Well, since you do not need the top cover for the gun to work you could probably remove it and use the rear sight properly. The camming surface will still not work but since it's a one off rifle probably made to order it wouldn't be impossible that the original owner knew which range setting would be appropriate for which actual distance. I'm not saying that there was so much thought put into this thing but it's not unfeasible.
Seeing that they put all the trouble of putting RPK sights on the rifle, I'm guessing that the Valmet top rail and scope were a later battlefield modification.
I was thinking that too, cumulative modifications at different times and since the RPK sights don't obstruct the top rail sights or scope they probably didn't bother to remove them.
Valmet named their sporterized AK's as "Petra" in Finland. That means deer in english. There was an ad back in days that said "whole flock in one pile - Valmet Petra" and picture of moose herd😂 back in days there was no magazine restrictions in Finland. Good old times😁
Agreed. Somebody was piling on all the tacticool they could get hold of, over a few years. Many people have a shaky grasp of cause and effect, and this piece really screams "One more bit, and I'll have the Magic Gun of destruction!"
‘bring back’ firearms are always interesting! Edit: I recently re-watched Ian answering the ‘Elbonian Sniper’ question. This would have made an excellent replacement!
Noticed your UK flag, your as blessed as I am having tyricannical governments disarms us and are only practical way to learn is watching videos lucky us llol
People from Asia and Africa decorate their firearms in interesting ways and I love the modifications the Native Americans did to their guns back in the day.
The 74u is and AK but the enemy is close The AKM is an AK but the enemy is fairly close, The SVD is an AK but the enemy is way over there This is an AK but the enemy is far away. Probably. But the enemy could also be close. Actually we don’t know.
@@Elatenl both AK and SVD have similar manual of arms in terms of how to pull charging handle, how to select firing mode and how to remove and insert a magazine, but they are very different guns.
If I was asked to speculate, I would say that the windage adjustable rear sight was added before the creator had the idea to add the scope. Once the valmet top cover was soured and the scope added, the rear sight was not needed, but also not in the way, so no need to remove the rear sight.
Well each Iron sight gives you +10 accuracy and the scope is +50 and if you haven't unlocked the MK12 or WA2000 in multiplayer then maxing out the AK on the modcrafting bench might be your best option.
Just a guess, but perhaps the adjustable rear site was installed early in the customization of the rifle and the top cover and scope were added later. Swapping out the top cover with another depending upon intended use.
Thanks, great video. I was attached to the Marine's 26 MEU in Kosovo in 1999 for the peacekeeping operation. We had to meet to meet with the French brigade leader to plan a "passage of lines" prior to entering Kosovo. Kosovo was an absolute cornucopia of oddball and orphaned weapons. During one weapons amnesty turn-in, a nearly immaculate WW2 era Thompson sub machine gun was surrendered. It was probably delivered to the partisans, or Chetniks by the OSS in WW2. I had the occasion to lunch in Gnjilane with a WW2 era partisan, Srboljub Savic', as we waited for the Albanians to return his kidnapped son, Dragan.
@@ValiRada I was attached to the 26 MEU with an "augmentation package" of about 30 personnel, which included Civil Affairs personnel, military police and intelligence personnel. In addition to the multiple kidnappings, the UChK "liberators" were heaving grenades into the yards of the local Gypsies, whom they presumed to be collaborators with the Serbs. The Military Technical Agreement required the withdrawal of ALL Yugoslav military and police personnel, so the UChK had the run of the town. Don't worry, I still have my short list of UChK dirt bags. They weren't sure who was the right guy, so they had to kidnap all three guys named Dragan Savic. Have a nice day, @ValiRada.
There is Romanian AK with furniture similar to PSL semiauto only and scoped, nicknamed mini-Dragunov for some reason. Also called "Sadu" after the factory where are made.
I swear people passing off a modified AK as a "Dragunov" chaps my ass. The two only barely share some visual similarities The PSL obviously doesn't count because it's an actual military rifle
@@NamelocTheBard I think it's like "This AK is kind of a DMR, comparing it to a Dragunov kind of fits its role and everyone really likes the Dragunov" I don't mind it as long as it isn't coming from a salesman. The average person typing in the comments, me included, is a moron. don't let general waves of idiocy get to you, weird myths and know-it-alls have existed for all of human history
Im pretty certain that this is an AK made from the KLA (kosovo liberation army) a lot of Albanian weapons were given to the KLA in 1999. Since KLA had both yougoslav and albanian weapons it would make sense this came from that conflict.
As far as I can see, originally the rifle was intended to be used with iron sights only. Then the operator or the maker decided to put a scope on it. Since mounting an optic on with the stock optics would require working on the receiver, they decided just to slam a valmet receiver cover on it.
This could have been built over two iterations. That is, the first iteration saw the bipod and windage adjustable sight, which would already make it a layman's DMR rifle, and then later the Valmet top cover was mounted to upgrade it to a scope solution, which just happened to invalidate the sights of "version 1.0".
I really appreciate you sharing this video and shedding light on this rare piece of firearm history. It's a reminder of the many fascinating stories and unique firearms that can be found in the world of collecting and firearm enthusiasts
The akm was not license produced in Albania. This was an Albanian copy of the type 56 chinese rifle. My Albanian sources when I lived there told me that they weren't official licensed copies of the t56 but reverse engineered from the rifles given to Albania in return for huge amounts of ammunition after they sided with china in the whole sino-soviet dispute.
That was the case with the early yrs of war industry establishment in Albania and latet on wholly self manufactured. Similar fate like amongs the Bulgarians too
If it shoots straight, it's not a bad option. Especially for a one of a kind, almost garden shed tier upgrade. Both the bipod and the scope are generally useful, as long as they are functional and set up correctly. Would love to see this at a match but unless someone reproduces it, chances are very, very slim.
Not to be particularly spliting hears but Albania never had licensed ak production. It was a full Chinese set up of tooling an a model 56 variant all the way. Same thing for the Albanian SKS. Probably the most sketchy ak's in Europe but good enough to shoot (just dont heat stress them to much)
It's the Romanian AK that is the most sketchy European, but who cares 🤷🏼♂️. Also, where did you adheir your bolock claim about "Albania never had licensed Ak production"? Each part were domestic produce, anually 25k had been manufactured, plant machines and stemping facalities were mainly French contracted Manhurin apparatus and other derivations. You've been entirely misleaded with this scam, mate!
@@arbanasialbanesi the machines can be whatever what matters is the tooling. Since 1954 albania was in no relations with the soviet union so how could the ussr licence ak production?
@@PapaSchultz74 China is the answer, period! And the AK production in Albania was trialed at least in 1974, earliest at best in the late 1960's. Prior that Albania sought manufacturing Mosins (unknowm quantity), SKS's and other non determined arms (recorded some rumors about PPS-43 and RG-46 production line, til nowaydays unconfirmed tho)
@@aaronfleisher4694 Isolationism for (paranoid ofc) the sake of classifying each corner of matter is a hughe deviance from free market lack of licence processing!
My guess is that the Valmet top cover and scope/scope mount were added later, maybe after losing/damaging the original top cover? That would (sort of) explain the adjustable RPK rear sight being made totally unusable, and having a sort of kludged on rear sight that, while zeroed to some ridiculously long range due to it being so high, you can at least see properly. Well, kind of see properly. Given what these guys must have had available, I'd say it's a pretty clever fix!
I am Albanian, my fathers grandfather was the head of intelligence for Albania and my grandmother developed all of the photographs for ever hoxha personally. According to my father the machines that were used to make these AK’s were from either Sweden or Finland, bought by Albanian spies posing as German or Italian foreigners and then smuggled to Albania. I don’t know much about AK’s but my father insists that the machines used to make them came from a Nordic country.
I'd like to see you do an episode on DMRs in general. You have already done episodes covering several other categories of firearms. The confluence of doctrine, design, and battlefield reality is what interests me most. Much appreciated.
The "Valmet" dust cver has me intrigued. The Valmet "sporting' rifle, variously known as the "Hunter" or "Petra" came with a robust, "scope-able" dust cover that used a proprietary attachment system and was "locked" via two screws that clamped the cover to the tear of the receiver, not unlike an early version of the RK-95 system. The other distinctive features of these "sporter" covers were the dinky flip-up rear sight on the dust cover and the deletion of the front bits of the return spring guide. and the lack of the square hole at the rear to interface with the "tail" of the spring guide.. Hence, the two locking screws and the cover "extension". Made in .223 Rem, .308 Win and other cartridges, none of which ever passed through my grubby mitts. The "Hunter" / "Petra" might be an interesting subject to add to your ever-expanding project list, as would the Norinco "knock-off", the "Maegun". This was a 7.62 x 39 "poverty-pack" sporter gateway into the AK world; crude but effective.
I'm wondering if the point with the sights would be to change out the top cover to use the irons, whereas the one fitted is specifically for scope usage. Just a thought because that would give you the ideal set up in both configurations.
Yes, this seems the most reasonable reason. You can just carry the other top cover with you so when you do close combat you just switch top covers. Doesn’t seem that bad of an idea.
Valmet did sell those scope mount top covers separately and for standard length action Valmets too. The long action Valmets have a locking top cover, made for a latch at the rear. This one looks like it was the one made for the standard length rifles, without the lock at the rear. The rifle looks to have some Albanian or Bosnian mafia influence.
Albanian small arms manufacture facilities was actually assisted by Chinese (in particular the Jianshe Group assisted the production set up of SKS, the one produce Type 53 Mosin carbine, Type 56 SKS, Type 63, Type 81, Type 95; while AK production should be the assistance from the now defunct No.626 Factory which specialized in AK). Related document even mentioned that the stock and handguard of Albanian SKS configuration was actually done by Jianshe Group in order to make them distinctive and "good-looking". So there is the RPK pattern angled rivets around the front trunnion and the slit for accommodating the folding spike bayonet under the handguard like Type 56 AKs.
Brandon, most venerable and exalted disciple of the Kalash, hark: The decree hast come down from on high, you mustn't disappoint. We need Bubba's DMR AKM forthwith! So sayeth the Gun Jesus! (Pretty please, I'll drive down to Texas to pick one up.)
I used Zastava M-72ab1 in the army. It was a pretty rare version, it had a folding stock like M-70ab2 and detachable bipod. As far as I know we were the only unit to have it in regular use.
@@roknikov I have seen some of M-72 with folding stock, but they were, as far as I know, not standard equipement, and non of them had detachable bipod, only we used them regularly, two per squad. All of them also had bayonet lugs which not all M-72s had.
Why is the Albanian AKM (ASH) being reputed as the worst of all AKM, albeit it shall be the Romanian and further models? Btw, these rifle's had been manufactured on French imported Manhurin machines, just a connoscance ahead 😊.
Interesting! The rifle seems to be based on an Albanian copy of the Chinese Type 56 spiker (LHG with spiker slot), coupled with Yugo bipod/frontsight and Finnish top cover.
*NEAT! I had one of these in my house (among other AKs) in 1997, year of the Albanian (almost) civil war. What a crazy time it was for us kids to witness that madness. :)*
I wish the Albanian AK's were available in the US, they've always been my favorite variant. I have a Chinese Type 53 Mosin which was imported from Albania.
@@Mikhail-Tkachenko We had 3 AKs Type 56 an one SKS. Loved when we put them with fixed bayonets on to the wall as a decoration thing. Amazing nights under the stars shooting them with the rest of the neighborhood. LOL! 😂 I only wished my parents to have had a camera to film those crazy/ surreal events. We handed over all the weapons in 1998 at the police station. New Years Eve 97/98 was the most crazy night to ever witness (with 99% of Albanians) celebrating with tracer bullets (no money to buy fireworks 😂) for about 1 hour with all kind of weapons (small arms, machine guns, also DShK from a Chinese Type 59 tank). What a f madness it was. I will never forget that night. At least, I've kept two nice military (Soviet / Chinese) binoculars as souvenirs.
The "rear sight" that's an integral part of the optic rail serves to keep the scope rings (and scope) from drifting muzzleward along the rail due to recoil.
I suspect the top cover had been swapped out a fair bit after the rear sights had been switched to the RPK sights and the extra integral rear sight on the Valmet top cover wasn't even a consideration beyond "Will it interfere with the scope I'm putting on it". That said, if the receiver functions then all the person using it needs to do is run a few mags through paying attention to where the bullets hit relative to where they're aiming. With an initial bore-sighting when the scope and mountingcover was added.
So it may make more sense with a little tism. Rear sight thats too high. What it its not supposed to be used. Take off top cover and now you have quality iron sights. Instead of removalable scope mount just swap covers. Or they made it as dmr and then found top cover to add scope
The donor Valmet indeed had the notch and reinforced back to give a better zero retention. A Valmet dust cover on a bubba-ed Albanese AK without pin matching the notch, I'm not optimist...
This looks like something someone made to defend a rear echelon maintenance depot or maybe an armory. It's main function is to see who is coming and going. It has a bipod so you can leave it upright. It's accurate enough to make stragglers think twice about stealing parts. You just want them to go away and tell their friends to stay away because bullets will fly.
i feel like this was made by a guy who really really liked ak based systems, and all their neat ideas, and didnt put much thought into how they actually work, instead slapping sights and accessories anywhere they fit
When the game allows you to put on both assault and precision accessories at the same time and you maximize them all. The only thing missing is an under-barrel grenade launcher.
The AK here to explain the the hybrid of parts in it. It had differant people that made add part to it over time . As most AK's have familair enough parts to make a strange gun like this possible. Beside maybe it could of been a gun enthuasist in the ussr then that made changes to their custom AK that got collected by the french .
