I have been teaching the use of the kalashnikov platform for six years now. I could say we were shooting AKs when AKs weren’t cool. But today, the AK has become america’s second rifle. At SHOT, I saw almost as many AKs as M4 clones. Along with a copy of the M4 and 1911, SIG is coming out with an AK. Even those who have denigrated the AK are realizing that whether they like it or not, the AK is here to stay.
While I am an advocate of leaving the operating controls of the rifle, such as the safety lever, the bolt handle, the magazine release and locking method alone, I admit that the weapon, like any weapon, can be made better. One of these areas of improvement has been the ability to mount optical sights. An AK devotee has had few choices. The forward mounted optics offered by the Ultimak or the Midwest Industries handguard models work great in the CQB environment and have proven themselves in battle and on ranges around the world.
But the shooters and operators of today want choices, and the choices for the AK have been quite narrow in this area if someone wanted a traditionally mounted optic. All of them revolved around the side mounted rail system on the left side of an AK rifle. While that system works fine, it is not without its problems.
Specifically there is a limit to the eye relief available, height over bore, ability to disassemble with scope mounted, and the users of the popular Russian and Bulgarian AK-100 series folding stock needed to remove the optics to fold the stock. Not good.
There have also been rail systems inspired by the Polish Beryl rifle that attached to the rear sight interface and locked over the top cover and latched via the tang screw at the juncture of the buttstock and receiver. This also worked well after a fashion but at the cost of weight, expense, and a very high scope position. As well, the return to zero capability has been very questionable on some models.
Then Texas Weapon Systems entered the picture with its Railed Top Cover system. Called the 2nd Generation Dog Leg™ Scope Rail, it is the brainchild of Nelson Fesas, an up and coming weapon designer with some revolutionary ideas, most of them focused on improving the kalashnikov platform. After a lengthy lunch time discussion with Mr. Fesas at SHOT Show, I will say that if even a fraction of them are actually put into production, they will change the world of the Kalashnikov rifle forever.
The focus of this article is Nelson’s Dogleg Top Cover. I wrote about them briefly last month. This will serve as a more thorough and detailed write up of the accessory.
Installation was relatively easy if you know how to change the rear sight on an AK pattern rifle. It locked in easily and closed rock solid. Shooting the rifle showed no change in zero when lifting the top cover up to access the internals. SInce totally removing the top cover is not a part of normal maintenace with this unit, we did not uninstall it and reintsall it to check zero. In normal use it does as intended.
The rear peep sight is a very nice and strong unit, probably stronger than the original AK sight. The one issue I had with it is that it requires a taller ring on some scopes. Hopefully, a folding rear sight may be a future option which would allow for a lower scope mount. Regardless, the scope position is still low enough to afford a reasonable cheekweld. Those wanting more can opt for a custom cheekpiece.
On our test rifle we mounted the new excellent CMR scope from Leatherwood-Hi Lux. The designer of this scope intended it for an eastern european special ops unit, and he had all the data for the reticle when using the 7.62x39*. This scope is a true 1-4X and allows for CBQ use as well as extended range within the cartridge’s limits.
The scope has a circular reticle similar to the Leupold MR/T Special Purpose Reticle, but at less than half the price. We have successfully used this same optic on the in house PSL rifle with excellent results.
What is even more cool is the fact that, not using the typical AK side mount, nor requiring a rear stock tang, it works with the very popular AK-100 polymer side folders, and the AK-74 steel triangle folder as seen in the photos. No other existing scope mount allows this.
Similarly, this scope mount platform now opens the door to the use of non-extended eye relief scopes such as the ACOG system and the simultaneous use of Aimpoints with Night Vision units and magnifiers. This is great timing as Trijicon advised that they are going to unveil a Popular BDC scope with the BDC calibrated for 7.62x39.
The 2nd Generation Dog Leg™ Scope Rail links the great Kalshnikov platform with the advanced optics available in the USA without needing to resort to substandard mounting platforms. And at a price point of $140, it is within reach of every AK owner wanting to mount a scope in the traditional location.