This article originally appeared on The Firearm Blog.
In this episode of TFBTV, James gives you a comprehensive overview of the Arsenal SAM7SF and the SBR version, the SAM7SF-K. These may be the best AKs ever produced, and we’ll tell you why. In addition to James, Ryan Hicks from Arsenal is there to explain the finer details, and notorious AK scholar Mishaco gives us a rundown of the select-fire military variant of the SAM7, the ARM9, featuring Bulgarian made ARM9 style buttstock and handguards, and the RPK style pistol grip. Arsenal calls this the “game changer” of AKs.
So what improvement did Arsenal formulate to “change the AK game?” Arsenal’s radical development is, primarily, the introduction of an AK receiver that is forged before it is milled. In explaining why this feature makes this AK variant a “game-changer,” Arsenal offers this explanation:
“Some companies that make milled receivers in the USA bypass the forging process, which can contribute to weak receivers, more prone to stress. The forging process strengthens the material and shapes uniform grain patterns in the steel. These forging patterns are engineered and produced to follow certain directions along the contour of the receiver to withstand high stress from the force and the movement of the working components. The forging process also eliminates any possibility of internal air pockets and cooling deformations that can impact and weaken the integrity of the receiver. While firing, the forged and milled receiver does not have the same deformation issues that are typical to stamped receiver models. […] The solid platform of the forged and milled receiver ensures superior accuracy. […] It is not by accident that all the critical components on the SAM7SF rifle, including the receiver, the barrel, the bolt head, the bolt carrier and trigger are formed through forging process, to give them the crucial strength, reliability, and longevity to last for generations of use.”
Anyway, we hope you enjoy this overview.
