BFT47 AK

Has Century Managed to Produce a Working American AK? We Put Their Latest Version to the Test

- lain Harrison

Century Arms has had a somewhat checkered past when it comes to the AK series of rifles. Over the years, they've imported a few models from countries formerly within the Soviet sphere of influence ranging from neutered WASR 10s to excellent Zastava examples, fitted out of spec barrels to Polish parts kits, then branched off into manufacturing their own series of AKs with mixed outcomes. We've tested one of the milled receiver models in the past and had good results, but there have been reports of less-than-stellar performance from stamped receiver rifles.

Therefore, their latest offering is intriguing, and with AK prices hitting unheard-of highs, they're worth looking at if you're in the market for a godless heathen commie piece of sh*t trashcan gun. With that in mind, we set out to carefully measure and document this one, before and after running half a case of ammo through it. While that might not seem like a significant round count to put through a rifle which should be good for at least 50K, it's been our experience that the majority of wear occurs pretty rapidly, and anything detectable in the first 500 rounds is a good indication of where problems might lie somewhere down the line.