The Marui AK is a kilogram short of the rea-steels weight (2.9kg as opposed to 3.9kg). The AK feels more durable and most solidly built of all stock AEGs, even the mighty M4A1. Unfortunately the AK cannot be fired from the prone position with ease, this is due to the giant 30 round bannana mag the russians decided to utilise!
Sights: Both rear and front sights are adjustable. The Marui AK come with a front adjustment tool that adjusts the height of the front sight (this is small and easily lost!) The rear sight can only be adjusted for elevation and not windage. Just like the real-steel, the rear sight is marked out in hundreds of meters (from 100m to 850m) and it flips up for adjustment. While firing the rifle, front sight focus is easy to achieve when compared to other rifles.
Field Stripping: The only way to field strip this rifle is to unclip the upper reciever (which seems to have a metal tube inisde and could possibly filled with lead to increase the weight of the weight of the rifle. (James: if Chris couldn't get his AK to weigh the same as the real steel he would probably ask Mr Kalashnikov to make all his guns the same weight as Marui's)
Firing: The AK47 come with the standard hi- torque EG700 motor which can fire at 750 to 800 rounds per minute (150 rpm faster than the real steel). Depressing the lever down to automatic and a 5 second pull of the trigger empties the 70 round magazine (whether that is a statistic or proven). In firing semi or full auto the AK produces less noise compared to the M16 series rifles (or at least the ones i've seen.)
The bad bits: Some critical parts of the gun are held together by self tapping screws, so consequently (if care is not taken to keep screws tight) parts of the gun can become loose or completely fall off (it always happens to me!)
Accessories/Upgrades: sling, tracer unit, and the 600-round high capacity magazine, nothing much else is available from Marui. However there are many after market parts available from other companies, such as metal recievers, real steel wood furniture and if you look in the right places you can attach scopes and a grenade launcer.
Recommendation: The Tokyo Marui AK47 is exceptionally rugged durable, realistic, reliable and authentic. In my opinion it is a truly excelent gun, a must have for any would be comunists out there!
Chris Haye
