We’re not big on the AK74 or other AK variants, not because there’s anything intrinsically wrong with the weapon, but because there’s only so much money or ammo and gear unless you eat Ramen noodles for every meal. Now, Ramen noodles are good but they’re not that good, so we’ve spent most of our money and time on M4 and AR15 clones. That being said, the AK breed has seen an incredible Renaissance in after-market accessories and modifications over the last several years—that’s a Good Thing if you’re a shooter that owns one of the estimated eleventy-five gozillion AK47/74/SKS rifles floating around out there.
EMA Tactical has developed several pieces of kit for the AK, and one of their most popular (and least expensive) pieces is the AKMR. That’s the AK47 Polymer Magazine Release Extension, said to “provide easier access to the magazine release and quicker magazine changesâ€. It’s intended to allow the shooter to release the magazine more quickly, by providing a larger surface area on both sides, the front and bottom of the trigger guard. This could, conceivably, make the difference in a fight under stress, when fine motor skills degrade. We believe this piece of kit potentially qualifies for the Mad Duo TactiCAL designation (as opposed to TactiCOOL).
Mounting the AKMR doesn’t require a gunsmith and does not interfere with the trigger or trigger function. It’s made in Israel, of polymer, so far only in black (though why color would be a deal-breaker we don’t know, unless it was a choice between pearlescent salmon and chartreuse).
We asked Jay Portz about the AKMR when we first got word it was available in large numbers. “Boys,†he said, “the best trivia I can give you about the AKMR is that our dealers are ordering them fifty or a hundred or more of them at a time. There are so many AK47s out there, and the AK was designed at a time when ‘ergonomic’ and ‘ambidextrous’ weren’t part of the language, so the demand for a product like this is great.â€
From everything we’ve seen and heard, that appears to be a spot-on assessment. We haven’t shot one ourselves (yet; we will be using one at a Sonny Puzikas class in November) but once we have the opportunity we’ll advise further. The shooters we have talked to advise the AKMR makes magazine changes much smoother and thus much faster. “No more fumbling for the mag release, it’s right there, wrapped around the trigger guard next to your trigger finger,†one told us (he’s 1/1 scale, not 1/6 like us if you were wondering) so we definitely want to check it out.
The EMA Tactical AKM is available at their website www.ematactical.com or any number of other distributors. They retail for $14.99 at most places.
If you decide to get one for your rifle, do us a favor. Mention that you read it on Soldier Systems in a piece by the Mad Duo. We’ve arranged for special prices with other companies before (like 5.11 Tactical, Duostock, Wellco Boots and the Weyland-Yutani Defense Industries Division.).
If you have any ideas for us to review, drop us a line at BreachBangClear.com or FaceBook.com/MadDuo; unless you’re going to complain about our opinions, writing style or philosophy in which case don’t bother. MAD DUO OUT!
