Looking for an affordable AK-47…that’s built in the USA?
It might seem a little weird, but AKs are now manufactured in the US by a couple companies.
You might know Palmetto State Armory (PSA) for all their AR-15s…but now they are in the AK game with their PSAK-47 GF3.
Follow us as we test out their most popular variant…the MOEkov. A combination of a MOE front handguard and a Zhukov buttstock.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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We’ll put it through lots of different ammo and mags. Upgrade it with muzzle devices, optics, and triggers. Then test for reliability and accuracy.
By the end you’ll know if you should go USA…or stick with trying to find a true commie version.
Plus we have a full video review of it too:
If that helped, please subscribe to our YouTube channel since we’re adding new videos every week!
Now let’s get on with the written review…
Table of Contents
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Who Is It For?
- Someone venturing into the world of AK-47s who wants it made in the good ole US of A
- Someone looking for an affordable rifle that will work
- Someone wanting the MOEkov look without having to buy two sets of furniture
- Someone who can wait for their specific loadout to come in stock
About PSA
Yes…it’s that PSA that makes the unbelievably affordable AR-15s (like $350 affordable).
I’ve tested a bunch of them and although some have cosmetic issues…they’ve all gone bang when needed.
Check out my review of 3 PSA AR-15s.
Or our entire collection of PSA Reviews.
But…how are PSA guns so cheap?
It’s because of vertical integration where they take in raw materials and spit out a finished gun…all in-house.
Same with their AKs…it’s all USA made by them.
And unless you really got to have the real commie deal…you might have to exclusively buy US soon because of legislation that dried up Russian parts kits.
Now let’s get on to the actual review…
Fit, Feel, & Finish
Everything looked great according to my previous PSA standards. No purplish hue and all the black metal parts matched.
My tested version is the Gen 2 which is now replaced by the GF3.
Everything is the same except trunnions are now forged (like “normal” AKs) instead of billet in Gen 2.
I had to add on the furniture myself thanks to some state regulations…but everything fit correctly. Note the pistol grip is not standard issue MOEkov.
Here’s the Magpul MOE handguard.
It’s closer to length to an old-school AK…but updated with a futuristic polymer look.
And here’s the Zhukov buttstock.
I really like this buttstock since it is adjustable and also folds back. Unfortunately I had to pin both of these capabilities.
Here’s the full Zhukov furniture set with handguard…which is way too long in my opinion.
Next up in features is the scope attachment rail.
I’m really glad this is becoming a standard since I do not like AK iron sights.
Speaking of the sights…a lot of affordable AKs have canted front sights…I’m happy to say my PSAK-47 is all good in that area.
This is how my Yugoslavian WASR’s sights need to be adjusted to be on target…
The elevation adjustment also worked well at least out to 300 yards.
Also at the front is the standard slant AK brake which sort of does its job (more in the Shootability section).
Moving back a little bit…here’s the safety which works with both the standard trigger and my upgraded one too.
Now into the guts of the PSAK-47…
Check out that AK roominess that gives it its famed reliability. Getting gunk in there is like throwing a hotdog down a hallway.
Here’s the bolt, piston, and recoil spring.
Everything seemed to be in order.
And here’s a close-up of the bolt and piston after a couple hundred rounds.
I’ll go into potential upgrades at the end…but as it comes from the factory…the PSAK-47 has all the right stuff in the right places. And looks good too with the MOEkhov package.
Now…how does it shoot?
Shootability
The first time I shot it as stock as possible…and it was not fun for my cheeks (the face kind).
I let 2 other buddies shoot it (with 3 types of ammo) to make sure it wasn’t just me. 1 agreed and 1 told me to suck it up. So it’s subjective.
I’m thinking that the combination of the polymer Zhukov furniture, slant brake, and having to get extra low to use the iron sights made it pinch my cheekweld.
But not all was lost…
I had my Midwest compensator to swap out for the slant brake.
That immediately helped with the cheek abuse.
I also moved it back to the slant brake and added a Midwest optics rail.
Getting higher up on the buttstock also mitigated the initial pain.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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I liked using the Vortex SPARC since it was the perfect (higher) height compared to a Holosun 510C. Check out Best Red Dots for my other suggestions.
Having both…made it a true joy to shoot.
Here it is in rapid fire glory:
Oh…and the PSAK stock trigger…it’s pretty good! Much better than whatever came with my WASR-10. You don’t need to upgrade the PSA one since it comes in 4 lb 5 oz for mine.
But of course…I still did.
Reliability
Besides the cheekweld using irons…there were no failures, after 10 rounds.
The failures I encountered weren’t gas or piston related…it was with the trigger not resetting after each shot.
I figured it needed a few shots to get broken in. After that everything was flawless in going bang when needed.
I tried 4 different brands of ammo…and most of my shooting was done with mildly-corrosive Yugo M67 brass-cased ammo.
I only tested at local ranges which prohibit cheaper steel cased ammo…so I’ll be updating with how those shoot when I can head to some different places. For my favorites…check out Best AK-47 Ammo.
I also tried 3 magazines…a Magpul, Yugoslavian mil-spec, and a ProMag. All worked flawlessly with all the types of ammo.
But don’t take my word for it…check out the AK Operator Union’s 5K round test on their Gen 2 with billet trunnions.
Now that the trunnions are forged in the newest GF3 series…it should be even more theoretically robust.
Accuracy
I set up my typical accuracy rig as much as possible.
- Lead Sled DFT ($200)
- Schmidt & Bender PMII 5-25x Scope with Larue Mount ($3500)
- Midwest AK Optic Mount ($109)
- AGL AK Trigger ($75)
And put up some 100 yard targets.
This is about 500 rounds in with barrel cleanings after each range session since I was using corrosive ammo (How to Clean Corrosive Ammo).
I upgraded my trigger to the ALG AK which brought down the pull-weight from a respectable 4 lb 5 oz to 3 lb 1 oz.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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I tightened down my optic mount and shot at a fast pace of whenever the reticle came back on target…probably every 3-5 seconds. I let the barrel rest about 5 minutes between each load.
Here are the results:
They all did kind of the same…with around 5-6 MOA (1 MOA is 1 inch at 100 yards) in a horizontal pattern.
That pattern lends me to believe it could be my mount or the attachment. My scope is pretty good to go.
Update: I tried it 2 more range sessions with another side mount but same scope and got the same results.
I contacted PSA and they told me it’s likely parallax error because I was magnifying to 25x and AKs don’t have the greatest cheekweld especially with the benchrest. Being off a little each time behind the glass likely produced the horizontal pattern.
Ok…so I went with a gas tube rail, something lower in magnification, and sand bags.
- Midwest Gas Tube Rail (see more in Best AK-47 Upgrades)
- Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6x (see more in Best 1-6x Scopes)
- Caldwell DeadShot Shooting Bags
Keep in mind you’ll probably never do this since the viewing angle is super awkward for a magnified optic up front. But I wanted to see the innate accuracy of the PSAK.
I set my target at roughly 75 yards at another range.
Zeroed it enough to be on the sticky.
And a closeup of the results.
It’s better…even when you extrapolate to 100 yards. I’m estimating 4 MOA.
The good thing is that it no longer has a funky horizontal pattern.
AKs aren’t known to be the most accurate…but keep in mind mil-spec M4s are 4 MOA.
5 or even 6 MOA is still good out to 200 yards at a minute-of-bad-guy accuracy.
For $499 I can’t really complain!
Recommended Models
Unlike PSA’s AR-15s…you can’t really buy the upper and lower separately to avoid the complete firearm tax.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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I do really like the MOEkov look but if you don’t want to modify the muzzle or add on an optic…I’m thinking the Classic will be better at recoil management.
Those are pretty much your two choices…or going with a BLEM (blemished) which will work fine but might have cosmetic issues.
And now…if you want to go the “pistol” route…the AK-P GF3.
Perfect for a truck gun with its shorter barrel. Check out the full review here.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
By the Numbers
Reliability: 5/5
~500 rounds with 4 different types of ammo and three different mags…with no malfunctions after 10 rounds the trigger needed to break in. Also passed AK Operator Union’s 5K torture test.
Now trunnions are forged so there’s even less to possibly complain about online.
On top of all of that, PSA sent one of their PSAK-47s to Battlefield Vegas to be converted into a full-auto AK and used at the range. After over 17,000 rounds, the rifle started to keyhole and was retired from service.
That is a huge amount of fire and abuse to be put through!
Accuracy: 3.5/5
On par with AKs so you’re good up to 200/300 yards minute-of-bad-guy. You’ll also likely only have a 1x optic so ringing steel at 100 yards will still be very doable.
Ergonomics: 3/5
It’s an AK…so will never be as ergonomic as an AR…but I like the foldability of the Zhukov stock and the feel of the MOE handguard. Safety latch and everything else were a little stiff but became better after a few hundred rounds.
Looks: 5/5
No blemishes or miscolorings. Plus the MOEkov looks super sexy.
Customization: 4/5
AKs have come a long way in terms of upgrades. Very glad the PSAK has an optic mount. And there’s the gas tube way of attaching an optic as well.
Bang for the Buck: 5/5
AKs are actually not that cheap…even the foreign ones. A great deal at ~$499 for something made in the USA.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Conclusion
The PSAK is one of the best American-made AKs that has passed reliability tests from us and the AK Operators Union. There’s tons of furniture options and it also comes with an optics rail for further customization. And the price gives it a great bang-for-the-buck value.
If you’re starting in the world of AKs and don’t have the cash to splurge $2000 on a Krebs (Best AK-47s), the PSAK-47 is one great place to begin.
It looks great and feels in hand.
Recoil is a little harsher than others without easy modifications.
And accuracy could be better…
But keep in mind this is $499 and you’re supporting South Carolina manufacturing.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
And for ALL our PSA reviews…click here.
What do you think about the PSAK-47? Ready to swap out your commie version? Check out our favorite AKs you can still buy in our Best AK Guide. Or…our review of PSA’s AK & AR Hybrid that takes AK mags.
20 Leave a Reply
Other than ammo availability in a SHTF situation, this (very good) review did nothing to convince me to purchase this over an AR in 300 BLK.
Just a head's up when purchasing any AK furniture from PSA. PSA didn't bother to a) provide the correct size washer for the grip screw, or, b) didn't bother to counter sink the screw hole for the washer size they do provide.
I’m looking to get into shooting 7.62x39 but don’t want to use the AR-15 platform because of all the reliability issues I’ve heard. I’m also not wanting to spend a ton of money either. Would I be better off going with something like the PSAK/Century VSKA/some other budget tier AK47, or should I go with the PSA KS-47 platform? I don’t need precision accuracy, just something reliable and accurate within 100 yards.
Current Gen PSA AK47 is probably the way to go. The KS-47 was okay, but our resident AK expert was not a huge fan of the extra-long bolt pull (AR-10 length) + lack of bolt hold open on the last round. You could also look into the AK103 if you want the modern AK-100 style look. Hope that helps!
The customer service at PSA is horrible. Do yourself a huge favor and stay as far away from this company as possible. DO NOT BUY any PSA PRODUCTS.
Never had an issue with their CS - I only ever had to contact them once but got a response within 24hr’s - granted this was pre Wuhan but still…I’d buy from them again without question.
You might want to take a look at the Century VSKA. It's virtually identical to the PSAK-47 GF3 and it has been reviewed elsewhere at 10K rounds.
What kind of wood furniture swaps onto this without major modification? Standard AKM stuff?
Yeah from what i've heard standard AMK furniture works fine.
Recoil buffer will fix the shock your cheek feels it makes the fun run smoother
Thank you for the review. Looks like an interesting budget option.
Did your expensive high power scope not have a parallax adjustment?
I was getting 2.5 moa at 100 with mine using iron sights and brown bear 123gr fmj. I had a similar experience with recoil using the stock slant brake.
Eric, get Travis on the phone... order up a Micro Draco article, with a side of drum mag.
I like ak47 but in my opinion most of them out there are built like crap even ones that are imported. Never had a psa ak or ar but the mix reviews from people kinda makes me want to stay away. 1 min they make great stuff next they don't make the stuff right. I was looking to get the pistol version because I always like the crink style ak but I not shure there are some reviews that are good some not. So I don't know if I should trust them.
I've read that the UTG Pro side mount is to wide and won't tighten down properly and that the MI side mount doesn't always fit right on the PSAK, it apparently hit's the rear rivet, are there any (side) mounts that work (well) without issue with it?
"Yugoslavian WASR 10" doesn't bode well for an AK review. Romanian AKM are excellent unless you got a dud as did many when the WASR was first introduced (from blemish factory parts at that time). New ones are very nice rifles. PSA has a way to go before they match European AK metallurgy and experience, but I do appreciate them progressing the AK in America. Their ARs are excellent! Thank you for reviewing nonetheless.
My only problem with Ak's is they beat you up using the iron sites
Looks great, But their website shows all models currently unavailable, with no date listed as to when they will have more of them. Seems strange that you are promoting a product that's not available. Do they have production problems, or are they so popular that their entire line is sold out? Weird!
Looks like a cut & paste boo-boo there at the end:
"Great deal if you build from the kit…but even if you do the complete upper and lower…you’re getting an AR-15 pistol for ~$500."
I actually ordered this same rifle a few days ago. Waiting for it to arrive.
Thanks for catching that Harold! Awesome...let me know how you like yours.