Kalashnikov USA – Modified Wooland KR-9S

• Custom Cerakoted by Rifle Supply Cerakote
• US-made semi-auto Vityaz clone
• Chambered in 9mm

If you were given a blank canvas to create a custom gun, which platform would you choose? An AR, a Glock, an 870, or something else? In our case, we went straight for Kalashnikov USA’s KR-9, and more specifically, its KR-9S variant. The KR-9 is essentially an AK that’s chambered in 9mm. If that sounds like a recipe for fun, you would be correct; it’s a real hoot to shoot.

The customized rifle featured here is the result of months of work—and waiting. Such as it is with most things in life, this camo’d-out KR-9S took a bit longer to complete than we expected, but the results were worth the wait. We’ll follow up by saying that if you’re an AK purist, this build may not be your cup of tea, but we think it’s good to exercise our creative side and have some fun with gun customizations.

Thanks to inspiration gained from perusing the many amazing rifle builds shared on Instagram, along with the help of the talented artists at Rifle Supply, we were able to put together this one-of-a-kind KR-9S carbine. Before we delve deeper into this particular build, let’s find out more about Kalashnikov USA.

The KR-9 is a product of Kalashnikov USA (KUSA), an American company that is dedicated to building the Russian-style arms that we can’t get enough of right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. The name may sound familiar, but KUSA is not associated with the original Kalashnikov Concern in Russia. You can think of its firearms as American-made second cousins to the Russian originals.

KUSA also offers a 9.25-inch-barrel KP-9 pistol and KR-9 SBR, as well as a 16.33 California version KALI-9, but the focus of our custom build is the KR-9S, a model that features a faux suppressor-equipped, 16.33-inch barrel and a folding triangle stock. It looks a lot like a PP-19 Vityaz sub gun if you ask us, but it fires in semi-auto only. Although you can consider it a clone of a Saiga-9 or Vityaz, it does not lack in quality. It’s made in America after all, so we’d argue that its quality may even surpass its Russian counterparts. The fit and finish of our example is second to none.

KR-9 series firearms utilize a closed-bolt, straight-blowback system. The bolt carrier and charging handle are similar to those found on other AKs, but its piston rod and rotary bolt are replaced with a weight that extends into what would usually be the gas tube. The extra weight helps cycle 9mm cartridges smoothly and efficiently, even high-powered loads. 

KR-9 and KP-9 also share triggers and safeties similar to the AK-74 rifle and take most aftermarket parts that you’d be able to fit on an AK. Magazine ejection is still handled via a paddle release, same as on other AKs.

Our concept for this customized carbine was to mix some Russian pieces in with KUSA’s aftermarket factory accessories and wrap it all up in a pleasing-to-the-eye custom Cerakote job. The build began almost a year ago with ordering parts from Russia. As you can imagine, sourcing Russian parts has been difficult due to the war in Ukraine.

Luckily—and unluckily—we had an order placed with premier AK accessories maker Zenitco since November of 2021, three months prior to the current hostilities. We were lucky because we did place our order way before the shit hit the fan, but unlucky because so many parts were backordered and our final pieces didn’t leave Russia until late February, which is when things really heated up.

Our parts were delivered a good six months after they were ordered. These included Zenitco’s B-21M railed handguard, which was designed for the Vityaz SN and Saiga-9. It fit our KR-9 without issue. We also picked up the RK-6 handstop, which has an angled cut in it to clear magazines when they are released. There were two more Zenitco items we installed onto the KR-9S, but we’ll get into those later on.

Getting parts from KUSA, on the other hand, was as easy as can be. Everything we wanted was in stock and showed up less than a week after we ordered it. We picked up almost every upgrade part that KUSA offers for the KR-9 platform. With parts in hand, we were ready to get started.

Before assembly, we had to decide on a Cerakote color and pattern to coat the rifle and some of its accessories with. After some deliberation, we decided to go with the classic M81 U.S. Woodland camouflage pattern. We approached Charles “Chuk” Loeb, master painter at Rifle Supply Cerakote, and devised a different approach to the classic pattern. We decided on metallic shades of Cerakote to give the camo a bit more shine and personality. We also brought an AKM laminated wood grip to color match, as we wanted to incorporate more of the “orangey” wood color for some added color and contrast.

We discussed leaving the Zenitco parts uncoated. Partially because we may want to transfer them onto a different build in the future, and also because they have become quite the commodity. On top of that, we like the look of Zenitco’s Russian markings on these parts. Loeb told us that his team could Cerakote the parts, then go back and laser-etch the markings back onto them. Once we heard that, we gave him the go-ahead to Cerakote the handguard and handstop. We were excited to see how all of it would turn out.

After about a five-week wait for Cerakote and laser etching, the Woodland-coated KR-9S was finally unveiled to us. Loeb’s modified Woodland camo looks great in metallic tones. The Rifle Supply crew really did a great job with not only custom mixing a shade of Cerakote to color-match the front end with the orange tones of the wood grip, but also etching Zentico’s markings accurately back onto the rail and handstop. Shout out to Anthony Diaz for the precision laser work. The team really knocked the custom work out of the park.

Let’s take a look at what this upgraded KS-9S entails. From the tip, you’ll see KUSA’s knurled aluminum faux suppressor. It hides the length of barrel from muzzle end to the gas block and is internally threaded so it can easily be swapped out for a muzzle device. Next, you’ll come across the Zenitco BM-21M quad rail, which fits not only Zenitco parts such as the RK-6 handstop but standard Picatinny accessories as well.

The original gas tube was replaced in favor of KUSA’s left-side charging handle assembly. This non-reciprocal charging handle allows the user to charge and lock back the bolt from the left side. We can confirm that the “HK slap” can be done with it, which never gets old.

We do however have to report that its action isn’t the smoothest and seems to bind in some areas on our rifle when pulling it rearward. Perhaps getting more rounds through it will help smooth it out. The cheese grater top cover comes standard with the assembly but was also Cerakoted to match the wood grip.

Moving to the receiver, you’ll find KUSA’s AK 2.0 Elite drop-in flat-faced trigger and short-stroke buffer. The trigger experts at CMC make this unit, so you know it’s a good one. We were able to install this drop-in unit without issue. Its pull is light and its reset is clean; in fact, it’s the best AK trigger we’ve ever tried.

It is available in 2.5- and 3.5-pound pull weights. The addition of KUSA’s nitrile rubber short-stroke buffer, supplied by Rifle Dynamics, decreases carrier movement and allows for shorter split times on target. The carbine’s recoil impulse is a bit sharper with it installed, but the increase in faster and more accurately placed hits is a worthwhile trade-off.

The flared magwell and oversized ambi release are also both from KUSA. We love the look and the quick reloads this duo allows us. On the right side of the receiver, you’ll notice that we installed KUSA’s extended charging handle and a Krebs enhance safety lever. The generous surface area of the enlarged handle provides the shooter greater leverage, making the bolt easier to manipulate.

We had an issue with the safety lever not working with the drop-in trigger, however. After an e-mail to KUSA’s customer service department, the situation was quickly remedied and a replacement safety was sent out that solved the situation.

Up top, you’ll find KUSA’s BARS Advanced Combat Micro Optic. The BARS was designed to provide high reliability on AK-pattern firearms. This shock- and water-resistant sight utilizes a simple 3 MOA red dot and a large 26mm aperture for a wide field of view. Slung under the handguard is a Zenitco Perst-4 laser device.

This small yet powerful unit allows for both IR and green laser targeting capabilities. It’s mounted to a Zenitco B-9AK flashlight mount and controlled via remote switch. The railed mount didn’t originally clear the faux suppressor, so it had to be machined to fit.

If you’re wondering what the label on the left side of the front trunnion is all about, it’s a custom UID tag that we had made at Carolina Laser Works. UID tags are custom etched onto .005” thick Mil-Spec anodized aluminum and contain information such as a firearm manufacturer’s CAGE code and firearm part and serial numbers. LaRue Tactical IndexClips were attached to the Pic rail to not only save our hands from the rail, but to manage the Perst-4’s remote switch wires for a clean, tucked-away look.

Including the time we waited for the parts to arrive from Russia, the Woodland KR-9S project was a little over a year in the making. We think the results speak for themselves. It’s a fun gun to shoot and a great conversation piece at the range. Kalashnikov USA offers a fantastic rifle in the KR-9S. It proved to be the perfect blank canvas for this customization project. Text by Martin Anders & Images by Michael Grey

Build Sheet

Kalashnikov USA – Modified Woodland KR-9S

Specifications
Base Rifle: Kalashnikov USA KR-9S
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 30+1 
Minimum Length: 25.25 in.
Maximum Length: 34.5 in.
Weight Unloaded: 8 lbs, 6.5 oz. 
Barrel Length: 16.33 in.
Coating: Cerakote by Rifle Supply Cerakote in Modified M81 US Woodland pattern

Featured Accessories
Optic: Kalashnikov USA BARS Advanced Combat Micro Optic
Laser: Zenitco Perst-4
Handguard: (lower) Zenitco BM-21M (upper) Kalashnikov USA left-side charging handle w/bolt hold open

Parts & Accessories: KUSA KP-9 extended charging handle, KUSA/RD 9MM KP-9 short-stroke buffer, KUSA AK 2.0 Elite trigger, KUSA magwell flare + ambi magazine release, KP-9 enhanced safety lever, Zenitco BM-21M rail, Zenitco RK-6 handstop, Zenitco B-9AK flashlight mount, LaRue Tactical Index Clips, AKM-AK74 laminated wood grip, Carolina Laser Works UID tag