Red Dot on an AK: What's the best way?

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Nightcrawler

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What's the best way to mount a red dot sight, like an Aimpoint, on a Kalashnikov clone?

There are some mounts from TANTAL that I think would work well.

bp02low04.jpg


I wonder if this is offset to the left like most AK optics are? If so, it's no good for me. I'm a lefty.

Or you can use an ULTIMAK mount.

maadiarg.jpg

What else?

I wonder. If you used a ghost-ring rear sight, mounted on the dust cover, such as the ones available from Tromix and Krebs, if you couldn't attach a little bit of Picatinny rail to the old sight base. It'd be perfect for mounting an Aimpoint Comp or an Eotech.

I think that with any of these solutions you'd need a cheek pad for proper cheek weld. Cheek weld isn't important with a red dot/collimating sight, but I do prefer to have a solid cheek weld.
 
I prefer the Ultimak mount, the most stable mount I have seen for the AK. The one thing I did find was a cheek piece was needed for a good cheek weld. I have instant sight alignment as soon as my cheek hits the stock.
SAR1withlaser.jpg
 
Contact a company in SLC, UT named ANVS. Toll free is 1-800-561-2345.
They have a AK to Weaver mount in low or high profile that puts you scope over the bore centerline. Cost is around 50 bucks. If you get one, take out the screws and add loctite or similar.
 
I have mine on one of those "Made in Belaris" side rail scope mounts. I like it because it allows me to use the iron sights without removing it (you never know when batteries will fail). I find the extra height works well; with the rifle shouldered all I need to do is tip my head slightly and the sight is accessible. With my head fairly upright, it is a more natural position for moving or walking.
ak_close.jpg
 
1. Dustcover mount.
Pro: Puts it back close to the eye, reasonably low.
Con: Probably stable while attached, but it won't rezero well if you take it off and reattach.

2. Siderail mount
Pro: Cheap, easy, QD with good rezeroing, authenticity: In Soviet Russia, siderail mounts you.
Con: I have yet to see one that is not offset to the left (some are worse than others), and they sit up pretty high (some higher than others). If you like your cheekweld, you might need a cheekpiece.

3. Ultimak
Pro: About as low as you can get. Rock solid.
Con: Not the cheapest option. Forces you to use the red dot in a scout-like configuration (not really a bad thing, but it might not be your preference).

I have a PK-AS on a siderail mount, and the only thing annoying about the scope is that it sits waaaaaay left. I have a weaver-rail sidemount as well, and the only thing wrong with that is that it sits a little high. I do not have an Ultimak, but I have played with them.

If I was going to mount a red dot on an AK again, Ultimak is the way I would go.

Mike
 
I got the Ultimak because my Kalashnicopy doesn't have a siderail and because of the left offset problem you mentioned. Since it bolts to the barrel, it's a very solid mount for a long eye relief scope. If you want to cowitness with a red dot then be warned that the sight plane is very low access. I can cowitness with a 30mm BSA, but not with a 40mm red dot. I'm probably going to get the railed forend from Ultimak I'm so happy with the scope mount.

Tex
 
The Tantal mount above is not offset to the left. It is pretty well centered. However, it does mount low and blocks the iron sights.
There was some movement of the zero at 100 yards when removing and reinstalling, but it was still on paper. I was using a 1.5-5X Simmons scope to play around.
 
I have the Tantal mount. It is offset to the left, but only by a little.

Mike
 
Okay, you might be right. I haven't used it in a while. I need to get an Aimpoint or something instead of a scope so it has some value in the dark.
 
Personaly I like the side rail. You can keep multiple optics for the rifle and swap them at will. One day you can have a red dot, another you can have a 6 power scope on it.
 
Personaly I like the side rail. You can keep multiple optics for the rifle and swap them at will. One day you can have a red dot, another you can have a 6 power scope on it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, BUT....if everything is indeed offset to the left, then it's no good. I'm left handed, and even a little left-offset can really make the optic uncomfortable to use.

If indeed I get around to buying one of Correia's .308 AKs, I'm probably just going to put an Aimpoint Comp C on it anyway.
 
If indeed I get around to buying one of Correia's .308 AKs, ...
Click to expand...

If you mean the Saiga, you can forget the Ultimak. The .308 barrel is too large in diameter for the U-bolts used to secure the tube to the barrel.

I'm sure you've already looked into it, but if you haven't, consider the Kobra red dots. I think that's what I'll be getting for my 16" .308 Saiga. Hopefully, I can order it fairly soon and maybe get it and Correia's 20 rd mags in around the same time. Talk about sittin' pretty...
:cool:

Barrett

Edited to add: If someone happens to know how to overcome the barrel diameter problem for the Ultimak, please let us know. I'd love to have one on my .308.
 
The Ultimak is really the only way to go. Keeps everything low and up front, out of the way. Works well with either a Scout type or pistol scope, and even better with a good red dot. If you use the right mount/rings, you can pop one off and another on and back again, with no loss of zero. With some, you can also cowitness your iron sights. Even if it wont, if for some reason the optic takes a dump, its gone in a second with the flip of a lever.

Most all the other mounts sit to high to shoot comfortably and/or naturally with. The Kobras are also big and in your face, and tend to block your field of view.

With the low mounted forward sight, your field of view is open and the rifle shoulders and shoots like a gun with iron sights. You get basically the same cheek weld. Snap shots are very fast and easy, as are quick shots on multiple targets.
 
I have the Tantal low mount shown above. It is offset to the left a bit on my Saiga, and is also not perfectly indexed parallel to the centerline of the bore. I'm not sure if it's the mount or the receiver, but the end result is I now have a Tantal mount that sits on the shelf collecting dust rather than being mounted on my rifle...

The Ultimak was my next choice, but it supposedly doesn't work on the Saigas without a lot of effort due to the forearm differences between the Saiga and the AKMs.
 
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Is your Saiga one of the ones not converted? If so, I'd contact Ultimak and ask what you need to do. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in pics on those rifles in that configuration before. You may just need to modify the handguard a little.

I have a Krebs Saiga conversion, and the standard mount popped right on.

f4b00706.jpg
 
If I get the Saiga, it'll be a .308. I think the argument is that the .308 has a heavier barrel and therefore the regular Ultimak mount won't fit, regardless of handguards. That's why I suggested that a Vepr mount could work, since the Vepr also has a heavy barrel.
 
Is your Saiga one of the ones not converted? If so, I'd contact Ultimak and ask what you need to do. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in pics on those rifles in that configuration before. You may just need to modify the handguard a little.
Click to expand...
They told me that I had two options - 'heavily modify' the stock forearm (their words, verbatim) or go with their ACR replacement railed forearm thingee that goes out the door for a cool $220, then add the Ultimak rail for another $100. Heck, at that point the rail system is worth $100 more than the bloody rifle. ;)

I'm shooting with irons right now - it's what I can afford, evidently.
 
Somehow, I don't think that a simple handguard swap would solve the problems. According to one of the guys at the Saiga forum, the VEPR barrel is narrower at the trunion than the Saiga 308.

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showtopic=11548&hl=

So, even the VEPR model's barrel clamps will need to be modded in order to work. I have absolutely no clue to what extent we're talking here. But, I do know that you'd have to trim the handguards if remaining stock or, if taking the ACR2 route, modify that handguard's barrel clamps as well. ( It's been done. -> http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showtopic=12203&hl= )

I'm hoping someone will come up with an idea for modding or replacing the clamps on the Ultimak such that it is usable on the 308. Heck, if someone's got an idea that sounds plausible to me and I've got the available stuff to work on it, I'll take the plunge and order an Ultimak to try it out and let everyone know how it turns out.

Anyone?

Barrett
 
I like the kobras. The only bad thing is they're a little high. They block the irons but it only takes about 1 second to get it off the rifle if you need to. I havent found that they block field of view, rather the opposite. Since you use them with both eyes open, having the sight closer to your eye makes it 'disappear' more than a scout mounted sight would I suspect.

The ultimaks do look nice, the cost would be a lot more though.
 
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