by John Milewski (a regular contributor to Airgun World magazine)

Of all the classic Kalashnikov rifles, the underfolding AKMS is possibly the most iconic. Even my sister described it as a Taliban gun as it happened to arrive while she visited us and she is not a shooter.

The purpose of a folding stock was to allow better carriage and stowage of the AK for Soviet motorised troops and paratroopers. By utilising an underfolding stock, overall length was reduced by quite a wide margin, and this resulted in a compact overall package. The inspiration for the underfolding stock was clearly taken from the German MP-38/40 sub machine guns and while of cheap stamped steel construction, the stock worked as intended, albeit not as comfortably as a fixed stock by comparison.

The folded butt section allows for the stock to fold over a 30 round magazine but a 40 round magazine from an RPK or drum magazine does not allow the stock to deploy or fold if fitted. To deploy the stock, press in on the spring loaded catch on the left side, which also serves as the rear sling swivel mounting. This releases the stock, which swings through an arc downwards and locks into place once deployed. The rear U shaped but section can then be swivelled down for use. Press the release catch again to fold the stock, which should lock into place when fully folded.

THE CHIMERA BUILD
Boris at Chimera has offered bespoke AK builds for some time and when he said an underfolding AKMS would be possible, I jumped at the chance of commissioning an example. Former Boris builds include fixed stocks or side folders that can be fitted to the existing trunion at the back of the receiver. Offering an underfolding stock involves far more work as the trunion needs to be replaced with another that fitted an underfolding stock. Boris explained that it took him some 3 hours to line up and fit the trunion correctly. It has to fit perfectly and there is no room for error, so I am pleased to say the end result is a perfect fit on my build.

OPTIONS
Chimera lists a number of available options for each build and I opted for the following:

Donor Cybergun AK-47 +

Bakelite Soviet AK47 magazine + Underfolding stock set + AKM ribbed dust cover + Trigger pin + Cleaning rod + Rear sight base + Lower HG retainer + Front sight block with slanted muzzle device + Wooden Hand Guards with gas tube + Bakelite pistol grip

When Boris personally delivered the build, as always, he went through it meticulously and later followed up with an email to make sure all was well. How's that for customer care? The orange magazine is an adapted Tula made original and was initially a very tight fit in the magazine well. However, it locks up solidly and works perfectly. The original Cybergun plastic outer case is also supplied and fits the action too.

My initial shots landed low and around ¾ inch to the left, so I adjusted the original AKM rearsight up, as the front sight was screwed down about as low as it will go. I just need to move the front sight bed to the left for shots to land centrally.

As with all Chimera builds, the AKMS field strips just like an original, so I lightly lubricated rails and where metal meets metal after taking a peek inside.

The folded overall size of the AKMS means it fits into a tennis racquet bag that I obtained for discreet walks to the club and deploying the stock instantly gives me a rifle with which to engage my all time favourite targets – tin cans.

I was also able to fit a Izhmash made adapted magazine to the AKMS, which was from a Cimera AKM build. Ironically, it works way better in the AKMS than in the AKM.

As to looks, this build is certainly a beauty. The handguards seem to radiate and really stand out. They also match the Bakelite type magazine and bayonet perfectly. All in all, I'm delighted with the build and am looking forward to an outdoor session when I can next get to the club