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I've had a few people ask me what I think of this shotgun.
After a year and a bit of 3-Gun matches and a few thousand rounds I've put something together:
I've started my second season using the Mka 1919 as my go-to sporting shotgun. This is the updated XN model, which is currently what IrunGuns can import. As far as I've seen they're the only place to get this gun in Canada.
From a distance the Akdal looks like a classic M16A2 rifle, but this is actually a piston driven system that shares only aesthetics. It weighs 6.5lbs bare, has a 19.7 inch barrel, and comes threaded for chokes with 3 in the box. (I use the modified choke for everything) Five round magazines are the standard, with pinned 10 rounders available.
Before I start talking about how much I like this gun, lets kick it off with something I hate. The factory iron sights are horrible. Beyond bad. I've seen airsoft sights that were a marked improvement over these clamp on, needlessly high, pseudo-dovetail monstrosities. Thank god you can rip them off in 15 seconds.
They're just . . . goddamn hideous
I opt for big dot optics instead. Red dots with 6 MOA, 8 MOA, and full 12 MOA triangles have all fit the slug & shot role nicely.
Consider it an alternative to the Saiga 12. It still retains that core desirability of rifle mechanics in a shotgun platform, but without the prohib status. Its magazines insert straight (rather than rock & lock like the Saiga) and its safety, bolt release, and magazine release all mimic the ergonomics of the AR-15. Add in a last round bolt hold open, and you've got a recipe for success.
I'll freely admit this: I suck at loading conventional shotguns. Snatching four shells off a belt in a single stroke then feeding them into a tube is not something I do well. Add in some time stress and awkward shooting positions, and it's embarrassing. By comparison, a magazine is something I'm used to indexing and loading. That's a mechanic I've got plenty of repetitions with already. Some people will consider this using technology to skip over the hard work of building a skillset. That's fair, that's why I have to shoot in open class.
Several US companies that have put time, money, and thought into improving the Mka 1919. You can do some pretty serious parts swaps to make the gun unrecognizable. Cut the polymer stock so you can fit your favourite Magpul CTR. Or buy a whole new aluminum lower that will accept gucci parts from top to bottom. Replacing your polymer fore-end with a railed system is an easy upgrade, and you can even add a forward charging handle system.
But I'm loathe to put hundreds of extra dollars and extra weight into a gun that works pretty darn well out of the box.
So far I've opted for only the simplest upgrades. Improved reloads by modifying an Odin Works magazine release. A 60 cent rubber vacuum plug created an "enhanced charging handle" that works wonders.
Out of the box though, there can be some issues. It is heavily magazine dependent, which I learned early on. Half of my initial magazines produced a "pseudo bolt hold open" malfunction where the bolt would lock halfway to the rear, seize up the bolt release, and require a rack of the charging handle to continue. A subtle widening of magazine feedlips causes the follower to lift higher, which means the bolt hold open lifts higher, which means it actually engages on the surface it's supposed to.
I also experienced one serious failure after my first 1600 rounds that required retiring the gun for the day. It seems that instead of a roll pin to retain the extractor, the Turks used a nail trimmed to length instead. One unlucky slug round shook the nail loose, causing it to catch in the chamber and preventing full rearward travel of the bolt. Of course this was during competition, so I essentially forced the bolt back so the safety officer could see that yes, that slug had left the barrel, and no, there wasn't a live round in my chamber. Much to my shock (and possibly yours) the jammed and misshapen nail did not mar the barrel extension or the bolt, and cleanly dropped free when thoroughly disassembled. I've since replaced it with a proper rollpin.
This might read like a laundry list of issues, but this is honestly my favorite shotgun, full stop. This isn't a high end name brand, but it's not chinese crap either. The Mka needs some love, but it's a solid concept that comes with a very attractive price tag. (Although admittedly I bought last year, when the USD was better)
I may have sounded bitter earlier, but I can see why shooters with box mag shotguns are forced into open class. Once in a while there will be a stage where the start condition is "shotgun unloaded on table." There is a certain smug satisfaction to be found watching other competitors eat up seconds feeding the tube, while the Akdal only needs is fresh mag and the bolt racked. Plus with a proper ping pong paddle you can leave the action locked to the rear, so its a single movement to insert the magazine and slap the bolt release.
The RCMP only seems to read my blog for amusement rather than practical knowledge, so the Akdal Mka 1919 is bizarrely listed in the Canadian Firearms Reference Table as an AR-15 variant. The 1919 shares no parts with the AR-15.
Overall, its a great gamer gun, will cost you a heck of a lot less than a benelli or a versamax, and is a ton of fun to shoot, as long as you're willing to give it a little love.
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