M&M M10 AK & AKARS Quick Review

[Jackal]

Quick, down and dirty review, to the point.

I purchased it from Kentucky Gun Co online for $599. I then installed a Parabellum Armament AKARS top rail along with a Bushnell TRS-25. My impression so far of the rifle? It just plain works. Its a little rough around the edges compared to an Arsenal, but at half the price and 100% the function, I cant complain. The factory RPK style rear sight was kinda trashy, the blade notch would wiggle in every direction. In comes the AKARS. Nice handgun style wide notch rear sight, along with a great rail setup. Love it. The Bushnell co-witness's as well. I have enhanced the dot in pic, the camera had a hard time getting a clear view of it (though it is plenty bright and crisp). The rifle has functioned 100% with Tula, Wolf, Brown Bear, old Barnaul HP's, Golden Bear soft points and some Golden Tiger. About 400rds through it already and with the Russian surplus steel mags, its been perfect. Very little mag wiggle. I have not actually tried the supplied Tapco mag, as it actually fits a little too tightly for my taste. The Tapco flash hider does its job well, hides almost all muzzle flash and keeps your night vision clear. It however, does little to deter recoil or muzzle rise. I prefer being able to see at night over being blinded by flash but having less recoil. The Hogue grip is very comfy for me, even though I usually hate finger grooves. The jury is still out on the Tapco stock, while there is nothing "wrong" with it, I just dont like it for some reason. The buttplate is tiny and the stock has that cheap hollow feel. I will be replacing the UTG handguard, period. I will be installing a KVAR HG, with the heat shield. This UTG, after 30-50rds sustained fire gets too hot to hold with bare hands and the rubber rail covers are flimsy/shifty/will fall off at the slightest provocation. The Tapco single hook G2 breaks clean at about 3.5lbs, nothing to complain about there. In fact, I wish more AR's had trigger's this good from the factory. The chrome lined bore is very easy to clean and the interior finish is like mirrored glass. I have not fired the rifle for accuracy yet, though I will mount a scope sometime in the near future to test it. So far, it has been running 1.5 inches with the red dot at 50 yards. Not bad at all for a 3moa dot.

TLDR: Best AK value going for $600, period. If do dont wanna pony up the $1100-$1300 for an Arsenal and are in the AK market, dont hesitate to get one. Get one now. Go on, what are you waiting for!

 

[Vermonter2]

Nice review Jackal. I tried the AKARS on a Romanian AES10B from Century but couldn't get it to stop moving. I'm going to try making a new recoil spring latch with more material to positively locate the AKARS unless anyone has a better suggestion.

 

[Fremmer]

Great review, I like the rifle.

 

[Fremmer]

Does your Romanian have the side mount on the receiver? If so, I hear good things about the ones sold by classic firearms.

 

[Jackal]

I tried the AKARS on a Romanian AES10B from Century but couldn't get it to stop moving.

It has been totally stable so far. If its not installed exactly right, it could possibly move. I noticed you have to follow the directions to the letter. I also optioned to use Loctite. I prefer this rail system over the TWS rail due to the steel receiver cover, vs the alloy one TWS uses.

Does your Romanian have the side mount on the receiver?

Yes, it has the side rail. These are not slapped together by trained monkey's at Century Arms, these are actually built in Romania, with an American barrel (that has presumably been shipped to Romania for the build...Laws are stupid).

 

[Fishbed77]

I'm really interested in these M10s. They look like a lot of AK for the money. I'd ditch that trashy Tapco stock for a KVAR fixed or Bonesteel folder and call it done.

How well does the forward upper rail work for mounting a red dot? Is it pretty stable? As good as an Ultimak?

Does the slightly shorter sight radius (compared to a typical AK) pose much of a problem?

 

[Jackal]

The UTG forend is really solid, I cannot fault it for that. I just dont like it because it can and will burn my hands after a couple mags. I dont think its as "good" as the Ultimak, but I can say in all honesty that it will hold zero with any optic that can withstand the heat. I have not noticed any issue due to the (roughly) 12" sight radius. Its about as accurate at 50 yards with the irons as my AR, though I am admittedly not the best iron sighter around. I have not found need to fire past 50 yards with irons, as the front sight post size precludes any decent accuracy at that distance (front sight subtends something like 1ft at 100 yards, ouch). Irons are minute of torso out to 200 yards, good enough for me for backups.

 

[ifit]

dont know why you say the rear rpk sight is trashy..maybe yours is one of those that dont work, which is the first i hear of someone actually complain about them. mine on my m10 just plain works and would not even replace it, cant beat the rear adjustment for windage..instead of using a front sight tool to adjust for windage. heck i just bought a cheap belarus bp02 side mount and works just fine. but my cheaper wasr 1063m may not look as pretty as my m10 but accuracy is about the same if not better on my 1063m. enjoy your m10

 

[Jackal]

dont know why you say the rear rpk sight is trashy..maybe yours is one of those that dont work, which is the first i hear of someone actually complain about them.

Ya, the sight is junk, at least on my example. The adjustable blade wiggles fore and aft, which alters the elevation shot to shot. It makes for a very difficult rifle to shoot accurately when your rear sight blade is bouncing around in all directions. The top of the blade, which is supposed to be flat is actually ground down on the left side, also making it uneven. The windage knob is covered in burs, which would explain why it looks as if someone has taken a hand file to it and never refinished it. Maybe I should actually contact them about the sight, see if I can get a replacement, because this is the worst rear sight I have ever had on a rifle, both quality wise and in function. Oh yeah, its also crooked as all get out.:banghead: Like the rifle, hate the rear sight.

 

[OilyPablo]

I didn't think there was anything worse than my AK rear sight! And mine started life as a Saiga.

 

[ifit]

now that you removed your rear sight, and so do decide to send it back for warranty they might just not accept it, but worth a try. you should have sent it back before you started modifying stuff, just for the fact of isolating discrepancies on their line of riles as they are all matching numbers even under your rear sight. they can quickly identify if its just one or a whole bunch in their production....just sayin. now lets see how she shoots=accuracy

 

[Jackal]

ifit: I was referring to only returning the rear sight, not the whole rifle.

 

[ifit]

I would like to know if you could do this...send a defective part only from a rifle which the warranty covers. this would be good info for other m10 owners in such a case they might have one defective part from their rifle. if I were you call coguns and check for their warranty and see if they do honor such a thing

 

[Fishbed77]

I didn't think there was anything worse than my AK rear sight! And mine started life as a Saiga.

That's interesting. I have never noticed any problems with the rear sight on my 7.42x39mm Saiga. Sure, the range markings only go up to 300 meters, as is typical for stock Saiga rear sights, but the quality seems good. Sure, an aperture sight like those on the M1 or AR-15 are always better in my opinion, but I've found nothing wrong with the quality of the Saiga's.

 

[Giterboosted]

I'll say this much, I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE mine, at 30 yards it's a tack driver from heck. The rails are quality and solid as a rock with my mini red dot, the review is spot on, I currently own four different types of AK's and this is my absolute go to gun out of all my collection of all guns combined

 

[henschman]

Very nice setup. The only thing I would change would be to put a standard AK gas block on it and a standard front sight out where it is supposed to be, on the end of the barrel. AKs have too short of a sight radius as it is... I don't know why folks are trying to shorten it further!

 

[Jackal]

Henschman: The reason I wanted the short gas block sight radius is because I plan to SBR to 12.5" if/when WA state legalizes SBR. It makes the process very easy, just cut and thread

 

[Fishbed77]

Very nice setup. The only thing I would change would be to put a standard AK gas block on it and a standard front sight out where it is supposed to be, on the end of the barrel. AKs have too short of a sight radius as it is... I don't know why folks are trying to shorten it further!

One ever-so-slight benefit I could see to the M10's front sight/gas block is that it moves a bit of weight back from the muzzle, since AKs tend to be a bit front-heavy (especially the M10, thanks to the quad-rail forearm). Also, I assume the intent may be to mound forward optics on the M10's forward rail, alleviating the sight radius issue.

Also, as Jackal mentioned, it would aid in SBR'ing the M10.

 

[henschman]

Henschman: The reason I wanted the short gas block sight radius is because I plan to SBR to 12.5" if/when WA state legalizes SBR. It makes the process very easy, just cut and thread

Well in that case, it is perfect! That would make one sweet SBR. Even cutting to 14.5" or so and pinning on a flash hider to bring it over 16" would be an awesome setup... and you wouldn't have to wait for any laws to change or pay for any tax stamps.

 

[fireside44]

I didn't think there was anything worse than my AK rear sight!

Thought the same thing until I was forced via finances to utilize that rear sight. Know what? It isn't half as bad as it's detractors say. I actually have grown to appreciate the simplicity and usability of that sight. No, it is not precise, but it does the job and in the right hands is quite effective.

 

[OilyPablo]

The rear sight on my Saiga is not at all lined up with the axis of the barrel. (I converted it to an AK http://pws.cablespeed.com/~pablomail/AK13.JPG). It came from the factory like this. Therefore the plane formed by the rear sight itself is a few degrees from 90° relative to an imaginary straight line in the center of the bore. The front sight is also slightly canted. If I use my AK front sight tool and crank the front sight all the way left, I can pretty much hit a target at 50 yards.

Sorry didn't mean to take this thread astray.