I wanted a place to discuss my handguns and firearms in general. Everyone seemingly has lots to say about guns, so I promise you this won't be a rant blog.
Can the Alpha Foxtrot S15 use the PSA Dagger Micro 15-Round Mag?
I’ve asked that question on at least one 1911 forum and was told that it wouldn’t work, but no one has tried.
I’m not interested in hearing assumptions.
It either will latch or it won’t
It will either release and drop free from the mag well effortlessly or not.
It should feed properly.
The Alpha Foxtrot S15 is built around Shield Arms S15 15-round mags, which are 3rd-Party mags made for the Glock 43X and the Glock 48. Because of that, the AF-S15 can also use the OEM G43X and G48 mags, although those particular mags have a 10-round capacity.
In the quest to check for yet another source of mags for the AF-S15, I’ve ordered one PSA Dagger Micro magazine, which has a 15-round capacity and can be used with G43Xs and G48s.
I saw that PSA had the mags in stock. I ordered a blem mag with the Micro Slick finish, for $29. Shipping was $9.99 and the total was $40.72 (shipping is always a lot and I didn’t need anything else from PSA).
Note that the Dagger Micro mags are polymer-coated, even around the mag latch area, which means that this will be a wear point, as the AF-S15 uses a metal mag catch within it’s mag well. I’m also curious if the mag will slide easily into and out of the mag well, and also unlatch without hangup issues.
I ordered one mag to test, initially, as I didn’t want to order 2-3 only to find that they won’t work.
The test results will determine if I order more (specifically for range use).
I’ll share my findings with the rest of the world, as I keep seeing folks asking this question or outright verbally assuming that the Dagger Micro mags will work with this gun.
I returned that brake but wanted to try again with another brake, thinking there was something wrong with first brake.
I bought a used one a few weeks later (slimmer version but has the same threading). That one would not screw down fully flush, either. I decided to keep the brake but was going to ask for an RMA of the pistol, thinking there was something amiss with the threads or muzzle.
Last night, I did some research and found a few folks having the same issue but with other rifles and pistols (some non-AKs). One guy said he took a copper brush to the threads of the muzzle and the threads of the brake, and had success in fully screwing down the brake. I tried it and it worked! There was a lot of crud on the threads of the muzzle and brake (the brake was used and not clean).
I’ll be taking the AK-P to the range this week to test the new brake.
I took out the Arsenal SAM7UF and PSA AK-P. The former is a milled rifle that I’ve owned 2-3 years but never shot until today. The latter is an AK pistol that I bought 3-4 years ago and have been shooting off and on.
Both are dreams to shoot. I’ve no range footage because I hate recording when shooting long guns (my mounting point doesn’t agree with the rifle shooting position).
I shot the SAM7UF first. I thought it would be hard on my shoulder but it was rather mild, especially considering that the folding stock’s makeup is usually something that folks complain about. It’s supposedly not easy to shoot, but the stock didn’t bother me (I’ve the rails covered with paracord).
I thought the recoil would bother my shoulder with that stock but much of the recoil never made it to my body. The milled rifle is heavy and the heft absorbed much of the recoil.
I shot out to 25 yards. I wasn’t hitting point of aim but I think it’s because the rifle may be zero’d to 100 yards. I need to study the method of zeroing AKs. When I do, I’ll revisit the range with the SAM7 and zero the gun (on the 25 yard range, since I’ll have a difficult time seeing further than that).
The gun has some blast, too. It seems it has more blast than my other long AK (a bastardized AK-63D from Classic Firearms). I shot 30 rounds before I switched to the PSA AK-P.
The PSA AK-P is a flamethrower but I already knew that. I didn’t feel like squinting trying to hit 25 yard targets so I moved the target closer, to half that distance.
I’ve a red dot sight for this firearm but I removed it when I last took it out, as I hated it. I’m decently accurate with the iron sights, so I shot 30 rounds at one of those target papers that have 5 targets on it. all but maybe 4-5 landed on paper (because the targets on the edge of the paper don’t leave much room for error and I was doing a lot of quasi double-tapping). The groupings were pretty tight for the rate of fire I used. I also shot while standing. A picture is below.
12 yards, standing w/ irons…
The gun bucks and throws fire. Additionally, it got HOT! I burned myself once and had to wrap it up in rags before I put it in it’s case so it wouldn’t melt the inside foam. Also, keep in mind that this is a pistol and the brace is HARD on a shoulder with the kick of an AK pistol. I also tend to pull the gun in really tight while gripping the mag. I’ll be bruised tomorrow.
Lastly, I always try to shoot my carry gun when I’m visiting the range, so I shot some defensive ammo from the Canik TP9 Elite SC. This ammo is something new to me, but I bought a batch of it from my range 2 nights ago, since it was on sale at 19.99 for a box of 50. The make and model is Federal 115-gr Hi-Shok JHP. I bought 250 rounds of it, not knowing if it was good or not but liking the sub-$20/box price. I later researched the ammo and found that the ammo is GOOD and that law enforcement uses it. I’d assumed that since the box was white and since the ammo wasn’t being sold in 20-round boxes, it was range ammo. It is not. So, tonight I bought 100 more rounds of it just to shoot with tonight. It shot well, without hiccups, and without feed or extraction issues. I may end up trying to buy it in bulk but my research shows that when looking for it online, the low price is 0.49/round, which is a bit high compared to what I found at my range. My range will carry it until it runs out and won’t let me buy in bulk anymore (the person that sold it to me apparently shouldn’t have let me buy so much without shooting – I bought it after my shooting session).
Right now, I’m right at 482 rounds shot through the TP9 ESC. Expect that number to go quickly as I continue to practice with it.
The AK-P currently has 370 rounds through it. I could shoot it more but for some reason, shooting that gun indoors gets old quickly (it has tremendous blast). I looked at the internals (trunion, bolt, and bolt carrier) and the parts aren’t beat up (this model is a GF3). Most AK snobs hate US-made AK, and think they’re sub-par. If I have any issues, it’ll be something like fire-pin issues, or something stuck in the firing pin channel (primer metal), or maybe a loose firing pin retaining pin (which probably won’t be an issue, as I’ve checked it and it is not loose at all). I will probably buy another firing pin, in case the OEM one breaks.
The SAM7UF only has 30 rounds through it but I’ll try to shoot it more, now that it’s no longer virgin.
Hello! Yes, it has been a while since I’ve posted.
What have I been doing? Ordering ammo when I can. Yes, ammo purchases during Covid times can be expensive, but I’ve been buying when I see good buys, even if the purchase is limited in ammo count.
I also occasionally purchase gun parts. Two weeks ago, I ordered the CNC Warrior 4-pc muzzle brake for my AK-P. Specifically, I bought part number 23901, since it will fit on the muzzle threads of the AK-P (although they also sell adapters). I ordered it but didn’t expect it to ship for a long while since these are typically on backorder. I received it earlier this week.
One thing I’ve noticed is that, while the OEM krink booster fits without issue, the 4-pc brake is shallow-throated…it will NOT screw all the way down. It gets maybe 3/4ths down then stops. Pics and a quick video are below.
I took the 4-pc brake apart then screwed it down again, then looked down the inside of the brake (for the safety nazis, the bolt was removed beforehand)…I could see the muzzle end of the barrel hitting the backstop of the threads on the brake. You will not be able to screw down this brake to the point that the retaining pin latches into place…far from it.
I’m not sure how to secure the brake. I’m not going to use red threadlocker, as I don’t want a near-permanently fixed brake (I will probably be trying other brakes or going back/forth between the krink and 4-pc brakes).
UPDATE – 1/1/2021:I sent the below pictures to CNC and asked them what could be the issue. They’ve provided me with an RMA. They want me to send it back. I’ll send it back tomorrow. Someone on the PSA FB group told me that they had a similar issue and that they had to be provided another brake. I should receive a new brake soon.
UPDATE – 1/17/2022:I resolved the issue and have mounted a slightly smaller CNC Warrior 4-pc brake.
This is the OEM krink booster. Notice how it sits flush with the front sight block (FSB).Krink booster is removed. Note the distant between the bottom of the threads and the end of the muzzle…that’s a pretty significant distance.This is the CNC 4-pc brake, screwed down until it bottoms out. I did this with the brake taken apart so that I could see inside the brake to see what is obstructing it’s installation. It can’t screw down enough for the retaining pin to latch into place.This view is looking inside the CNC Warrior brake, from the muzzle end. This shows that the brake is very shallow-throated when used with the PSA AK-P. There is beveling (not sure if that’s the correct word) that is preventing further tightening.This shows how shallow the thread backstop is for the AK-P.
I noticed that there’s a lot of carbon and copper jacket on the then-installed brake that was originally on the AK-V. The carbon is normal. The copper jacket is somewhat of an anomaly, though. The jacket comes off the bullet due to excessive velocity. 9mm was primarily designed to be shot from handguns. When shot from a rifle, due to longer barrels, muzzle velocity is high enough to where the copper jacket sheds as it’s exiting the barrel. That copper spatters against the brake. I’ve 570 rounds through the AK-V, which is enough to where I’m starting to see some build-up. Cleaning it will be a pain.
I researched for alternatives and was about to put an AR-15 bird cage on the AK-V (I’d have had to drilled a larger diameter bore through it, or found one for 9mm). I did find some others and was about to make the purchase when I saw that the PSA website had the Faux Bulgarian 4-piece muzzle brake back in stock. They always sell out of them.
Now, this pistol doesn’t really need such a muzzle brake since the 9mm round isn’t throwing flash everywhere when the pistol is fired. It’s not a 4-piece brake. It’s only one piece and it’s more of a megaphone in internal shape. I wanted it mainly because I didn’t want to have to clean out copper splatter. There’s nothing to clean with this muzzle device…there are no nooks/cranies. It’s more of a show piece than anything, as it does look good.
I had fun today! I ended up shooting 199 rounds from the AK-V. In an hour. I had 100 rounds of Wolf 115-gr FMJ and Winchester White Box 115-gr FMJ.
I started out at 10 yards, then went to 25, then to 20, then focused on 15 yards. I had no issue staying on the paper while out to 25 and when I moved to 20 (to better see where I was shooting), I ate the bulls-eye up! This pistol is easy to shoot. It has very little recoil and you can shoot it fast with ease.
I did have 4 FTEs, though, with one mag. It was the CZ Scorpion mag that I believe is the issue. It’s spring is very stiff, to the point that my finger is sore from loading it. I think it may break in. We’ll see. It wasn’t related to ammo because it did it with both brands of ammo. As well, the bolt didn’t hold open several times. There was also a time where one round didn’t want to feed and was jammed into the chamber. When I tried to get the bolt to hold open so I could get the round out, it slammed shut, forcing the round into the chamber. When I tried to eject the round, I couldn’t get the bolt open, but the trigger was live so I fired it out. The casing came out but I didn’t see where it went (so I could look at it). It did this a second time as well, but I was able to get the round out.
I have range footage but my camera wasn’t positioned well (I couldn’t preview the footage to ensure proper framing).
Hopefully, I can get better range footage next time.
I had been spending a good bit of time researching my next rifle purchase.
I was looking for a 9mm AK variant (but was also considering a Grand Power Stribog). I wanted a pistol caliber rifle, preferably short-barreled.
I had the following list:
Century Arms NAK9X
Century Arms NAK9
Palmetto State Armory AK-V
The Stribog was on the list but dropped it after a process of elimination.
I’d also struck the AK-V off the list because it was, 1) never available, 2) when it was available, it was a high dollar variant, and 3) compared to the NAK9 and NAK9X, it was expensive.
Last night I was looking at NAK9s and I wanted one with a brace already on it. That raised the price by ~$120. For a few more dollars more, I could’ve gotten a fully-optioned 9X. So I nixed the NAK9.
I found a NAK9X that had a great price (no tax and no CC fee). I had it bookmarked (on Gunbroker.com).
Then I checked PSA’s page as a last minute check before committing to the NAK9X. They had an AK-V for $799. While that was a quite a high price for me, I decided to get it anyways. Why? I can make it match my AK-P by ordering the red wood furniture later, it has a lifetime warranty, and it doesn’t have that cheesy plastic magwell that the NAK9 and 9X have. Full price for the firearm was $864.99. That does not include transfer fees at my end (it will be another $32). I balked at the $900 AK-V’s price but I’m close to that now. Granted, the $900 AK-V would be close to $1K when all the fees were added.
This WILL be my last firearm for a while (the next 12 months at least). My wife might flip, but I did let her know that with the anti-gunners on a rampage, I wanted some guns that might be banned from purchase in the near future.
UPDATE – 10/16/2019: The AK-V will ship tomorrow (it has a UPS tracking slip and number but UPS hasn’t picked it up yet. It’s two day shipping so it may not even get here until Monday. The FFL will probably call me on Monday to arrange for me to get it on Tuesday. I’ve no idea why PSA waited 8-9 days to ship. They said they were very busy with orders but they still took my damned money. I do NOT like spending that kind of money and waiting for them decide to ship…that’s hokey as hell and that’s one reason why I don’t buy from Bud’s Gunshop anymore. This will be the last time I buy from PSA. As well, I bought two 32-round CZ Scorpion mags for this pistol (they will fit). I’ll discuss them more in an upcoming video.
UPDATE – 10/21/2019: The AK-V was delivered around noon time at the FFL. I’m awaiting their call.
First things first, the AK-P is NOT a good firearm for indoor shooting. It was seriously loud.
My range notes are below:
First time shooting a pistol in 7.62×39.
Oh man. The bang is LOUD and BRIGHT (my range is an indoor range).
I shot 3 different types of mags (two metal imports and one 10-round Magpul). There were no issues.
The gun got hot but was still manageable. I shot all the rounds standing up, but I did change my grip from handguard to mag (mag grip was better).
I recorded but the footage was corrupt when I got home and checked it. 🙁 WTF Polaroid…this isn’t the first time this has happened. All the more reason to visit the range again soon.
I should think about shooting this outside. It is super loud (I’m not exaggerating). I’ve no doubt it was pissing off the guys next to me.
I was mainly hitting upper left (I usually hit low left), but was hitting bulls-eye at the beginning…I think I got fatigued toward the end of the 1-hour session.
All ammo was RSA FMJBT 7.62×39.
Also, note that I didn’t zero the firearm, but it shot well enough (I hit the bulls-eye several times when firing the first mag).
What ticked me off was the camera not working. That’s inexcusable, IMO. It recorded but the footage corrupted. I may need to get something that’s more dependable.
I plan to go again tomorrow in an attempt to capture footage again.
Today I ordered a red PSA AK-P with an SBA4 brace. This is an AK pistol chambered in 7.62×39. This will be the first AK I bought that has actual wood. I was going to get a Magpul version but was torn on what color of polymer to get. Then I saw that they had red wood and the red is deep in color.
I wanted to get an AK pistol before they were banned/restricted. (Sorry, I’m not interested in AR pistols at this time, although that may change; at one point, I wasn’t interested in 1911 nor AKs.)
I’m not sure when this will be arriving, as I ordered it the Wednesday (night) before Labor Day. It may arrive this coming Tuesday or Wednesday.
As well, I tried to order a PSA AK-V (9mm AK pistol), but I spent too long trying to decide between it and the Century Arms NAK9X…I tried to add the AK-V to the shopping cart and found that someone already bought it…it was the last one. :/ So, either I wait for more to be available or I get the NAK9X. I wanted the PSA due to it’s warranty, but they are very similar. I believe the PSA is cleaner. Neither have been heavily reviewed. I can actually wait on this purchase. Maybe I can find something cheaper than these two, like a decent Draco with a tube brace.
UPDATE – 9/2: Well, it actually shipped today (9/2/19), although UPS says it’s not shipped yet — only the shipping label has been created. It’ll actually ship tomorrow, probably (9/3/19). This is so that people have an idea of how fast PSA ships firearms. I ordered the night of 8/28. That was a Wednesday night. It is currently Monday (Labor Day).
UPDATE 2 – 9/3: And, it really shipped today; so sayeth UPS. It’ll be here on Thursday (9/5).
UPDATE 3 – 9/7: It is here (I picked it up yesterday) —
