My Personal AK – Part 2

Zenit B30C and B31C mod
Zenit B30C and B31C mod

Yet again I have made some upgrades to my personal AK. Intrigued by way how Dima was transforming his rifle and mainly on his feedback, I have decided to make a deep dive into the Zenit like made accessories. So far, I’m extremely pleased with the extended length Zenit hand guard (B30C and B31C – mod), which offers outstanding real estate  for different type of grips and way to attach your accessories, almost any way you want…all at the cost of 386 grams (13.61 oz). Still, with the full setup and railed dust cover (B33 – mod) , my rifle weight now is slightly below 7.9 lbs – which is not bad at all. This is only personal preference and all these work best for me, but that doesn’t mean that you are going to be happy with similar setup. As always, please do your homework and don’t take everything for granted. That being said, if you would like to buy some of these components, please remember that you can save some money by visiting our Union Friendly Business section and use coupon codes posted there.
-Rob Ski
Spec list:

Rifle was made by: Arsenal (SGL 31)

Rifle was tuned by: Definitive Arms

Hand guard rail: Zenit mod

Pistol grip (AK Battle grip): US Palm

Stock adapter (AK to M4): Rifle Dynamics

Optic mount: Zenit mod

Stock (CTR): Magpul

Enhanced Safety lever: Krebs Custom Guns

Bolton gas block: Venom Tactical

Flashlight: Inforce WML white / IR 175 lumens

Forward Grip: BCM Gunfighter VG-S

Some components were acquired from: Circle 10 AK

 

28 responses to “My Personal AK – Part 2”

  1. Lexman1970 Avatar
    Lexman1970

    Looks good. Like the extra space, how is the weight though?

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Total weight of that rail system is: 386 grams (13.61 oz). My rifle weight now (with Zenit mod dust cover) is slightly below 7.9 lbs. That’s not bad at all.

  2. Jake Avatar
    Jake

    Great rifle Rob! How do you achieve 922(r) compliance with the Zenit railed forend? They are imported if i am correct.

    Jake.

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Jake, almost all components on my rifle are US made now. When considering compliance the big thing to keep in mind is the number 10! The infinite wisdom of the federal government has decided that it is unlawful for your semi-auto rifle to have more than 10 imported parts from their select list of 20 parts.

      27 C.F.R. 478.39 lists 20 parts:
      (1) Frames, receivers, receiver castings, forgings or stampings
      (2) Barrels
      (3) Barrel extensions
      (4) Mounting blocks (trunions)
      (5) Muzzle attachments
      (6) Bolts
      (7) Bolt carriers
      (8) Operating rods
      (9) Gas pistons
      (10) Trigger housings
      (11) Triggers
      (12) Hammers
      (13) Sears
      (14) Disconnectors
      (15) Butt stocks
      (16) Pistol grips
      (17) Forearms, hand guards
      (18) Magazine bodies
      (19) Followers
      (20) Floorplates

      Of these twenty parts, the laws states that you can have NO MORE THAN 10 imported parts on your semi-automatic rifle.

  3. Bearclaw Avatar
    Bearclaw

    Video? I’d like to see more about the rail.

  4. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    Who makes your bolt on charging handle?

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Jason, it is made by Zenit.

  5. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    Will anyone have the zenit rail and dust cover rail available for purchase in the US any time soon?

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Eric, I don’t know, i really don’t know…

  6. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    Rifle looks awesome, mean and aggressive! I don’t like it, I love it! Still on the fence as to whether I want to invest that kind of money into a Zenit system for my AK though. Personally I love my current set up (though I’m still waiting on Rifle Dynamics to finish up working on her) and don’t know if that added weight on the front end would be wise for me considering my body frame…lol

  7. Shem Avatar
    Shem

    I really like your setup up . What flash hider is that? Thanks

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      This is muzzle brake from Battlecomp.

  8. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    Rob,

    I love the Zenit components, did you aquire them straight from Zenit and have them imported?

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Greg, you can get these straight from Legion USA…;-)

  9. charles Avatar
    charles

    Looking at your rifle setup and a few other styles you utilize, which do you think is better for cqb and moderate engagement ranges, the forward mounted gas tube sight system such as the UltiMak or how your eotech is mounted over the top cover? Also will a Primary Arms micro dot hold up to the heat of running the gun in a carbine class and in a real life event? Thanks for you opinion in this matter and great things on the ak operators web site and videos

  10. James Avatar
    James

    Hey, Rob. I recently purchased the РП-1 bolt-on charging handle from legionusa.com and I’m having some trouble fitting it on my SGL-21. Did you find that you had to remove any material from the inner portion of the РП-1 to make it fit better? I feel that the two inner halves aren’t lining up as they should when I put the outer portion (the black part) over them. In addition, I found that it seriously interferes with the BHO function of my Krebs Mk VII safety lever.

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Remove set screws completely and then remove 2 aluminium inserts from the black sleeve. Now take these 2 pieces and put them on charging handle to see how they fit. Let me know.
      @Krebs safety lever – this is non spec part…the only way to make it work would be to put RP1 slightly higher on the charging handle. But let’s see first if we can secure it correctly.

      1. James Avatar
        James

        Thsnks for responding, Rob! I can get the inserts to sit flush against one another but the side with the hole in the middle (the one facing the muzzle) wants to set itself slightly lower. I can set the screws in but it doesn’t feel totally lined up. It’s perhaps a relatively minor aesthetic issue but it seems like taking off a small amount of material from the top portion of the inside of the insert with the middle hole allow both inserts to set more evenly as well as potentially higher, allowing for clearance for the Krebs safety. Apologies for the lengthy description! Just trying to paint the picture as best as I can.

        1. Chris M Avatar
          Chris M

          I am facing a very similar challenge with my AK installing the Zenit handle,yet still trying use the Krebs Enchanced Safety notch that holds the bolt back. Did you find a solution?

          1. Rob Ski Avatar
            Rob Ski

            No. I just don’t use that cutout on Krebs to hold bolt open.

  11. Cody Thorpe Avatar
    Cody Thorpe

    Hey, Rob, I’m about to make my first ak purchase. I’m torn between c39v2 or slr 107 side folder. I’m hesitating on c39v2 because of qc issues popping up. I know arsenals aren’t perfect but I trust them more then century. So can you advise me on one of these two options? I looked at the dakm 4150, but I’ve heard it’s incredibly hard to find them in stock. Thanks for your experience!

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Get SLR107, they will be gone from US market for the whole year now!

  12. F.Zappa Avatar
    F.Zappa

    Hey Rob Ski,
    Big fan of the union. Question on the РП-1. Do the 2 set screws “dig in” to the factory charging handle, leaving round scrape marks, if you decide to remove it?

  13. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Hey, Rob. I’ve noticed you seem to prefer Zenit’s longer rail sections. Seeing as I only plan on keeping a vertical grip and light mounted, is there any real reason for me to not get Zenit’s short rails instead of the longer (and more expensive) version? Also, how’s the heat shielding on these rails? Thanks!

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      Hi Mike, no, this is little misleading. I honestly like B10M very much and for AKM, i find it best fit. There is no heat shield, but they deal with heat the same way as handguards with heat shield – over the time, they will get hot, there is no avoiding it. Even wood gets hot to the point that you can’t touch it…That’s why mag grip is such a good thing…;-)

      1. Mike Avatar
        Mike

        Would you recommend going for Zenit’s short rails or sticking to Magpul’s AKK model?

  14. pat Avatar
    pat

    What is the barrel length for your rifle?

    1. Rob Ski Avatar
      Rob Ski

      That was 14.5″

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