Initial Impressions, Arsenal SGL 21-61
Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:53 am
Initial shooting and other impressions:
1) Flawless in operation; put 60 rounds of Tula, Wolf and Hot Shot (Romanian) ammo through it and it ate everything with no hiccups. Used two different mags; arsenal 5 round and Pro Mag 30 round with no feeding issues
2) Accuracy 50 and 100 meters. The first two rounds were low on the bull at 50 meters (see attached photo), so I made a sight adjustment in elevation to 100 meters and the gun shot very well to point of aim afterwards. I expended 10 rounds on a 18" by 18" steel plate offhand at 100 and heard a "gong" with each pull of the trigger. No windage adjustment will be necessary for now.
3) Trigger: The TAPCO G2 fire control system was typical two stage military. However, after the first stage, there was no creep and the let off was smooth; I'm guessing about 5 to 6 pound pull in the second stage. I'm still getting used to it, but after shooting milsurp bolt actions like the Mosin Nagant M91/30, there really is no comparison. It was easy to shoot.
4) Effectiveness of the AK-74 break: Good on muzzle rise but the blast out the side was noticeable. On the M44 the blast and flash is forward of the gun; this one goes out the side. It is quieter than a M44 but still loud. Recoil was minimal.
5) Field Strip/Cleaning: The procedure is easy; I can see why they had no difficulty teaching a Soviet or Russian conscript how to take care of these guns. Even with no training or experience with the weapon, I had minimal difficulty. The release for the gas tube was very tight and it took some effort to release/remove it for cleaning; I think it is just because it was new. The chrome-lined barrel and polished gas piston took minimal cleanup after 60 rounds. Looking at the gas system, I think you could run a 1000 rounds through this gun with modern non-corrosive ammunition before you started to run into function problems.
6) Overall: I'm very pleased with the gun. From everything I have read about AK's, it is typical in some ways and not in others. The expected reliability is evident in it's ability to shoot well with a variety of inexpensive steel-cased Eastern Bloc ammo. The fit and finish is the difference I see compared to a WASR or other AK-type weapons; it is very well put together and looks just like a current issue AK-74 for the Russian Army. The accuracy is surprising; probably just as good as my M1 Carbine and very good right out of the box. I believe with a little work, I can get it to shoot consistent 3 to 4 MOA with the irons at 100 meters. With good optics, I can probably do better (the weapon has an attached side rail on the left side for a variety of bases and optical sights).
1) Flawless in operation; put 60 rounds of Tula, Wolf and Hot Shot (Romanian) ammo through it and it ate everything with no hiccups. Used two different mags; arsenal 5 round and Pro Mag 30 round with no feeding issues
2) Accuracy 50 and 100 meters. The first two rounds were low on the bull at 50 meters (see attached photo), so I made a sight adjustment in elevation to 100 meters and the gun shot very well to point of aim afterwards. I expended 10 rounds on a 18" by 18" steel plate offhand at 100 and heard a "gong" with each pull of the trigger. No windage adjustment will be necessary for now.
3) Trigger: The TAPCO G2 fire control system was typical two stage military. However, after the first stage, there was no creep and the let off was smooth; I'm guessing about 5 to 6 pound pull in the second stage. I'm still getting used to it, but after shooting milsurp bolt actions like the Mosin Nagant M91/30, there really is no comparison. It was easy to shoot.
4) Effectiveness of the AK-74 break: Good on muzzle rise but the blast out the side was noticeable. On the M44 the blast and flash is forward of the gun; this one goes out the side. It is quieter than a M44 but still loud. Recoil was minimal.
5) Field Strip/Cleaning: The procedure is easy; I can see why they had no difficulty teaching a Soviet or Russian conscript how to take care of these guns. Even with no training or experience with the weapon, I had minimal difficulty. The release for the gas tube was very tight and it took some effort to release/remove it for cleaning; I think it is just because it was new. The chrome-lined barrel and polished gas piston took minimal cleanup after 60 rounds. Looking at the gas system, I think you could run a 1000 rounds through this gun with modern non-corrosive ammunition before you started to run into function problems.
6) Overall: I'm very pleased with the gun. From everything I have read about AK's, it is typical in some ways and not in others. The expected reliability is evident in it's ability to shoot well with a variety of inexpensive steel-cased Eastern Bloc ammo. The fit and finish is the difference I see compared to a WASR or other AK-type weapons; it is very well put together and looks just like a current issue AK-74 for the Russian Army. The accuracy is surprising; probably just as good as my M1 Carbine and very good right out of the box. I believe with a little work, I can get it to shoot consistent 3 to 4 MOA with the irons at 100 meters. With good optics, I can probably do better (the weapon has an attached side rail on the left side for a variety of bases and optical sights).
oooooooo!!