The image above may not look like much at first glance but it is actually pretty darn cool. You are looking at the very first AK that was built in America, by Americans, with a front trunnion, bolt, and bolt carrier that were all hammer forged here in the states. That is a whole lot of American and a whole lot of hammer forged goodness.
Kudos to DDI for pushing the boundaries of American made AKs.
DDI (Destructive Devices Industries) has been testing USA-made, hammer forged AK parts including bolts, bolts carriers, and trunnions for a few months now. Apparently they have reached the point that they are satisfied with the results because they are moving forward with production as of today. The below images, posted this morning with the caption “It’s starting! Hammer Forged in the USA!”, show bolt carriers and trunnions in production.
It’s an interesting time to be an AK shooter in the USA.
DDI is developing a new US made AK trigger group that they emphasize will be properly heat treated. This could be good news for AK shooters given the potential hardness issues found in the current most common US made trigger group where the hammer can actually deform the bolt carrier tail with repeated use. The trigger group shown below is a prototype and it obviously still needs some polishing. Stay tuned for additional details regarding pricing and availability.
DDI is cooking up all kinds of interesting things ahead of this year’s SHOT Show. They will be set up in the NEXT area in booth N406. If you checkout their booth, you may be able to put eyes on the new AK105 style gas block that they are producing.
The AK105 style gas blocks incorporate the front sight into the gas block. Moving the front sight back to the gas block reduces weight and opens up interesting opportunities for the front end of the AK. That includes different muzzle devices and easier barrel shortening for both SBRs or permanently attached muzzle devices.
DDI is already showing off (pics below) an AK that makes the potential for such a modification apparent. Hopefully, they work the AK105 style gas blocks into their current production AKs. Better yet, it would be great to see a production AK with a 14.5″ barrel and permanently attached muzzle device on dealer shelves.
Check out Destructive Devices Industries.
Sharp eyed readers will notice a few interesting things in the pictures of this particular DDI AK that is not yet available.
I recently reviewed a DDI Stamped AK-47, Zhukov Edition. It is very impressive rifle in part because of the Magpul Zhukov Furniture but mostly because of the quality of the base components. Now you can start with just those base components and build your own DDI AK with which ever furniture you choose.
AGS Armament has an exclusive DDI Stamped AK-47, AGS DIY Edition. This is a complete and functioning DDI AK minus the furniture. You save some cash and get to choose your own grip, stock, and hand guard.
These were introduced last night and several have already sold so don’t drag your feet.
