AK stock length

A

ace4059

New member
I noticed Arsenal offers two stock lengths. NATO and Warsaw Buttstock size. I looked up the difference and the NATO is about 1-1/4" longer than the warsaw.

Since I have never held an AK, I was wondering which one to get. I am 6'4" so I was thinking the NATO length, but I am unsure. I know this is going to be a personal preference thing, but has Anyone tried both sizes and which one is best. I didnt know with the shape and design of the AK, if the shorter one is better.
 
You'll need the NATO length if you hope to achieve any stability and actually hit anything with it. I'm about 5-11 and the OEM AK stock is just about hopeless for me. I sent a real decent, fairly accurate SAR-1 down the road a few years ago because I was tired of fighting the stock, and refused to spend another c-note on furniture for it.
 
Depends how you are going to use it, and what you want out of it. I don't bench rest carbines and I like them to point quickly, so I run the stocks short. Warsaw stock on the AK, and my AR collapsible stock only runs about halfway extended. I'm 5'10"
If you're 6'4" and wider in the chest, the Warsaw stock might be fine for you. Best option is to try them both before deciding.
 
From what I read on the internet, most people that like the warsaw buttstock say they run their AR's buttstock in a closed position. This questions has been asked at least 6 times before on other forums that I read through. People that run their AR's 1/2 way extended +, were recommended to go with the NATO length. I run my AR with it atleast 3/4 extended, if not fully extended. If I run it anything less than 3/4, then I am chewing on the charging handle when shooting the gun.

I went ahead and ordered the Arsenal SGL 21 with the Nato length. I figured worst off, if it is too long, I can order the warsaw length buttstock from MidWay for $45. Looks like the gun should be here in about 2 weeks.
 
You'll need the NATO length if you hope to achieve any stability and actually hit anything with it.
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?

I bet it's perfect with a vest or body armor on. ;)

I think it's totally up to preference. I too am 5"11, and the shorter stock for me is manageable. The NATO length is much more comfortable, but different strokes, i guess.
 
The "Warsaw" length stocks are the same LOP as most other "combat" stocked rifles, including the M16/M16A1's. They are not "short".

If you shoot off a bench, they will seem short, but then again, so will most of the others. If this is how you normally shoot, then maybe the longer stock is the better choice. If you shoot the least bit realistically, its not.

If you shoulder and shoot the rifle properly, with your head down and forward, and your nose at, or along side the top cover (like the "nose to the charging handle" thing with the M16's), youre going to find the stock is just fine. Many people seem to think your cheek weld is on the higher comb towards the rear of the stock, which is incorrect. Your cheek weld is on the narrow portion of the stock, just behind the trunnion.
 
I have a question, and since I have never handled an AK it is going to seem stupid for those of you that have one. What is the round tube below the barrel? Is that a cleaning rod? Or a gas rod?
I was just wondering because I see a cleaning kit comes with the Arsenal, and I thought that would be neat if that is the cleaning rod stored below the barrel.
 
Storage for the cleaning rod.

As for NATO/Warsaw lengths, I built my Saiga a few years ago and bought the NATO K-Var for it but realized it was absurdly long for the AK platform. I sold it and bought the Warsaw length.

If I could do it over again, I'd just get an adjustable stock and be done with it. It won't look 'correct' but at least you can choose according to what sort of shooting you'll be doing that day.
 
I've got the NATO stock on my Saiga but I'd do Warsaw if I did it again. IMO, the NATO length, especially in a polymer stock, screws up the balance of the rifle.


If you use a 'bladed' or sideways shooting stance you might prefer the longer stock but if you use a squared stance definitely get the shorter one.
 
If you shoulder and shoot the rifle properly, with your head down and forward, and your nose at, or along side the top cover (like the "nose to the charging handle" thing with the M16's), youre going to find the stock is just fine. Many people seem to think your cheek weld is on the higher comb towards the rear of the stock, which is incorrect. Your cheek weld is on the narrow portion of the stock, just behind the trunnion.
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True.

Though once you hit 6'7" like me, the Warsaw type AK stocks just don't work too well. And the NATO stocks just don't feel quite right to me (as another poster said, they seem ridiculously long on the AK platform).

Oh well, different folks different strokes.
 
If you are actually going to train with/run the rifle (do shoulder transitions, etc), the shorter will probably be better.

For bench shooting, you will likely need the longer stock.
 
I finally received my AK in the mail (the differences in the two stocks)

I could not wait until I received my Arsenal AK in the mail. I went and picked it up from the FFL dealer on the 6th. The stock seemed just ok. I was not impressed with the length of the stock, but since I never held another AK before, I had nothing to compare it to. So I was rather "blind", so to speak, of the way the gun should feel on my shoulder and the overall balance of the gun. It did seem a little long so I went ahead and ordered the shorter Warsaw length stock. I thought I would give it a try and see what stock felt the best and which one was the easiest to maneuver.

I am not a huge fan of a tactical AK, I like more of the traditional look. I was wanting a nice Wooden stock set, but I could not find the color of my liking.
I looked at pictures of the TimberSmith Wood stock in the dark red and I really liked the looks of it, but Midway did not have it in the dark red. Since I was ordering the Warsaw stock from Midway, I decided to get a few more things to go along with my purchase. I settled with the Midwest Industries Quad rail, and the Arsenal K-Var scope mount Rail. I am just going to make this a practical AK that I can abuse. I will later on have to get a nice traditional AK so I can have a pretty gun for looks.

I figured since I had a hard time finding any info on the two stocks lengths (besides the 1-1/4" difference) I would give my opinions on these two and what the best accessories go with them. I am hoping the will give someone else in the future some help on deciding which stock to get.

I purchased this Arsenal scope mount and this Midwest rail

Through some trial and error, I found a few ways these item work well with each other, and how they hinder one another in different set ups. Remember I'm 6'4" and around 200 lbs. I'm fairly big and stocky. This is just my opinion on how the gun best fits me.


I found two setups that work best. Basically the two setups are either open sights or a scope. The reason for this is the two different buttstock lengths and the extra weight of the quad rail.

This is the way I recommend you running the gun if you want to use a scope. For a scope on the AK, using the Arsenal scope rail mount, I recommend the NATO stock. With the NATO stock I can comfortably mount my lower cheek on the stock and be eye level with a scope mounted on the mount. My nose is about 3" away from the back of the receiver (the top cover and push button release). I naturally have perfect eye relief and eye height when I shoulder the rifle with the NATO stock. This is very comfortable looking through a scope with this buttstock. I would only use the Scope mount with the NATO stock on it. My eye height would be too high up and I would be looking over the open sights with the NATO buttstock.

With the Warsaw stock, my face is too close for the scope mount, My nose almost touches the back (of the top) of the receiver. So I would not recommend the Warsaw stock if you want to run a Scope. Also with the Warsaw buttstock, its most comfy with my face lower on the stock, so the scope height would be too tall for me to see through it. But with the Warsaw stock, it is perfect alignment for me to see through the open sights.


Now on to the quad rail. I would only run the quad rail if I have the Warsaw buttstock. I tried the quad rail with both stocks, and it is a heavy rail. The quad rail weighs 10 ounces compared to the plastic hand guard that it replaced which only weighed 2 ounces. So it is a little heavy. But with the Warsaw stock the weight is manageable and the gun feels more balanced. Yes it does feel a little (and just a little) front end, barrel heavy. But nothing compared to when I tried it with the NATO stock. With the NATO stock and the quad rail both installed, the gun us terribly unbalanced, it feels tremendously barrel heavy and as if it's going to topple you face first into the floor when you shoulder the AK.

The most comfortable stock that feels natural is the Warsaw stock. I have perfect sight alignment when I shoulder the weapon with the Warsaw stock with open sights. I am going to use the quad rail with the Warsaw stock, and later on I might install a red dot on the rail. The only thing I wonder is if the red dot might make the barrel heavy mounted on the quad rail. I'll keep the NATO stock, factory handguards, and scope rail for later on, in case I ever want to mount a scope.

I would not recommend using the quad rail and scope mount rail together with either stock, just because of the distance issue with the Warsaw stock, or the unbalanced weight issue with the longer NATO stock.
Basically the two best methods of running the AK with the different buttstocks are;
Option 1: Warsaw stock, with the quad rail, with open sights.
Or option 2: NATO stock with scope mount and scope, with the factory hand guards.

Again this were just my results and how I thought the different stocks compared with the accessories. You opinion may vary.
 
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