The Archer is a Polish made rifle based on the Beryl AK used by the Polish armed forces. The rifle is neutered for the US market with fixed U.S. made stocks, I.O. Inc. pistol grip and Tapco trigger. However, the rifle is capable of incredible accuracy using XM193F 55gr ball.
Here’s the full review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLzMOfCk8yg
Questions and comments are welcome.
Great review. I’m really amazed how well you shot it 
BTW I believe barrel twist is mistake from IO. Barrel should be 1/9" (228mm). FB Radom has hammer forging machine from Steyr and they use only one twist for 5.56 barrel. Polish Army requested 1/9" because they wanted to be able to use both M193 and SS109 (M855) in Beryls. In reality Polish Army uses ammo with SS109 equivalent bullet.
Nice review on this weapon. It’s certainly unique and appears to be one of the better made AK variants out there. The price tag is a little disconcerting and will probably discourage many US buyers who already own a 5.56, except the die hard AK aficionados, from obtaining one.
The 1:10" barrel twist is a deal breaker for me.
What a fucked over weapon.
IO removed the 3rd rear trunnion rivet to cut cost because of the people complaining about the high cost.
That wasn’t why they were complaining!!!
you seem to know a bit about this weapon, bro. What’s the skinny?
A real beryl has 3 rivets in the rear.
IO eliminated one rivet to cut cost. They also eliminated the safety, folding front sight, rail, etc.
montrala has also posted that civilian polish beryl do not have a 3rd rivet.
Some of civilian Beryls do not have, some have 3rd rivet (my Mini Beryl has 3 rivets). FB Radom does not see 3rd rivet as important on rifles that are not intended to shoot barrel mounted grenades. Archer also lacks receiver cover lock-out device, that is supposed to prevent cover from separating when launching barrel mounted grenades (“supposed” because this is reported by troops to not prevent it 100%, but it sure makes disassembly and assembly harder).
Lack of left side fire selector is probably not I.O. fault. Those levers do not function as safety and for civilian Beryl they must be removed, because rifle with it, even non-working, is considered machine gun by Polish Police and banned for civilian sales. FB probably did not install them “by default”.
Most important change is muzzle device. It was made to make rifle 922r compliant, but I know that there are actions taken to address this problem.
Actually most of the problems pointed on initial (small) lot of rifles made are to be addressed (as far as 922r allows*).
Can not say what about price, but cost of manufacture for Beryl is high. I do not see Beryl to become cheap AK.
Cost comes from equipment used (3, 4 and 5 axis CNC machines, newest Zeiss measuring equipment next to CNC machines, cold hammer forging machine, QPQ nitriding station, etc) and in huge part from extensive quality assurance process at each step of manufacture of each part of the rifle. Plus cost of modern, computer controlled ballistics stations, that each rifle goes trough (shooting for function, accuracy and zeroed using Olympic games grade electronic targets). Not to mention quite high labor costs coming from high taxes, high social security cost and strong trade unions.
I did not have a clue how much FB Radom changed under skin of old “Łucznik” buildings, unit I managed to go there and see rifles made, tested and to talk to people who make them and to see how they work.
Disclaimer: As gunwriter from Poland I’m interested how product from our factory will do on US market and obviously I can be biased in favor of Beryl. However when I see crap, I call it crap, no matter who made it. FB Radom had lot of problems in the past. They barely acknowledged existence of competitive, open market. They for long time did not even notice existence of civilian market (and when they did Polish Police banned them from civilian sales for some years). Now they have new management, that is open to new challenges and they really try. Only one that does nothing, do not make mistakes. US market is most demanding civilian firearms market and I think FB attempt is not total fail. I hope they will learn fast.