Re: AK-47 Underfolder Vs. Fixed Vs. Sidefolders
I've had a few AK's over the years, with the 1st being a fixed-buttstock. I kept it for awhile, but sold it off, trying to find an AK that fit me better.
I ended-up with a couple different "under-folder's," thinking, even tho a good cheekweld(or ANY kind of cheekweld for that matter) is pretty well non-existent, that I could live with it, if I could just find a stock that "fit" me. Needless to say, even after trying the para-cord wrap, I couldn't get any kind of consistent/repeatable cheekweld was impossible, & the 2-different under-folding stocks I tried fit me even worse than the old, fixed-buttstock. I went without an AK-style rifle in my gun cabinet for 3-4yrs, but about this time last year, the AK-bug took another big bite outta me, so I dipped into the emergency gunshow fund, once again trying my luck, & putting all my chips on "fixed-stock" at the AK-roulette table. The rifle I bought looked to have excellent fit-N-finish(as far as AK fit-N-finish goes, anyhow! Ha), was assembled/rebuilt by someone who knew his way around a Kalashnikov, & was fitted with a durable-looking, synthetic buttstock/handguards. Shouldering the rifle at the gunshow, the synthetic buttstock felt a little longer, & while it definitely doesn't feel as comfortable as a Vltor/Magpul AR-stock, it was a damn-sight better than the previous 3-AK's I've owned. I can get a consistent cheekweld on it, & it's "almost" long enough to be comfortable, so I guess I'll hold onto this one, until I can find a better one. I know there are AK's out there that fit me close to perfect, because I've shouldered at least 3-4 owned by shooting buddies that are near-perfect for me, but i could never talk them outta those rifles. I've tried to tell myself that the fit is all in my head, because looking at them side-by-side by the AK's I've owned, I honestly couldn't tell a lick of difference, but there damn sure is!! An AK's fit is a 2-part problem for me #1)Length; either my arms are too long, or Kalashnikov's were too damn short! #2)Sight-alignment; if I find a stock that's long enough, the stock angle(receiver-to-buttpad) is outta-whack so bad for me, that even tho the "length of pull" feels good, I have to strain/wiggle-around just to get-down on the stock enough to line-up the front & rear sights. Otherwise, the front-sight blade is up far too high. Reminds me of trying to use the irons on a '99-'05 Rem M-7400, where the addition of a comb allowed for a comfortable cheekweld when using a scope, but if a shooter wanted to shoot w/ the irons, even the lowest he could get, the FS-blade looked to be 1/4"+ above the notch in the rear-leaf.
I've never even shouldered an AK w/a folding-buttstock. Either that's a relatively new on the U.S. AK-market(like in the last 5-8yrs), or it just wasn't widely available/popular. Are the side-folders made out of the same steel/wire material as the under-folders, or are they wood/synthetic, like a fixed-buttstock except with some kinda joint/hinge where it folds?
As far as "length-o'-pull," do the side-folders tend to be a shorter stock like the under-folders, or approx. the same length as the tradtional, fixed AK-stock, or(please Lord!) might they even be a fraction longer than a fixed-buttstock???
Does anyone know if any of the companies that manufacture AR-stocks, might possibly make an AK-version, or if any individuals out there who have come-up with a way to adapt any of the 100's of AR-stocks to fit an AK-type rifle solidly. Say for instance, any of the more robust, collapsable AR-stocks like Vltor's E-Mod, or even the 6-position Mako-stock?
I guess I got way-off on a tangent, but it's always bugged the shit outta me to have an accurate, affordable, & tough-as-nails, tank of a rifle, that might as well be useless to me in a self-defense situation, because the BG could empty his 1st mag, & be halfway threw his 2nd, while I'm still trying to get a damn sight-picture. Ha