Dinzag Arms’ Awesome Swag…

My buddy Brian over at Dinzag Arms sent me this AWESOME T-Shirt that I just had to show you guys…

The Blue on the Black Background is soooo nice, Plus that mean ass looking animal holding the AK is just nasty looking isn’t it? It looks like what we would call in Texas to be a “Jack-a-Lope”, but I am not sure, whatever it is, I am not messing with it!

Be sure to give Brian and crew a Visit over at Dinzag..they are good people and know their stuff when it comes to anything and everything AK related, from Yugo to Romanian, Polish to Czech or  Saiga to VEPR, Brian can build it, modify it or repair it. He has an AWESOME selection of parts to fit any need…and while you are at it, pick up one or two of these kick ass shirts…I mean c’mon man, you gotta admit, this shirt just oozes COOL!

Stay Armed, Stay Alert and Say Dangerous!

 

 

 

Ammo Field Test: Gorilla Ammunition .308 175gr SMK Review

 

Recently I received some .308 175gr Sierra Match King Ammo from Gorilla Ammunition to field test. This was my first time using any of their ammo, so I was quite excited to see how it performed.

First a little background and ballistic data direct from Gorilla Ammo’s Site:

 The Gorilla Ammunition 308 Winchester features factory new Federal Cartridge cases loaded with Sierra 175 gr. Matchking© bullets. Match primers are utilized in these premium quality loads resulting in consistent powder ignition and continuous powder burn. MatchKings© are the pride of the Sierra bullet family, unmatched worldwide and truly world class in all respects. Competitive shooters have relied on the consistent accuracy of Sierra’s MatchKings© for decades, resulting in a history of state, national and world records. Although they are recognized around the world for record-setting accuracy, MatchKing© bullets are not recommended for hunting. Factory new cases, match grade primers and top quality projectiles make this load a go to choice for competition or match practice.

Technical Specifications

• Caliber = .308 Winchester
• Projectile = 175gr Sierra MatchKing©
• Muzzle Velocity = 2680 FPS
• Muzzle Energy = 2790 ft/lbs

 

The gun I will be using is my recently modified Dinzag Arms Saiga .308. The scope is a Bushnell 3-9×40, standard Tru-Plex. The gun has had only basic exterior mods, with some minor trigger shelf polishing. As many Saiga owners know, these barrels tend to heat up fast and vertically string when they do, so it is best to allow a cool down period every 20 rounds or so.

Because of range limitations that day, I was only able to do a 200 yard trial, so I went ahead and did prone position using my pack as a rest to add some authenticity to the test, this being a DM rifle.

The target was a Howe CSAT, one of my favorite targets to use for field training. Very simple and basic. The Center of Mass and “Head” width boxes measures 5 1/2″ wide, so the target is exacting. Most humanoid rifle targets I train with give you around 13 inches for the Sniper Triangle on the Torso (nipple to nipple) and 4″ for the head (width between the eyes) . I put a orange sticker for a reference point on head and torso.

I fired 9 rounds total. My first two shots were head shots, with the first cold bore round piercing the sticker. My next shot was a flyer, 3″ low and to the right. My next set was to center of mass, my first round hit right above the sticker with the following two shots a tad to the right and low;  the last shot of the group  was a wild flyer; a full 3″ off the rest of the group.  The next set hit high and to the right, stringing due to the barrel starting to heat up.

Overall, I gotta say I was really pleased with how the ammo performed .Very Smooth feeding, and no issues ejecting. The recoil was extremely light, even negligible you might say, very pleasant to shoot! Now I realize this load, as specified in the above description, is not made for “hunting” per se (or a self-defense load) and is more suited for competition shooting, but I wanted to try a load like this out just to get a baseline for further testing on Hunting and Self-Defense Loads in the future.

As far as the Rifle goes, I realize the limitations of my Saiga, I have shot it at several classes over the years and taken some hogs and coyotes with it here and there. And although it is no “tack driver” by any means, for a Semi-Auto DM Rifle, it has shown it can shoot “Minute of Man” with quality ammo out to a respectable engagement distance and that is enough for me as a Civilian Operator living in the dense woods of Texas.

3 MOA at 200 yds is a fair example of this rifle but let me say I believe this load is easily 1 MOA or better with a more precise rifle behind it. Next test we will change things up to show you that.

Stay tuned for more Ammo Test From Gorilla!

Until then,

Shoot Straight, Stay Alert, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!

At the Range: Dinzag Arms Polished AK FCG

Review of Polished Tapco G2 AK Fire Control Group

BY

 Mark E.

I decided it was time to upgrade the fire control group (FCG) on a rifle of mine before Christmas. I bought a new, TAPCO G2 from Dinzag and had them do the Polishing Service on it. And I had wanted to add some more spare parts, so I decided to remove and keep my original FCG on the Yugo underfolder, 7.62x39mm, rather than sending that in for polishing. I ordered up a new FCG Retainer Plate, too.
*** Just a quick note on the FCG Retainer Plate, shown below. While this write-up will focus on the polished fire control group, it was a snap to pop-in this Retainer Plate. I came across info a while back that the FCG “retaining wire” was a weak point in the AK system. If it came loose or was compromised, the trigger or hammer pin could work loose and take the gun out of service in a hurry. So, I added this new FCG Retaining Plate at the end of my FCG installation, instead of the original FCG retaining wire.

So, on to the polished TAPCO G2 FCG that I received from Brian at Dinzag. Here’s  what it looked like after I opened the package:

You can see the surfaces that Dinzag polished above, with the red arrows. Notice that this G2 trigger is a “single hook” so besides the hammer face itself, only ONE SIDE of the hammer is polished to match the contact area.

PART “A”

A quick summary of the preparation to get to the point at which you can remove the FCG are:
• remove the magazine, if present
• verify and double-check that the chamber is empty (visual & by touch)
• remove the top cover
• remove the bolt/piston assembly
• remove the safety/selector lever (right side of photo below)
• and then…grab a small cable tie (a.k.a. zip-tie)
One tip that I learned from Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics, was to make use of some plastic cable “zip ties” when working on an AK FCG. Specifically: use one to hold the sharp little ends of the hammer spring in place while you work. If you’ve ever done work on any AK-variant, and have messed with the hammer spring without this tip, you may already have scars to prove it.
Before you remove the FCG Retaining Wire (or retaining plate, if you already have one), pull up BOTH hammer spring ends, and secure behind the hammer as shown here:

At this point, I could proceed with the follow steps:

1. Remove the old stuff and install the new stuff (please excuse this highly technical terminology)

PART “B”

• Remove FCG retaining wire or retaining plate from inside the receiver

• Push out BOTH the trigger pin and the hammer pin

• Remove the old trigger

• Remove the old hammer with the hammer spring (cable tie still in place)

• Remove cable tie and then carefully put the spring on new hammer

• Secure hammer spring to the hammer and add new cable to tie to hold in place

• Install new trigger and insert trigger pin

• Install new hammer and insert hammer pin (same as trigger pin in most AK’s)

• Cut and remove the cable tie

• Guide the tips of hammer spring back into the original position

• Install FCG retaining plate or retaining wire

• Install safety/selector lever

• Admire the shine of the polished surfaces – especially on the hammer!

Here’s what it looks like before and after…

You may be able to see the retaining WIRE in the bottom of the BEFORE photo – it is wrapped around the bottom of the selector lever shaft. And you might be able to make out the retaining PLATE in the AFTER photo.  I performed a trigger function check both before and after I added back in the bolt/piston and top cover. All was good, so…on to the fun part – the range test.

Conclusion

I’m putting my conclusion here, out-of-order, because of the way I felt at the range after only a few trigger pulls. I knew immediately, that for me and this particular AK: The polished G2 FCG from Dinzag is a winner! 

Range Test

I also re-mounted a low-end 1x red dot before this range test. So, I decided to throw 3 quick shots down range at 50, knowing my red dot might be off some, which it was. I took these three shots without making any windage or elevation adjustments. I wanted to get an idea of consistency given the impact of a smoother trigger on this 7.62 firebreather.
I was VERY happy with the results. I used higher quality brass ammo before feeding the AK some Wolf later on. This what I used to start with…

As they say in Golf, I guess equipment does make some difference!
The photo below shows the first three shots at 50 yds (photo top, right = middle of paper target; big diamond). After a few tweaks for ” high and left,” I let loose at 100yds with rest of the American Eagle brass and then switched over to Wolf 124gr Hollow points. Also shown is example at 100 yds, while I was walking-around all four corners of the paper, taking one shot each (photo bottom, right = the small paper target diamond). 

I wanted to move to the 200 yd range before I left, but was out of time, so I called it a day.

Final Thoughts

One advantage of having a much-improved trigger was that I was able to perform a double-tap on my AK that was like nothing I had been able to do before. In fact, my Yugo trigger now feels like a tuned pistol! I’ll put it this way…if I had not been at a “safety nazi” public range, I would have tried some 3-4 round bursts, or should I say “volleys.” My Boss and colleague here at HCS may have to help me out with a place for that next round of testing….only time will tell. Even if you like your current trigger, you may still want to replace that FCG retaining wire ($7 plus shipping for a new Retaining Plate) as a starting point. And if you have not tried a polished FCG, give Brian at Dinzag Arms a try guys, (check out HCS’ LINKS) he not only can set you up with a new trigger, but an entirely brand new modified weapon that will sing like the Vienna boys choir every time you pull the trigger!

Keep your trigger pull smooth and your reset short…and STAY DANGEROUS!