Akdal MKA 1919

[Zebraman]

I just got my MKA back from Firebird, where they milled off the stock and pistol grip, installed their aluminum feed ramp and fire control group. Being a person who likes to work on my own guns, I installed their gas system and handguard. I have to say that their parts and service is second to none. During this process, I spoke to Nanci most of the time, but was able to speak with Jim and one of their workers who's name escapes me right now (sorry). They were the nicest people you ever want to talk to. I was able to test my gun this weekend, and with the muzzle brake that I installed, the gun was the softest shooting 12 gauge I have ever shot. Everything worked great! Can't wait for the next 3 gun match. Thank you Firebird!

[Alphamikefoxtrot]

If you spoke to Jim, Nanci, and someone else, then you spoke to every employee of firebird precision. The other person was their son.

Good luck with yours, I spent months before I got mine running 100%. I'm there now though.

If this was the softest shooting 12 gauge you have ever shot, you ought to get out more, I am a big boy, and this thing kicks pretty bad.

[Zebraman]

My other shotguns are a Benelli M2 and a Remington 1187 both with ported barrels, set up for open class. Do you have their gas system? Maybe it's the Carolina Shooting Supply's version of a Molot GK-01 muzzle brake that is on it. I let 3 other people shoot it an they were all amazed at how soft it shot. I was shooting Federal Wally World bulk shells and B&P slugs. Sorry if yours kicks bad...

[gng4life]

Would you post some pics? It would be nice to see. Also, what mags do you have for it?

[Flatland Shooter]

Being a person who likes to work on my own guns, I installed their gas system and handguard. I have to say that their parts and service is second to none.

I was able to test my gun this weekend, and with the muzzle brake that I installed, the gun was the softest shooting 12 gauge I have ever shot.

My MKA 1919 is one of Firbird's 922 compliance guns sold through Centerfire. At the moment, mine runs just plain great but as with anything in Open, there is room for improvement.

I did not know that Jim sells the gas system for the DIY'er. Is there anything major to be concerned with should I install one myself?

And the muzzle break you installed, is it a Firebird mid-barrel compensator? If it is, there's another FP part that I did not know Jim sold to the DIY crowd. Hard to install?

Thanks.

Bill

[Zebraman]

The break I put on the gun was from Carolina Shooters Supply and is meant for the Molot VEPR12 or the Saiga 12, Firebird did not sell the gas system to me separately. I just assembled the remaining pieces as I had a buttstock, pistol grip, muzzlebrake, etc.

Here is a photo of the kind of brake I put on my gun. The downside is that you have to use a special WinChoke that has extended threads that are the same as a Saiga 12's externally threaded barrel. This choke only comes in cylinder bore

Edited March 19, 2013 by Zebraman

[Tactica]

Is your akdall barrel ported for the firebird precision break still or not?

Also, do you have to unscrew that Molot VEPR12 break to clean I? If so, how did you clock it to install?

What was installation like... Red locktight the choke with extended threads to the right position then screw on the break?

I'd like to see some video of the think in action if you have any.

Cheers,

[RH45]

The break I put on the gun was from Carolina Shooters Supply and is meant for the Molot VEPR12 or the Saiga 12, Firebird did not sell the gas system to me separately. I just assembled the remaining pieces as I had a buttstock, pistol grip, muzzlebrake, etc.

Here is a photo of the kind of brake I put on my gun. The downside is that you have to use a special WinChoke that has extended threads that are the same as a Saiga 12's externally threaded barrel. This choke only comes in cylinder bore

I was looking for one of those brakes, last year when I first got my Firebird. The guy I was talking with from overseas said they were Polychokes. It's a bummer that its only offered in cylinder choke, otherwise I'd be all over it.

I was at the range yesterday, shooting low-recoil slugs, off the bench, and even with two recoil reducers in my stock tube, my Firebird kicks more than my old, JP, open shotgun, but, the Firebird is a LOT lighter, even with the recoil reducers.

[Zebraman]

I shot my MKA in a 3 gun match a few of months ago and haven't fiddled with it since. I had some problems with feeding which I think may be related to the magazines rocking forward and backward, or that I had only about 150 rounds through it, and it still needs to be broken in. The Molot brake works great, but it will unscrew itself, and get loose if it is not red locktited in. I have a "Dead Mule" recoil reducer in the stock tube. It doesn't seem to help though. For magazines, I have factory 10 rounders, Salem6 extenders for the factory 5 rounders, and one extension from Roulette tactical. Does anyone have problems with the magazines "rocking" and causing feeding problems? I still think that this gun kicks less than my other shotguns, but I am not usually recoil sensitive. I have been thinking about getting a vented poly-choke to use with this gun, but at this point, I am not sure if I am going to keep it. Anyone want to buy an Akdal? Here is a pic of my gun.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Zebraman

[LoganbillJ]

What feeding issues are you having? Double feeding, Nose up jam, Failure to pick up a rd? Failure to Eject? Most all of the reliability issues with this gun can be traced back to the tuning of the magazines. Of course that is after the proper break-in. Being your gun is an XN you should be past the break-in at 150 rds but some guns are tighter than others from the factory.

[Zebraman]

I was having problems with the gun not picking up the next round, maybe short stroking? I have reduced power recoil spring and was thinking about trying it, but I am concerned about having the HEOS gas system and using the weaker spring set-up.

[LoganbillJ]

Based on my experience you do not want to swap in the lower power recoil spring until you have a few more rds down range. The reason being the recoil spring is light enough that if your gun is still tight it may not have quite enough force to overcome the tightness,load a round, and lock into battery.

Just curious which rds were you having issues with? FPS, oz shot, brand.

I cannot speak for Jim on his HEOS gas system as I have not seen it nor do I know what he has changed. I would recommend calling Jim on the subject.

[Flatland Shooter]

I was having problems with the gun not picking up the next round, maybe short stroking?

Some folks that had the same problem earlier found out the bolt was out running the magazine. The mag spring was not strong enough to get a round up fast enough for the bolt to catch it. Replacement mag springs would solve that problem.

[RH45]

Occasionally, during recoil, a lower round will move forward while bouncing in the magazine, causing the one on top of it to have the lip of the brass behind the lower round. I ALWAYS unload a partially loaded mag all the way, before reloading it, and have found quite a few that way.

[mscott]

I jumped on the 1919 bandwagon. It won't be replacing my Benelli, but it is a pretty cool shotgun. Reliability has been great so far, but I only have 3-400 rounds through it. I replaced the stock as the factory one was way too long and replaced the grip to get my hand moved farther back. A fore end with a side charging handle will be next, most likely from Firebird. I made my own shell stop for using coupled mags. My present "coupler" is plywood and duct tape, but I'll do something more official out of aluminum over the winter. I bought 2 of the Salem 6 mag extensions, but only get 9 rounds in each. Might get 10 if I pushed real hard, but don't feel good about it. When I barney a round I can start with 19 in/on the gun with coupled mags, so good enough right now. I'll be looking forward to a higher capacity mag in the future, but hopefully for a bit less $$. I know the 18 rounder is out there, but hate to drop $200 on it right now with new stuff coming out here and there.

[RH45]

I jumped on the 1919 bandwagon. It won't be replacing my Benelli, but it is a pretty cool shotgun. Reliability has been great so far, but I only have 3-400 rounds through it. I replaced the stock as the factory one was way too long and replaced the grip to get my hand moved farther back. A fore end with a side charging handle will be next, most likely from Firebird. I made my own shell stop for using coupled mags. My present "coupler" is plywood and duct tape, but I'll do something more official out of aluminum over the winter. I bought 2 of the Salem 6 mag extensions, but only get 9 rounds in each. Might get 10 if I pushed real hard, but don't feel good about it. When I barney a round I can start with 19 in/on the gun with coupled mags, so good enough right now. I'll be looking forward to a higher capacity mag in the future, but hopefully for a bit less $$. I know the 18 rounder is out there, but hate to drop $200 on it right now with new stuff coming out here and there.

I was running a Fastfire on mine, but, this April, at the Rockcastle, shotgun match, we had to shoot a stage, in the woods, at dark, and with no intensity adjustment on my Fastfire, it was so bright that I had to look around the scope for the targets, then guess I was on them with the dot.

I'm now running an OKO.

[mscott]

Sounds like I better check that out. Mine is the FF3, so besides auto I have bright, medium, and low to choose from.

[Zebraman]

When I first recieved my gun back from Firebird, I took it apart cleaned it and reassembled it with the reduced power recoil spring. It ran 100%, except with BP slugs. I ran about 100-125 rounds through it, so when I took it apart again to clean it, I read the instructions from Jim about the gas system, and it said to use the original spring, so not wanting to damage anything, I put it back in. I was not able to shoot it again until the match, which is when I started having problems with the feeding. Stupid, I know, but I wasn't able to get to the range again. At the match, I talked wiht a well known gunsmith who uses this same gun, and he said that he had problems with his gun, because the mags were rocking too much, and he showed me what he did to get most of the movement out of his mags. He uses 3, 5 round mags welded together. I think I will speak with Jim or Nancy and see if a reduced power spring will damage the HEOS gas system.

@LoganBillJ: I was using Walmart bulk Federal #7/12 at testing and at the match. No slugs were used at the match..

Edited August 31, 2013 by Zebraman

[LoganbillJ]

When I first recieved my gun back from Firebird, I took it apart cleaned it and reassembled it with the reduced power recoil spring. It ran 100%, except with BP slugs. I ran about 100-125 rounds through it, so when I took it apart again to clean it, I read the instructions from Jim about the gas system, and it said to use the original spring, so not wanting to damage anything, I put it back in. I was not able to shoot it again until the match, which is when I started having problems with the feeding. Stupid, I know, but I wasn't able to get to the range again. At the match, I talked wiht a well known gunsmith who uses this same gun, and he said that he had problems with his gun, because the mags were rocking too much, and he showed me what he did to get most of the movement out of his mags. He uses 3, 5 round mags welded together. I think I will speak with Jim or Nancy and see if a reduced power spring will damage the HEOS gas system.

@LoganBillJ: I was using Walmart bulk Federal #7/12 at testing and at the match. No slugs were used at the match..

From testing we have done the Federal Bulk ammo is very inconsistent in charge weight. But we have not actually chrono'ed a box or two to confirm this, yet. Assumption is made by shooting guns that are broke in well and getting the same issues as you(failing to pick up a rd). As well as the erratic test results we got from the Federal during our comp test.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=180440

We switched to running Winchester AA 1145 fps shells for matches because the hulls are slicker and they are consistent. A little more expensive but the added cost is worth not having malfunctions in a match.

[RH45]

I started out running AAs, which was what I'd always used previously, but had feeding issues. A fellow Firebird shooter told me that AAs were too soft, especially when it got hot out, and would become misshaped in a stacked magazine. He was right. I switched to Remington STS, light trap, 1145fps, and they have run 100%. I forgot to unload one mag, after shooting the ProAM, and after being loaded for 5 days, some of the shells I took out of the magazine were misshaped too.

I tried BP slugs in both of my open guns that will run light trap loads, and the slugs wouldn't produce enough gas to run.

I've been running Remington, low recoil slugs, but, want to try some Fiocci, when they become available.

[B45C22]

When I had mine, I always ran Estate shells and they ran fine.

[Zebraman]

I took the Akdal out last weekend. I shot about 100 rounds of the Walmart Federal Bulk ammo. I had no problems with the factory 10 round or the Salem6 converted 5round mag. I did not clean it since I used it in the match that I referred to at the beginning of this thread, so I don't really know what is going on with it. Hopefully, it will work 100% now. Except probably when I use it in a match!

[openclassterror]

Nothing I hate worse than guns that test OK then melt down at a match. The reason I have stuck with tube-fed shotguns so long in open class is the number of box-fed guns I have seen totally choke in a match, then heard the shooter saying, "don't know what happened, it was running FINE last week!" Since I RO, I see a lot of gear problems, and it's the unpredictability that bothers me. If the guy has been having problems and uses the gun anyway, bummer, but at least he wasn't surprised. When you walk away perplexed because you thought everything was A-OK then you learn not to trust your gear. I think the box mag guns still have a little more learning curve ahead before I would trust one for myself. Granted, RandR and Firebird really know their stuff, I still see name-brand modded guns crash at matches sometimes.

Tom

[toothandnail]

Since I RO, I see a lot of gear problems, and it's the unpredictability that bothers me.

Tom

Yip, you defiantly see the worst AND best running gear when you RO.

2 years ago I RO a mostly SG stage, for some reason the FN SLP's were choking bad, haven't seen it before or since, but that time on that stage ? ??

[Flatland Shooter]

For several months now 100% of my problems with the MKA 1919 were caused by ammo. Fortunately those problems have happened only during testing and practice sessions. Due to ammo availability and prices, I still experiment with various ammo manufacturers and loads. Hence the testing.

But for matches, I'm sticking with my proven Remington Gun Club shells at 1200 fps. Not a single problem during matches or practice with these loads.

Its possible the folks having problems with box fed shotguns during matches have not done their due diligence and found their perfect load. Or they found the perfect load and everyone else bought up the shells.

Bill