RD 702 Custom Build: AK Build for a Bougie New Shooter

When it comes to AKs there are different flavors for everyone. There are traditional AKs with wood furniture, maybe a 1913 stock, and zero accessories. Then there are some more modern bougie AKs such as an AK with a suppressor-ready muzzle device, M4 type stock, and receiver rails for lights or any accessories wanted. No matter what your flavor is, the AK needs to have innards that function and your overall AK build needs to work for you.

With this AK build it needed to work for someone new to AKs, i.e. ergonomically friendly and easy recoil without malfunction. The Rifle Dynamics RD 702 14.5-inch pin and weld with enhanced furniture in 7.62×39 did just that.

The Builder

Rifle Dynamics is one of the most respected AK builders in the United States. Their guns run flawlessly and they offer everything from traditional AKs to customized tactical AKs. Rifle Dynamics also hosts the Red Oktober Kalashnikov Championships which is a shooting competition and ultimately a gathering of fellow AK lovers.

Rifle Dynamics currently has a lead time of four-six months if that tells you anything about their workload and quality.

Now, time to dive into this build.

rifle dynamics build
The Rifle Dynamics RD 702 build comes from the factory with many modernized enhancements such as an M4 type stock and trunnion and a Ultimak Gas tube enabling a red dot to be placed on the front of the AK. Additional customizations thrown on are the enhanced safety selector with bolt hold open notch and the TangoDown pistol grip.

AK Build — The Lower Receiver

Fun Fact, a simple way to tell between stamped and milled receivers is to look at the indentations on the side. With a milled receiver, there will be a long rectangle on the side of the receiver also known as the “four-finger groove”. On a stamped receiver there will be a smaller square-shaped indent towards the front of the lower receiver.

In this case, this RD build has a stamped receiver, noticed by the small square indent towards the front of the receiver.

Arsenal Bulgarians Parts Kit

First and foremost, one of the first questions is what is the origin of the parts kit? For AK aficionados this can make or break their opinion of that AK as some countries did better than others when it came to building AKs. In this case, the parts kit is from Arsenal Bulgarians. It then got the work over at Rifle Dynamics.

Receiver Side Rail

Due to standard AKs having a top cover on the rear of the gun, there is no rail to mount an optic. To get around this, users will mount a rail on the side of the lower receiver. This rail allows the user to place another piece that essentially wraps around the receiver to have a Picatinny rail over the top cover, allowing an optic to be mounted.

The RD 702 comes with an already riveted-in optic side mount rail. This is huge due to not having to bring it to a gunsmith to get a rail riveted in or not having to purchase an aftermarket rail and temporarily install it. Temporary installs can come loose over time.

optics rail on ak riveted into receiver
Having an optics rail that is already riveted into the receiver allows for no other modifications needed to mount an optic on the rear of your AK. The Tango Down Pistol grip came on the Gun from RD but can be switched out to a Hogue or Magpul pistol grip.

Enhanced Safety Selector

The aftermarket safety selector on this AK build has a bolt hold open notch and an extended thumb lever. This allows the user to not have to break their firing hand grip to manipulate the safety with their index finger. 

This selector needed zero adjustments to move smoothly. On AKs, the selectors work by having a dimple on the selector and indents on the receiver for each position (that’s why there is a faded line on the selector path, the dimple running across the receiver creates it). Due to this, the selector will need to be bent slightly to fit into those indents positively. Many times with thrown-together AKs the selector will need extra adjustment, such as bending it in more to get it to click into place or bending it out to allow for easier switching between positions. This selector is easy to move yet has positive clicks and stays put in each position.

Tango Down Pistol Grip

The RD 702 comes with custom options for a pistol grip. In this case, it’s the Tango Down BG-AK Battle Grip. Other options include all of the Magpul MOE and K2 grips and the Hogue AK grip.

M4 Stock Adapter

A traditional rear trunnion will not allow for the rear stocks to be switched out as an AR platform would. The RD 702 build with an M4 stock adapter has a standard-type buffer tube allowing the shooter to place an M4-style stock on the AK. This gives the shooter an adjustable length of pull and the ability to use their favorite modern collapsible stock.

AK Build — The Upper Receiver

The 14.5″ barrel with pin and weld Dead Air muzzle device allows this AK to be suppressor ready. Not only is it suppressor ready but also has the ability to mount a red dot and any M-LOK compatible accessories such as a light or a grip.

RS-Regulate GKR 10MS M-LOK Handguard and Accessories

An M-Lok handguard allows for the standard accessories that one would place on an AR. Currently, there are rail scales on this build. Prior there was a True North Concepts grip stop.

ultimak gas tube rail with aimpoint and rs regulate mlok handguard with rail scales
Unlike standard AK builds with no rail on top of the gas tube, this build has an Ultimak railed gas tube and Aimpoint Micro H2. Rail scales are also added to the RS Regulate M-LOK handguard for added grip during handling.

Ultimak Railed Gas Tube w/ Aimpoint

Due to many AKs not having the rail at the rear, the Ultimak Railed Gas Tube allows for the top rail to be at the front of the gun. RD takes this gas tube and swaps it out with the standard AK gas tube. If you did want to swap out the Ultimak RD still gives you a tension lever to add a different rail.

The red dot of choice here is an Aimpoint Micro-H2.

Dead Air KeyMo Muzzle Device

This dead air muzzle device with a 14.5″ barrel allows for a 16-inch pin and weld job. Now you have a suppressor-ready and easy-shooting AK Rifle.

deadair keymo muzzle brake on ak
A large plus to modern AKs is the ability to mount a suppressor. This Dead Air Keymo allows for this AK to be suppressor ready and allows for easy shooting of a larger 7.62×39 cartridge.

The Recoil and Overall Function

Overall this Rifle Dynamics gun had recoil that felt like .223 instead of 7.62×39 while shooting 122 gr Tul Ammo. Magpul P-Mags ran flawlessly in it and the Dead Air Muzzle Brake accepted a lot of that recoil. Due to my smaller stature, the additional options for an adjustable buttstock and M-LOK rail accessories (such as rail scales) were needed and appreciated.

Video of some shots taken at night below.

 
Anne Smith is a Veteran of the full time MNARNG force as a Small Arms Repairer and worked to bolster their marksmanship team. Mainly a technical writer and gunsmith within the Federal world she comes with many armorer classes under her belt such as KAC, Glock, every FN weapon in the book, and Small Arms Weapons Expert (SAWE). So, sorry to bore you with the knowledge that actually make firearms shoot. Currently heavily into the long range world she competes in National Rifle League Hunter and various Gas Gun Precision Series.

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