ARMOURY: TOYKO MARUI AKM GBBR

IS IT REAL...

AS IT’S THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF AIRSOFT ACTION, WE THOUGHT IT ONLY APT TO HAVE SOMETHING JUST A LITTLE BIT SPECIAL TO OPEN WITH THIS MONTH AND, THANKS TO RED CELL MEMBER MARCUS, WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO GET HANDS-ON THE VERY LATEST GBBR AKM MODEL FROM TOKYO MARUI! SO, SIT BACK AND LET HIM TELL YOU ALL ABOUT HIS BESTEST AND MOST FAVOURITEST KALASHNIKOV!

OR IS IT TM?

Amongst the Red Cell group there are a number of AKM (and indeed, Kalashnikov as a whole) fans but, until recently, I have been very much open-minded about the platform amongst many that are exemplary. As a real firearms shooter in the past, I do appreciate everything that a Kalashnikov brings to the party (pun intended!) and although I’ve worked on and tried many, many airsoft AKs, there hasn’t been one that’s really taken my eye …until now!

To really understand just how good the new TM AKM GBBR really is, I need to kick off by telling you about the real one, as it would appear to me that TM may well have had a peek inside the Izhmash or Tula factories to get the lowdown on how they should go about making their replica…

The AKM (Avtomát Kalášnikova modernizírovannyj, or “Kalashnikov’s Automatic Rifle Modernised”) is an assault rifle that has been used in countless conflicts, past and present, all over the globe! Presented in service way back in 1959, it was chambered in the 7.62x39mm Soviet intermediate cartridge, a selective fire rifle, gas operated with a rotating bolt, firing in either

semiautomatic or fully automatic modes, with a cyclic rate of fire of around 600 rounds per minute (RPM). The gas-operated action was a large bolt carrier with a permanently attached long stroke gas piston and the gas chamber was located above the barrel. The bolt carrier rode on two rails, formed on the side of the receiver, with a significant space between the moving and stationary parts. Despite being replaced in the late 1970s by the AK-74, the AKM is still in service in some Russian Army reserve and second-line units and several east European countries and you’ll still see them regularly pictured in current conflict zones, such is it’s longevity!

The GRAU (a department of the Russian (exSoviet) Ministry of Defense) officially designated the AKM as the 6P1 assault rifle. Compared with the AK-47, the AKM featured detail improvements and enhancements that optimised the rifle for mass production; some parts and assemblies were conceived using simplified manufacturing methods. Notably, the AK-47’s milled steel receiver was replaced by a U-shaped steel stamping. As a result of these modifications, the AKM’s weight was reduced by about 1kg (2.2 lb), the accuracy during automatic fire was increased and several reliability issues were addressed. The AK-47’s chrome-lined barrel was retained, a common feature of Soviet weapons which resists wear and corrosion particularly under harsh field conditions and near-universal Eastern Bloc use of corrosively primed ammunition!

The AKM’s receiver was stamped from a smooth 1.0 mm (0.04 in) sheet of steel, compared with the AK-47 where it was

machined from heavier gauge steel. A rear stock trunnion and forward barrel trunnion were fastened to the U-shaped receiver using rivets The receiver housing also featured a rigid tubular cross-section support that adds structural strength. Guide rails that assisted the bolt carrier’s movement that also incorporated the ejector were installed inside the receiver through spot welding. As a weight-saving measure, the stamped receiver cover was of thinner gauge metal than that of the AK-47. In order to maintain strength and durability it employed both longitudinal and

latitudinal reinforcing ribs, plus there were many more modifications including a chrome lined barrel bolt and bolt carrier mods and a new under-folding stock.

And this legendary rifle was amongst the most widely produced firearms in the world to date, being used all over the world by solders and freedom fighters alike! I it has to be one of the most instantly recognisable firearms to date and it has even appeared on one country’s national flag!

REPLICATING THE CLASSIC!

Now, we do expect great things of Tokyo Marui but you wouldn’t know it from the box this time! The new gas AKM comes in a rather plain box that is made to look like a packing box, with the usual TM

markings and AKM in big letters with “avtomat kalashnikov modernizirovannyi”, the Russian name next to it with (in smaller writing under it) the specs of the real AKM, and a serial number in the bottom right hand corner; although all the boxes I’ve seen so far have the same number on them, it’s still a nice touch.

However, when you take the lid off you will find the AKM nesting beautifully in a burlap-typematerial with the magazine; this can be used to wrap the rifle up in and has instructions on how to do it! There’s also a box that looks like a box of 20 7.62x39mm cartridges; it has this written on the box and underneath actually says it is 6mm BB.. and beneath that (a lot of info in a small space!) it has the usual writing about the muzzle cap and accessories, and again in the bottom right-hand corner there is another number that would be a lot number for the ammunition. This box contains a muzzle cap, a small bag of TM BBs (probably 0.20g but unspecified) and a front sight adjustment tool.

Right, now to the fun part and from the getgo, externally the gun looks great! It is full metal and there’s no wobble anywhere; the stock and handguards are all plastic but you wouldn’t know it at first, as TM have really done a great job at colouring the stock work to look like real wood. In fact, it’s beautiful! The lower receiver is a steel stamping just like the real thing, and the front and rear trunnions have been riveted in; the finish of all the metal work is superb! The pistol grip is made to look just like the real thing and looks just like the Russian equivalent of Bakelite and it even has the factory code on the top left hand side which is fabulous attention to detail, but then we expect no less from the mighty TM! The dust cover is a steel stamping and looks really good with the reinforcing ribs pressed into it and the rear site is well-made, graduated properly and again looks great. The front trunnion is also well-made and finished and the piston tube catch is neat and moves freely with just minor resistance

The piston tube looks just right with the plastic woodwork

cover and the main tube is a again a steel stamping. The main outer barrel is all steel and the attention to detail is wonderful; the gas block correct and the front sight is elevation-adjustable with the tool I mentioned earlier. The distinctive, angled muzzle brake is correct for the gun and is angled; on the real thing its there to reduce the muzzle climb! The cleaning rod can be removed but does not have a threaded end that the real thing would have had to screw on a barrel brush onto it but, in all fairness, most airsofters wouldn’t use it anyway! The stock is a lovely piece and looks perfect; it has a sling mount on the lower left hand side and is screwed in place with the buttplate being another steel stamping; this has a sprung lid in it where on the real thing would be some pieces of cleaning kit .

TAKEDOWN

When you come to stripping the AKM it’s simple and just like the real thing! All that you need to do is hold the gun, press the rear catch that’s on the back of the dust cover and lift that back and off. This gives you access to the recoil spring assembly and the bolt assembly, so you just push the recoil assembly forward and off the lower receiver (it’s a captive spring and very similar to the real thing) and then all you have to do is pull the bolt to the rear and out. Then you can

flip the gas tube catch up and remove the gas tube… and that’s it, just like the real thing!

The bolt itself is beautifully crafted, metal again with the gas piston being a separate piece fixed in place and made from a shiny piece of aluminium. The whole thing is very well made and houses the blowback unit that is the heart of the Marui gas blowback system. The lower receiver houses the trigger, hammer, safety and fire control components as well as the hop unit, which is neatly housed in the left hand side, a small wheel adjuster type, that can be easily reached when the magazine is removed.

On the right hand side, the opposite side to the hop unit, there is a useful catch that allows you to “dry” fire the AKM without BBs loaded in the magazine. You simply use one of your fingers in the right hand side front of the magazine well and pull the catch and down, you can then fire it as much as you like without the gun stopping shooting because you’ve run out of BBs. You can deactivate this feature by pulling the catch back and pushing it back up; this is a bit fiddly but it actually works very well.

DOWNRANGE

Right, onto my shooting impressions! Loading the magazine is straightforward; first put gas in it just like any other GBB and then you can use the loading tool that is in the box to bomb up. It’s pretty small so you’ll need to fill it three times, then insert the magazine front first and rock it back to lock it in place. Safety off, first click down is full auto, the second is semiauto (which still taxes poor Jimmy!), then pull back the bolt handle, release it and you’re ready to go! Put the sights on target and pull the trigger you will get a very satisfying sound and a sweet little push in your shoulder from the recoil - and on full auto the recoil and the fun just keeps on coming! The dedicated magazine feeds smoothly and chrono’ing at 1.12 Joule/348fps on a .20g BB it’s got some of that old TM magic - and shoots straight as a die!

The overall feel of the AKM is such that there’s no wobble at all and all the fake woodwork is well fitted and is strong enough to cope with long-term gameplay; the only thing is that the plastic woodwork is just TOO nice, it’s actually TOO smooth! It’s too nice it really needs to be a bit rougher to make it just that bit better but you can’t really fault TM for making something TOO nice, now can you?

The AKM handles really, really well! The grip feels good in the hand, although a bit small for me. The recoil impulse is good and strong and I had three full mags of BBs out of one fill of gas, which is great, typical Marui efficiency. It’s the same gas system they use in their “M4” series of GBBR that works so well, so no surprises there! It’s a joy to shoot and the price makes it very competitive as it retails at around the UK£500 mark and the extra magazines will be around UK£50. Do make sure you buys some extra mags at the same time as the gun though, as these have proved hard to get at the time of release (although no doubt this will change in time).

When it comes to accessories, any standard 14mm CCW suppressor or tracer unit would fit (although if you fit one you’ll want undoubtedly want the correct PBS-1!) and I’m sure soon someone will release a full real wood kit that would make it an even more beautiful piece of kit! Any AK sling will fit and will set it off nicely too. When it comes to optics there’s no mount fitted so you would have to get a side mount post-purchase. This would need to be either riveted or screwed in place just like the real thing, or you could remove the rear sight and fit a small mount in the recess, but other than that you’re pretty limited on the sight front. However, as it’s an absolutely beautiful, classic AKM, why would you want a modern optic anyway?

This is most definitely a GBBR to love and cherish, with all the looks, quality and performance we take for granted from Tokyo Marui these days! I’ve bought this particular one, so it’s all mine and, apart from loaning it to Bill for some additional test firing and photos, it’ll take pride of place on the wall at All Ages Airsoft in Dover… Who knows, if you come and visit I may even let you fire it yourself! AA

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