Few firearms carry as much mystique as the AKS-74U. Fielded by Soviet forces in Afghanistan starting in the early 1980s, the stubby little Krinkov bridged the gap between a submachine gun and a full-length rifle, and it became one of the most iconic compact firearms of the Cold War era. Palmetto State Armory has been building American-made versions of that concept under their Soviet Arms banner, and the lineup has grown to cover four calibers on the same stamped-steel platform.
All PSA Krink models share the same core architecture: an 8.4-inch, gas nitride-finished 4150 steel barrel, a hammer-forged 4340AQ front trunnion, a hinged dust cover with integrated rear sight, and a combination gas block/front sight in keeping with the AKS-74U’s original profile. The muzzle device is a period-correct Krink booster threaded M24x1.5 RH. Buyers can now choose between 7.62×39, 5.56×45, 5.45×39, and .300 Blackout, each version sharing that same compact envelope while serving meaningfully different roles. The .300 Blackout variant is particularly well-suited to suppressed use, given its subsonic capability, while the 7.62×39 option delivers hard-hitting performance that holds up surprisingly well from a short barrel.
Most configurations ship with a triangle side-folding brace, with SBR-ready models available for those who want to run a traditional 4.5mm folding stock. All of it is made in the USA.
Photo: Palmetto State Armory.
