Krinkov AOW Mini-AK by Precision Weapons Corporation(PWC).

By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

October 5, 2002

I don’t know about the rest of you, but there’s just something about a 7.62x39mm caliber Mini-AK the size of a subgun that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Who cares that it’s semi-auto only? Who cares that it doesn’t have a shoulder stock? It’s small, it’s handy, it fires an infantry rifle cartridge, and it looks cool. Did I mention it’s small? Overall length of the little beast is 19.25 inches. That’s right–small enough to fit inside a briefcase, or sling under your arm on a jaunt through the wilderness in Grizzly and whack-job country.

If you’re getting the impression that I want one, well, you would be correct–that is, of course, provided the little fire-breather turns out to be as reliable as a standard AK. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who’s…

never much liked the idea of a shorty anything that came without a folding shoulder stock of some kind. However, reading Jeff Zimba’s review of the PWC Krinkov AOW in the November 2002 issue of SAR(that’s Small Arms Review for you newbies), has opened my mind a little bit to the idea of a stockless semi-auto subcarbine. Mr. Zimba has apparently discovered a method of shooting this thing in such a way that he could both easily aim it and control it. This involves bringing the gun to eye level, and exerting a light forward pressure on the vertical foregrip while simultaneously applying light rearward pressure on the rear grip. Supposedly, this renders the Krinkov AOW both very steady and surprisingly controllable. Quick follow-up shots are apparently a breaze since the sights come right back on target using this technique. The only question is what distance he was shooting at, information that somehow didn’t make it into the article.

The PWC Krinkov AOW is built on a pre-ban Bulgarian milled receiver, and incorporates a modified operating rod and tube. PWC makes their own operating rod from scratch, and also provides their own top handguard, which is made out of steel and is perforated. The Krinkov sports a phantom-style flash suppressor, which helps with the recoil and muzzle flash. The manufacturer of the Phantom flash suppressor is Yankee Hill Machine. Stock and grip material is blonde cherry wood.

The PWC Krinkov, in stockless state, is classified as Any Other Weapon, thus the “AOW” acronym. You’re therefore looking at a $5 fee for this configuration. If you want to stick on a shoulder stock of some kind, the scores change a bit and you’re now looking at a $200 tax stamp to register it as a Short Barrelled Rifle. This latter deal is indeed a much bigger hassle, but it also makes the weapon more versatile.

Even as an AOW, I might be interested in obtaining one of these for myself. Mr. Zimba is the first person to make me rethink this type of weapon, and actually consider buying one. Not bad for a gunwriter.

If the idea of a mini-Kalashnikov is right up your alley, you should probably visit Precision Weapons Corporation’s site. Or, you can just give them a call at 304-683-3773, or email them at pwpns@cwv.net.

Addendum(10/07/02):
DefRev would be very interested to see the Precision Weapons Corporation Krinkov AOW fitted with an abbreviated KAC RAS(Kalashnikov Version), the excellent single-point tactical sling made by The Wilderness Tactical Products, a Falcon Industries Ergo Grip, and a polymer M4-style vertical foregrip, instead of the wood one. Theoretically, for the foregrip, if you wanna’ go really high-tech, you could go with either a Surefire M900 series or Wilcox Power Grip, both of which incorporate advanced lasers(both visible and IR), and are intended for military and LE end-users. The Wilcox Power Grip has multiple laser-frequency settings and IR capability, so operators can vary the flashing frequency of the laser unit and use it with their NVE(night vision equipment). The multiple frequency settings allow a team to each be able to identify the laser dot from their own weapon. The Surefire M900 series military laser was developed by Paul Kim, Surefire’s version of Q (from the Jame’s Bond series), and is green. Green lasers are apparently brighter and thus more visible than traditional red lasers. The M900A doesn’t have the Wilcox’s multiple frequency settings, but it does incorporate a white light, which the Wilcox Power Grip does not. If you go with the Wilcox, DefRev would advise you to go with a Surefire white light mounted to the side of your KAC RAS. Wilcox Industries doesn’t currently have a website, but they’re located in Portsmouth, NH, and can be reached at 603-431-1331.

Ideally, you’d also want to install an EOTech 550 series HDS(“Heads-Up Display) holosight, Aimpoint CompM2 red dot sight, or OKO reflex sight for super-fast multiple-target acquisition in CQB(Close Quarters Battle). The OKO is supplied by Cavalry Arms Corporation out of Mesa, Arizona, which speciallizes in AR-15/M16-based rifles and AR-15/M16 accessories.

As a quick side note, it would also be nice if one could get the Krinkov in full-auto(select-fire), but we’ll save that discussion for another time.