An Unapologetic Defense of the AK

By Andy
November 18th, 2010

First off, you should know where I’m coming from:  I’m a player, not a serious collector.  If I can’t field it, chances are I don’t want to own it.  I do like unique guns, and I do cosmetic work to them in an effort to make them a conversation piece on the field.  But that’s where my “collector” interest ends.  These days, anyway.  Function over form.

An example of an AK-toting Evildoer. Author with G&P AKM accessorized with blaze orange zip tie

Which is why I love the AK platform and the Version 3 Gearbox.  If you are a beginning or intermediate airsofter, they are your best bet to keep airsoft affordable, hassle-free and fun.

In some circles, these guns get a bad rap – they’re “terrorist” guns, don’t have the Barbie Doll-style accessories available to the AR owner, and are less synonymous with the “good guys” out there in the real world.  Even as spec ops types and private contractors started pickup up the AK in foreign theaters, the image we have of them is as “black guns”, tricked out with rail kits, crane stocks and other assorted tactical paraphernalia.  A plain old AK-47 or AK-74 with traditional wood furniture is, to many, commonplace, pedestrian or tinged with the stench of evil.

Get over that, and enjoy the benefits of AK ownership.  As I’ve evolved from a new player to a relatively experienced one, I’ve gone through distinct phases of development as an AEG consumer:

1. Clueless.  That plastic M4 with a 7.2v battery is the best that’s out there, right?  I mean, it’s AWESOME!
2. Foolish.  Why not buy a used ICS MP5?  If it acts up I’ll just open it up and… how complicated could it be?
3. Utilitarian.  This JG AUG runs like a champ.  Why is everyone laughing at me?
4. Dreamer.  I can turn this UTG Warhawk into a first class fighting machine.  All I need is a new metal body, new barrel, new front sight, new gearbox, new wiring, new selector switch… How about I turn this Marui M4 into something awesome… G&P body, new RIS, new gearbox (well, you get the idea- I could have bought a decent used car instead of building an AK and an AR from scratch).
5. Collector.  Sure, I’ll buy that… A new paintjob, a new chest rig, order this, order that… ooooh, what’s this that just got posted on Airsoft Retreat?  Time to invest in some 4×8 peg board…
6. Realist.  Buy gun.  Give gun to friend to chrono and install appropriate spring.  Hope for no bad news.  Shoot people with gun.  Repeat.

By the time I reached the realist stage I realized a few things that made me an “AK guy”:  First, I am mechanically retarded.  I hate opening gearboxes and the only ones I’ve had any luck taking apart and putting back together (though I still avoid at all costs) are Version 3s.  The Version 3 gearbox is superior to all others because it is easier to re-set the spring and the motor requires little if any adjustment, removing two significant areas of frustration.

My trusty AKM, looking at home on my basement floor with random gear. One man's rust removal is another man's cosmetic weathering

Second, I like things that work.  A teammate of mine has fielded just two guns for the entire three years I’ve known him – two Dboys AKs.  My first decent AK, powered by a Classic Army Version 3 gearbox, was north of 40,000 rounds when I sold it to a teammate, and is still going strong firing 390+ with .20s.  The V3 is as close as you can get to bulletproof in Airsoft.  The only other platform that rivals the Version 3 in reliability is, in my opinion, the Classic Army SAW.

Two no-frills AKs, before I went "dreamer" on them

Third, none of the “real world” advantages of the AR platform, debatable as they are, translate to Airsoft.  Do you need a laser, a tac light, or a scope in Airsoft?  No, which makes flat tops, an RIS, RAS, or any of those other modular goodies on ARs far less practical.  Don’t get me wrong, you’re not a bad person if you like that stuff.  But really, do you need any of it to shoot plastic bbs 150 feet?

I love this graphic so much, I asked to use it as a footer on my work e-mail. For some reason, our CEO said no.

Fourth, good AK clones are cheap and plentiful.  I’ve owned lots of them, and aside from the fact that many of them are running too hot out of the box these days, they are exceptionally well built.  My CYMA CM048 actually has a sturdier receiver than the real-steel Nodak Spud receiver at the center of my Bulgarian AK-74 Paratrooper.  There are some really good AR variants out there too, but you will spend three times as much for them.

When good guns go bad - somewhere a Blackwater contractor is aroused

Finally, I love wood on guns and you should too.  I encourage you to read Guiness’ guides on this site to inspire you as to its possibilities.  Wood stocks can be weathered and beaten, or gleaming and practically untouchable.

My CYMA AK-74, with a sort of 1980's Afganistan motif. 490 out of the box. Come on CYMA, are America's dentists giving you kickbacks or what?

The admonition of our cartoon friend above need not be taken too seriously — AKs can be tricked out, and frankly there’s some pretty darn cool stuff out there to trick them out with.  Real Russian optics are a pricey, but aesthetically rewarding option.

Come on, tell me that ain't sexy. (photo courtesy of Bandy via Airsoft Retreat)

If you are a beginning player ready to buy a serious gun, or just a player reaching his or her boiling point dealing with finicky M4s, I encourage you to think about an AK.  More likely than not, your stress level will be greatly reduced and your sense of taste will become more cosmopolitan.  Come on, there’s room on the Dark Side for one more.