Akdal Mka 1919 - I was surprised to see that TFB had never done a review of the Akdal Mka 1919 rifle. After all, I had one in my safe for over a year, and they had been in the States for years before that. But I'm not a gun in the spotlight. Originating in Turkey means that they do not have the marketing or distribution that you might expect from major European brands.
Mine has been used in 3-Gun competition all this past year, and after learning a few lessons, I'm starting my second season with the Mka 1919 as my sporting rifle. This is the upgraded Model XN, which is what you might find currently on the shelf of your local gun store.
Akdal Mka 1919
From a distance, the Akdal looks like a classic M16A2 rifle, but this is actually a piston system that only shares aesthetics. The Akdal Mka 1919 weighs 6.5 pounds naked, has a 19.7-inch barrel, and comes with 3 threaded chokes in the box. Five round magazines are standard, with 10, 2 and even 23 different shells available.
Since We Are On The Shotgun Subject, Here Is My Recent Build.
Before I start talking about how much I love this gun, let me start with something I hate. The factory iron points are horrible. beyond evil. I've seen airsoft sights that were a marked improvement over these clip-on, unnecessarily long, pseudo-monsters. The good news? It can be removed in about 15 seconds. I encourage every owner to do this as soon as possible.
I opted for the large dot optics rather than the iron. The red dots with 6 MOA and 8 MOA and the full 12 MOA triangles all have homes on my gun, and they all fit the role of slug and shot well.
It features a Saiga magazine-fed 12-grain replacement. Living in Canada means that all Kalashnikovs and their “variants” are off limits to me. But the faux-looking AR15 of 1919 means my license is fine. It still retains that core desire of rifle mechanics in a rifle platform. Its direct-entry magazine (instead of rock-and-lock like the Saiga) and safety, bolt release, and magazine well all mimic the ergonomics of the AR-15. Add one last open round, and you have a recipe for success.
I'll freely admit this: I suck at loading traditional rifles. Ripping four shells from a belt in one shot and then stuffing them into a tube is not something I do very well. Add in some tension and awkward shooting situations, and it's embarrassing. In comparison, a journal is something you're used to indexing and uploading. It's mechanical and I've already had thousands of replays. Some people might think of it as using technology to skip the hard work of building a skill set. That's right, that's why we have to shoot in the open.
Akdal Mka 1919 Match
Several American companies that have put the time, money and thought into improving the Mka 1919. You can do some serious enough parts swaps to make the rifle unrecognizable. Polymer cut-outs so you can fit your favorite Magpul CTR. Or, buy a new all-aluminium bottom that accepts a Gucci cut from top to bottom. Replacing the polymer front end with a rail system is an easy upgrade, and you can even add a front loading handle system. The first two are Firebird Precision and Tooth & Nail Armory.
I am not willing to put hundreds of extra dollars and extra weight into a rifle that performs well out of the box. It's simple and good to do one thing: burn shells.
So far, I have chosen only the simplest and most economical upgrades. I improved my reloads by modifying the Odin Works magazine release. I improved my reliability by installing a new spring under the table tennis racket that holds the bolt. A 60 cent rubber vacuum stopper has created a "reinforced charge handle" that works wonders.
However, there may be some problems out of the box. Like the Saiga, the Model 1919 has a reputation for being temperamental. It is very dependent on the journal you taught earlier. Half of my initial magazines produced a “false bolt lock-opening” malfunction where the bolt would lock halfway to the rear, catch the bolt release, and require a charging handle mount to proceed. Slight widening of the magazine feed lips causes the follower to rise higher, which means the bolt keeps the lifts open higher, which means it actually works the surface as it should.
Promag Mka 1919 10 Round Magazine
I had to extend the catches on my extended magazines to make sure they stayed in the gun! The factory cut-off was too small, which resulted in the mag being stuck in the ground after the trigger was pulled.
I also had a serious failure after the first 1,600 rounds that required me to pull out the gun for the day. It appears that instead of a rolling pin to hold the extractor in place, the Turks used nail clippers instead. An unfortunate slug round rattled the nail, causing the chamber to seize and preventing full rearward travel of the nail. Of course, this was during competition, so I basically forced the bolt back so the safety officer could see that yes, that slug left the barrel, and no, there wasn't a live round in my chambers. To my shock (and perhaps yours) the dented and warped nail did not mar the barrel or bolt extension, and fell cleanly when properly disassembled. I have since replaced it with a proper screw.
Speaking of which, the 1919 can be a bear to crack. Separating the top and bottom requires access to a hex driver of at least 12 inches in length to remove the bolt and plate connecting the top and bottom within the polymer. So, you have to look at how to separate the two parts, because the polymer feed lip of the bass is between the bolt and the cam. This is definitely not your fast planning AR.
This may read as a laundry list of problems, but this is honestly my favorite gun, period. This isn't a high-end name brand, but it's no Chinese crap (trust me, I've shot a lot of Norinco) The Mka needs some love, but it's a solid concept that comes at a very attractive price. I don't want my 3-gun to set me back more than $1,000. I'd rather put that money into good gun ammo.
Webley & Scott Web Tac & Akdal Mka 1919 10 Round 12g Shotgun Magazine
I may have sounded bitter before, but I can see why shooters with box mag rifles are forced into the open class. Once there is a stage where the starting condition is "unload the gun on the table". There is a certain smug satisfaction to be found in watching other competitors eat the seconds feeding the tube, while the Akdal just needs a new mag and compact bolt. In addition to the appropriate ping-pong paddle, you can leave the action locked in the rear, so it's one motion to insert the magazine and slap the bolt release.
With 19.7 barrels, the 1919 is well in between. It doesn't push that extra tactical aspect of short, wide-style barrels, but it's also not as heavy as the 22-degree forward. The ability to use threaded chokes certainly raises it above some of the other Canadian competitors who usually have fixed chokes or barrel holes.
I use modified Akdal throttles almost exclusively on the cylinder or the full throttle options included with the box. If you are looking for a wider selection, apparently Winchoke threads also fit the Model 1919. In addition, there are a number of tactical hack chokes available that double as brakes.
With the optics and a full magazine, I'm about 7.5 pounds, and for a light rifle, the recoil is surprisingly good. I can attribute some of this to the piston action, but the stock and butt plate do a decent job, too. I almost forgot that shotguns can be so uncomfortable until recently when I put slugs in a pump again and lost the effectiveness of my 1919.
The Akdal Mka 1919 Is Semi Automatic
With an MSRP of $650, the 1919 won't empty your pocketbook like a Saiga or Benelli. If you want to start swapping out parts and components, you can still get to the $2,000 mark, but that's a lot to add. I will admit that I spent an extra $250 on magazines to make sure I didn't dry out during a day of shooting. Two out of ten round sticks (proved tragically in Canada) and half a dozen out of five round standards.
The rifle continues to evolve, with EAA releasing a Match 1919. The MKA is a rifle platform that deserves a broader appreciation for simulating the ergonomics of an AR-15 without delving into the AR-15’s gas systems, sizing and parts.
To Canadian readers: Despite mentioning that this is not an AR-15 in the article, it appears that the RCMP are only reading my articles for fun rather than practical knowledge. The Akdal Mka 1919 is strangely listed in the Canadian Firearms Reference Table
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