My new VEPR MD2 and co-witness question

[houstsx]

Hey ya'll, i'm new so go a little easy. I've been contemplating a big gun purchase lately, been looking at ar's, hk's, ak's, etc. I was really leaning towards the AR platform but I've never owned/fired one before and buying a good one would have been a big jump for me. I have had 2 AK's in the past. I loved both of them but they both had there own little quirks (1 wasr and 1 PAP) and I ended up trading them. So my decision came down to either get a mid grade AR, or get a high end AK, the title gives away my choice.

So I just today picked up a VEPR in 7.62x39. Unlike most VEPR's mine has been factory modified by Red Jacket Firearms to accept standard ak mags and also meet 922r compliance, a must if you ask me. Atlantic has these for $800 right now.

I also wanted to do some sort of optic and by chance ran across a Russian PK-01V red dot locally NIB. It was a good deal and I jumped on it. Great sight, it's one of the few optics that mounts low enough to co-witness with irons, I'll go into this in a bit.

So here she is, a Texas wild Hogs' worst enemy.






First impressions:

The trigger was the first thing I noticed. Red Jacket had to replace the stock Russian parts with american and they went with Tapco. I don't know what model the trigger is, but it is by far one of the nicest AK triggers i have ever used. I put it at about 4lbs with little to no creep.

This is a HEAVY gun. Unlike most AK's the VEPR's are made from the thicker RPK receivers and also feature heavier RPK target barrels. On top of that the stock Walnut furniture is all solid, very good quality but also heavy.

Everything possible on this gun is chrome lined. The barrel, cartridge chamber, gas cylinder, and bolt support rod are all nice and shiny for superior wear.

I haven't shot it yet, but if there's enough interest I can follow up.



So my question is, how do I set up the red dot to co-witness? Here are the best shots I could take of the sight picture...




What I did was mount a target indoors about 25yds away and then I lined up the irons with the bulls eye. Then while being very careful not to move the gun, I put the dot right above the front sight post. Now I can look down the irons, flip the red dot on, and have a nice dot line up above the front post. From what I have been reading this is called "absolute" co-witness since everything lines up.

I've never done this before so i'm a little confused? Using this method am I right to assume the dot should be close to zeroed at 100m (assuming the irons are on). Also, when using the red dot, I feel a little more comfortable with a higher cheek weld, not aligned with the iron sight plane. Will this change my POA in anyway. Thanks in advance guys!

 

[mshootnit]

The Veprs aren't that heavy. I was told mine was lighter than a friends FAL for example, but mine had an ace sidefolder.

I would set zero with the red dot then just turn it off or remove it if you want to use the irons. They will return to zero when remounted. That has been my experience with my KOBRA. I have taken it off for travel, put it on upon arrival and blasted bowling pins at 150 yds.

 

[houstsx]

Just got back from the indoor range. The rifle shot flawlessly as expected. I had a little too much fun shooting and went through quite a bit of ammo, that's ok though. The only issue I had was with some of the Tapco polymer mags I bought. They fit really tight and require a fair amount of force to get them to lock, this I hope will loosen up over time.

 

[TurtlePhish]

Just got back from the indoor range. The rifle shot flawlessly as expected. I had a little too much fun shooting and went through quite a bit of ammo, that's ok though. The only issue I had was with some of the Tapco polymer mags I bought. They fit really tight and require a fair amount of force to get them to lock, this I hope will loosen up over time.

Get some steel or polymer surplus mags. They're just about the same price and they'll work a whole lot better, plus they're a lot more durable.

Nice VEPR!

 

[JustinJ]

The Veprs aren't that heavy. I was told mine was lighter than a friends FAL for example, but mine had an ace sidefolder.

Given both guns are available in various configurations and barrel lenghts that doesn't necessarily say much. Was your Vepr a .308 like the FAL? Same barrel lengths? Any after market accessories on the FAL?

 

[mattmann]

First off super nice AK. I used to hate these veprs and now I want one! Its gorgeous. Any plans on changing the furniture? Also how did your theory go on the sight in? Oh and my .02, get some us palm mags. I have several and love them. They are super sturdy and feed great so far.

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

[houstsx]

I'll pick up a few European surplus mags and give them a shot. The Tapcos work fine, they just require a quick smack to get them to lock in.

I think i'm going to keep the VEPR furniture. In person the wood is gorgeous and I might put a few layers of tru-oil on it to make it shine. There was another VEPR I saw that had just the hand guard replaced with a Black Horse Arsenal front. It looked good, especially with the wooden rear. If anything just because it's lighter I may pick one up in a bit.




Sight in went smooth. Using the method I mentioned it shot about 1"low and 1" left at 25yds. I never really messed with the elevation but I was able to get windage lined up perfect. Next time I go to the outdoor range i will adjust the elevation for a longer distance. Presently. looking down the irons and then flipping the red dot on, the dot lines up left and right perfect and sits on the front post at the tip. I'm assuming when I adjust the dot for 100yds it should sit right above the post and be true absolute co-witnessed.

Thanks for the kind comments guys!

 

[mshootnit]

[Given both guns are available in various configurations and barrel lenghts that doesn't necessarily say much. Was your Vepr a .308 like the FAL? Same barrel lengths? Any after market accessories on the FAL? ]

Yes
Yes ( a little longer)
and I don't know.
And for the record if I typed it it IS saying much.

To the OP: As an option, if you wanted to go all black it just occurred to me that you could do the Ace sidefolder and BHA forearm. But you would need to replace the pistol grip as well and probly use a US FCG. If you do that be sure to go with a "Vepr" hammer or be prepared to make one.
my first Vepr:

 

[Techsan]

Congrats on the VEPR. I bought one a couple of weeks ago in 5.45x39 from Atlantic Firearms. Have not been able to get to the range yet. First impression is yes, it's a bit heavy, but feels and looks like a very well built rifle.

 

[bsims01]

Get some steel or polymer surplus mags. They're just about the same price and they'll work a whole lot better, plus they're a lot more durable.

Nice VEPR!

using steel or surplus mags might not be a bad idea, but I believe this rifle uses the mags to count toward 922r parts (3 parts to be exact). If you do decide to use different mags please be aware of the minimum American parts to keep the gun legal. I don't like to count mags as 922r parts for this very reason. They are too easily interchangeable and I would hate to be caught with an illegal gun because I used a friends surplus mag.

 

[houstsx]

Thanks bsims01. Yes the gun was converted to accept high caps and therefore must meet 922r compliance. I looked into it and in this case, the Tapco mag it came with does count as 3 parts therefore it looks like i'm stuck with american mags. The good news is I was able to sand a tiny amount off the mag lugs enough to get all the Tapcos I have (6) to fit perfect. Since they're cheap i'll pick up a bunch and get them all fitting right.