Post by johnm on Sept 12, 2024 10:26:47 GMT
This review was published in a 2022 issue of Airgun World.
In case Wild Bill or anyone else finds this of interest, I'm copying the narrative and a couple of images below.
The AK Stalingrad has a very strange name. Clearly based on the Kalashnikov AK-47, I’m not sure where the Stalingrad bit comes in as the battle for Stalingrad (Modern day Volgograd) took place 4-5 years before the AK was developed. Perhaps the makers viewed the close quarter battle and the associated need for a new weapon, now universally known as the Assault Rifle as the inspiration for the AK-47. Nevertheless, what we have here is a break barrel air rifle within a synthetic coat that loosely resembles the AK.
A CLOSE COPY
The similarity is very close but AK specialists will soon point out the dummy gas tube is located under rather than over the barrel on the air rifle and this can detract from realism if you are looking for a 1-2-1 facsimile of the firearm. Look closer and you will see there is no real way of mounting the tube above the barrel due to the break barrel cocking mechanism. The moulded dummy magazine is also somewhat on the small side but at least it is there, as are dummy controls such as the cocking handle, selector and take down latch.
The AK Stalingrad is made in Turkey by Ekol Voltran and a quick glance at their website reveals some quite nice looking AR15 ‘replica’ air rifles that are not currently sold in the U.K. The AK Stalingrad also has a collapsible AR15 style stock, a variant of which may also be found on the AK-12, so its presence is not too unrealistic. Two other variations of the AK Stalingrad have been advertised; one with a plastic wood effect stock and another with a black plastic stock, which resembles the AK-100 series.
VITAL STATISTICS
The rifle weighs 7 lbs (3.17 kilos) and is 37 ½ inches (95 cm) long with the butt retracted and 40 ¾ inches (103.5 cm) with the butt extended, so it is a relatively compact package for a break barrel air rifle. The butt will lock into any one of 5 positions with the longest one offering 13 ½ inches (34 cm) between trigger and butt.
I found the fake wood grain effect of the pistol grip and forend attractive but beware, there are several areas where edges are sharp and could potentially cut your hands if you’re not careful. Overall, the makers have managed to come up with an air rifle that is very competitively priced at well under £200 and yet, it is capable of performance at just over 11 ft lbs. It also loosely resembles the legendary Kalashnikov, so let’s head to the range to see how the AK Stalingrad performs.
SMOOTH OPERATOR
Fibre optic open sights are fitted as standard but I found the rearsight sat too close to my aiming eye, so for once I took advantage of the Weaver rail on top of the moulded receiver and mounted a PAO red/green dot sight. I initially zeroed at 6 yards and was delighted to see pellets landing centrally with no apparent flyers.
Once zeroed, I extended the range to 20 yards and took all of my shots from the standing unsupported position. The rifle takes a fair amount of effort to break the barrel for cocking but the stroke itself is relatively smooth. A manual safety catch within the trigger guard can be used if you wish but maintaining the mantra of the only real safety being safe gun handling; I left it alone throughout my testing. The trigger has an incredibly long pull before it breaks and reminded me of a double action revolver, albeit the pull is smooth throughout and the release predictable.
PEPPERED!
The first target I set up was a tin can and the AK Stalingrad ate a hole through its centre after a couple of dozen pellets had been fired at it. Extending the range to 30 yards, the AK and green crosshairs that I chose connected with dangling pellet tins end on, so I was very pleased with the rifle’s performance. Reducing the range to 15 yards saw me connecting with the 40mm aperture of the club’s bell target and some narrower spinners shot after shot.
When I first started to develop an interest in airguns, I was drawn to military style models such as the Paratrooper and Jackal, albeit it was years before I could afford to buy an example of the latter. I’ve mentioned a couple of detractions in terms of realism on the AK Stalingrad but when compared to the models that were available during the 1980s, the AK Stalingrad is a whole lot more realistic, consistently accurate and powerful than many airguns I aspired to own back then. It is a great deal of fun and for extended plinking with a realistic military looking airgun, it is hard to beat.
I obtained mine from Protek Supplies in Bognor Regis but they should be easy enough to find or order as I believe SMK are the U.K. distributors. With some ‘replica’ air rifles, all too often once an initial batch or two have sold, no further batches are imported or the model is discontinued, so if you like full powered military styled replicas, this one is well worth considering.
End result!
In case Wild Bill or anyone else finds this of interest, I'm copying the narrative and a couple of images below.
The AK Stalingrad has a very strange name. Clearly based on the Kalashnikov AK-47, I’m not sure where the Stalingrad bit comes in as the battle for Stalingrad (Modern day Volgograd) took place 4-5 years before the AK was developed. Perhaps the makers viewed the close quarter battle and the associated need for a new weapon, now universally known as the Assault Rifle as the inspiration for the AK-47. Nevertheless, what we have here is a break barrel air rifle within a synthetic coat that loosely resembles the AK.
A CLOSE COPY
The similarity is very close but AK specialists will soon point out the dummy gas tube is located under rather than over the barrel on the air rifle and this can detract from realism if you are looking for a 1-2-1 facsimile of the firearm. Look closer and you will see there is no real way of mounting the tube above the barrel due to the break barrel cocking mechanism. The moulded dummy magazine is also somewhat on the small side but at least it is there, as are dummy controls such as the cocking handle, selector and take down latch.
The AK Stalingrad is made in Turkey by Ekol Voltran and a quick glance at their website reveals some quite nice looking AR15 ‘replica’ air rifles that are not currently sold in the U.K. The AK Stalingrad also has a collapsible AR15 style stock, a variant of which may also be found on the AK-12, so its presence is not too unrealistic. Two other variations of the AK Stalingrad have been advertised; one with a plastic wood effect stock and another with a black plastic stock, which resembles the AK-100 series.
VITAL STATISTICS
The rifle weighs 7 lbs (3.17 kilos) and is 37 ½ inches (95 cm) long with the butt retracted and 40 ¾ inches (103.5 cm) with the butt extended, so it is a relatively compact package for a break barrel air rifle. The butt will lock into any one of 5 positions with the longest one offering 13 ½ inches (34 cm) between trigger and butt.
I found the fake wood grain effect of the pistol grip and forend attractive but beware, there are several areas where edges are sharp and could potentially cut your hands if you’re not careful. Overall, the makers have managed to come up with an air rifle that is very competitively priced at well under £200 and yet, it is capable of performance at just over 11 ft lbs. It also loosely resembles the legendary Kalashnikov, so let’s head to the range to see how the AK Stalingrad performs.
SMOOTH OPERATOR
Fibre optic open sights are fitted as standard but I found the rearsight sat too close to my aiming eye, so for once I took advantage of the Weaver rail on top of the moulded receiver and mounted a PAO red/green dot sight. I initially zeroed at 6 yards and was delighted to see pellets landing centrally with no apparent flyers.
Once zeroed, I extended the range to 20 yards and took all of my shots from the standing unsupported position. The rifle takes a fair amount of effort to break the barrel for cocking but the stroke itself is relatively smooth. A manual safety catch within the trigger guard can be used if you wish but maintaining the mantra of the only real safety being safe gun handling; I left it alone throughout my testing. The trigger has an incredibly long pull before it breaks and reminded me of a double action revolver, albeit the pull is smooth throughout and the release predictable.
PEPPERED!
The first target I set up was a tin can and the AK Stalingrad ate a hole through its centre after a couple of dozen pellets had been fired at it. Extending the range to 30 yards, the AK and green crosshairs that I chose connected with dangling pellet tins end on, so I was very pleased with the rifle’s performance. Reducing the range to 15 yards saw me connecting with the 40mm aperture of the club’s bell target and some narrower spinners shot after shot.
When I first started to develop an interest in airguns, I was drawn to military style models such as the Paratrooper and Jackal, albeit it was years before I could afford to buy an example of the latter. I’ve mentioned a couple of detractions in terms of realism on the AK Stalingrad but when compared to the models that were available during the 1980s, the AK Stalingrad is a whole lot more realistic, consistently accurate and powerful than many airguns I aspired to own back then. It is a great deal of fun and for extended plinking with a realistic military looking airgun, it is hard to beat.
I obtained mine from Protek Supplies in Bognor Regis but they should be easy enough to find or order as I believe SMK are the U.K. distributors. With some ‘replica’ air rifles, all too often once an initial batch or two have sold, no further batches are imported or the model is discontinued, so if you like full powered military styled replicas, this one is well worth considering.
End result!
