACE folding hinge. The Draco was given the once over by the experienced Red Jacket gunsmiths while it was in Louisiana. It would have been foolish not to take advantage of Red Jacket’s experience with AKs while the Draco was there for the rear trunnion modification. Red Jacket tuning included checking magwell dimensions, function of action, polished and smoothed rails along with removing any machine marks from the bolt head and carrier. The front sight and gas block were checked for alignment, which is a common AK issue. During assembly after paint, Red Jacket noticed a discrepancy with the standard Romanian fire control group hammer and sear engagement. Red Jacket installed a G-2 unit which is a proven trigger group with Red Jacket projects. Further inspection revealed the safety lever barely caught the hammer and had the possibility of an accidental discharge. This was repaired by extending the contact point of the selector with a weld, shape to fit handwork and refinishing to match. The metal surfaces of the Draco received a Gunkote application. Upon the Draco’s return it measured 32.5 inches with the DPH stock deployed; 24 inches folded, and weighed slightly over 8 pounds. These measurements included Krebs Custom Quad rail, Aimpoint T1, offset Troy vertical grip, and YHM Phantom flash hider.

Red Jacket Firearms has been a Class 7 manufacturer for over a decade. What started out as private projects involving AK type of weapons quickly evolved into a main product line for the company. The ZK model and Saiga shotguns, including integral suppressed versions of the Saiga shotgun, being the most sought after firearms from Red Jacket along with a relatively new offering involving accuracy enhancements to Saiga rifles. Not wanting to oversimplify, Red Jacket is a true custom gunsmith with many types of weapons available. Will prides himself on producing weapons that are capable of hard use with a reputation for ruggedness, reliability, and accuracy.

The Krebs Quad Rail was simple to install securely to the Draco, thus multiplying potential options for adding accessories to the rifle. As expected from Krebs, the Quad Rail was well made and did not move once installed on the Draco SBR. Another benefit of the Krebs Quad Rail is that it allows for better ventilation around the barrel, thus cooling it down faster after long strings of fire. The Krebs Quad Rail could be considered just as essential to getting the most out of the Draco SBR as adding the rear stock; without the Krebs Quad Rail it would have been impossible to forward mount the Aimpoint T1 sight or any other optic for that matter.

Many will find the Krebs Custom Quad Rail as an invitation to accessorize the Draco with lights, lasers, vertical grips, etc. Individuals will have to judge for themselves what is necessary kit without compromising handling. A vertical forward grip was added to the Draco SBR via Kreb’s offset rail adaptor. The AK47 magazine’s curvature can interfere with a vertical forward grip during magazine changes impacting reloading efficiency. The Kreb’s offset rail adaptor eliminates this likelihood and allows for a vertical grip to be positioned per individual shooter preference. The vertical foregrip has fast become a standard accessory on any rifle or carbine equipped with a forward accessory rail. The increased leverage and control offered by the vertical foregrip aids in weapon manipulation and stability when firing. The vertical foregrip’s advantages are further magnified with the ever increasing amount of accessories being placed on weapons equipped with Picatinny 1913 or similar rail systems. Loading up a weapon’s forend will effect handling. An Insight Technology M6x tactical light/laser illuminator was chosen due to it combining both a high intensity light and laser aiming module in one compact housing. The Insight M6x was configured with the long arm remote pressure pad switch for activating the laser and/or light with the support hand without having to alter firing grip. Another vertical forward grip used with the Draco SBR was the Police Ordnance Company MTL 225 distributed by Century International Arms. The MTL-225 combines a vertical grip with a high intensity 225 lumen LED tactical light all in T6 aluminum housing weighing in at slightly less than 16 ounces. The MTL-225 requires mounting fully forward on the Draco SBR so as not to interfere with magazine changes. A review of weapons appearing in the hands of our troops fighting overseas or domestic LE tactical teams will confirm popularity, utility, and appeal related to vertical foregrips and tactical lights and lasers.

Range T&E followed established protocol for combat rifles. After a quick verification of 25 yard sight zero, evaluation commenced with a function test involving firing several magazines in rapid succession at various steel man targets and vehicles that dot the range. While not unique, this is a good way to establish a baseline for reliability. Let’s face it; if an AK-type weapon does not have pristine reliability, its major attribute is nullified. A vertical forward grip is perfect for keeping your hand away from a hot barrel. A more comprehensive 100 yard sight zero confirmation took place after functionality was established. The Krebs Quad rail allows for the open sights to be viewed down the recess between rails system if one chooses not to mount an optic. The Aimpoint T1red dot sight offered the capability to engage multiple targets in rapid sequence compared to open sights. As many “maturing” shooters can attest to the single focus plane with the red dot is easier to shoot accurately than coordinating front and rear sights.

Brass cased Egyptian and Yugoslavian 7.62×39 surplus ammunition was used for the bulk of the testing with Wolf Ammunition Polyformance 122 and Military Classic 124gr loads also used in conjunction with Barnaul and Golden Tiger 7.62×39 loadings. Accuracy was acceptable for an AK, or any other combat rifle using iron sights or non-magnified optics, at 3-4 inches at 100 yards. One downside to most surplus ammunition is that it does utilize corrosive primers. Something the Russians and other ex-Soviet bloc states or clients insisted on using due to concerns with cold weather ignition and long-term storage capabilities offered by corrosive primers. The Egyptian ammunition is labeled as non-corrosive, but was handled as if it was corrosive to take no chances. Corrosive ammunition is not the destroyer of rifles many will lead you to believe as long as proper cleaning methods are followed to remove elements left over from the primer residue. During several range visits in both its pistol and SBR form, the Draco fired several hundred rounds downrange. The weapon was cleaned between range visits due to the use of corrosive ammunition.

Further range testing of the Draco consisted of repeating numerous drills and exercises experienced via training with Suarez International, Storm Mountain, and Tactical Response. Firing while moving as well as behind cover, reloading drills, transitions between shoulders depending on cover orientation, and engaging multiple targets arranged around “no-shoot” targets all helped put the Draco SBR through its paces. While not as subtle or tame as an AR-15 or AK74, the Draco’s muzzle blast and recoil was not prohibitive allowing for fast double and triple taps on selected targets, especially at CQB distances. The welded muzzle nut that comes on the Draco pistol was removed allowing for access to the weapon’s M14x1LH muzzle threads. Initially, a typical AK slant style muzzle device was added. A Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) Phantom flash hider quickly replaced this. The Phantom flash hider is not only effective at reducing muzzle signature, but allows for the quick mounting of a YHM suppressor if desired. This was done occasionally with no detriment to the Draco’s accuracy or reliability. The Aimpoint T1assisted in engaging targets at close distances with the red dot easy to pick up rapidly, while at the same time allowing for more than enough accuracy out to a couple hundred yards due to the red dot’s superimposing an aim point on the target while not totally obscuring the target due to the dot’s not being oversized.

The Draco SBR handled as expected from a SBR AK benefitting from a shortened barrel combined with AK reliability. Red Jacket’s tuning could be detected in smoothness of manually operating action and slickness of magazine changes. Targets of opportunity located around the range such as car hulks, manhole covers, and steel MGM Precision Steel targets were engaged repeatedly outside of designated courses of fire.

Some will question why go through the hassle for an SBR. The answer, as with most things related to firearms, is personal preference. This review should encourage readers to look outside the box when making decisions concerning weapon choices. Did the Draco, with added enhancements, turn out to be a good investment of time and money? Yes, in all aspects, including shootability, reliability, functionality, and lethality. Not much more can be asked from a rifle.

SITES OF INTEREST

Aimpoint, Inc.
14103 Mariah Court
Chantilly, VA 20151
www.aimpoint.com

Century International Arms
430 South Congress Ave., Suite 1
Delray Beach, FL 33445
(800) 527-1252
www.centuryarms.com

Insight Technology
9 Akira Way
Londonderry, NH 03053
(866) 509-2040
www.InsightTechnology.com

Krebs Custom Inc.
1000 Rand Road
Wauconda, IL 60084
(847) 487-7776
www.krebscustom.com

Red Jacket Firearms
9643 Mammoth Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70714
(225) 448-3167
www.redstick-firearms.com

Stonewall Arms
2438 Valley Ave
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 535-2190
www.stonewallarms.com

Wolf Ammunition
PO Box 757
Placentia, CA 92871
(888) 757-9653
www.wolfammo.com

By John Layman

The house is pitch black and your spouse is shaking you out of a deep sleep. She (or he) says there was a loud noise downstairs. A look at the clock tells you it’s just after 2 a.m. You rub the sleep out of your eyes and sit quietly listening. The creak in the second stair on the way up to the bedrooms sounds off and you’re wide-awake. Grabbing your pistol from the bedside table, you head for the hall looking like an unlikely storm trooper in your briefs. The “intruder” could be one of the kids or it could be somebody you weren’t expecting. Would a little light help right about now?

There are two general categories of people who purchase handgun-mounted lights: the homeowner protecting self and family, and the law enforcement or military professional. Each of these has a different application and a different set of needs. Let’s look at these needs before we compare the available lighting systems.

The law enforcement or military professional is faced with numerous situations. Not being one of these, your author has a hard time putting himself in those shoes. One thing is sure; the professional will have encounters where extra light will assure improved assessment. Another certainty, pointing the muzzle of a weapon at someone for identification and assessment is almost always unacceptable. A gun-mounted light is not a substitute for a quality hand-held flashlight. Each individual will have to decide if one more piece of equipment, no matter how useful, is worth carrying around.

For the professional, a handgun-mounted light has to be sturdy, reliable, and bright. Part of being reliable is being sure the light doesn’t come on by accident in your holster and run down the batteries. Longer battery life and batteries that are readily available and economical is a plus. The weight of a light will have an impact on your shooting and on the burden of carrying it around with you.

The homeowner will be using the lighted handgun to identify threats at night at fairly short ranges. For the homeowner, a reliable, moderately bright light with shorter range and battery life may be an acceptable solution.

For all applications, the quality of the light beam is important. Black shadows in the light beam make identification that much harder. It may also be desirable to detach the light during daylight use. Intermittent operation allows better use of the batteries, prevents a threat from zeroing in on you, and allows you to apply light to the situation only when needed. The factors that will be important when selecting a handgun-mounted light are:

* Brightness,
* Beam quality,
* Weight
* Sturdy construction / reliability
     o Materials of Construction
     o Durability of Construction
     o Disable Switch
* Battery life
* Interference with Pistol Operation
* Intermittent On/Off Availability
* Continuous On/Off Availability
* Cost to purchase
* Cost and availability of batteries
* Ease of operation
* Ability to detach the light easily

These factors will affect each individual’s choice differently based on budget and needs.

There are numerous manufacturers advertising handgun-mounted lights. In addition, there are mounting systems that hold a number of different common lights. The lights that were tested are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Each light was mounted and subject to at least 50 rounds on the range. Every light on the tables operated through the live fire test without failure.

The brightness numbers shown are from a light meter and are not in any standard unit. They serve to compare the lights to each other. The brightest lights are absolutely blinding. The least bright lights still put a lot of light in a dark room. For comparison, the Maglite 4 D-Cell light has a reading of 41 on the scale used. Also, a Maglite 2 AA has a reading of 29. Brightness readings were taken at the center of the beam with the light focused to its optimum.

There are a number of mounts made for a wide variety of handguns that hold commonly available flashlights. The mounts allow the gun owner to pick between a light made specifically for handguns and lights that may fill in for that purpose. Table 3 shows you available mounts and their characteristics.

Each gun owner will need to decide if a handgun-mounted light is warranted and, if so, which one will best fit his or her needs. A study of the tables will give you a good picture of what is available for your gun. There are a few combinations and a few pieces of equipment that worked especially well that I should point out.

To provide intermittent operations, a paddle switch is commonly used. Being able to position the paddle switch where it fits best allows you to adjust the light to your needs rather than change your grip to suit a light. The WLS 2000 by Lyman Products and the LAS/TAC by Laser Devices have large paddle switches that were easily repositioned and took moderate pressure to actuate. Both of these lights worked well overall.

For an overall tough light, the Surefire Millennium is made for combat. It is machined of aluminum, nicely finished and extremely solid. If you want something you could rely on after a parachute jump, this would be the thing. However, at 10.1 ounces with batteries, it’s also the heaviest light on the list. Its $480 retail price may be out of some people’s range. The LAS/TAC is also machined of aluminum. It weighs only 6.8 ounces and is less than half the price. The LAS/TAC has the disadvantage that it isn’t easily detachable. Either choice will really light up a room.

The TACM III by Diamond Products and M.U.E.L by Quick2See are made of delrin. This is a space age synthetic material that is known as one of the toughest available. Both of these products are extremely bright and well made. They are designed to mount on the magazine using a quick-detachable mount.

For the low cost end, a magazine-mounted one-inch light would fill the need for most of us. There are a lot of choices of mounts and lights. The Handgun Kits made by Quick-2-See and Laser Devices are especially solid and versatile. They come off the same patent and are almost indistinguishable. They come with two magazine attachments and one flashlight attachment. The two parts clip together and are quickly and easily separated. The Lyman Products Corporation SideClip Mount fits all flashlights tested. Because the mounting retainers are made of plastic, the mount needs to be held in place by griping the light during fire. Once I figured out how, it worked fine.

The 1 inch diameter lights tested include Laser Devices’ TL-2; Surefire Z2 & Z3; Streamlight Scorpion; and TACM-III. With a spacer made of rubber and secured by contact cement, it is possible to mount the Maglite MiniMag AA or the Brinkmann Legend into any of the mounts. There are a couple commercially available bushings for this purpose. They are made of hard plastic or nylon and didn’t hold the light well during the live fire tests. It’s possible that some glue would solve that problem, but I liked using rubber (old inner tube) . The success of the smaller lights despite not having a shock isolated bulb may be due to the shock insulation provided by the rubber.

As noted in the table, Brinkmann makes the NexStar xenon replacement bulb that fits the Maglite AA. With this bulb, the light output increases significantly. I enjoy having these in all my Maglite AA flashlights.

Once you decide that a handgun-mounted light is something you need, handle a few before making your choice. The market is changing quickly and you may find some new choices. The contact information for the manufacturers is below.

Glock, Inc. USA, Canada
Dept. SAR
6000 Highlands Parkway
Smyrna, GA 30082
Ph (770) 432-1202
Fax (770) 433-8719
http://www.glock.com/

Lyman Products Corporation

Dept. SAR
475 Smith Street
Middletown, CT 06457
Ph (800) 22-LYMAN
Fax (860) 632-1699
orders@lymanproducts.com
http://www.lymanproducts.com/

Diamond Products Marketing, Inc.

Dept. SAR
2300 Commerce Park Drive
Woodlake Commerce Center, #6
Palm Bay, FL 32905-2619
Ph (321) 726-0644 or (800) 530-0644
Fax (321) 726-0645
tacm3@aol.com or info@tacm3.com
http://www.tacm3.com/

Laser Devices, Inc.

Dept. SAR
Sales and Marketing Department
2 Harris Court, Suite A-4
Monterey, California 93940
http://www.laserdevices.com/
Ph (831) 373-0701 or (800) 235-2162
Fax (831) 373-0903
sales@laserdevices.com.
http://www.laserdevices.com

Streamlight®, Inc.

Dept. SAR
1030 W. Germantown Pike
Norristown, Pa. 19403
Ph (800) 523-7488 or (610) 631-0600
Fax (800) 220-7007 or (610) 631-0712
cs@streamlight.com
http://www.streamlight.com/

Insight Technology Incorporated
Dept. SAR
3 Technology Drive
Londonderry, NH 03053
Ph (877) 744-4802 or (603) 626-4800
Fax (603) 647-7234
service@insight-tek.com
http://www.insightlights.com/

LiteTek, Inc.
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 245
Medway, MA 02053-0245
Phone (508) 533-0203
Fax (801) 457-9907
customerservice@litetek.com or service@litetek.com
http://www.litetek.com/

Quick2See

Dept. SAR
20472-A Chartwell Center Drive
Cornelius NC, 28036
Ph (704) 895-8649
Fax (704) 895-8619
http://www.quik2see.com/

SureFire LLC

Dept. SAR
18300 Mount Baldy Circle
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Ph (800) 828-8809
Fax (714) 545-9537
helpyou@surefire.com
http://www.surefire.com/

Mag Instruments Inc.

Dept. SAR
1721 East Locust Street – 51453
Ontario, CA 91761-7769
Ph (909) 947-1006
Fax (909) 947-3116
http://www.maglight.com/

The Brinkmann Corporation
Dept. SAR
4215 McEwen Road
Dallas, TX 75244
Ph 800-527-0717
bbock@dallasmfgco.com
http://www.thebrinkmanncorp.com/