TheAKGuy Nails the “US-Made” AKM
Let me preface this article by clarifying: TheAKGuy’s new AKM is not a completely US-made rifle in the sense that DDI’s hammer-forged line or Palmetto State Armory’s new rifles are, at least not to the same degree. However, I am calling it a US-made rifle because the parts are new production, and for the most part, it is an American rifle.
With that out of the way, I was overjoyed to see this week’s announcement from YouTube-personality-turned-gunmaker, TheAKGuy (Brandon Herrera), that yet another American Kalashnikov was on its way to market. The culmination of months of work between Herrera and suppliers both domestic and overseas (Poland), the AKG-47 Classic looks set to be the closest thing to a true Soviet AKM that we’ve seen from an American company to date.
To break it down, the rifle will ship with a Childers receiver (Childers uses Polish blanks), properly shellacked Ironwood Designs Baltic birch laminate furniture, what looks to be a Tapco G2 trigger, and the bulk of the internals (hammer-forged barrel trunnion, bolt, bolt carrier, etc.) will be provided by WBP in Poland. The barrels may or may not be Polish hammer-forged parts as well, but Herrera has yet to reveal the full specifications. The metal parts of the rifle will be entirely finished in high gloss black paint by Weapon Works, LLC.
As I’ve indicated, I’m most excited by this rifle because it closely replicates the appearance and functionality of original Soviet AKMs. Without getting too into the weeds on the matter, DDI and PSA both chose to clone Hungarian parts for their US-made rifles, which aren’t quite the same as Soviet/Russian or Polish AKM components. Herrera’s use of new Polish parts and Ironwood’s excellent (if not totally accurate) laminate wood makes the purist in me very happy.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but if I had to guess, we’re probably looking at an $850 rifle or even slightly more here. Herrera’s use of quality parts with this build likely won’t make this a cheap AKM, even if his brand is unproven. Regardless, as a Kalashnikov connoisseur, you can bet I’ll be watching the AKG-47 very closely.
An information security professional by day and gun blogger by night, Nathan started his firearms journey at 16 years old as a collector of C&R rifles. These days, you’re likely to find him shooting something a bit more modern – and usually equipped with a suppressor – but his passion for firearms with military heritage has never waned. Over the last five years, Nathan has written about a variety of firearms topics, including Second Amendment politics and gun and gear reviews. When he isn’t shooting or writing, Nathan nerds out over computers, 3D printing, and Star Wars.