Review of .22 AK500

[taurean]

Hi All,

Thanks for your replies. I finally decided to part with my .22 AK500. Kovibazaar agreed to refund me the complete amount (thanks to their excellent customer service). The rifle reached them and I ordered a Precihole NX100 Polaris with walnut stock from kovibazaar itself yesterday. Waiting for the package to reach me. Meanwhile let me write a short review of the AK 500 from the brief stint I had with it.

Why I chose AK 500?
With the very little experience I had (an IHP I got a chance to shoot some years back), and filled with fascination of guns, I started searching this forum for a good AR within my humble budget of around 5K INR. Reading many expert's opinions (like Basu sir), I almost locked down on SDB sport when suddenly the AK 500 review by sathya changed my mind. It had price advantage and I really liked the finish of it and the longer stock, seeing the pictures and I ordered it from kovibazaar.

In my hands:
The package reached me within 5 days via indiapost. It was neatly packed in disassembled form (barrel and stock separated). It didn't have any branding on the card board box and had no user manual. Assemblying it was a breeze - three screws tightened and it turned into a marvellous AR. It is on the heavier side. I didn't weigh it using a scale but should be around 3.5 to 4 kg. It stole my heart at the first sight itself - except for the Agni labelling that looked a bit amateur to me. The twin barrel really gives it a large rifle feel. The barrel had really nice rifling and the stock quality was really good.. nicely polished and well built. The stock finish of the most recent IHP 35 I saw in the local armoury looked way inferior to the AK.

First shot:
The sights were average ones (not the kind of quality sight I saw in precihole in the local armoury), but does the job fine. Elevation adjustment had nice dial whereas windage needed screw driver for adjustment. Cocking the gun needed quite some effort; a thorough but uniform pull was needed. No slap required to expose the breech, possibly due to ball bearing design? I loaded it with Master shot .22 pointed hunter pellets. I prepared a tupperware box full of sponge and thermocol with a window made at the lid to fit target paper, held it at approx 6 meters distance on a stand, aimed and pulled the trigger. The trigger has quite some weight and is single stage. I heard a loud bang (no spring twang sound) with quite some smoke. I wondered for a split second if I really bought a fiream instead of an AR .. then the concept of dieseling dawned on me. The first shot was nowhere accurate but man I really underestimated the power of the rifle. It pierced all the stuffing in the box, broke the hard plastic and vanished somewhere (inside my hall). I quickly redesigned the box and reinforced it with thick steel sheets (left overs from my kitchen chimney). Even those sheets, the pellets managed to dent really hard. I cannot comment on the fps but the gun felt really powerful and the sound was sweet.

The weight of the AR felt a boon in controlling recoils in my opinion. The dieseling settled after a 100 shots or so and my accuracy improved over the week. In better hands the rifle gave more accurate results. My friend who is a rifle club member came over to see my gun and he did pretty accurate shots and had high opinion about the gun. He even insisted that I ignore the law and keep the beauty After a few days I started using it to control bandicoot rat infestation around my home. Virtually the whole ground had underground tunnels and they made a real mess around my home with their droppings. Three big fat rats in three days (trapped in cage and then shot as I didnt want to run after them in the dark. A much cleaner way to get rid of rats than torturous drowning I feel) and rat problem kind of solved now.

Over the next weekend I made a nice pellet trap using a meter box I bought from electrical shop.. Costed Rs 600 and 2 hours of my time to set up. Will post photos and DIY some time later. I shall also post a review on my NX100 once I get it delivered.

Please do post your comments/questions (no expert level questions please .. Do let me know if I should post this as a separate review thread. Unfortunately I waited to get good clicks of the AR with my SLR which never happened. I should've taken some snaps in my mobile at least before I packed and sent it back. I really hope whoever manufactures the AK brand rifles come up with .177 variants soon. I'll definitely buy one if they do.

Signing off for now

[mundaire]

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[CA_S_Mitra]

What made you my friend Taurean, to discontinue your AK 500 Agni and go for the twice expensive and lesser caliber NX Polaris?

Did the AK 500 Agni not come up to your expectations?

Please do not take me otherwise, but reviews like yours may cause any first timer to get biased and deny himself a chance to try out an actually good but inexpensive purchase than go for the most expensive item in the Indian air rifles range as his first airgun.

Those in amateur photography (and professional too) will remember in the 35mm films days, the inexpensive Asahi Pentax K1000 SLR kept giving the Japanese industry forefront models the Nikon F, FM2,FE2,FM3 and Canon F-1, A-1, AM-1 and others a very good run for the money by giving excellent results for a very meagre price in comparison. It got to be called the Volkswagen Beetle of the SLR industry!

The AK 500 Agni according to air rifle seasoned users in my circle of acquaintances is good enough for comparison with the IHP National 35 and the Tommy and ISW 35 models of the past.

CA. Shyamal K Mitra
Rajarhat, Kolkata.

[Basu]

Dear Shyamal,
AK is a good choice, no doubt about that.....
During last 2-3 yrs , there have been good ARs made in India.
This forum provides all sorts of informations about various guns.
Its good if you go through them as well.

Basu

[taurean]

Hi Shyamal,

Unfortunately I posted this review under an existing thread that was discussing issues in keeping .22 AR after the new Arms act came into picture. My review was a continuation to an ongoing dialogue. Mods moved it to a new thread. Well to sum it up, I had ordered AK 500 without knowing the new Arms ACT and it was only after I got it delivered that I realized keeping .22 is considered similar to owning a firearm without license. It was only because of this new ACT and that AK do not produce .177 model that I returned it. The gun is awesome to the price tag and I would definitely recommend it to anyone buying a .22 AR.

I chose precihole NX100 due to 1) Its well regarded as one of the sharpest guns. Price I agree is more than twice that of AK. 2) My next choice was SDB. However none of my local armories sold SDB and so I was apprehensive of service and parts. Precihole dealer is within easy reach.

I got my NX100 + walnut stock last week and fired more than 100 shots. I'll post a review with pics when I can find some time over the next few weekends.

Thanks
Saju

[CA_S_Mitra]

Dear Basu and Taurean.

Thanks for your responses.

I wish to inform you that I have already made an online purchase of an AK 550 Underlever AR from Kovibazaar last week. I am expecting delivery soon.

The law is yet to ban the sale/purchase of 0.22 bore airguns as I have been informed by my acquaintances and friends at Kolkata, one of them being an ex employee of the famous R B Rodda and Co (these days not selling guns) and A T Daw & Co.

As I am a newbee here, i shall be very obliged by both of you and other learned members of this forum befriend me and share valuable information on airguns.

Mr. Basu (Sorry your first name is not known to me), I have gone through many of your posts. You appear to me as a legendary enthusiast and a seasoned shooter. I have sent you a friendship request.

Thanks & regards.

CA. Shyamal K Mitra
Rajarhat,Kolkata.

[Basu]

I am an Air Rifle Enthusiast.
My experience is limited to Indian made guns only.
But I have close interaction with a few IFgians , who have imported stuffs.
You are lucky to stay at rajarhat. A green landscape is very much near your place .
I have to negotiate with factory shades , where puff of dust gives me indication where i did hit actually .

Basu

[taurean]

Hi Shyamal,

I read good opinion about AK 550 while searching for ARs (before I bought my Agni 500) in online forums. Read some concerns on possible seal leak generally with tap loaders. Those are more of suspicion than direct experience I believe. Rest I read good about this model. Please do post a detailed review with pix when you find time. Regarding the law, I too hope it won't cause much hassle to hobbyists and enthusiasts like us.

Regards,
Taurean

[taurean]

Hi folks,

Happy news. AK started .177 cal production. I just saw an AK 500 agni in .177 cal listed at Kovibazaar. Confirmed with Kovi that they have it in stock. Tempted to place order but will wait for a while and see how much time i get to use my preci NX100. If any of you planning to buy .177 AR, do give this a shot and let us know.

Thanks,
Taurean

[CA_S_Mitra]

Yesterday afternoon, the Kovibazaar people got my ordered AK 550 AR delivered at my Delhi office address in fully assembled form and pristine cardboard packing by the GATI logistics.

I have come to like this second under lever airgun from the very first look.

Although much heavier and larger in size than the New Light .22 smooth bore underlever, I had used 30 years back, this one has the looks of my Model 45 ISW .22 AR that performed better than the .22 National Model 35 IHP Air Rifle and weighed approximately equal to this AK 550 underlever.

The rearsight is perfectly precalibrated to align with the muzzle end front sight stub's top ball and the spring (tougher to ram the underlever pushed back piston head than my earlier owned New Light underlever smooth bore .22) and the pellet placer on the barrel breech top (levered by a circular disk on the breech side (in stead of the simple two way minute lever as was in the New Light .22 bore airgun) is a left handed and a bit cumber some attachment.

My first shot at a target at a 45 meters distance (a black 1 inch dia circle painted at the bottom of a Nestle coffee can with the lid closed and lying on a wall with its bottom facing me was an accurate success! The .22 G Smith & Co pellet had pierced the lid on the other end of the empty can which though pressed and shut tightly had fallen off separated. A second observation was that this AR gave me a greater recoil to my shoulder by its stock and had a louder air sound.

At my age of 59 now the handling of the weight of this underlever is tough. Thank God I did not go for its double (false) barrelled sister the AK 500 Agni. That would have been a tougher job for me to yank and break the barrel to push back the spring. That AR I have been told is as heavy as the AK 550 and sports an equally hard spring.

So friends that is my detailed review on the Kolkata made AK 550 Underlever AR. I of course miss a practical feature that both the New Light underlever and the ISW model 45 had inbuilt. That is the two rings for a shoulder strap to carry the AR on my back, one that was appended from a circular stub welded/screwed under the muzzle end of the barrel and the other screwed under the shoulder piece of the wooden stock. You can not expect to carry the the heavy AR around at all occasions on long hikes.

So my question to the airgun maestro Mr. Basu of Kolkata and other knowledgeable members of this forum is whether these rings can be mounted on this AR especially on its muzzle end by a pair of circular metal clasps held together by screws at bottom and having a hole to screw mount a key ring that can support a shoulder holster? The stock end ring can be a screw ended steel ring that we mount on doors and wooden surfaces to mount curtain springs/ropes. I will take my AK 550 to Kolkata gunsmiths.gun sellers if my query is not satisfactorily answered here.

Thanks.

CA. Shyamal Mitra
Rajarhat, Kolkata.

[sam 47]

My first shot at a target at a 45 meters distance (a black 1 inch dia circle painted at the bottom of a Nestle coffee can with the lid closed and lying on a wall with its bottom facing me was an accurate success! The .22 G Smith & Co pellet had pierced the lid on the other end of the empty can which though pressed and shut tightly had fallen off separated
CA. Shyamal Mitra
Rajarhat, Kolkata.

First shot from an unbroken in air rifle of near or sub 12 fpe, using 18+ grain .22 pellets with looping trajectory and iron sights, hitting a one inch circle at 45 yards!!??
I could not hit anything but a 2 inch diameter nivea cans at 40 m with iron sighted precihole scorpius and united shot super dyna pointed pellets and that too required a decent amount of holdover as my gun was zeroed at 15.5 m/51 feet.
Sir, you ought to be in the special forces serving as a sniper or you should begin competitive shooting.

[soumen]

Please check the link....http://www.kovibazaar.com/spares/others ... -kari-hook

Soumen

[Basu]

Dear Shyamal,
Congrats for your new buy.
AK 500/550 all are on heavier side.
The weight helps to gain shot to shot consistency.
You always enjoy better , if fired from bench rest.
Off hand shooting will be surely tiring.
Over all AK is a nice and accurate gun.Our Sathiya is a great fan of AK.
Hope the gun is 4+ kgs .
You get "Kari" , that is hook , that fastens sling , in the gun shop in Kolkata.The issue is , in a under lever it has to be clamped on fixed barrel.Due to the presence of under lever , probably it should be fixed sideway ,so that the Kari does not interfere in the free movement of the under lever.
Fixing of hook on the butt is pretty easy, just drill the wood and screw it tightly.
It seems that you stay at Delhi mostly and you have a range of 45 mts .That makes me drool.
One unsolicited advice to you , at your age, any lighter AR is desirable which will give you tireless shooting for hours.
As sam47 pointed out , you are gifted by eyes and hands , that helped you hit the target on the first go.
Enjoy....

Basu

[CA_S_Mitra]

Thank you, SAM 47 for your appreciative and kind comments.

Being a sniper,God forbid, is not what I will ever want to be because it needs a hard heart to kill the object on the receiving end, and I have not killed a single small animal with a gun or a sling (though practice with both has been a pastime for a long time) whether a dove or a pigeon or a rabbit called small game by airgun owners in general. God may prevent me from killing an animal merely to try and improve my aim and sight! My heart, a soft one from birth, has been further softened by cardio-surgery.

As for a steady hand and eyesight, well I have had progressive myopia since school days and my present lenses for far viewing measure -6 dioptres and my practice to hold my breath and keep my hands steady while using a heavy 300-400mm SLR zoom lens (about 900gms) bayoneted on a Nikon FM2 SLR (650 gms with a winder mounted under) without any tripod or armrest and get football field shots with perfect panning and perspective for many a years of active photography has still kept me at ease in these 59 years of life to hold an AR steady and pointed.

Thank you Soumen dear, for sending that Kovibazaar link for Airgun Kari - hook. I have placed a paid order with them for this item that has cost me Rs.180.00 and Rs.65.00 for shipping, in advance. Let's see when this arrives at Kolkata. Whether before my return on the 26th or after,

Dear Basu, (I am dying to know your name) I am touched by your valuable advice on my age and the use of a heavy airgun.

To be honest with you, I had a heart attack in November 2014 and a 98% blockage in my heart's Lower Downward Artery was detected and my luck was that my cardio-surgeon at Fortiss New Delhi had promptly done an angioplasty and inserted a stent in the blocked artery then and there after hospitalization and let me live onwards.

After that surgery I am on daily basis, a dose of Aspirin combined with a vascular statin compound, fat free diet mostly of boiled veg and chicken (and small fish - chuno poonti while at Kolkata) and no fried food like paranthaa or poori or pulao or Elish/Bhetki fry and avoidance of sweets. The other forbidden acts are lifting and forced yanking or pulling of any thing and sprinting or brisk walking on treadmill that had been my past fitness routines and no visits to the gym as well. I am only allowed to take slow and long morning/evening walks (no jogging) and stop even this exercise after getting tired out or the breathing getting fast.

Your suggestion for using a resting pod is very practical for me. I have browsed the internet and found a Mumbai made steel rest that offers both the barrel and the stock cushioned rests, albeit the image shows a gadget that may be of half the weight of my AR and cause a headache for carrying around in tandem. The cost is Rs. 4750.00. I shall visit the Calcutta gun sellers to find lighter and less expensive alternatives.

CA. Shyamal K Mitra
Rajarhat. Kolkata.

[sam 47]

Sir, sorry to know about the heart ailment. Shooting is a sport that requires lowering of the heartbeat for proper hitting when a certain degree of proficiency is reached. Practicing offhand shooting with a heavy AR builds the stamina and strength and when you move to a lighter AR , it will make you a much better shot . I practiced with my 5.8 kg gd 600, which makes aiming with the Artemis a breeze. Even though i have retired it with honours, i still practice the offhand hold with it. But the problem is if you shoot more than 30 shots per session offhand with 4+ kg ARs, you will run out of breath completely & the muscles of the arms and core muscles begin to give in.
For the current AR, while shooting offhand, try to form a V with the left hand, placing the palm in front of the trigger guard and elbow on the rib cage. This hold generally works well with these heavier ARs, . If it is uncomfortable or inaccurate you can always slide the offhand to the fore end of the stock.
I presume that it is a taploader, and therefore I advise you to give pointed pellets with thin skirts a try. they tend to work very well with tap loader under levers. I would be eager to know what size target you can hit consistently with open sights at 45-50 yards & at what distance the gun can put one hole groups on paper.
I would be also be obliged if you can post a few pics of the AR especially the taploader mechanism and tell me how exactly the pellets are loaded as all of mine are break-barrels.