AK-Niner Mk2 - The "Spetsnaz Concept" Evolved (Saiga 223, AK102)

This episode was brought to you by Slate Black Industries. For M-LOK grips and accessories, visit slateblackindustries.com. In the mid-2000s, I started to work on what became the AK-9r project, and since then, Kalashnikov accessories have matured in North America. Reintroducing the AK-9r Mark II. Welcome back to 9 Hole Reviews. This is an update to one of our earliest videos, the AK-9r. A rescued Russian Saiga 5.56 that was on the brink of inoperability, quickly became one of our favourites to shoot on the show. Now it's hard to fathom that in the short 2019-2020 time frame, that the AK aftermarket manufacturers had released this amount of accessories. And now, we've updated the AK-9r with current 2020 accessory offerings, to closely tailor it to rival capabilities of the Russian Alpha Kalashnikov. But accessories don't make a good rifle. The AK-9r was a gas-checked Russian factory-built AK-102 type Saiga rifle, with some baseline upgrades that we had done with what we had of the era. The Tunze gas port under the combo gas block, the AEM-5 suppressor adaptation, and the Galil mag release modifications, had set the base of this rifle far apart from many factory Kalashnikovs. However, the original 9r had its drawbacks. Heat is one of the major downfalls of the Kalashnikov platform. I was smart enough to remember my glove today, as I knew we were shooting this AK. The system simply runs hot around the handguard, and the Ultimak rail was upon one of the first things that we wanted to ditch. Heat from an Ultimak rail can cook optics. It can also slow your manipulations down. If there is a choice between holding a hot gas tube, or an insulated handguard, we always choose the cooler grips. We first replaced the lower handguard with the new RS Regulator M-LOK rail, and replaced the Ultimak rail with a stock AK gas tube, to increase the heat insulation. As an added bonus, the RS Regulator rail also takes the original heat shield from the Russian handguard that we just ditched, and is also one of the lightest rails in the industry. Of course, the M-LOK interface also opens up the possibility of using our own developed Slate Black Industries products. And since the publication of the original AK9r, we've been busy designing our own M-LOK accessories. First, we used some Slate grips to help with heat dissipation, and worked on stippling some panels on the left and the right, to increase grip on the sides that we needed more friction. To test run our newly developed vertical grip, the SVG. Okay, so the SVG, you'll see that it's got a short signature height right here. Part of it, you really don't need the rest of the excess on vertical grips. For this, you already have a good recoil control with the built-in concave curve. Now, another thing, the reason why it's shorter, is because we designed this with Kalashnikov rifles in mind. Right here, you can see I can load the rifle without the magazine butting up, and causing any issues with the magazine clearance. Now, you may say that 5.56, 5.45 magazines are a little straighter. You're right. I have a 7.62x39 magazine here, and you can see where the 7.62 is actually easier, because you can use the tip as a reference point, and quickly load the magazine. Use the tip as a reference point, lock it in. Try it again, tip as a reference point, lock it in. Quickly back into action. Now, that was one of the major concerns when we designed the SVG itself, is that we wanted a vertical grip that was not just compatible with Kalashnikovs, but would bring an extra function to the weapon system itself. Now, as you can see, not only does it bring an extra function to the system, it looks quite nice, I feel like. The vertical grips are an excellent control point for rifles who run hot. Not only can you use it as a reference point, but it can be a secondary grip when it gets hot, such as the AK. The SVG also facilitates a barrier brace and thumb lock system to increase recoil control if you're working with obstacles. An Azeniko B13 and EOTech had been switched out for optics options to allow a use of magnifiers on an unobstructed rail, if required. The length of the RS Regulate front rail still accommodates the use of the AEM-5 suppressor system. An Azeniko RP1 bolt snob was installed for personal comfort. Although the centre of the rifle remained the same, there was one capability that we never mentioned in the previous video. We entirely removed the FAL-styled stock and replaced it with a Magpul CTR stock, still folding to the right to where it does not interfere with scope mounting. Now, the shorter length of pull is actually easier to use with body armour, and it's also easier to manoeuvre in close-quarter environments. And of course, at the end, as a finishing touch, I researched multiple paint patterns that the Russians had been spraying on their weapons, and I sprayed a two-toned Syrian-inspired camouflage pattern. We'll have more on that tutorial at a later date. While I fully respect the AK collector's market and understand that this is not everybody's cup of tea, the AK's accessory market has grown drastically, and there are some better ways of manipulating the AK. The AK-9r Mk II, born from a concept for 5.56 AKs in North America, and continually evolving as a market for the Kalashnikov rifles grow. So the time for the Kalashnikov is now. 6-0-9-6, this is 7-1-6, roger, over. 1-6, 0-9-1, 1-pack, green, green, over. This is 7-1-6, roger, over. 1-6, 15-9-2, 1-victor, 2-fax, recon 1, over.