An All-American AK? The 7.62x39mm Century C39V2 – Full Review.

The C39V2 from Century Arms is a U.S.-made milled receiver AK in 7.62x39mm. The variant tested featured Magpul furniture.

For more information, visit https://centuryarms.biz/proddetail.asp?prod=RI2400-N&cat=134.

To purchase a C39V2 on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=C39V2.

Back in the good ol’ day, if you were in the market for an SKS or AK rifle, your market choices were from places like China, Egypt or Yugoslavia. In the post-Cold War days, it could be from the former USSR (or a satellite state). And prices were not high. You could buy an SKS for just over $100.00, and a semi-auto AK could be yours for around $300.00 or so.

The C39V2 employs a heavy-duty milled-steel receiver. Image courtesy of manufacturer.

The C39V2 is a solid, American-made AK available right now. Image courtesy of manufacturer.

As it tends to do in the gun world, the U.S. government set out to fix a problem that did not exist, starting with the 1989 importation ban. This ban named some guns that were “bad,” and made them illegal to import. This was the source of the ubiquitous (and hated) “thumbhole” stocks for AKs and similar rifles. In addition, in the 1990s, most Chinese-made Norinco firearms and ammunition were banned under a trade relations status. That dried up a major source of affordable ComBloc gear.

As a result of the 1989 importation ban, there is the whole issue of 922(r) compliance, which specifies that you cannot build a semi-automatic gun with more than 10 imported parts from a designated list. These 20 parts are as follows:

These regulations all added up to produce a few unintended consequences. First and foremost, a plethora of U.S. companies sprang up to make parts on the “bad list.” The result was guns being made from a combination of imported and domestically made parts. However, the supply of imported parts has been drying up in recent years, with the effect of raising prices and limiting supply. To answer demand for AK-style rifles here in the United States, some manufacturers set about the difficult task of developing full domestic production of AK rifles. One of these companies is Century Arms, and they are offering their own line of Red Army stamped receiver RAS47 rifles (see our full review here: https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/the-new-american-made-ak-the-ras47/) and milled receiver Red Army C39V2 rifles in 7.62x39mm. I recently had an opportunity to try out one of the latter for myself.

Anyone familiar with a standard AK will be right at home with the C39V2.

SPECS

• Chambering: 7.62x39mm
• Barrel: 16.5 inches
• OA Length: 34.75-37.25 inches
• Weight: 8.15 pounds
• Stock: Magpul Zhukov-S
• Sights: Notch rear, post front
• Action: Long-stroke piston, semi-auto
• Finish: Matte black
• Capacity: 30+1
• MSRP: $1,119.99

The Good News

The C39V2 is a 100% American-made gun with no foreign parts according to Century Arms. It comes in a range of configurations, from a basic wood-stocked model with an MSRP of $909.99 up to Magpul equipped models that go up to $1,149.99 (however, they are priced much lower than that here on GunsAmerica). The sample I received came equipped with a Magpul Zhukov-S side-folding stock, MOE AK pistol grip and Zhukov handguard. The core of the rifle is all AK, and everything that comes with it. Simple and robust. A long-stroke piston system (meaning a piston is attached directly to the bolt carrier and reciprocates with it through its full cycle) drives the system.

The heart of the C39V2 is the milled 4140 steel receiver. Note the notch cut out of the safety lever for locking back the bolt.

The V2 at the end of the name of this gun stands for “Version 2”. When I asked about this and how it differed from the original C39 (see our full review of it here: https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/century-international-arms-c39-sporter-rifle-ammo-shortage-low-ammo-prices-low-gun-prices-100-american-made/), I found out that they changed the stock from a double tang to a single tang design to accept AKM-pattern aftermarket furniture. Then, the geometry of the bolt carrier was improved to increase reliability and durability. Also, the barrel was upgraded to 440 ordnance steel. Finally, the finish went from phosphate to nitride.

The heart of the rifle is the milled receiver, CNC machined from a block of 4140 steel. The rifle is chambered in the tried-and-true 7.62x39mm round and features a 1:10-inch rate of twist. The barrel is topped off with an LH 14×1 metric thread and has a slant brake installed. Inside the receiver is Century’s own RAK-1 fire control group (trigger, hammer and disconnector). The smooth-faced, steel trigger is encircled with a sheet metal trigger guard that sports a large, T-shaped magazine catch. The Red Army C39V2 will accept all standard AK mags, and mine came equipped with PMAG AK MOE magazines.

The left side of the milled steel receiver sports a side-mount for optics. Note the Magpul MOE AK pistol grip.

As one would expect, the safety selector is on the right-hand side, but this rifle features a bolt safety cut-out to hold the bolt open. This is a nice upgrade over the original design that allows you to lock the action open on the rifle.

The sights are of the AKM variety, with a post up front that is both shielded and adjustable. The notched rear tangent can be adjusted between 100 and 800 meters. My sample came with Century’s own Red Army AK side scope rail mount that offers return-to-zero capability, and I set it up for the Aimpoint T1/H1 series. This mates up with the included side mount scope interface mount on the rifle.

The Red Army scope mount resembles the side mount scope of the commie block original design. However, placement on the side of the receiver is where it stops. This two-piece mount is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum then anodized for protection and to match the C39V2. The upper (horizontal piece) is attached to the lower (vertical piece) with two Torx threaded fasteners. The assembled unit is attached to the milled receiver with two additional Torx threaded fasteners that tension the locking bar. This provides a rock sold fit to the 6061-T6 anodized mount that is attached to the milled receiver with three rivets. This is feels like one sold part of the receiver as opposed to the friction lock of the original design. An added benefit you can completely field-strip the rifle without removing the scope rail mount.

The rifle for testing was sent with one of Century’s own Red Army scope mounts that attaches to the side rail on the receiver. Note the notch rear and winged post front sight.

The mount itself has a strip of Picatinny rail on the top that “doglegs” over the top of the receiver for proper optic alignment. For those that are not aware, the AK has a removable top cover design that makes takedown very easy, but does not make for a solid scope mount area. The Magpul side folder on my test rifle swings to the right, so folding is not hampered by this optic mount.

The side-folding, collapsible Zhokov-S stock has four QD sling mounts, modular cheek risers, and a rubber butt-pad. This is a rock-solid stock, with four positive length adjustments. The MOE AK pistol grip has an aggressive texture and storage core, along with a unique backstrap design for proper trigger finger placement. The Zhukov forearm has an aluminum chassis for strength and heat dispersion, with an injection-molded exterior sporting eight M-LOK slots for accessory attachment.

On the Range

I took the C39V2 out to the range during a three-day class that was open to several agencies. I used my standard survey method of passing the gun around and maintaining a stock of loaded magazines for folks to shoot. The gun ate up all the abuse the guys could throw at it; magazine dumps were commonplace and did not present a single problem. The drills required a fair amount of accuracy, which was easily achieved. The sights needed to be adjusted, as the rifle shot a bit to the right and I did not have a tool to push the front sight.

The author ran the gun on the range, and it functioned without a hiccup.

The trigger was one of the most commented-on features of the gun. The RAK-1 Enhanced AK-47 Trigger Group is a single-stage trigger with the release surfaces machined, a “rounded” face hammer for smoother cycling, and a specially designed spring. The hammer and disconnector are designed to eliminate bolt carrier hang-up and trigger slap. There is minimal take-up as you begin the press, with a clean release of the hammer. The parts are made from high-quality steel and heat-treated, and Century claims they have passed a 15,000-round endurance test.

One of the author’s students brought a Chinese MAK90 (bottom) to run against the C39V2.

The author was able to wring out some sub-2-inch groups at 100 yards with the rifle—quite impressive for an AK.

After the first day, one of the students asked if he could bring his AK the next day. I told him not only was that OK, but it was encouraged! He brought in a vintage Norinco stamped-receiver MAK90 Chinese AK with a thumb-hole stock, and just like that we had something to compare the C39V2 to. The shoot-off ensued with great alacrity. Once the dust had settled, there was not even one student who chose the MAK90; the consensus was that the C39V2 won hands down. The MAK90 soldiered on, as AKs do, but its accuracy, ergonomics and versatility were just not up to the C39V2’s standards. This was not a fair comparison at all: A modern rifle vs. a 30-year-old gun. But that was the whole point; the C39V2 is not just an American-made 30-year-old gun, but rather a truly modern rifle.

After the festivities were through, the class and I spent some time evaluating the rifle. The first thing I tested was the trigger pull; it broke at just under 5 pounds, at 4 pounds 14 ounces with almost a two-stage feel due to the take-up. We next set out to evaluate the accuracy of the rifle. I had several flavors of ammunition to test, so I set up my lead sled and got at it. From 100 yards with the ammunition of choice, I shot a group of just under 2 inches using iron sights.

The Bottom Line

I often find that I am forced to confess something by the end of these reviews, and now is one of those times. These confessions are not given to clear my conscience, but rather to let you know how different a particular gun is from what my typical judgment tells me it should be. The AK platform seems to be thought of as either the greatest rifle platform of all time, or a junk gun, with little in-between. I have always held the view that the gun had merit, but it never tripped my trigger. I never questioned its famed durability, but versatility has always been lacking, and the aesthetics akin to a Soviet-era ZAZ-966 car do it no favors.

the C39V2 proved to be a real champ on the range for the author.

The Red Army C39V2 has changed all that; this is a modern gun that offers options for lights, optics, and a pain-free shooting experience for the human holding it. Accuracy has been improved, and reliability has been maintained. To top it all off, this package can be purchased without funding a system that does not have our best interests at heart. This is truly an American gun, for Americans.

For more information, visit https://centuryarms.biz/proddetail.asp?prod=RI2400-N&cat=134.

To purchase a C39V2 on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=C39V2.

The Zhukov-S stock folds along the right side of the receiver and does not interfere with the scope mount.