I've had a Krebs AK-103K for about 8 years now. It's one of my favorite range toys, and also often goes out with me on hog hunts.

Here's what it looked like at various times in over the past several years:





There are a lot of things that I like about it. The compact barrel (~14.5" with permanently attached AK-74-style brake) made for a short, handy package. The trigger pull is fantastic; by far the best trigger I've felt on any AK I've shot. And it's very accurate at iron sight/red dot distances.

But there were also a few things that I disliked.

One of the gripes was the short, fixed stock. It's a traditional Warsaw-length stock, which is just a bit too short for a 6' tall person like me. I had initially solved that with the addition of a buttpad to act as a spacer, but that was just a temporary fix. I had also wanted a folding stock, to allow for more compact transport, and to make it easier when riding ATVs while hog hunting.

I also disliked the short handguard. I strongly prefer to shoot my modern rifles with my support hand as far forward as possible, preferably with a hand stop or short vertical grip for added leverage. Nearly all my other semiauto rifles have the ability, but I couldn't do that with the basic furniture on the Krebs.

Next, while I like having a red dot on the AK, the RS Regulate 30mm side mount I'd been using was a bit too large for my tastes. It's a great quality mount and it worked very well, but I wanted something more low-profile, preferably with a smaller optic as well.

Finally, black is boring.

So after getting some range time with a buddy's AK that had Magpul's Zhukov furniture on it, I decided that's is just what my AK-103K needed. And while I was at it, I would add an Ultimak rail, which I've had on several other types of rifles over the years, and which I've used on other folks' AKs before.

I spent some time this week getting all the upgrades installed. Here's what it looks like now:



The long Zhukov handguard allows me to get my support hand all the way out front. Coincidentally, it lines up almost perfectly with the shortened barrel/front sight base of the 103K. It allows for the addition of a MLOK QD sling mount on the handguard, which is nice. It also allowed for the addition of a MLOK vertical grip. The Magpul vertical grip is longer than I need, though. I use it as more of a hand stop than a "beer can" vertical grip. So I may end up chopping off the bottom half, or may eventually swap it for another company's stubbier vertical grip.

Installation of the handguard should have been simple, but I ran into some issues due to Magpul's overzealous use of threadlocker. (I posted a separate rant in the WYD section about that ordeal.) Now that I've gotten that solved and the handguard properly installed, it's a very stout system. The outer polymer grip covers an inner aluminum chassis that mounts to the barrel. This makes for a solid-feeling handguard, with the drawback that it's noticeably heavier than the stock handguard, though not obnoxiously so. It also requires the removal of the front handguard retainer before installation, but there are various options for replacing that if I ever decide to go back to a short factory handguard (which I don't forsee).

The Zhukov stock is adjustable in length, which means I could get the perfect length of pull for me. It also folds, for times when I need an even more compact package, and has a couple options for QD mounts, with one at the rear of the stock and another next to the folding mechanism. I prefer the mount at the rear of the stock. (The sling I'm using is a BFG VCAS with QD swivels; I just removed it for the photo.) Installation of the Zhukov stock was very simple, and it seems to be a quality stock. It looks solidly in place when extended, and it held in place with a friction system when folded. You can fire the rifle with the stock folded, since it's designed to allow the charging handle to fully reciprocate even when folded. However, the folded stock crowds your trigger finger, and it also obscures the safety lever, so firing it while folded is not the most comfortable (or most practical) option.

The Ultimak forward rail replaces the gas tube and mounts to the barrel, providing a solid, high quality optic mount. It also allows for cowitnessing with the AK's iron sights, provided you're using an optic with a low mount. For the time being, it's sporting a Bushnell TRS-25 that I had laying around. Like the Primary Arms Micro Dots, the Bushnell TRS-25 makes for a cheap but decent quality optic, great for range toys and plinkers. Once I've put it through its paces and decided I'm going to keep it this way, I'll likely invest in a higher quality optic for it, like an Aimpoint H1. Installation was easy, just like the other Ultimaks I've owned. And it's nice that Magpul specifically designed their handguard to play nice with the Ultimak's mounting system.

I also installed a Solar Tactical AK MFER magwell. I've come across some reviews of this recently, and the consensus seems to be that it's an inexpensive addition that allows for faster reloads, and reduces the chance of fumbling a reload due to improper magazine positioning. That's not something that I have much of an issue with, but for ~$30 I figured I'd try it out anyway. So far, magazine insertions do seem to be faster and smoother, but time will tell whether it's a real advantage or just a gimmick. Install was fast, since it basically just snaps in place with a metal hook attaching to the receiver on the front section, and then a couple bolts holding the rear section to the trigger guard. However, they use these two tiny little bolts and nuts that I almost lost in the process.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RogueJSK,

Very nice evolution.

Thoughtful and detailed write up. Thank you.

I really liked the zhukov stuff on my ak, until someone stole it. The ergos were great and the quality was typical magpul.

I first bought the Zhukov stock for my Scorpion EVO, liked it so well I bought a set for AMD-65 but my forend is shorter.

Magpul is killing me. Every time I think I have the set up I want,they come up with something like that. It is much more comfortable to me than the other furniture I have had on mine. Good choice.