Going Modern With B5 Systems AK Furniture

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Looking to bring your Kalashnikov into the 21st century? Here we check out the new AK furniture options from B5 Systems.

When it comes to AKs, their owners usually fall into one of two camps: “rifle is fine,” or “rife is not fine.” As good as Kalashnikovs look decked out in classic furniture, when it comes to practicality and ergonomics, laminate wood definitely leaves a lot to be desired.

If you’re ready to get with the times and outfit your Kalash with something more modern, B5 Systems’ new AK furniture is well worth taking a look at.

B5 Systems AK Furniture

Although each component is sold individually, B5 Systems has concocted a full set of AK furniture to choose from including a grip, a handguard and three different models of buttstock. The grip and handguard should be compatible with just about any AKM-based firearm, and the three buttstock variants are designed for three different patterns of rear trunnion—fixed, 4.5mm and 5.5mm.

The fixed version is what it sounds like and is non-folding and compatible with standard AKs with fixed-stock rear trunnions.

The 4.5mm and 5.5mm versions can be folded but are only compatible with their respective pattern of folding trunnion featured on some more modern AK models.

Besides the ability to fold, however, all three stocks are identical. They feature adjustable lengths of pull, cushioned non-slip buttpads and mounting points for both traditional and QD slings.

The handguard features an integral heat shield, aggressive texturing and M-LOK slots on the bottom and sides (on both the upper and lower handguard segments).

The AK P-Grip also features aggressive texturing, but more significantly it has a 13-degree angle. Compared to most AK grips, original or otherwise, this is very straight and closer to what is often found on modern AR-15 setups. It can also accept B5 Systems’ grip plug for storing batteries or other small items.

You also have your choice of color, as all B5 Systems AK furniture is available in either black, green or plum. A plum set is featured in this article.

Installing B5 Systems AK Furniture

Unlike some of the more complex styles of modern AK furniture out there, the B5 Systems set is very easy to install. Besides potentially having to do some minor fitting, it’s completely drop-in and installs almost the same way as an original wood set. When we were mounting ours on a Romanian WASR-based SBR, we only had to remove a minor amount of material from the lower handguard for it to fit.

After clearing and stripping the rifle, the gas tube lever can be flipped up and the upper handguard/gas tube assembly can be lifted out. The old upper handguard can then be twisted off the gas tube. A vise helps with this.

Next, the lower handguard retaining lever can be flipped so the lower handguard can be removed, just remember to take out your cleaning rod first if you have one.

The pistol grip screw and pistol grip can be taken off next followed by the two screws that retain the buttstock. Removing the buttstock itself may be easy for some while others will find theirs still solidly stuck in place, but that’s nothing that a rubber mallet can’t fix. It wouldn’t really be working on an AK if there were no hammers involved.

Once all the old furniture is off, the B5 Systems set can be installed by reversing the above process except for the stock which is slightly more complicated.

The B5 Systems Fixed AK stock features two components, the Stock Connector and the rest of the buttstock, and the connector piece must be installed to the rifle before the actual buttstock is attached to it. That said, it’s very easy to do and B5 Systems provides easy-to-follow instructions for it.

Also, keep in mind that this is for installing the fixed version. The process for the folding 4.5mm and 5.5mm stocks will be slightly different.

Once everything’s in place, you’re ready to shoot. Or, more likely, ready to install accessories to your new M-LOK slots.

On The Range With A B5 Systems AK

We have trigger time behind a lot of different flavors of AK with a wide variety of furniture styles, and B5 Systems’ set proved to be some of the best in its class.

The handguard is nicely slim but flares out some toward the rear to give your hand something to pull back on, and the rough, aggressive texturing on the bottom ensures that your hand won’t slip off even when wet. We didn’t utilize the M-LOK slots, but they’re perfectly positioned to accept a flashlight on one of the sides and a grip or handstop on the bottom.

The pistol grip features the same excellent, rough texturing to prevent slippage, and its straighter profile felt great too. We found that the grip facilitated a more natural wrist angle when shouldering the rifle. That said, grip angle preference can be subjective, and some might still prefer theirs to be more angled.

The B5 Systems Fixed AK stock provided the most noticeable upgrade to how the AK handled, namely because of the adjustable length of pull. The button at the bottom is easy to grab to quickly make adjustments and it locks into each position very positively so there’s no chance it will collapse on itself when firing. Including fully extended and fully collapsed, there are five positions to choose from. The rubber buttpad also does a great job of locking into your shoulder.

Parting Shot

All put together, the B5 Systems furniture is a great upgrade for an AK. When it comes to other modern AK furniture sets, they’re often heavier, more expensive and harder to install, with the tradeoff being that they also typically add solid rail systems for mounting optics or lasers.

Compared to those, the B5 Systems set is incredibly lightweight, easier to install and much more affordable. The grip has an MSRP of $20, the handguard has an MSRP of $40 and all versions of the buttstock have an MSRP of $125. It doesn’t give you the ability to mount an IR laser without losing zero, but most shooters don’t need that anyway. If all you’re looking for is furniture that will make your AK more ergonomic, more shootable and more customizable via M-LOK slots, B5 Systems’ set accomplishes that handily all without breaking the bank.

For more information, visit b5systems.com.

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