Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/693549
and so they are in fact. Plus they're an ideal replace- ment for the obsolete wooden furniture, offer bet- ter grip, better thermal insulation for one's hand, while at the same time better ventilation for the hot barrel itself. And they are mounted rock-solid on the rifle – perhaps even better than the original handguards. The Magazine Release Lever As the original magazine release is riveted to the rifle, and the set is said to be a 'no fitting required', the Tdi's solution to improve the lever functionality is to add a little plastic gadget that one slips onto the original lever and blocks with a small set-screw. In reality, as 'not all AK mag-release levers were created equal' the assembly may need a little filing or delicate persuasion with a hammer – but still it was relatively easy. In theory the plastic extension is to enable releasing the mag with a trigger fin- ger – yet in reality it takes more than a little train- ing and sheer brawns in the said finger to achieve. Yet, with the extension fitted, it is much easier to release the magazine with a thumb of a support hand – but forget about the 'Spetsnaz–Bump' (sliding the fresh mag alongside the trigger guard until it bumps into the release lever and flips the empty magazine out). The plastic extension is devoid of sharp edges – while the original metal lever was sometimes able to cut the finger to the bone in a dynamic reload. All in all, the small plastic gadget is far more than a cosmetic detail – not an embellishment, but a real enhancement as well. The Selector Lever The side mounted selector lever (or just safety in a semi-auto civilian-legal rifle) was in my hum- ble opinion, the worst part of the AK/AKM rifle. Compared to AR-15 and other modern rifles, it takes forever and a day to take the rifle off safety, shoot and safe again. To improve its performance, I have mail-ordered the lever with a thumb shelf and a notch to hook the retracted bolt handle into it. Such a safety lever (shelf plus notch) is fitted to the Polish military Beryl rifles, but in America (and www.fragoutmag.com