Prepper Truck Gun Review – PSA’s AK V

by James L

From time to time, a new firearm comes along that gets me really excited. Typically, they shoot (pun intended) to the top of my want list. In December of 2018, PSA released their AK V, an AK pistol variant that shoots a 9mm. The AK V is based on a Russian submachine gun, the Vityaz-SN. I was immediately taken with the gun, and quickly found myself lusting after one.

Since the Vityaz-SN is not available in the US, PSA had to develop their AK V almost from the ground up. PSA reverse engineered this with just photographs. And for the most part, they did an amazing job.

Yes, there were a few hick-ups when the AK V first came out. Some early models had some failure to eject issues, and this well documented on various gun channels on YouTube. This gave me some pause about picking one up. But PSA was “Johnny on the Spot” and quickly fixed the issues. (See the video at the end of this article for more details.)

Anyway, this past weekend I got a chance to shoot and review one. Now when I typically review a firearm, there are some things I like to do that I was not able to do for this review. For example, I like to use different types of ammo so that I can see how it responds to different ammo types. I was not able to do that. All I had available was Fiocchi 115 grain 9mm. But no worries. This is a solid ammo, and the AK V ate them flawlessly.

The range I was at had some limitations that I normally don’t have when testing firearms. I was limited to 25 yards, and I had metal targets as opposed to paper. So I was not able to test the AK V’s accuracy at longer distances. But that did not diminish my enthusiasm for testing out this little jewel at shorter distances!

The AK V is a blowback operating 9mm pistol in the AK variant. The ones that I shot came with Mapgul handguard and a SB3 brace. But PSA does make AK Vs that have wooden furniture, a folding “brace”, etc.

PSA’s AK V mags, one with the extension

The AK V takes 35 round CZ Scorpion mags, althought PSA now makes their own 35 round mags. (Which will work in CZ Scorpions!) They also make a magazine extension which holds another 10 rounds. See pic to right.

The mags were easy to insert and connect. I’ll admit the first few magazines I shot I kept trying to hit the magazine release on the side like an AR. Nope! It is between the trigger guard and magazine well like a standard AK. Very easy to find and release!

The AK V does have a catch release on the left side, which will release the slide. This is VERY nice because the AK V will hold open on empty. That makes reloads much quicker as you no longer have to rack it back on the right side.

The safety acts just like the safety on your standard AK. The AK Vs safety release is crisp and very easy to move. The grip is a regular Magpul grip, so you know what to expect.

The trigger is a regular, Milspec AK trigger. I’d say it is about 8lbs pull. The reset is a bit longer than I am used to. But it is crisp and noticeable.

As you can see from the picture, the front cover, on a stamped 1mm steel receiver, comes fabricated with a Picatinney rail. This makes mounting low mount optics like red dots a complete breeze! And opening and the closing the cover won’t effect your zero!! At least it didn’t for me.

The front trunnion and bolt/carrier are forged using 4140 stamped steel. The nitrided barrel is 10.5″ using 4150 steel. It has a 1/10′ twist, and the end is threaded 1/2×28 to interface with most 9mm muzzle devices and suppressors. And for those asking, yes, it will accept and take +P ammo.

The sights are your standard front and rear sight blocks if you don’t use an optic. I used PSA’s new custom 2 MOA red dot optic. This was my first time using it, and I was not disappointed. (I’ll have more on this at the end of this article if you are curious about it.)

Palmetto State Armory is the only gun manufacturer that builds and assembles (from steel to assembly) 100% of the product in the U.S. Click here for details

The muzzle break is PSA’s 2 port “Tanker Style” muzzle brake (see pic below) and did a decent job of helping keep the firearm on target. I’ll admit that the recoil was a bit more than I first anticipated, but it was not bad by any means. I found it relatively easy to quickly and accurately engage multiple targets.

The pistol had a little recoil, more so than I would expect from a 9mm “pistol”. But it was not bad at all. And with the red dot optic, I found it very easy to stay on target for follow up shots.

I mentioned the SB3 brace, which is by far my favorite. SB worked with PSA to come up with other folding braces for the AK V that comes with the wooden furniture. I did not get to shoot any of those, but those options are available for the full AK enthusiast. You can find them on the PSA website.

I mentioned the PSA red dot optic. At first glance, I thought it was a Holoson. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I came away pleasantly surprised. PSA’s custom 2 MOA red dot weighs about 4 oz. According to PSA, it is waterproof, fog proof, and shock proof, though I did not test it for that. It is made with 6061 aircraft grade aluminum, and felt rugged in my hands.

There are 6 different brightness settings, and while the dot was a bit on the smaller side, it was easy to visually acquire, and held zero for literally thousands of rounds. This optic takes a CR2032 battery, and I was told has a life of around 1600 hours before you would have to replace it.

I did not get to test it out long term, but I did shoot it on a few other AR variants and had zero issues with it on anything I shot with it. The price point on this is around $100, and as a budget optic, I can certainly recommend it. Well worth the money in my opinion. (Click this link for more details on this optic.)

The only drawbacks (on the PSA AK V) I had was that the long trigger pull sometimes effected my shooting when engaging multiple targets. I would occasionally short stroke the trigger. But that slight complaint has more to do with me than this pistol. I am use to AR triggers, and it certainly showed.

The other drawback is availability. This pistol is extremely popular, and when PSA makes a new batch, they tend to sell out quickly. So if you want one and they have some in stock, you better order it then!

At the end of the day, I have NO reservations about recommending this pistol as a very capable “truck gun”. It was fun to shoot, accurate as hell at the distances I shot, and gave me zero problems or issues. The AK V was on my “Wish list” before I reviewed. It is now firmly entrenched there!