The Stenzel American Kalashnikov: The Future Is The Past, But Badass

Open the box and what have you got? What at first appears to be a Gucci AK. It’s got the same curved magazine, same broad lines, and overall profile. It even eats the same kind of ammo. But the longer you look, the more you see.

Joe Stenzel was first struck with inspiration while serving in Afghanistan as a young man in 2nd Ranger Battalion, inspecting an AK far older than himself. He marveled at the simplicity, respected the ruggedness, and allowed himself to wonder. There are many white whales in the world of guns, and the idea of successfully marrying the reliability of the AK with American modularity is one of those modern Moby Dicks. 

The first step of this gun making it out into the wider world was 3D modeling. Joe Stenzel isn’t a certified mechanical engineer, but instead went to school for drafting and CAD, and also worked as a technical engineer for a few years before striking it out on his own. Anyone who has spent time in a software environment knows computer designs don’t always translate to the real world, and it took many iterations before it got to what you see here.

The result is what’s been named the Stenzel American Kalashnikov, SAK-21, but we’ve simply been calling it the Stenzel AK.

STENZEL INDUSTRIES SAK-21 OPERATOR

• Caliber: 7.62×39
• Barrel Threads: 5/8×24
• Barrel Length: 12.5 inches
• Capacity: 20, 30, 40
• Overall Length: 31.5 inches (open), 23.25 inches (collapsed)
• Width: 2.75 inches
• Height: 7.75 inches
• Weight (unloaded): 8 pounds, 5 ounces
• MSRP: $4,000

Accessories:

• EOTech OGL (On-Gun Laser), Commercial$2,799
• Strategic Sciences MFMD 300BLK 2.0 OTB MDSD $2,399
• EOTech EXPS3 HD $999
• SureFire M340DFT-Pro Turbo Mini Scout Light + DS00 Tailcap + SR07-D-IT Tape Setup $731
• Price as configured: $10,928

BASE DESIGN

When it comes to the OG legend, it should be no surprise that Russian guns were optimized for manufacturing in Russia. After initial development in 1947, the Soviets spent nearly a decade developing different milled receivers and metal pressing techniques before finally settling on the stamped steel and riveted “modernized” AKM design in 1959. The most major change since has been caliber, and a Soviet soldier from the ’60s would instantly know the new AK-12. 

The first AKs made in America were just “made” here. For a time, chopped foreign surplus kits were available at low cost. These kits were re-assembled as operational rifles on U.S. receivers, first by individuals and then by larger manufacturers. (You can follow along as we do this in Issue 26). When kits dried up and imports increased in price, it became economically viable to make copies and reproductions made much in the same way as the original.

But Stenzel didn’t want to make a clone and also didn’t want to make something entirely new. Here he sought to split the difference with a spiritual successor, using all the modern tools being a 21st century American affords you access to. To Stenzel’s way of thinking, the most important part of the AK isn’t how it’s made but why it works. While much of the AK reliability has been attributed to wide tolerances, and that ain’t nothing, Stenzel says his holy trinity is how the bolt, carrier, and barrel attachment interact with one another. 

The overall architecture of the SAK-21 is like an AK, but not made in the same way. Instead of a millimeter of stamped steel, the single-piece receiver is a CNC’d block of 7075 aluminum. The 12.5-inch 4150 nitrided steel 1/10-twist barrel rides in a trunnion affixed to the receiver not with rivets like the original, but Torx fasteners like the FN SCAR and B&T APC. The other items like the trigger guard, grip, and Picatinny rear are similarly attached. 

This means the SAK-21 is more modular than grandpa; barrel assemblies and other parts can be swapped out by armorers and others with the right tools. It also makes the Stenzel AK readily scalable — it can go from a gun manufactured by a small business to mass-production in a short period of time. 

The SAK-21 can also easily accept accessories. Though there are plenty of aftermarket add-on rails and things you can stick on an AK to accommodate this, they are glommed on, but the Stenzel AK accounted for this right from the start, with a Picatinny rail that covers the length of the top cover and runs along the M-LOK handguard.

And of course, the entire thing has expensive anodizing and other coatings for a premium feel. It’s not quite gold-plated like a cartel carbine, but a more practical Picatinny Bling. There is something special, and maybe a little unsettling, about taking the emblematic utilitarian AK design and making it more conventionally beautiful. You end up with a futuristic, seriously cool carbine. 

ACTION

A traditional AK-type rifle uses a long-stroke gas piston system. Long-stroke means that the gas piston is physically attached to the bolt carrier, and so it moves with everything else while cycling, adding to the reciprocating mass. On the Stenzel AK it’s similar, but different.

Press on the rear of the receiver, pop up the hinged top cover to gain access to the guts, and inside you’ll find what initially appears to be an AK action. 

Pull out the recoil spring and bolt carrier and you’ll find it very familiar, and even the bolt has the unmistakable Kalashnikov face. But what appears to be a gas piston is actually an operating rod, because the SAK-21, like the FN SCAR and HK 416, uses a short-stroke gas piston system. In this configuration, the gas piston is separate from the bolt carrier, only making brief contact to smack it rearward to cycle after a shot. It reduces the recoil and also allows the Stenzel AK to have a free-floating barrel, increasing its accuracy potential. 

The amount of gas flowing through the system is adjusted via a regulator in front of the handguard. It has a low and high setting, complete with a set screw to better tune the system if need be, and excess gas flows from the front of the regulator. All told, the gas system is not unlike the FN SCAR. 

CONTROLS

The charging handle is all-AK. It’s on the right side of the gun and is nicely oversized for an easy grip. Same goes for the magazine release: a traditional AK lever release is located in front of the trigger guard because the SAK-21 uses standard rock-and-lock 7.62×39 AK magazines. 

The two main deviations are the safety selector and the bolt lock/release (yes, a bolt release).

The bolt lock/release is on the left side like an AR-15, with an American flag on it, because yes, this is absolutely the most American feature. Press on the flag when the bolt is locked back and it will let go. Press on the bottom while pulling the bolt back manually and it will lock. There’s a corresponding button on the right side, easy for righties to hit with a trigger finger. 

The safety on the Stenzel AK is not a clunky lever like an AK-47 nor is it an ergonomic Eames switch à la AR-15, but a large ambi crossbolt toward the rear of the receiver like the M249. 

The two-stage trigger is wide and flat, with a bit of a bevel on the sides. It’s straight with a slight forward rake, and it releases the hammer nicely after 90 degrees. Our scale gave us a pull weight of 4.5 pounds when measured from the middle, but you can get a lighter pull simply by pressing toward the bottom of the bow if desired.

MAGAZINES

The Stenzel AK can eat from standard 7.62×39 AK magazines, available nearly anywhere in the world, but they ship with specialized XTech OEM47 mags. When you run the magazine dry on a regular AK, you’ll just get a “click” instead of a bang. But on the SAK-21, the bolt locks to the rear when you’re empty the same as any modern gun — so long as you’re using one of the magazines shipped with the rifle.

There are goofy bolt-hold-open AK magazines out there, but they typically release the bolt as soon as the mag is dropped. Not here — these lock the bolt back and it stays back until you either smack the release or rack the charging handle. 

Stenzel Industries also ships a grip of followers with the SAK-21, allowing you to retrofit standard mags to be BHO if you so desire. Some aftermarket magazines won’t work with the new followers (US Palm mags are sealed, and Magpul mags use a different architecture) and some are easier than others (metal mags will require a Dremel). 

OUTFITTING

When it comes to a fighting gun, your first priorities should be sights, lights, and slings. You need sights to aim, weaponlights for proper target ID in the dark and dark places, and a sling for carriage and shooting support. 

The effective range of 7.62×39 was never all that impressive, and this SAK-21 came with a 12.5-inch barrel so we’re biasing to the close/middle distance for accessories. 

The Stenzel AK doesn’t come with factory irons, and we neither complained nor added them. Our primary sighting method is the new EOTech EXPS3 HD — this metal-bodied holographic is tough as hell, features the circle-dot speed reticle everyone has been trying to copy, and has an adjustment dial on the side instead of push buttons. Keeping the sighting systems inside the EOTech family, we added an OGL (On-Gun Laser) for visible and IR lasers. 

For a white light, the SureFire M340DFT-Pro Mini Scout was the answer. It’s dual fuel, meaning it can run from a single CR123A or a slightly fatter rechargeable 18350 battery (with better performance from the latter). Of course we used the better battery, which gifts us 95,000 candela and 650 lumens from the front. 

And slings? Normally it would be a quick-adjust advanced two-point, but aesthetics got the better of us here: a surplus AK sling on a quick-disconnect mount serves that role. 

RUNNING SILENT

Suppressing 7.62×39 can be sort of a pain in the ass. Firstly, because many of the guns that shoot it weren’t meant for them, but we get to go beyond that problem because the SAK-21 is modern American gun. The intermediate nature of the caliber itself is also an issue; many people either end up with a .308/7.62N silencer that’s larger than needed or a .300BLK suppressor that underperforms. 

It’s here we turn to a relative newcomer, Strategic Sciences, and their Multi-Function Muzzle Device. The MFMD is a modular, multi-piece, asymmetric hybrid unit configurable for the user and mission. The basic idea is to combine a flash hider, silencer, and muzzle brake in one unit — easy to say, hard to do — and do it differently. 

Their carbine suppressors can be three-piece units: The base, the MD (Muzzle Device), is meant to live on the gun all the time. You torque it on and time it, and don’t take it off unless you need to. (Don’t let the name fool you — the MD is a silencer all on its own). There are over-the-barrel (OTB) options to keep the length down. 

To further reduce flash and sound signature, you can add an SD (Suppressor Device) module to the end. It hinges on and clips in place. If more is required, then the larger SDX (Suppressor Device, Extended) can be used instead. 

This atypical approach has garnered a lot of earned attention from special units, and Strategic Sciences has MFMDs not only for many calibers, but also specific weapon systems. … But they didn’t [yet] have anything for 7.62×39 or the SAK-21. So, some testing was performed to determine the right configuration. 

Because this particular SAK-21 has some exposed barrel, it can accommodate an OTB MD base. Two different units were tested (.308 and .300BLK, of course), each with all three configurations (MD, MD+SD, and MD+SDX) for sound and flash signature. 

The 7.62 model with the MD+SD had the highest performance, slightly beating out the longer and heavier MD+SDX. Importantly, it also prevented the removal of the gas piston when installed due to the 3-inch OTB. With the 300BLK MFMD, the difference in sound performance between the SD and SDX modules was negligible, and the SD is an inch shorter. The SDX gave better first round flash suppression, but flash is also very dependent on the ammunition used

You always have to balance weight, mobility, and capability. Here the choice of a .300BLK Strategic Sciences MFMD with a two-inch OTB and an SD module struck the scale just right. Things you won’t really know unless you test and actually make a determination. 

ON THE RANGE

The SAK-21 feels like an outfitted AK at the range, but better. Which is to say that it’s heavy in the front, but easier to shoot. Tipping the scales to the nose means the muzzle stays down during longer strings of fire, but it’s also harder to stay at the ready. Once this gun gets on the NFA list, the pistol brace will be ditched to mount a real stock; likely something heavier for better balance.

We were sure to try a lot of different magazines, and all of them worked. Black Bulgarian “circle-10” waffle magazines are the golden standard in AK magazines, and this rifle ate them right up. No issues from Euro surplus steel mags, or American aftermarket mags either. Using a fresh mag to hit the release and flip out the old one took a little work at first, but not too too much.  

The Strategic Sciences suppressor worked extremely well. Though it is not technically OSHA “hearing safe” with just the MD base on, it really cuts the sound down to manageable, especially outdoors. When downrange with the SD module installed, there was virtually no flash signature and directional shot detection became much more difficult. The crack of the round was in the air, but the source was hard to locate. 

The trigger on this rifle is exceptional, some may even say too good (“oh no, my steak is too juicy”). The fat, flat face gives a lot of control, and pressing from the bottom when you want a little more precision really works well. But it’s not as if the Soviet 7.62×39 with its rainbow ballistics and poor QC is renowned for its accuracy. 

Speaking of accuracy, while we normally eschew formalized testing outside of precision rifles, this gun was shot from prone with a lot of different ammunition to see if anything was far outside the norm. We used a smattering of cheap steel like Wolf and Tula 122-grain, some brass like PMC Bronze 123-grain and S&B 124-grain, along with some offbeat loads like Silver Bear Match 124-grain and East German 123-grain. While nothing blew our socks off (we have seen some very tight groups from others with Hornady SST), nothing grouped over 2.5 MOA, most of it closer to two — well more than acceptable, especially with this ammo. And it all cycled, smoothly too.

A lot of guns we bring to the range can turn heads, but there’s just something so familiar and also so decidedly different about a Stenzel AK. 

QUIRKS

With new things, there is always going to be a bit of weirdness, and so goes the Stenzel AK. Here there’s a mix of good, bad, and just different. 

With a normal AK, getting the top cover back on can be a problem for some people — they can be tight and it takes practice. Here it’s very easy, because the cover itself is on a hinge and there’s even a little ledge for the takedown button to sit on — simply rack the bolt and it pops back into place. But the recoil spring on a Stenzel AK isn’t captive (all the better for further customization), so physically getting it into the bolt carrier after reassembly takes a little time.

When you strip the SAK-21 down, you’ll find that the firing pin is retained by the bolt carrier and not the bolt. Not only is this for safety (to prevent out-of-battery ignition), it also means people are more likely to clean their firing pins. 

Regarding the gas system, there was a time when we would have argued for one more gas setting (“Suppressed-Normal-Adverse” instead of simply “Low-High”). It’s true that too many options can complicate things for Joes in the field, and perhaps this point is made moot with the use of modern, low-backpressure silencers. The Strategic Sciences MFMD is meant to live on this rifle, and that third setting only makes sense with a quick-detach can. 

With the AR-15, the safety selector cannot be set to “safe” when the hammer is down. This is not an uncommon configuration, though some European AR safeties allow for it. With the Stenzel AK, the safety still functions both when the hammer is cocked and after it’s released — but when the safety is moved from “fire” to “safe” when the hammer is forward, the safety will prevent the bolt carrier from moving to the rear. This caused some concern before we managed to figure out what was happening. If you’re on the range with a Stenzel AK and your charging handle isn’t moving — check your safety position. 

IS THIS AN AK-47?

Not in the literal sense, not to purists. That crowd cringes when someone uses the term “AK-47” to describe anything other than a gun with a Type 2 milled receiver, and some still argue whether western guns like the Finnish Valmet count. But the AK purists will still want one.

In a metaphorical sense, yes. The SAK-21 not only shares caliber and magazines, it follows the architecture, controls, and form factor of the AK. While the gas system is different and ergonomics have been upgraded, how the bolt, barrel, and carrier interact are essentially the same. 

In a spiritual sense? No question: Absolutely. Mikhail Kalashnikov was once a young man at war. Dissatisfied with issued guns, he looked around at the offerings from foes and friends alike, and combined them into something new. Joe Stenzel’s story is much the same, but it also has Mikhail’s soul inside it, represented by that old rifle he examined in Afghanistan.   

The SAK-21 is an AK, but not a normal AK — it’s a Stenzel American Kalashnikov.