My first extended shooting experience with the AK-47 occurred in Afghanistan in 2003. The Taliban had a lot of them, but so did the militia that were assigned to our Special Forces A-Team. Every American on the team was issued an M4 carbine, but I took an interest in the AK because just about everyone else in the country was shooting it.
Soldiers on the battlefield were allowed to pick up and use weapons they found, and it didn’t take long before I had my own AK that I could use. Our firebase had a 100-yard range attached to it, so I spent slow days at the range working on my proficiency with both the M4 and the AK. What I learned would shape what rifle I carried and when. It wasn’t until the next deployment to the same firebase in ’04 that I started carrying an AK regularly outside the wire.
The M4 that Uncle Sam issued me had the 141/2-inch barrel and a carbine-length gas system with a fixed front sight post. The suppressor was from Knight’s Armament, and it attached to the flash hider of the M4. If I zeroed my rifle without the suppressor, it would induce a 6-inch point of impact shift when attached. I quickly realized that I needed to leave the suppressor attached all the time, every day, so that I could hit whatever I was shooting at. Also, most of our activity was at night, which is when I need as much signature reduction as possible so that anyone shooting at me would have difficulty locating my position. The problem with the suppressor was its inclusion added a ton of weight, and about 7 inches in length to the gun. The M4 carried like a Kentucky long rifle, especially when getting in and out of the truck. I decided the M4 would be my nighttime gun and that I should look elsewhere for a daytime gun.
The solution I landed on was to use a battlefield-recovered AK-47, which was sent down to Kandahar for modification into what we called a “Krink.” The AK was a late-1950s-vintage, milled-receiver AK-47. The barrel was shortened, and a side-folding stock was attached. Folding the stock, combined with the 10-inch barrel, allowed the little rifle to ride comfortably in my lap when moving around the country during the daytime. It was also easy to get into operation since it was always in my hands. All I had to do was hop out of the truck and lock the stock in the open position before I started shooting. I carried that rifle for the last few months of my 2004 deployment to Afghanistan.
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I’ve always thought highly of that compact rifle, and I still miss it. It was a handy little thing that proved wonderfully lethal out to about 150 yards. I’m sure it would have worked further than that, but that was the longest range at which we hit the enemy. That rifle was also popular with our militia. I think they liked the idea of an American carrying the same rifle they were.
Meet The Hellpup
The AK pistol I acquired for this evaluation is remarkably similar to what I carried some 20 years ago in Afghanistan. It is made by Pioneer Arms and goes by the name of “Hellpup.” These guns are made in Radom, Poland, a location known for making military and AK-pattern firearms. Radom, and the government factory located there, built some of the highest-quality AKs ever made during the Cold War. However, the conclusion of the Cold War, and the drop in demand, meant that the government factory closed and was later relocated.
However, an enterprising individual bought the engineering drawings, some of the buildings, and many of the machines from the old factory before it moved. He then hired several key employees and put AKs back in production at the original factory using the same drawings and machines. That’s who makes the Pioneer Arms guns today.
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Prior to the Radom facility linking up with the U.S. sister company of Pioneer Arms, business with a different American distributor focused solely on low-cost guns. That distributor put lots of pressure on Radom to build them. Radom went to the engineers and asked if there was a way to keep the same performance and durability while lowering manufacturing costs. Engineers came back with the solution to make the receiver’s trunnion out of casting to create significant savings. Radom hired a British manufacturing and engineering firm to create the casting process, and Radom incorporated it into the manufacturing process. Just like other forms of material handling, following a good process creates a good result. Radom has one of the best casting processes. It heats the dies to 5,000 degrees before pouring in order to ensure no cracks or voids form in the steel. The result was a good cast trunnion that is used to build the 7.62x39mm guns. Maximum SAAMI chamber pressure for this cartridge is 45,000 pounds per square inch (psi). Cast trunnions have proven to work indefinately at that pressure.
However, the customer base spoke out against the cast trunnion and voiced concerns about long-term durability. Pioneer Arms listened. In 2023, Pioneer Arms stopped putting cast trunnions in every 7.62x39mm rifle and pistol. All centerfire rifles and pistols now use forged trunnions exclusively, putting to bed any concerns about long-term durability.
I was pleasantly surprised when I laid eyes on the Hellpup and removed it from the packaging. It was beautifully finished and had a much better trigger than anything I experienced when in the military. The Hellpup is made from all new-manufacture parts and, because of its size, can be imported as-manufactured in Poland. Most AK-pattern firearms require final assembly with some American-made parts due to 922R-compliance regulations.
The Hellpup is a commercial AKM, meaning it follows the Kalashnikov design update from 1959. This moved receiver production from milled blocks of steel to 1mm-thick stamped steel that was folded into the final shape. Guns got a lot lighter and easier to produce when this design change was implemented. While everyone loves the workmanship milled steel represents, it adds a lot of unnecessary weight and expense. I saw no difference in reliability between vintage AK47s and the AKM during my time overseas.
The Hellpup comes with iron sights and a side receiver rail for mounting optics. The receiver mount is a big deal because it makes sensible optic mounting a real possibility. Mounting an optic on an AK-pattern firearm is usually a struggle. The receiver cover lifts off the top, so attaching anything to it is doomed to never hold zero. Other mounting options include removing the rear sight and direct-mounting a plate, or installing a section of rail and attaching the optic to that. It can be a good solution, but it raises the optic high above the stock, so good head-to-stock contact isn’t possible. The final solution is removing the top handguard and fixing a rail to it. This puts the optic right above the hottest part of the gun, which can cook electronic sights if the gun is shot a lot. Pioneer Arms puts the side-mounted rail in place, allowing the shooter to mount the optic low above the receiver cover. It still requires the optic to be removed to access the receiver’s internals, but there are some elegant and efficient aftermarket solutions. If you plan on shooting past 100 yards with any AK-pattern rifle, a good optic-mounting solution is paramount. The Hellpup comes with it already installed.
Spending some time with the Hellpup at the range reminded me why I enjoyed my Afghan travel companion, my daytime go-to gun all those years ago. Even though the barrel on the Hellpup measures a short 11 inches, muzzle blast isn’t horrible as it is when a shooter fires an 11-inch Black Rifle in 5.56 NATO. One reason the 7.62x39mm is a good choice is the low chamber pressure: 45,000 psi versus 62,000 psi produced by the 5.56 NATO cartridge. It makes for a much lower projectile exit pressure, and that translates into significantly less muzzleblast. There is still a fireball, though. The Hellpup’s trigger is also much better than the AKs I encountered overseas. The test pistol’s trigger let the hammer go consistently after just a hair beyond 4 pounds, and it was smooth and grit-free. It made accuracy testing the Hellpup at 50 yards a joy.
Defensive firearms can be a complicated subject. Twenty years ago, I faced a tactical problem as a soldier that required some creativity to find a solution. The solution for me was a highly portable firearm with great lethality and pleasant table manners. It’s now available from Pioneer Arms for several hundred dollars. Not only is the price attractive, it is of a higher quality and has a better trigger and optic-mounting solution than what I dreamed up. However, I did bet my life on that old rifle a few times, and I would be comfortable doing the same with the Hellpup.
Pioneer Arms Hellpup
- Type: Gas-piston operated, semiautomatic
- Cartridge: 7.62x39mm
- Capacity: 30+1 rds.
- Barrel: 11 in.; 1:9-in. twist
- Length: 21.85 in.
- Weight: 6 lbs., 6 oz.
- Grip: Polymer, textured
- Trigger: 5 lbs. (tested)Safety: Manual striker block; trigger lever; internal
- Finish: Phosphate (steel)
- Sights: Adjustable, post/notch
- Safety: Two-position selector
- MSRP: $600
- Manufacturer: Pioneer Arms, 386-290-0379, pioneerarmsus.com
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