Just thought I'd share some updates to my SBR and post some brief reviews on the various parts I've used throughout it's evolution.

This is how it started out, a #'s matching '68 C-model. Note that I had already removed the muzzle nut and replaced it with a Tapco "slot" brake.



While I was waiting for the paperwork to come back, I installed a FireField quad rail and a Primary Arms MD-07 red dot. I quickly grew to hate the "slot" brake because it would almost entirely re-direct the muzzle flash into the shooter's FOV with a bow-shaped fireball. Note how bright it was outside and yet the "rainbow of death" as I called it is still clearly visible. You can also see the gloves I'm wearing to keep my hands from being grilled by the aluminum handguard. The FF quad rail heated up extremely quickly and I couldn't mount a VFG on it without the paperwork.



Within a few months my stamp came back and the 8.5" DPH billet stock and Ace aluminum folder hinge was added along with a UTG shorty aluminum grip. I have been totally satisfied with the stock, although the solid aluminum butt wears on your shoulder after a long day of shooting, but the plus side to this is it doesn't snag at all when shouldering - a big pet peeve of mine. The Ace hinge took a long while to break in; at first it was very hard to manipulate, however it has since loosened up a bit and it still locks up solid with no movement whatsoever when deployed. The UTG grip was solid as a rock but very heavy, and I found it to be too long and interfere with mag changes even though it was the shortest one they made. I swapped the "slot" brake for a "slant" brake as a cheap alternative to being blinded by the Tapco device. I also added my favorite of all AK pistol grips, the Hogue overmolded grip.



I experimented back and forth with the wood and aluminum handguards and different brakes for a while:



The temporary solution I found to my issues with the VFG were to simply unscrew the solid-aluminum end cap that sealed the internal storage compartment. This lightened the grip significantly and took over an inch off the OAL of the thing. It worked well this way and I was happy enough with it to leave it on for a long time.

Around the same time I also decided to try a set of XS/Trijicon Big Dot sights. I was very unhappy with them on my Draco. The short sight radius made the big dot seem even bigger and it totally obstructed the view of an 8.5x11" target at just 25 yards. XS makes a great product but the Big Dots are not at home on a Draco.

I also opted to try a Bart Brake. I liked it for a few reasons: It was very short, it looked cool, it did slightly reduce felt recoil, and the muzzle flash/blast went sideways instead of into my face. It was also very fun to shoot with, both looked, and sounded, like small field artillery being shot, but it wasn't very practical.







Not that most folks would ever even dream of such a thing, but the extended top portion of the FireField quad rail lent itself nicely to mounting a 2.5x scout scope. Yes, I know the setup looks ridiculous but I had the scope laying around so I decided to throw it on for shits and giggles, and I found that this might actually be a viable setup for medium range pig hunting.



A comparison photo of the different muzzle devices I had tried up to this point:



I replaced the essentially worthless XS sights with a Mojo rear peep which I liked very much. This sight was rugged and allowed me to not only quickly obtain a clear sight picture but it also markedly improved my accuracy over the standard rear sight.





I purchased a Krebs Mk IV selector and was sad when it didn't fit. I emailed Krebs and was shocked when they called me back the same day. They had me send the safety to them along with the specs of my rifle and they had a new, working unit shipped back out to me in 4 days at no cost to me other than return shipping... Krebs is #1 for CS in my book. I ran the AK like this for a long time because I was pretty satisfied with it (I know the pics suck, they're the only ones I could find in this configuration):

More recently, I decided to spend some tax return money to refine the build and add quality parts to the rifle so I could really enjoy it.

The first big thing I wanted to do was add a quality optic to it. I chose the Trijicon RMR RM-08 with the dual-illuminated 12.9 MOA amber triangle reticle mounted with Midwest Industries' new Micro Dot Mount. I am thrilled with this setup so far and once I got it dialed in I have had no issues with it. Obviously the pics below were taken during installation so the optic and irons were not zeroed.











The factory Romanian FCG was the next thing that had to go. From the first shot I fired with my Draco, I wasn't happy with the trigger but expected nothing more from an out-of-the-box Romanian AK. I have used Red Star Arms triggers in previous rifles and knew it would be the ticket for me on this build. I also added a JTE reduced power hammer spring to further reduce the pull weight and replaced the shepherd's hook with a RSA retainer plate. I have it set for a 2-stage pull, the 2nd stage breaks cleanly at 2.8 lbs. I was able to adjust all overtravel out of it and it resets far quicker than the Romanian parts. Some have said they don't like the JTE spring but I have had no reliability issues with mine and overall I couldn't be more satisfied with the trigger now.





The next step was adding Midwest Industries' new full-length "X" rail kit. The sling loop needed ground off the handguard retainer for installation and lining everything up was a bit of a pain but overall the installation was a snap and MI makes very, very high quality stuff. I'm super impressed with how lightweight the unit is also. In fact, the X-rail and Magpul AFG1 actually weigh less than the FireField rail with the UTG aluminum grip! You'll notice also that I added a Voodoo Tactical single-point sling to replace the generic, low-quality 2-pointer I had on it previously. I really like the Voodoo sling but wish it had some sort of padding or at least was made from a more flexible material.







The final step to complete the project was to once and for all purchase a muzzle device I was satisfied with... I wanted something that wasn't ridiculously loud but cut down on recoil and flash. I couldn't find anything other than the PWS brake that was advertised to do it all, so I bit the bullet. $100 was a hard pill to swallow for a muzzle device - but I can say with certainty that the PWS FSC47 brake was worth every penny. It blew my mind how well it works at eliminating muzzle climb. It also cut the felt recoil by (at least) half compared to the Bart brake, and for the icing on the cake it does a pretty good job at minimizing flash AND it is even quieter than the Bart from the shooter's perspective. Knowing what I know now, I would've paid twice what I did for the FSC47, but don't tell PWS that or they'll probably jack the price up.

Your gun looks great. Thanks for the writeup on the MI handguard. I was contemplating waiting for the PWS handguard they are coming out with soon but I really like this one and at 100$ cheaper. I think ill be going with the SS model though. Have you zeroed the optic and irons? What is the cowitness like? Lower 1/3?

Nice write up. I was curious as to how accurate the draco was with the 2.5x scout scope. I was debating on which muzzle device to get for my Draco, and it looks like the FSC47 might fit the bill. Thanks for the info.

Good article. I may have to get a PWS muzzle device.

Thanks for looking everyone.

With the old Romy trigger I shot a ~2.5" 3-shot group at 50-yards from a sandbag using Golden Tiger. I'm confident my group size would have been smaller with the RSA FCG I have in it now, but I haven't tested the setup.

The SS rail looks really nice and I almost waited for that to become available but I got antsy and purchased the X rail instead. Co-witness is lower 1/3 but it's the best I have ever seen or used with an AK... The window size of the RMR is perfect for this setup and the rear sight on the MI MDM is excellent. I contemplated getting the US Palm top cover for the MI handguard just to see how I liked that setup but I like this arrangement so much that I can't bring myself to purchase the other part and un-zero the current configuration just yet. The irons and the RMR zeroed easily and have held zero for 270 rounds so far. I used blue Loc-Tite on everything so I don't anticipate any issues with either the mount or the optic but I will definitely keep updating this thread if I encounter any issues or make any other changes.

Just talked with Marshall from Primary Arms again and I have the RMR top mount for the MI rail system on its way. I'm going to try that setup along with both the standard rear sight and also with the Mojo peep sight.



I also placed an order with Attero Arms to test out their version of the rear sight optic mount. I will post a full review with comparisons of the three different mounts within the next couple of weeks.

I had seen the Attero mounts before but forgot about them until another member posted about them in the AK Discussion forum. I'm intrigued by this mount because it seems simpler and potentially more rugged than the MI MDM with it's one-piece design and 1 (?) large set screw, as opposed to a 2-piece design and a total of 4 set screws, albeit at the sacrifice of the windage adjustable rear sight and an inch or so of sight radius.

Attero Arms 1-piece mount:



The decreased sight radius may be critical on my SBR, but I'm willing to give it a shot anyways. I have also considered a smaller KNS Precision ball front sight post, but haven't had the need for one yet. Attero uses these on their SBR builds so I doubt it will be an issue like the XS Big Dots were.

Looking forward to hearing your results. Appreciate all the testing your doing, really helps me decide what I want to do in the future on my build. I'll probably be going with a deltapoint but still unsure on mounting option. Thanks again.

No problem! I'm kind of a gear junkie, so I love testing out all sorts of parts for my guns and trucks. I have learned a lot about my own equipment and preferences this way and I enjoy sharing my findings, especially when there aren't many other comparisons out there.

All looks amazing

Sweet SBR!  Excellent work and write up.

Thank you! I'm glad others are enjoying the writeup.

Here's a few more pictures for comparison of the muzzle devices... It's hard to see a difference in recoil and muzzle climb without video, but the difference in flash is... Well, you know.

This was at the same range, using the same ammo (Uly "white box"), and same (approximate) time of day. Note the PWS actually has a darker backdrop due to the position of the photographer.

Tapco Slot Brake:



Bart Brake:









PWS FSC47:







As you can see, the flash from the PWS is minimal even out of the 11.5" Draco, in addition to being a much more effective brake and quieter to the shooter than any comparable device.

I see you have discovered the awesomeness of the Witness Elite Match as well.

Yes! I've had it for over a year now, it is amazingly accurate! I'd carry it daily if the front of the slide didn't eat holes in all my pants where it sticks out the bottom of my holster

This is the start of my comparison and follow-up review of the Attero Arms Alpha mount, the Midwest Industries Micro Dot Mount, and the US Palm/Midwest Industries handguard mount - A full review is on it's way, the following is just initial impressions based on my limited use of the three mounts so far... The comparisons will focus in on the Attero mount and the MI MDM because of their obvious similarities.

Disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with any of the manufacturers or distributors, I am not a professional writer or a professional shooter, my photography skills suck, and the camera used is the one in my cell phone. "YMMV" applies to every statement herein. The test rifle for this comparison is an 11.5" barreled SBR and the test optic is a dual-illuminated Trijicon RM-08 RMR with the 12.9 MOA triangle - obviously the shorter sight radius may have an effect on how these parts will look, fit, and perform on your firearm and I can offer no input on how any of the mounts will look or perform with alternative optic styles, dot sizes, etc.

Ok, to begin, out of the box all three mounts feel light weight but sturdy. Both MI parts are cleanly manufactured and have a very nice matte finish. The Attero Arms mount shows some tooling marks and features a dark, semi-gloss finish. The hardware that comes with all three systems is top notch. The MI MDM is the heaviest of the three mounts as the front portion that attaches to the rear sight block appears to be steel, not aluminum. I'm no metallurgist, but the alloy mounting platform that the MI MDM is made from feels more robust than that of the Attero mount, but it could also have something to do with the weight and finish differences also. The Attero mount appears to be sturdy and I did not experience any softness of the alloy during repeated installations/removals.

Note that the residue on the MI MDM is from my threadlocker oozing out upon previous installation, that is not a finish defect on the part itself.



A closer look at the Attero Alpha and the MI MDM w/ mounting hardware...



You'll notice from the picture above that the MI MDM is actually a two-piece windage adjustable mount which uses a total of four set screws and a pin for installation and adjustment. The one-piece Attero mount uses only one large set screw along with a modified leaf spring and a roll pin for installation, and is not windage adjustable. I'm a set-it-and-forget-it kind of person, and the one piece, one screw design of the Attero mount is more to my liking on paper.



However, in order to cut production costs, you'll also notice the Attero Alpha mount is a multi-platform design which allows fitment of the Burris Fastfire II and Leupold DeltaPoint (in addition to the Trijicon RMR) on a single mount as opposed to MI's optic-specific approach which includes the appropriate "studs" which correspond to recesses in the bottom of the optic for additional stability of the optic on the mount. Now, will this matter for most shooters or make any difference as far as durability? If installed properly with good threadlocking compound, I seriously, seriously doubt it - but it goes to show that MI went the extra mile to produce a solid, well-executed product versus cutting production costs to make more of a "one size fits all" platform.



Upon installation, it becomes immediately apparent that the Attero mount was designed first and foremost as an optics mount, with the rear sight itself seeming almost like something of an afterthought. The rear sight has a very wide open notch with rudimentary posts for sighting, and again, it is not windage adjustable. The MDM's standard-width notch and wide "posts", along with the ability to adjust the sight along a dovetail for windage, shows that Midwest Industries wanted to create an optics mount that still maintained very usable, very precise iron sights. With that said, and after using both mounts around the apartment for a couple hours, I tend to prefer the Attero mount over the MI MDM for close quarters and quick acquisition due to the wide-open field of view offered by the design. This may have something to do with the short sight radius of my Draco SBR that these comparisons are taking place on... The MDM's sight notch will appear to be wider on a rifle with a normal-length sight radius.

MI MDM:


Attero Alpha:


Another interesting note is that the Attero mount actually produces a slightly better perceived co-witness with my RMR. Both mounts offer a lower 1/3 co-witness but the taller posts of the Attero mount actually offer a clearer (and higher) view of the irons through the optic.

Possibly the best thing about the MI/US Palm hand guard mount is the pure ruggedness of it's design. It sits low and is protected from nearly every angle by the front and rear "wings". The handguard mount is extremely stable and is held securely to the lower section of the handguard by four heavy-duty screws. The upper handguard is easily removed and replaced without ever needing to loosen or adjust the lower rail assembly, which is firmly attached to both the barrel and gas tube and is extremely rigid.

Besides the durability, having the ability to switch out the rear sights based on your personal preferences is also a huge plus. I, personally, love the Mojo rear peep sights on my AKs, and one of the most exciting aspects about this comparison (for me, personally) is going to be determining how well the Mojo sight will work in conjunction with the RMR using the US Palm mount. Ideally, this setup would be pretty much perfect for me despite my preference to have the optic mounted as close to the shooter as possible. Due to the restraints of my vision and years of habitual optic placement near the shooter, it is quite an adjustment for me to have the sight mounted so far forward of my eyes. This is something I may be able to overcome and something I may not. Time will tell.

US Palm mount with standard rear sight:


US Palm mount with Mojo adjustable rear peep sight:


Pictures of the mounts installed:

Attero:


MI MDM:


US Palm w/ Mojo:


US Palm w/ standard rear sight:


To summarize briefly my first impressions, all three mounts are well thought out and have their own niche. Despite the obvious differences between the Attero Alpha and the MI MDM (mounting location, integral rear sight, ability to be used with standard AK furniture, light weight, etc.) they are two totally different designs and I feel the manufacturers had two totally different types of customers in mind - Attero targeting the folks seeking a simple, rugged, low-cost "behind the irons" optics mount, and Midwest Industries targeting the folks who wished to mount the optic of their choice "behind the irons" without sacrificing the look, feel, and usability of the original iron sights.

The more popular US Palm hand guard mount is a different approach all together and has been well publicized lately, offering an alternative to the Ultimak-style "over the gas tube" mounting location while offering a rugged, well-protected optic-specific mounting platform for folks not wishing to retain their original-looking AK furniture. Combined with the rail system, this option is by far the heaviest and most expensive of the three mounting solutions if mounting an optic, not additional accessories, is the only objective.

A full range report is soon to follow.

Good thread OP.

Thank you!

Will do! I will definitely do my best to get some better pictures and do a more in-depth report once I have a chance to sling some lead from all three setups with both the irons alone and the irons + optic.

To answer your question, I did not purchase the Attero front sight and I ordered the Alpha mount without the white dots so I can't comment on that unfortunately. I wanted to keep the front sight stock for interchangeability with the other mounts and the white dots on the rear sight wouldn't have made sense without the matching front sight post.

Thanks for the input!

Nice Thread!

Thank you!

as much fun as the slant brake is on my U/F Draco SBR and how correct it looks. Your pics sold me on the PWS brake.  I have one on my SBR SCAR and it works great. Just wasn't sure how well their design works on 762 stuff.

Glad they helped make your decision easier It was definitely money well spent... Post up pics when you get yours!

Very nice write up and even sweeter rifle. It almost makes me wish that i didn't go AR SBR.

Since this thread was bumped, I will say that you also convinced me to get the FSC47 and replace my bart break. DirtDivision, there is no reason you can't have more than one SBR... I am thinking an AR SBR may be in my future.

Thank you both! I'm really glad some folks are getting use out of the thread.

Shhh... I'm also thinking about putting together a short barrel upper for my AR and SBR'ing my lower. Not until I get the can I've been waiting on though...

Thanks a lot, man. It looks awesome. I'm rocking no brake right now, so I may give the last one you mentioned a try.

Glad folks are still finding the thread useful!

ETA: Page 2, need a few new pics...





And here's me all kitted out getting ready for SOTS' Urban Survival course...

Who makes that side folding buttstock!!??