Finally got this to the range. Only fired 100 rounds, but there were zero failures to feed or fire. The Phoenix Kicklite system is very effective at reducing recoil. It also cycles very smoothly and a bit on the slow side. Coupled with the fact that this rifle is rather heavy, the impulse is very mild. It feels like a nudge, rather than a punch or tap. It's comfortable enough to to shoot for hours, no exaggeration.
I switched the charging handle to the left side. Theoretically, this should shorten reload time since the left hand doesn't need to reach around to the other side of the rifle. However, because the mag-well is so tight, it's nearly impossible to quickly seat a magazine. The pivot on the mag release lever is tight, which makes removing a magazine a little slower. When you combine these factors, my overall reload time is slower than with a WASR.
The sights were pretty well zeroed from the factory. However, the sights sit too high for my cheekweld, and with the buttstock in the fully-forward position where I like it, it's very difficult to get a steady sight picture. Making matters worse, the smallest diopter (AKA peep sight) was still too big for precise shooting. I was getting 5 inch groups at 25 yards. By comparison, my 7.62x39 AR build which I also fired today, was getting 3 inch groups at 25 yards. I was using Wolf steel-cased ammo and I was firing unsupported with iron sights. But even so, I'm not satisfied with these groups. I will try again with a scope and from a rest to really test the rifle's accuracy.
The trigger is excellent. It's not too heavy, but it has very little take-up and breaks cleanly. Excellent single-stage. The reset is very tactile and loud. The only "issue" is that the reset point and the break point are basically the same. If you ride the trigger forward, as the trigger resets, it will trip the sear again. This resulted in unintentional double-taps. To avoid this, I simply released the trigger after every shot. If I pull the trigger just right, I'm pretty sure I could bumpfire.
Overall, I'm impressed with the rifle despite the little flaws. It's solid in the hand and cycles so smoothly and gently, it's simply a joy to shoot. This is the most pleasant to shoot of all my many rifles. I think I can work out the other kinks. I can open up the mag-well or just break it in by practicing mag changes. I will replace the sights or install a cheek riser. I wouldn't change anything else about the rifle.
I know for a fact that this batch of ammo has stiff primers like Wolf commonly does. My AR has an extended firing pin to improve primer strikes, but even so, failed to ignite a few rounds today. The M10X had no issues. Upon inspecting the fired primers, I found that the M10X primer strikes were larger and more crisp. The 2 on the left are from the M10X and the one on the right is from my AR. I think this is probably a good thing.
Lastly, a word about my Gibbs magazines. I only tested 2 of them today. One fed flawlessly and held the bolt open on the last shot. The other fed flawlessly, but stopped holding the bolt open after the first 30 rounds. Upon inspection, I could see that the follower was shaped somewhat differently from the one that was functioning. I also see some gouges in the back of the mag near the feed lips. But otherwise, it feeds well and it's built as well as any other COMBLOC AK mag I've seen.
Social would you want to live 40 years in the past, future, or now ?
