I’m a big fan of the AK platform and the M92 PAP Pistol AK from Zastava. I just wish there were some way to mount low light accessories like flashlights, IR lasers and IR illuminators to it. Maybe it’s time to modernize my m92 with a rail system, a suppressor and an adjustable gas system.
Welcome to Spec Ops Gear, Special Weapons for Civilians.
I’ve put over 10 thousand rounds through this Zastava m92 short-barreled AK47. I’ll have a link to my long-term review at the end of the video. Over the years, I’ve grown to love this rifle. Other than muzzle device, optic and a stock, I’ve left the rifle alone and just enjoyed shooting it. While I still love this rifle and didn’t want to sell it, I was also a little bored.
T-Shirts Available NOW
Shirts available!
I held off making changes because I really like the look and feel of the wood furniture. I also don’t like the aesthetic of NATO-style buffer tubes and AR-pattern stocks on AK’s. Confession time, When I first came of age, we were still under the Clinton Assault Weapon Ban so all I could get was an SKS, which I unintentionally Bubba’d with cheap accessories that you ordered out of magazines, which is what we did before there were gun parts on the internet. A few months later, I realized that bastardizing an SKS would only make it worse, I went over to the “Nyet, rifle is fine” camp.
The problem is that “rifle is fine” won’t let you effectively run the gun under night vision. So, I decided it was time to modernize my m92.
Impressions:
In its current condition, this rifle is fast and effective day or night. While it is a bit heavy, the short barrel and compact overall length keep the weight close to the shooter so you feel it a bit less. With the gas adjusted properly, recoil is minimal and followup shots are a breeze. Being an AK, the gun feels rugged and capable in all weather conditions. On recent night shooting events, everyone is surprised to see an AK do so well under night vision. The short overall length, folding stock and heavy 7.62 projectiles make it a solid choice for many WORL scenarios, specifically those involving night, enclosed spaces and getting in and out of vehicles.
But, when we look at the world getting spicier and night time happening every night, the need for a short-barreled, suppressed AK with night-fighting capability becomes undeniable.
So let’s talk about the build.
Sure, if I just wanted to add a flashlight to the Aimpoint Micro that I ran on this AK, I could have gotten away with an Ultimak rail. But, to mount a white light, pressure switch, IR laser/illuminator and optic, I needed something more substantial.
I went with the Midwest Industries fore-end because it seemed like a good balance of quality and value. I went with a quadrail instead of M-Lock because it was on sale and due to limited space, it would have ended up covered in rail sections anyway.
Being a night-fighting rifle, I wanted to have both passive aiming and active IR aiming options for the build. For those unfamiliar, night vision goggles allow you to see infrared light, which is normally invisible to humans and animals. “Active aiming” under night vision means using an infrared laser/illuminator that is visible through your goggles but invisible to everyone else. Active aiming is the fastest and easiest way to shoot a gun with night vision. BUT, the problem with active aiming is that other people with night vision will ALSO be able to see you.
For this reason, “passive aiming” has gained in popularity. Passive aiming is when you look through your NVG and then through a red dot or holographic sight to aim. Passive aiming is more sneaky because your gun won’t look like a Jedi Light Saber, but looking through NVG into another optic is much slower and more difficult from cover and in awkward shooting angles.
My active aiming device here is the Holosun LS321 mated to a Surefire dual pressure pad.
Night vision narrows down your field of view and close-by objects are out-of-focus, lowering situational awareness and making shooting and moving slower and more difficult.
For this reason, it’s not uncommon for door kickers (which I am not) to switch to a normal visible “white light” flashlight in enclosed spaces. Running a gun with an Eotech/Aimpoint and a white light flashlight is fast and intuitive. But, be aware that on a two way range your light will give away your position. For this reason, I like momentary only remote switches so lights don’t accidentally get left on for a fraction of a second more than necessary.
My white light for this build is a Streamlight Protac using a TREX Arms forward mount. The Streamlight ProTac light is decent but the stock Streamlight pressure pad sucks, so I solved that with an Arisaka adapter so it’s compatible with Surefire switches.
My favorite optic for passive aiming is the Eotech EXPS3 series, but the Aimpoint Micro is decent too. During the daylight, the optic is fast and easy to shoot. If I wasn’t using this with NODs, I’d prefer an Aimpoint Micro on a low mount, but when running NVG, you need the optic up higher to get a clean sight picture.
Suppressor: I’m running a Silencerco Omega paired with a KNS Precision adjustable gas piston. The KNS gas piston is probably the best single AK upgrade you can get. The best part is your rifle will still appear stock while having greatly reduced recoil and gas pressure. You can also notch your gas piston, but this is a one-way ticket.
Roast my Rifle:
I love this rifle, and the night fighter build has been a lot of fun. But, there’s still some things I don’t like.
1: Like all NVG capable rifles, it’s heavy. Being an AK, it’s even a bit heavier than a similar AR15 night fighter.
2: The Ace Folder length of pull is perfect for body armor, but the big hinge sometimes pops you in the mouth if you’re trying to get a cheek weld. This is much less of an issue with the tall Eotech and the KNS adjustable gas piston.
3: The Midwest Industries Rail came loose once, even though I had Locktite on it. So, I put MORE locktite on it and tightened it down unreasonably tight and now it’s holding.
4: Even with the can, there’s still a little more muzzle flash than I’d like. BUT, I now have a batch of MAXXtech Vympel ammo that flashes a lot less than the ammo I filmed with.
An NVG-capable short-boi AK47 with a can is a great bit of kit, if you’ve got the coin. This has been a fun project and the M92 pap is now back to being one of my favorite rifles.
