IO Inc. AK47-C Review

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I have been getting a lot of visitors looking for a review on the IO AK47-C rifle.  I needed to use the rifle a lot before giving my 2-cents worth.  Three months ago I decided to buy a tactical rifle.  The obvious choices were the AR-15 (figure 1) or the AK-47 (figure 2).  Technically speaking, the AK-47, in most cases are actually an AKM rifle.  There are very minor changes between the two and to most people, they are the same.  The AR-15 was a little out of my price range and I had concerns about a “direct 

(figure 1) AR-15

impingement” firearm.  Also, an actual AK-47 type rifle has some import considerations that you must be aware of, otherwise, you could be breaking the law!  So what to do?

(figure 2) AK-47

I thought I had the perfect solution to my dilemma.  Kel-Tec makes the SU-16C rifle.  The SU-16 series of Kel-Tec rifles use the same ammunition and magazines as the M-16/AR-15 rifle.  They are similar in many ways except one very big difference.  The SU-16 rifle uses a gas piston system similar to the AK-47!  This, in my opinion, makes for a more reliable firearm.  The receiver will be much cooler and cleaner than the AR-15’s direct impingement system.  The SU-16C version (figure 3) has a folding stock and is very light weight.  They usually run about $200 less than the low-end AR-15’s currently on the market.  There was just one

(figure 3) Kel-Tec SU-16C

problem…It is nearly impossible to find one!  The firearm shortage and high prices have caused an extreme shortage of the SU-16C.  Again, what to do?

I have owned a Chinese SKS rifle (figure 4) for about 15-years.  The SKS uses the same ammunition as the AK-47…The 7.62x39mm rifle cartridge.  Over the years, I have accumulated a small, but, respectable supply of these cartridges.  The SKS is a great rifle, but not suitable for a tactical carbine.  It is too heavy

(figure 4) SKS Rifle

and has a fixed (non-removable) box magazine that holds 10-rounds.  I was gravitating towards the AK-47 type rifle since I was familiar with it’s ammunition and I had a supply of it.  If I purchased a rifle using the 5.56 NATO round like the AR-15 and SU-16, I would have to invest in a supply of ammo, and at today’s prices, that could break the bank!  The only issue I had with an AK-47 rifle was dealing with the legal restrictions mentioned above.  Once again…What to do?

After doing a little research, I found out that there was an AK-47 that was completely manufactured in the United States!  This allowed me to make minor modifications without worrying about the 922R compliance laws.  I could change things like the hand guards and magazine without wondering if I just made the rifle illegal.  IO Inc. in Monroe, North Carolina is making a U.S. AK-47!

The IO AK47-C (figure 5) is made in several variants.  Usually the stock and hand guards are changed.  I found a dealer in Charlotte that had the IO AK47-C in stock.  I drove to Hyatt Guns to look at the rifle before I plopped down $600 or more!  The salesman behind the counter was very nice and knowledgeable.  He let me

(figure 5) IO Inc. AK47-C

see the rifle.  I was pleasantly surprised!  The rifle had a very good look and finish.  It appeared well made.  I decided that I would buy this rifle.  There was only one problem.  I priced this rifle on Davidson’s Gallery of Guns at around $600.  Hyatt’s wanted $799 before taxes!  I told the counter help about the price I was looking at and asked if they could do anything about their price.  After taking it to the boss, he came back with a price of $700 not including tax.  The price at Davidson’s was $629 including shipping and tax shipped to my local gun dealer.  This also included all transfer fees!  I just couldn’t pay that much difference to save a week’s wait. 

The IO AK47-C I finally purchased had a Galil-type forearm and an RPK-style butt stock (see figure 5 above).  I was not fond of the Galil forearm because it was a bit big and blocky looking.  It turned out to not be a problem because I was planning to replace the forearm anyway.  A little about that later.  The RPK style stock turned out to be a very good asset after testing the rifle.  If you ever fired the AK-47 type rifle, you know that it has a tendency to have a good bit of muzzle rise up and to the right.  This is due to two things.  When the bullet leaves the barrel, the muzzle will rise and press back to your shoulder.  Due to the design of the original AK-47 butt stock, a pivot point (figure 6) is created that makes the whole rifle pivot and rise at that point.  The IO AK47-C has

(figure 6) Pivot point

two devices to reduce this effect drastically!  First, there is a “slant” muzzle break/flash hider.  This redirects the gasses at the muzzle up and to the right, thus countering the natural muzzle rise.  Also, the RPK style butt stock greatly reduces the pivot point of the original AK-47 butt stock and directs the recoil

(figure 7) Reduced muzzle rise

straight back into the shoulder (figure 7) much like the AR-15’s butt stock.  This keeps you on target for subsequent shots.

When I received the IO AK47-C rifle, I was very pleased with the fit and finish.  It came with a cleaning kit, sling, and users manual.  It did not come with the cleaning rod that resides under the barrel.  I noticed that it came with a 30-round Thermold polymer magazine.  It felt cheap and I didn’t feel confident with it.  But, I loaded it up with 30-rounds of ammo and went out to test my new rifle.  As I posted in a previous entry, the magazine would not stay in the magazine well!  Every time I fired the rifle, the magazine would drop to the ground.  I didn’t think it was the rifle, but a crappy magazine.  I resorted to firing single fire just to see if the rifle functioned well.  It did, but I needed to get a new magazine to fully test the IO AK47-C.

I called IO Inc. and told them about the magazine.  They quickly shipped me a new, metal magazine.  It fit well and fixed the magazine problem.  Now that I have a decent magazine, I went back out to test the rifle.  This made all the difference in the world.  I fired round after round without any failures of any kind.  The rifle was accurate…More accurate that I was!

After firing a couple magazines without any hiccups, I brought the rifle home to clean it.  The field strip procedure is the same as any other AK-47.  It is very simple and fast.  I was extremely surprised at how clean the receiver area was.  The gas piston system keeps most of the crap out of the receiver.  I cleaned the bore, gas tube, and gas piston.  The other parts, didn’t require extensive cleaning.  I just wiped them off with a patch.  I was very happy with the function of the rifle and the ease of maintenance.

The IO AK47-C uses the Tapco G2 AK trigger group.  I was very surprised at how clean and crisp it is.  This is a good choice of trigger groups and it counts towards 922R compliance if you are using an imported AK-47.

One problem with some imported AK-47’s is sight canting.  This is when either the front sight or rear sight block is set off center.  This can make sighting the rifle very difficult.  I saw no such canting with my IO AK47-C.  Sight alignment between the rear and front sight looks perfect.

The IO AK47-C uses a Tapco slanted muzzle break (figure 8).  I think this is a fantastic choice!  It keeps the original look of an AK-47 and helps counter the muzzle rise present in the AK-47.  The

(figure 8) Tapco Slant Muzzle Break

muzzle break is removable and has a standard AK-47 threaded barrel.  You can change the muzzle break if you wish.  Again, since it is made in the U.S.A., you don’t have to worry about 922R compliance when changing the muzzle device.

The butt stock was new to me.  I found out later that it is an RPK style butt stock.  If you are an AK-47 purist, you will not like this butt stock.  I do.  I like the looks of it and it does away with the traditional butt stock pivot point causing the rifle to rise with each shot.  The RPK style butt stock directs the recoil straight back into your shoulder, thus reducing muzzle rise.  Good job, IO!

The pistol grip looks a little funny, but it works great!  It is a little larger than the original pistol grip.  This is good since the original is small for most of us in America.  I see no need to replace it.  Another good job, IO.

The Galil forearm, pistol grip, and RPK style butt stock are polymer.  Again, if you are purist, you will not like this, but I do like polymer furniture.  It also gives the whole rifle the “black rifle” look.

One drawback of the AK-47 design is that it isn’t “optic” friendly.  This means it isn’t easy to put a red-dot or telescopic scope on it.  Some do come with a side-rail for scope mounts, but mine didn’t.  I could kill two birds with one stone!  Add a rail system for optics and other accessories and replace the bulky Galil forearm.  I chose the UTG Quad Rail System.  This system costs around $60 and is very easy to install.  It allows attachment of scopes, vertical hand grips, flashlight, lasers, and etc.

I took the IO AK47-C to an indoor 25-yard range to document the accuracy (figure 9).  I am not expecting a tack-driver, but, accurate enough to achieve its intended use…Sport shooting and home defense.  As I expected, my ageing eyes don’t like the iron sights.  But the results are good.  Take a look:

(figure 9) 10-shots at 25-yards using iron sights.

I was very happy with the grouping.  I will utilize the rail system and put on a red/green dot sight.  The sight I was looking for is 1X magnification (no magnification).  This works great out to 100-yards and will allow for quick target acquisition.  I don’t have $600 to spend on an AimPoint.  I was wanting to spend less than $100.  I found the CenterPoint 1x34mm Quick Aim Sight at the “Mart” store for under $50.  At 13-ounces, it is a bit heavy, but I can live with it. 

I took the rifle out to “bore” sight the new sight.  I did this by placing the rifle in a clamp and aligned the iron sights with an object about 100-yards away.  I think gently mounted the CenterPoint sight and adjusted it to aim at the same object.  I removed the scope and confirmed alignment with the iron sights.  I then went to a 100-yard outdoor range to make final adjustments to the sight.  My crude bore sighting worked pretty good!  I was only a few inches off at 100-yards.  The target below (figure 10) shows all 15-rounds highlighted.  The yellow ones are the rounds fired to make the adjustments to the scope.  The blue ones are the 5-rounds fired after scope was zeroed.

(figure 10) 15-rounds at 100-yards.

The target was a 12-inch grid printed on a 16-inch square sheet of paper.  At 100-yards, i am very happy with the 5-MOA red-green scope.  The IO AK47-C continues to pleasantly surprise me.

IO Inc. has changed the AK47-C a little (figure 11).  They have done away with the Galil forearm and put a more functional tactical forearm on it.  This will allow for a vertical grip or tripod

(figure 11) IO AK47-C Liberty

attachment.  I like the change.  They kept the same butt stock.  Good move!  I would still replace the forearm, but keep the RPK style butt stock.

So, how do I like the IO AK47-C?  I think I got a lot of rifle for my money!  It has functioned flawlessly through several hundred rounds.  I have shot Winchester white box, Wolf surplus, and Tiger Russian made ammo.  All have worked flawlessly.  The fit and finish of the AK47-C is better than most AK-47’s I have seen.  I wish they would have included a cleaning rod and side scope mount, though.  If it had the side scope mount, I wouldn’t have a heavy scope out over the front of the rifle.  It would make the rifle more balanced with the scope over the receiver cover.  I would not have to replace the forearm if there was a side scope mount.  That is the only thing I would ask IO Inc. to add.

All-in-all, IO Inc. did a very good job with their new AK47-C.  The ultimate question is:  Would I recommend it to a friend?  Without a doubt, yes.  I look forward to new additions to the IO Inc. stables.  Good job, guys.  Keep up the good work!

IAC Hawk 982 Shotgun For A Great Price!

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I received an email notification that “Bud’s Gun Shop” just got in a supply of the IAC Hawk 982 12-gauge shotgun. If you have been reading my blog, you know that I am a fan of the IAC Hawk 982. It is a copy of the popular Remington 870. Many of the stock options will work with the Hawk. And at $185 delivered, it is a high value for a tactical or home defense shotgun. Click here to view and purchase this shotgun.

I have shot just about every type of 12-gauge ammo through this fine firearm and it has performed magnificently. I would use 00-buck shot up to 25-yards and rifled slugs up to 100-yards. Yes, I said 100-yards! Read my previous post to this blog for evidence of its effectiveness at this range.

The Hawk 982 has fantastic ghost ring sights. If you buy a Remington, this is about a $100-150 option! This is standard on the 982. This allows quick target acquisition while still providing precision at range.

Is the Remington 870 a better shogun than the Hawk 982? Probably, yes. But, I must say that I have had 100% reliability with the Hawk! And at half the price, I think it is a winner!

100-Yard Shooting With Rifle And Shotgun.

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I had a great day of target shooting today! I went to the "Gastonia Shotgun, Rifle, and Pistol Range" to sight in a new red/green dot scope and to try long range shooting with the shotgun. I was pleasantly surprised.

I got a new scope for the AK47. I was looking for an inexpensive red dot scope. I simply can't afford $600 or so for an Aimpoint. I settled on the CenterPoint 1x34mm Quick Aim Sight. This scope is a 1X scope which means it does not magnify. My old eyes just don't like iron sights anymore but the red dot scopes work fine for me. The CenterPoint is a little on the heavy side at just over 13-ounces. This doesn't sound like much, but with my AK47, I have to mount it on the rail system just in front of the rear sight. This makes the rifle a little nose heavy, but at under $50 I can learn to live with it.

The first thing I needed to do was to adjust the scope to at least get the rounds hitting the paper. I didn't have a fancy laser bore sighter. Instead, I used a "primitive" method of rough sighting the scope. I set up the rifle on sandbags and aimed the iron sights at a spot 100-yards away. I then lightly mounted the scope and aligned the dot with the point down range. I removed the scope and confirmed the alignment. This worked well because I was just a few inches off when I fired the first shot!

I used 10-rounds to adjust the scope and then fired 5-rounds for effect. The target I was shooting at had a 12" grid printed on a 16" square paper target. I was firing at 100-yards and got all rounds on the paper. The final 5-rounds was pretty much dead on target! Check out the results:

I highlighted all 15-rounds. The yellow ones are the ones used for sighting in the scope. The blue ones are the final 5-rounds. I am very pleased with the rifle/scope setup. I fired from a bench at 100-yards using Winchester 7.62x39mm, 123-grain, FMJ bullets. This is the "white box" ammo.

I then moved on to the shotgun. I have an IAC Hawk 982 pump 12-gauge shotgun. The 982 has a 18-1/2" barrel that has an improved cylinder bore. As you have read before in my blog, I like shooting the Remington Slugger® Rifled Slugs. This a huge lead bullet with the rifling built in. This is great for smooth bore shotguns. It is like shooting a ~.72-caliber bullet at around 1500 feet per second. I shot them at 25-yards with great accuracy, but was unsure how they would perform at 100-yards. I was impressed at the performance of the heavy hitter. I fired 15-rounds at the same 16" square target using the excellent ghost ring sights of the Hawk 982. All but three hit the paper...AT 100 YARDS! This shotgun is just so versatile. The types of ammunition that is available to the 12-gauge shotgun can't be matched by any other firearm. Take a look at the target:

I highlighted the strikes in blue. As you can see it is not as accurate as a dedicated rifle, but for a tactical shotgun at 100-yards, it ain't bad!

I had a fantastic day at the range. It was miserable hot, but well worth it. I want to work on my .22 rifles at the range, but due to the heat, I probably will not return until October. I will have some articles on other topics until then. Thanks for reading!

I Found A Public Rifle Range.

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I was returning from Shooters Express and saw a sign. "Gastonia Shotgun, Rifle, and Pistol Range". This range is behind Rankin Lake in Gastonia, North Carolina. I knew there was a skeet and trap range, but not a rifle range.

I followed the signs to the "Gastonia Police Departments' Firearms and Training Facility". The pistol range is not open to the public, but the 100-yard rifle range is! Each Saturday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, you can use the range.

I spoke to the range officer and he said you must use lead core rifle ammunition. No steel core ammo like the "Wolf" ammo. I didn't quite understand that because you were shooting into an earthen berm, but, rules are rules. Here are the directions. I am including GPS coordinates for those with GPS devices:

Take US Highway 321 towards Gastonia. Just north of I-85, turn onto Tulip Drive (N35.290230, W81.188070). Go less than a mile and turn right onto Weetabix Parkway (N35.287971, W81.200974). Turn left up a dirt road (N35.292529, W81.203680). You will arrive at the rifle range (N35.294430, W81.205740).

Here is a quote from the Gastonia Police Department web site:

Gastonia Police Departments' Firearms and Training Facility is open to the public when not utilized for police training. It is normally open to the public on Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. The range allows shooting rifles only, not pistols. The cost is $5 per hour for Gastonia citizens and $8 per hour for others. Customers bring their own guns and ammunition. Targets are provided. For more information call the shooting range at 704.866.6734.

I will go there in a couple weeks about try it out. It's good to find such a facility close to home.

Ammo!

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There is one thing that is as elusive as UFO's, Big Foot, And the Loch Ness Monster. Ammunition! Some calibers are so rare, you just buy it without question when you see it.

Today, I went to Wally World to see if they received a shipment. To my surprise They had a couple boxes of Winchester 9mm 115-grain FMJ 100-round Value Packs. "I'll take both!" They also had the Federal 550-round .22LR bulk packs. "I'll take one of those, too!"

Maybe the ammo shortage is starting to come to an end. Let's hope so. But, for now, I can go out and poke a few holes with my 9mm pistols. It's been a while. Time to give them a workout.

Polymer Or Steel Revisited

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If you read my earlier posting about the choice of magazines, you know I am very apprehensive about polymer magazines. I need to revise my opinion as I have tested, on multiple occasions, the Tapco polymer 30-round AK47 magazine.

I recently purchased an IO Inc. AK47-C rifle. It came with a Thermold 30-round polymer magazine. The magazine looked and felt cheap. After inserting and removing it several times, I noticed that there was a lot of plastic being knocked off. Well, maybe this is like the marks on steel magazines after much use.

The first time I took the AK47-C out for a shooting session, I only had one magazine for the rifle, but, I had a Tapco polymer magazine on order and it would arrive in a few days. I quickly found that my initial impressions of the Thermold magazine were right. The Thermold magazine would not even stay in the rifle. After the second shot, the magazine dropped from the magazine well. Thinking it a fluke, I dusted it off and reinserted it into the rifle. Again, it hit the ground. I was reduced to using my new AK47-C like a single shot rifle. I was happy with the rifle, but not the magazine.

IO Inc. was very good about resolving the problem. They instantly shipped a metal magazine to me. After all...You only know how good customer service is by how they resolve problems. Good job, IO Inc. But, I had another polymer magazine coming. Would it be as bad as the Thermold?

The Tapco magazine arrived. I quickly noticed two things. It looked better built and the plastic was denser and stiffer. Maybe this one would do the job. The Tapco magazine was a perfect fit for the rifle. It fit as good or better than the Romanian steel magazines. Also, the Tapco magazine had an anti-tilt follower just like the surplus metal magazines. The Thermold's follower would tilt if you press it with your finger. This was a cheap design. The Tapco magazine had several horizontal ridges on the body. This serves two functions. It gives strength to the polymer magazine and it gives a good grip surface for those who use the magazine as a pseudo-vertical grip. The truth will be found under fire...So to speak!

I took the Tapco and the metal magazines out to my shooting range. All performed flawlessly. The Tapco held its own against Romanian steel. I was impressed. I used the Tapco magazine on another indoor shooting session at Shooters Express. Again, the Tapco was flawless. I think Tapco got it right!

As with anything, there are good points and bad ones. The Tapco polymer magazine for the AK47 is no different. The Tapco polymer is ~4-oz. lighter than its metal counterparts. It may not sound like much, but if you are carrying 4 magazines, that is a full pound! The Tapco magazines also are date stamped. This may come in handy if there is ban of certain magazines. Usually bans have "grandfather" clauses that let you have them if purchased before the ban. The Tapco magazines also come with a lifetime warranty. Hopefully, it isn't needed, but it is there if you do. This magazine also has the horizontal ridges that help you grip it if you use it as a vertical grip. I have found that those ridges are also a bad thing! If you load your magazines in a pouch, they are harder to remove that the metal magazines with vertical ridges. This slows you down if you need to remove them quickly. This is the only negative thing I can see about the Tapco magazine.

I liked the Tapco magazine so well that I ordered another one. If you want to get one, try AIM. They have the Tapco magazines for $17 including shipping! AIM also has the Romanian surplus metal 30-round magazines. They also had a 75-round drum for the AK47, but, it appears to be sold out now. I have purchased several things from AIM and they seem to be a very good dealer for gun parts.

First Target Shooting With The IO AK47-C

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After just "fun" shooting in the woods with the IO AK47-C, it was time to do some target shooting to see how well I can shoot with the rifle. As indicated before, I am not the best target shooter. Many can do better. My target gives me a real world example of what the rifle can do in MY hands.

I installed the UTG rail system and added a vertical grip. I like the handling of a tactical rifle with a vertical grip. I also wanted to give the Tapco polymer magazine a good workout. I am still not convinced about the use of plastic in a rifle magazine.

I went to an Shooters Express. They have an indoor range that allows rifles. You can't use the surplus or "Wolf" ammo. They use steel jackets. You must use the more expensive ammo that you buy at places like Wally World. Basically, if a magnet sticks to it, you can't use it! I had some Winchester "White Box" ammo that was fine for this indoor range.

I modified my pistol target for an AK47 or SKS rifle. Basically, I got the ballistics data from Remington's "Shoot" program and used it to modify a target to let you sight it in at 25-yards and have the bullet be dead on at 50 and 100-yards. I mounted my target and sent it down range to the 25-yard mark. I then loaded 10-rounds in the magazine. Here are the results:

I am happy with the grouping. The gray dot just below the bull's eye is where the bullets should be striking to be dead on at 50 and 100-yards. On an AK47 and SKS rifle, all adjustments for windage and elevation are done on the front sight. The rear sight is adjustable for distance only. It takes a special tool to adjust the front sight. I didn't have one on this day, but I have one on order. I will return to adjust the sights on another day. Until then, this is sufficient. When I do a final adjustment, I will post the results.