There are two camps in airsoft, those that AK and those that don't. To 'AK' - generally - seems to imply a complete disregard for accessories (except maybe unless you count a sling as an accessories) and to love the AK in the 'raw', just as Mr. Kalashnikov intended it.

Above: Eek! WTF! An image that can only be compared to walking in on your parents having sex

In my case this can be a little frustrating. I mean to say, what do you review? I've done AK mags, and I really don't fancy doing a piece on my favourite AK sling (which is on my D-Boy AK74S by the way).

So, inevitably you do end up shyly peeking at all those AK mods and accessories featured in the airsoft web portals and magazines. It's rather like your girlfriend catching you peeking at another women, and god forbid you say to your AK owning friends 'hey, did you see that fancy RIS for the AK47?' Why, that would be heresy!

Above: Hgh-end 'tactical' AK accessories from Sampson

So what is AK SOPMOD anyway?

Well, if you can get any answer from an AK fan other than them to spit on you, the answer will probably be something like 'it's an excuse for pussies to hang gun-bling off their AK by justifying it by saying American Special Forces do it!'

SOPMOD is Special Operations Peculiar Modification, and is specially designed kit which allows US Special Forces to customize their weapons for particular missions. With reference to the AK series of assault rifles, SOPMOD AK means Kalashnikovs that have been customized for US Special Forces to use in combat zones where the AK is prevalent.

Above: One of the real-deal SOPMOD AKs, in this case the Blackheart International system

Why? So that covert operators can leave a 'small footprint' in enemy territory. The usual US 5.56mm cartridge left in enemy territory kinda gives the game away that Americans were there. At least using standard Soviet/Russian 7.62mm or 5.45mm rounds would give them 'plausible deniability'.

But, of course, what self-respecting Western Special Forces trooper would use an AK unless they had to? So at least if they SOPMOD one they can have all the convenience of Western accessories while totting an AK around the mountains of Pakistan (allegedly).

So, what have I been looking at that I shouldn't have?

There are now a host of ways to SOPMOD your AK, or you can buy factory 'modded' AKs that is usually called a 'tactical' AK, but which aren't in fact truly authentic SOPMOD AKs.

Above: To my mind, at least G&G have had the decency to design one of the prettiest 'Tactical' AKs available. Click on the image to go to the G&G website

Most of the budget manufacturer's - like CYMA - offer these 'tactical' AKs. They are, basically, one of their standard AK47s with some standard market accessories bolted on; like a railed foregrip, ergonomic pistol grip and maybe a folding stock. All of these sort of AK accessories originated in the United States, where the civilian owners of AKs wanted something a little more inline with the plethora of M4 cutom parts that swamp the market there.

Proper SOPMOD accessories are now reaching the airsoft market, and custom AEG companies - like GWS of Hong Kong - offer some examples fully tricked out for you, at a price. The true SOPMOD will usually have airsoft versions of railed products like the X47 'exoskeleton' or railed parts which were made famous by real steel companies like Sampson.

Above: The 'X47' RAS system, actually a two piece ensemble that adds rails to both the AK series reciever and foregrip. This is an airsoft accessory based on the real steal TDI Arms system of the same name. It is available from Redwolf Airsoft

The point is that, if you are thinking of going down the route of the SOPMOD AK, at least do it properly if you can and avoid the cheap 'tactical' AKs. By 'keeping it real' you can deflect some of the criticism you will undoubtedly get from 'old skool' AK owners.

Finally, one of the more fundamentally practical SOPMOD add-ons addresses one of the biggest design faults with the AK series - the horrendous fire-selector/safety bolt lever. Ever tried changing from semi to full auto or engaging the safety while still holding the pistol grip? Unless you are Edward Scissorhands I doubt you can, so this was one add-on that the US market developed that was of real benefit to the basic Kalashnikov.

Left: The Russian Mania Workshop RMWX47 conversion kit for the TM AK47. This isn't a full X47 conversion kit, you would still have to add one of the X47 rail systems to it to complete the X47 look, but it does add several of the basic improvements to AK functionality that 'authentic' SOPMOD AK should have. Note the modified selector lever, redesigned bolt lever and the extended mag release. The large rectangular block at the rear is to allow the use of US style crane stocks.

An airsoft version of this modified selector lever is available separately from GWS of Hong Kong - but be aware that the reports about this particular item have not been altogether positive. There has been much criticism over the quality of metal used, and many bolt carrier levers have broken with just mild usage or even in transit. Nonetheless, it is a SOPMOD accessory of immense practical use (I believe Inokatsu does a similar product, along with an improved bolt lever and extended magazine release).

Caught on camera (by mistake) was this interesting shot from IWA 2008. This is a still from a movie featured by Airsoft-news.eu, who were actually reporting on CA's rather lame 'blowback' effect system. The AEG used was their SA58 Rifle - but what is interesting is they were using a long '30 round' banana magazine, which is yet to be released.

For the SA58 fan, this is excellent news, as the original real steel DSA Inc. SA58 uses the long mag as standard for it's tactical range. So now the airsoft owner of the Classic Army SA58 can get their AEG looking that much more authentic...And mean!

It seems 'cheapsoft' companies are getting faster and faster off the mark in 'cloning' the products of the premier companies. In this case Guay Guay have surpassed themselves in the speed with which they have followed VFC's lead in producing a replica of the Romanian AIMS.

Airsoft-News.EU provided the picture above, but sadly have no further information about a release date or a price so I guess we will just have to be patient. But in any case this is very good news.

People often say that when it comes to AEG accessories, the AKs have it bad. Well, aside from the fact that AKs just don’t need all of those super-douper gadgets that Armalites owners seem to relish, there is one area of AK add-ons that is varied and plentiful – magazines.

Yep, while Armalites users are supremely concerned with what can be hung off their pets, while AK aficionados focus is what you can get to make your AK fire more stuff!

Hi or mid capacity, hi or low tech?

While I am a bit of a convert to ‘mid caps’, I can see the sense in using a high capacity magazine in one particular area – CQB. The fast moving and close in nature of CQB means that taking the time to change a mag mid-action could be a dicey proposition.
So I have invested in a very high capacity AK drum mag. The Hero Arms AK drum holds 3000 BBs, and even in the high rate of fire environment of CQB, this should keep me going without re-loading for some time.

On the flip side, I have also introduced a lo-tech mag mod for my mid-caps.

Hero Arms C015 AK drum mag

This is superb looking piece of kit, being nearly all-metal. In the UK this item is going for £159 (Airsoft Armoury), but we got ours from Hong Kong at a much more friendly £70 (UNCompany.com).

A WORD OF WARNING!
Do not pull the ‘lid’ completely off the back of the drum mag when opening it – the lid plate is attached to the rest of the drum mag by an electrical wire. Pulling the lid open and off could end up with your tearing the wiring free of it’s flimsy solder!

OK, warning given – let’s look inside…

I love clockwork mechanisms, and – really – the only way Hero Arms could have improved the very workmanlike innards of this machine would have been to have done them in brass! (Joking!)

Joking, because, as it is the drum mag already weighs 750g without BBs! So, if you already have a metal AK, adding this piece of kit may mean a few visits to the gym to bulk up a bit.

The integral battery box takes 3 AA batteries, and – annoyingly – this little box is kept shut by means of a small screw, not very field friendly. I also had the mis-fortune to have the BB feed tube come loose in transit, but this was easily re-attached.

Finally, there is the feed activation switch, which plugs into the rear of the drum and has a small button which you must push to make the BBs feed up into your hop-up. This is the one part of the drum-mag that I don’t really like, aside from being an unrealistic appendage it is also a little ugly having a wire stuck onto your AK, presumably by means of strips of black electrical tape.

But, this was my one main niggle about what, otherwise, is a sound looking bit of kit. Link to Hero Arms C016 product page: Hero Arms AK Electric Drum Magazine

(Field report to follow.)

Low tech mid-cap lash-up

Aside from the rather expensive and hi-tech mag purchase above, I also put together a bit of a nice ‘lash-up’ (literally) mod for my AK mid-caps.

Mid-caps – I have found – have a very disturbing – but at the same time very exciting – habit of emptying just at the most inappropriate moment. This is part of their charm, in that they inject a sense of realism to the proceedings, as you both have to gauge your BB consumption and chose your moment when to change.

So, a nice little ‘trick’ - borrowed from the real military world, and therefore ‘authentic’ – is to tape together two magazines, top to tail, to allow a very quick change from one to another. From an airsoft point of view this have several advantages.

First of all – and obviously – you immediately double your ready capacity attached to your AK. But additionally, this modification gives a more realistic look to your loadout – being a popular field adaption in most regular armies.

The one comment I do get though, is ‘why blue tape?’, as this seems to add a very un-tactical splash of colour to a prominent part of my loadout. The answer to this is simple, and that is that blue electrical tape was – it is said – the only colour available for some time in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia.

However…This isn’t all about authenticity, as the final advantage this tape gives you is that it makes your magazines fairly easy to find should you accidently drop them while playing!

More about my AK magaznes: 'AK mid-cap & hi-cap mags arrive (just in time!)' 

This is just bizarre. I spent a lot of my free time over the past week researching how to cheaply create a compact version of the AK74 for a modern Russian Special Forces loadout, only to wake up this morning to the news that I don't have to look any further than CYMA's latest releases!

Until today I was either going to have to spend the money and buy Classic Army's SLR105 'compact' and re-dress it with black plastic furniture, or cheat by buying one of the 'barrel shortening' kits that are available for the AK74. Neither satisfactory.

CYAM is beginning to show that it is the budget AEG manufacturer that is leading the drive to fill all the geeky needs of airsofters who want those very 'niche' versions of well known weapons. Their new CM.031D is exactly one of those niche models - being a AK74 model half way between their AK74U 'shorty' and the AK74 'Para' folding stock models.

Of course, they are just maximising the selling power of a basic model in their range - by subtly changing small features, but the 'D' version is a nice intermediate rifle that bridges the gap between CQB and woodland formats. It is also a model that has been  identified in several photos of the contemporary Russian Spetznaz.

As well as the compact, folding stock 'D' model, CYMA are also releasing a black tactical version of their AK74 'Para'. Another welcome release for those interested in re-creating a up-to-date Russian Army loadout.

As you can tell - I'm excited!  :)