The latest arrival to the Palmetto State Armory family is the AK-V, a model known in its country of origin as the AK Vityaz. The Vityaz is a Russian submachine gun based on the AK-74 and up until now it wasn’t available here in the United States due to importation bans. In a solid attempt to bring the Vityaz to the U.S., Palmetto State Armory Senior Engineer Colton Sons headed up a team to design one by studying photographs. That’s right, the guys at PSA worked entirely from photographs to reverse-engineer the company’s latest gun piece-by-piece – and they did a fantastic job.
The PSA AK-V is chambered in 9x19mm just like the original Russian Vityaz, but is semi-auto rather than full-auto and is classified as a pistol by the ATF. From its blowback action to its forged trunnion, the PSA AK-V is bound to appeal to both AK lovers and those new to the world of Kalashnikovs. It’s an AK both inside and out.
The models we ran on a recent trip were prototypes, but the production models will be shipping this fall, at which time I’ll do an in-depth review. The available prototypes cycled well with standard Scorpion magazines, the triggers were surprisingly smooth, and they were flat-out fun to shoot.
Through thousands of rounds fired by half a dozen outdoor writers the AK-Vs kept on cycling. And although some guns had standard pistol braces on them there was an AK-V with wood furniture featuring a folding brace that will be made exclusively for Palmetto State Armory by SB Tactical. That side-folding brace (which is approved by the ATF) isn’t just for fun, either, it’s a necessity on a true-to-original-form Vityaz.
On the same trip during which we fired the prototype PSA AK-Vs I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Colton Sons about Palmetto State Armory’s new AK-V. Sons filled me in on the details of the gun’s design and features and you can watch the video below. The best thing about the PSA AK-V? In my opinion it’s that it’s 100% made in America. Now that’s a member of the AK family I’d welcome at the range.
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Barrel length: 10.5"
- Threaded: 1/2x28 TPI
- Action: Blowback
- Magazine: Scorpion
- Capacity: Max. 35 rounds
- Bolt: Forged 4140
- Trunnion: Forged 4140
- Rear trunnion: Standard 74-style
- Fire control: Standard
- Furniture: Standard AKM AKM (will ship in a variety of configurations, including classic polymer, wood, Magpul, and aluminum w/ picatinny rail sets)
- Brace: Side-folding aluminum by SB Tactical exclusively for Palmetto State Armory
- Ships with 3 magazines
MSRP: Under $999.99
