Troy Takes on the AK-47

The AK has a dedicated cult following here in The States. Despite its reputation as the-rifle-that-won’t-quit, the Kalashnikov is still a hard sell for many who cut their metaphoric teeth on the very American AR-15. There are numerous reasons—too many to list. Some hate the lack of a bolt hold open. Others can’t wrap their heads around the mag release. Still others don’t trust the 7.62 x 39. And some folks are just too patriotic. The biggest complaint: the lack of rail for easily mounting optics.
But each of those issues has after-market fixes (except for the patriotism—I’m not sure that needs fixing). The Russian rifles come in numerous calibers, and can be retrofitted with a variety of American-user-friendly options. That’s where this review is headed, obviously, but we have to make a clear distinction here, at the outset. Troy doesn’t make plastic junk to help Call-of-Duty wannabes make their AKs look cool. These aren’t novelty parts. Troy makes hard-use gear.

When an American gun maker takes on Russia’s shortcomings

The very real threat of terrorism would suggest that everyone, and I mean everyone, should know how to run an AK—and also how to shut one down. With that in mind, I became a student of the platform. And I’ve grown to respect it. But the basic design has its flaws.

This MFT hand guard is functional, but it is too compact for my taste.

I’ve been waiting for this kit for a long time. I’ve been slowly working my way through the aftermarket options for forends, looking for something that will allow me to keep my hand off of the gas tube and barrel. I tend to hold farther out than the stubby forends on most AKs will allow. So when I saw the long tubes on the AKs in the Troy booth at SHOT last year, I was ready.
There was only one problem—the Troy forends wouldn’t clear certain Arsernal AK barrels, because of the threads for their muzzle devices. I talked with Troy several times about the changes being made, and at last a set arrived tailored to the Arsenal.

The benefits

Length is first for me. This long tube allows for a lot more real estate than I’ve ever had on an AK. With this much length, you can wrap way out above the barrel (which is an ideal hold for a rifle with sights this high). If length is not important, Troy makes a short version of the rail, too.

Vent holes allow for air circulation, and for the attachment of rail sections.

If you want more texture, add Squid Grip plugs.

Even the short version has exceptional texture. The tube is cut so that you can grip any surface on the outside of the tube and find a solid hand-hold. If you want more texture, you can stick the rubber squid-suckers into the vent holes. Sections of rail can be added, too, so hand stops and vertical grips are also options.
One thing I’ve found with other forends is a distinct lack of stability. The wooden forends are solid, but don’t offer much beyond modest insulation. Some of the plastic forends are easy to fit, but shoot loose, or come loose when the plastic heats up and expands. The aluminum forends are less prone to this, but most are so thick (and placed in close proximity to the gas tube and barrel, that they heat up quickly and hold that heat longer.

The rear of the forend mates with the receiver.

The stability of this milled connection is what makes this a viable platform.

The way the Troy forend attaches keeps it from shooting loose. And the open space inside the tube allows for the air to pass freely, which helps cool off the gun and the forend.

How to install it

Taking the old forend off may be incredibly easy. If not, it may require tools, elbow grease, and carefully selected expletives. Once the two halves are off, dry fit the forend. Remove the brake or flash hider and angle in the barrel. The sight post is the real obstacle.

Strip it down.

Rock the forend over the front sight. You will likely need to take off the muzzle device.

Cut outs fit existing parts with tolerances just forgiving enough for basic manufacturing variations.

Bolts inside the forend need to be snugged down. This locks it in place.

The bolts are not easy to reach.

Again, improvise as needed. A flexible extender makes the job easy.

Install the new top rail. This replaces the gas tube and fits in place easily.

If it doesn’t slide in place, you may need to find a way to hammer it home. I used a brass punch and a Tru-Glo sight riser locked onto the rail.

I hammered on the riser instead of the rails. Worked perfectly.

Then ratchet down the front end.

In the end, the rail becomes a solid platform on which to mount optics.

The benefit is clear. My old rail was plastic, which is much less stable than the aluminum.

The end result is a solid fit that compliments the aesthetic of the gun.

Criticisms

When I finally got the retrofitted gun to the range, I had one issue. The open section below the sight post allows you to get close to that hot barrel. I didn’t have my cleaning rod in, which would have offered another small barrier. Just be careful when you wrap that hand around the end of the forend.

There should be a plate to cover this open cut-out, which is required to get the tube over the sight.

That would keep my hand form coming in contact with the bottom of the barrel.

The fix? I’d like to see Troy build a small section of tube that simply bolts into place—something that would bring the whole circumference of the tube all the way to the end. If that were available, I’d Loc-tite that plate in place and never take the forend off of this gun. Ever. I like it that much.
As is, I’m going to have to practice a bit before I’m comfortable reaching way out there on that end. And I’ll be wearing gloves.

In the (fore)end

There’s a lot to recommend about this set-up. Even with the open bottom, the forend offers so much more than the typical tactical AK furniture, and infinitely more than the wood. It may not look so much like an AK when you’re finished, but that’s typically not an issue for those of us who want their guns to be as functional as possible.
The long Troy forend sells for $139.95. The top rail is $149.

Add a vertical grip, too.

The Troy grip is modular.

It can even be used for storage.

And the screw can be replaced with a quick release version.

The rail sections are easy to install, but you have to have room for the hardware inside the tube.

The rail isn’t flush fitting, but doesn’t protrude much.

The forend tube has a small section of rail.

That section is lower than the section on the gas tube.

The fit, considering how sloppy some AK tolerances are known to be, is really impressive.

And the whole thing comes together to give the AK a much more modern look.

CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol

NRA Gun of the Week: CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol

by American Rifleman Staff - Saturday, October 31, 2015

The third iteration of the CZ Scorpion submachine gun was unveiled in 2009 as the EVO 3 A1, and this year the Czech gunmaker introduced a semi-automatic pistol version of that selective-fire carbine—the EVO 3 S1. Featuring simple blowback operation and chambered for the prevalent 9 mm Luger cartridge, the pistol is essentially identical to its rifle brother, just without the buttstock and the capacity for fully-automatic fire.

Constructed of polymer and steel, the S1 has an overall length of just over 16” and weighs roughly 5 lbs. The gun features numerous Picatinny rail sections for the installation of optics and accessories, bilateral safety selectors and magazine releases and a non-reciprocating charging handle that can be installed on either side of the pistol. Watch the video hosted by American Rifleman's Kelly Young to learn more about the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 pistol. For more, visit cz-usa.com.

Specifications
Importer: CZ-USA
Model: Scorpion EVO 3 S1
Action: blowback-operated, semi-automatic pistol
Caliber: 9 mm Luger
Magazine: 20-round-capacity, detachable box
Frame: reinforced polymer
Barrel: 7.72”, 6-groove, 1:9.8” RH twist
Sights: adjustable, low-profile post front, aperture rear
Trigger: 9-lb., 11-oz.
Length of Pull: 16.5”
Weight: 5 lbs.
Accessories: owner’s manual, sight-adjustment tool, two 20-round magazines, pull-through bore cleaner
MSRP: $849

Hillary Continues Gun Control Gambit but Tempers Her Message for the Masses

Friday, November 6, 2015

Last month, we reported on Hillary Clinton’s brash embrace of Australia’s mandatory firearm surrender program during a campaign stop in New Hampshire. Her remarks came in response to an audience member’s question about whether America could follow Australia’s lead and “take away” handguns until they’re “all gone.” Her bottom line: “I think it would be worth considering doing it on the national level if that could be arranged.” This followed remarks she had made earlier in October comparing the NRA to “Iranians” and “Communists.”

A few days after Hillary endorsed Australia’s approach, her handlers were attempting to walk back the obvious import of her remarks. “Of course” she wasn’t advocating for Australia-style gun confiscation, a senior aide insisted, even though Clinton’s remarks had come in response to a question about the feasibility of that program in America. The aide then pivoted to Hillary’s support for “tougher background checks on gun sales,” what she called, “very common-sense measures that the majority of the public supports.”

On Wednesday, Hillary continued her gun control push, although with a tempered message more in keeping with the modern gun control movement’s phony, unconvincing message of “common sense gun safety measures.” The latest salvo came in a campaign ad called “Together.” 

Speaking to an audience that hangs on her every word and nods with rapturous approval, Clinton rails against “this epidemic of gun violence,” which “knows no boundaries.” 

Her solution this time? “We need to close the loopholes and support universal background checks.” She continues, “How many people have to die before we actually act, before we come together as a nation?”

First, what she calls an “epidemic of gun violence” is actually a period of history in which nationwide rates of violent crime remain at historic lows. The sort of crimes that gun control advocates live to exploit also remain a rare phenomenon in the U.S. “No matter how you cut it,” a prominent Northeastern University criminologist recently wrote in reference to mass shootings, “there’s no epidemic.” Rather, he stated in another article, “the only genuine increase is in hype and hysteria.”

“Gun violence” is an intentionally misleading term that gun control advocates use to inflate firearm-related mortality. The largest source of deaths from guns in the U.S. remains suicides, although nobody would refer to other common means of taking one’s life as rope violence, bridge violence, or pill violence. Needless to say, the guns themselves are not behaving violently. Every firearm homicide is caused by a human being, usually by a criminal whose willingness to engage in violent acts shows complete disregard of any law. 

Moreover, the fact that some firearm sales and transfers do not go through a background check is not a “loophole.” As we explain elsewhere this week [link to McAuliffe piece], it’s an intentional part of how federal law is structured and takes into account obvious (to most people anyway) distinctions between private, casual conduct and commercial activity undertaken repetitively for livelihood and profit.

Finally, the idea that background checks are a serious, effective response to any headline-grabbing violent crime is simply untrue. Even gun control advocates occasionally admit as much in their more candid moments. Most mass murderers who use firearms obtain them after background checks. And the criminals committing the far more common street crimes with firearms will evade any manner of background check, universal or not.  This is why gun control advocates will occasionally break ranks with their PR strategists and allude to their real goal, confiscation and the elimination of private firearm ownership.

Hillary continues to gamble on gun control as her path through her party’s primary. But will a message calculated to appeal to her base and big donors resonate with America at large during the presidential election?

That’s up to you, the American Voter. Hillary Clinton has spoken loud and clear in support of gun control. Assuming she’s her party’s nominee, pro-freedom Americans must speak back even louder next  November at the ballot box.

Oklahoma Police State--WTH

Latching onto the false but popular meme that there is a war on police, a new Oklahoma law makes any so-called “assault” on an off-duty officer a felony. Given that officers often claim almost any contact — even if they initiate it or if it was incidental or occurred in the case of pulling away from the officer’s grasp — is an “assault,” the badge-wearing caste has now been granted great license to abuse the public while off duty and more special privileges not granted us common folk.
Combine this with a law passed in November 2009 making it a felony punishable by a five-year prison term and $10,000 fine to “fortify” a home “for the purpose of preventing or delaying entry or access to a law enforcement officer,” and we see that Oklahoma has gone off the rails.
The law forbids Oklahoma residents to “construct, install, position, use or hold any material or device designed … to strengthen, defend, restrict or obstruct any door, window, or other opening into a dwelling, structure, building or other place to any extent beyond the security provided by a commercial alarm system, lock or deadbolt, or a combination of alarm, lock, or deadbolt.” In other words, Oklahoma residents are forbidden from taking the security measures they feel are necessary to protect themselves in the off chance that police want to one day make a warrantless or no-knock raid on their homes.
Or, as William Norman Griggs writes:

So it is that in Oklahoma, if you fight back when an off-duty cop shoves you in a bar, you can be charged with a felony. If, on the other hand, a SWAT team attacks your home in a no-knock raid, and its effort to breach your dwelling is thwarted because you installed “burglar bars,” you can also be charged with a felony.

Granting one class special “rights” or “privileges” not granted others deprives the others of their rights. Blue privilege is no exception and is further evidence we are living in a police state.

Obama to Police Chiefs: Crack Down on Gun Owners

On Wednesday, President Obama addressed the 122^nd Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (a transcript is available at this link). The president aptly praised the work of America’s law enforcement community. He mentioned the “astonishing statistic” that “[o]ver the last 20 years, police have helped cut the violent crime rate and homicide rate in America by almost half.” He also noted that “over the past few years, the number of police officers shot and killed in the line of duty has fallen to their lowest levels in decades,” with 2013 seeing “the fewest cops shot and killed in the line of duty since 1887.”  We’ll give credit where credit is due – one has to appreciate Obama’s honesty in admitting that crime rates have fallen to historic lows in a period where firearm sales have skyrocketed. 

Clearly, America is doing many things right when it comes to protecting the safety of the public and officers alike. You might think the president’s priority would be to identify, model, and expand the strategies and techniques that have led to these historic gains.  We’ll give credit where credit is due – one has to appreciate Obama’s honesty in admitting that crime rates have fallen to historic lows in a period where firearm sales have skyrocketed. 

Instead, Obama used the occasion to call for a retreat from America’s tradition of lawful firearm ownership and use, a tradition Americans have embraced at record levels while enjoying record progress against violent crime. Clearly, and as usual, Obama fails to grasp an understanding or appreciation of how firearm ownership contributes to the security and safety of our communities.. But then, ordinary, upstanding Americans have never been the president’s main concern. Instead, he is consumed by what he considers the country’s “legacy” of “disparities” and “bias.” He even made a point of telling the chiefs that before he “had a motorcade,” he had gotten tickets he didn’t deserve.   

He also went on to insult their intelligence, and the intelligence of the American people, by ridiculously asserting, “[I]t is easier for a lot of young people in this city and in some of your communities to buy a gun than buy a book. It is easier in some communities to find a gun than it is to find some fresh vegetables at a supermarket. That’s just a fact.”

If by “fact” he meant “lie,” then we agree. But not otherwise. And certainly not as applied to people who are acting lawfully.

Of course, anybody wishing lawfully to buy a firearm at retail has to follow a process that involves appearing in person at a licensed dealer, showing valid government-issued identification, filling out a six-page federal form, and undergoing a mandatory background check.  And those are just the federal requirements. Some states add considerably more, including licensing, training, and waiting periods.  

For criminals who disregard the law, the process is of course considerably easier. But the president only offered policies that would affect the law-abiding, including the same tired suggestions of “universal” background checks and a ban on what he misleadingly called “military-style assault weapons.” His own policy advisors, meanwhile, have told him what additional steps would be necessary to enforce these restrictions, including gun registration and the mandatory surrender of formerly legal firearms. Simply put, the president was not offering serious solutions to crime.

And the cops who work the streets know it. In April 2013, PoliceOne.com, a leading website for law enforcement officers, released a survey of some 15,000 current and former cops.  Nearly 80% opined that a ban on private transfers of firearms between law-abiding citizens would not reduce violent crime. More than 70% said the same thing about an “assault weapons” ban. Meanwhile, more than 91% agreed that the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime should have stiff, mandatory sentences, and no plea-bargains. 

The police chiefs who Obama addressed are of course professionals, and most of them received his comments politely. Comments on a number of law enforcement websites, however, indicated that many officers were not impressed and did not consider the president’s remarks sincere or credible. 

Neither did we. While we can take some comfort in the fact that Obama’s increasingly bold rhetoric is paired with his increasing irrelevance, all that could change with the next election. A number of his would-be successors have openly embraced even more extreme gun control schemes, with Hillary Clinton openly suggesting a national “buyback” program “would be worth considering.” 

Only your activism and your vote can stop them. Next November, make sure your rights are protected. Stand with the NRA and defend the Second Amendment!

PHOTO BOMBS

Immigrants caught at border believe families can stay in US and collect benefits

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of immigrant families caught illegally crossing the Mexican border told U.S. immigration agents they made the dangerous journey in part because they believed they would be permitted to stay in the United States and collect public benefits, according to internal intelligence files from the Homeland Security Department.

The interviews with immigrants by federal agents were intended to help the Obama administration understand what might be driving a puzzling surge in the numbers of border crossings that started over the summer. The explanations suggest the U.S. government's efforts to discourage illegal crossings may have been unsuccessful. Its efforts have included public service campaigns in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to highlight the dangers and consequences of making the trek across Mexico to cross illegally into the United States.

The Associated Press obtained copies of the interview summaries, which were compiled in reports by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Intelligence. They said hundreds of people traveling as part of families consistently cited opportunities to obtain permission to stay in the U.S., claim asylum and receive unspecified benefits. Immigrants spoke of "permisos," or a pass to come into the United States.