Hello, I recently purchase a MKA 1919, but have not yet had the opportunity to fire it. To start, your review was excellent. I was curious if you had fired the shotgun from the same location using the same type shell to see how well the choke tubes worked. I believe you mentioned the improved cylinder tube was installed, but was curious if you had checked the pattern with the modifed and full choke? I am not sure of the production date (I recall reading the first shipment had jewel looking inlays for the saftey selector markings, and the 2nd having the red and white paint, mine has the paint. The point being, the wear area you mention, on mine (if I am understanding the location you are speaking of) is not painted (or coated), but rather has more of a polished look. I am wondering if this is intended to address that issue? I would like to find a good set of iron sites compatible with the gun, the rear is no issue due to the rail, but I am not positive what might be a good choice for the front, any thoughts? The only thing I have noticed so far, with the bolt retracted and the empty clip installed, the bolt release is so tight I cannot get it to release, I am assuming this is due to the pressure from the mag follower. I hope loading/firing will help loosen this up. Again thanks, and I look forward to any information you can offer.
JH, Thanks for the positive feedback. I didn't go through a patterning routine because I believe the primary use for this shotgun would be a tactical use. I did check the chokes diameters and feel they were close enough to industry standards. You are correct about the early models having jewel inlays. There may be a chance that your shotgun is one that has already undergone a mod for the wear area. After you shoot yours, you will need to disassembly and look at the upper surface inside the upper receiver to see if there is any wear. I'm not sure of a good choice for a replacement front sight. You may consider an accessory rail for a shotgun and then mount the rail on top. Then you would have to work with getting a height combination similar to that of your rear sight. It may be a little odd looking. My plan is to go with some type of optic. You have a good point about the bolt release with an empty clip. Mine was the same and I believe this is because the spring force from the magazine is working to resist you pushing the bolt release lever.
Good review. I purchased an MKA 1919 in Feb. of 2012. The shotgun had a few problems so I contacted RAAC and they took care of all the problems free of charge. Since then I have shot over a 100rd of shells with no problems. (slugs, buck shot, BB's and no.8 shot. Both 3in and cheap 2 3/4). I have also interchanged the mags. with no problems. There are 10rd mags. out there, but a bit to pricey for me. Thanks again for doing such a good review and posting all those pictures.
I know this review was 3 years ago but, what exactly did you do to contact raac and fix problems you were having? I'm having problems with stovepipe shells and feeding issues. It really annoying because I feel the gun has great potential but, the performance is an issue.
I purchased mine in 01/12 and have fired 300-400 rounds of slugs and 00 buck shot in three range sessions. I have also experienced the metal shaving from the inside top of the aluminum receiver and the loosening of the handguard nut and gas retainer nut. During all three sessions, after about 50 rounds fired i would begin to have light primer strikes resulting in failure to fire, which would get more frequent during the session. Some other owners attribute this to a weak hammer spring, but i also found that the firing pin is off center in the bolt channel and is probably draging. I too really like this shotgun, but there does seem to be significant differences in manufacturing tolerances from gun to gun. So far, about as many people have reported some or all of these problems as have reported no problems. If and when the manufacturer refines the gun and adresses these problems i think i would try another one, but for $700.00 i really expected more out of this one.
Follow up on my review of May,12,2012: I found out that the the hammer spring is indeed too weak. The firing pin trunions on the hammer are a larger diameter than on an AR-15, so i took my hammer to a local machine shop and had the trunions turned down to .030 and installed a Wolff extra power AR-15 hammer spring. I also wrapped 4 turns of plumbers teflon pipe tape around the threads for the gas tube nut and handguard nut, then tightened the nuts down with channel locks. I took the 1919 back to the range and fired over 100 rounds of slugs and buck with NO light primer strikes, NO failure to fire and the nuts did NOT loosen. The teflon tape is easily removed and replaced with new tape for cleaning and i could not find any ill effects from the heavier spring. I also noticed that that i also experienced the metal shaving from the top inside of the reciever, which seems to have stopped progressing. I also can not release the empty mag and have not tried to address it.
Sorry, i need to edit this review: Second sentence- "The firing pin trunions", should be changed to "The hammer pin trunions and "the trunions turned down to .030" Should be changed to "the trunions turned down .030". I was trying to type too fast for my thoughts to keep up.
Thanks for taking the time to provide this kind of detailed info on the shotgun. At the moment I'm working on a writeup to convert the shotgun (at minimal cost) to be legal for high capacity magazines. I sent a letter to the ATF to get them to make an official call on the imported parts in the shotgun. I'm also working to get some hybrid high capacity magazines (partly imported and partly american made parts). I hope to complete this within this next month. At that time I head back to the range and will give your teflon tape trick a try. Thanks again.
I did the 922r upgrades you outlined in Part7 and found that i needed to "break in" the new gas piston, which seemed a little tighter than the factory one, with 50 rounds of high brass slugs before it ran reliably with low brass target loads again. I initially got some stovepipe ejection jams, which disappeared after the short break in. Now i have my flash hider installed, just need a railed handguard and high cap mags to complete my gun.
Just a thought for you, go to www.centerfiresystems.com. They have a long & short hand rail that goes for 200.00, I bought the long one which turned out to be about three inches shorter than the plastic one. One thing I really liked is when you take off the carry handle the rails line up perfect front to rear. Another plus is it has three rails, top bottom and side, the other side which can be changed to either side has another charging handle. The new nut on the out side of the handguard comes with a allen screw in the end, this solves the problem of coming loose. I am completely satisfied with this rail, ckeck it out you may like it too. Kind regards Ed.
Sorry guys, I just realized I had already told you about the front rail. Too late to take it off now. But I will say it still looks cool and performs great. Thanks everyone, Later!
Took my MKA 1919 to the trap range today. This was the first time I shot it. I used heavy load 7.5 shot and it locked back each time. A simple rubber band kept the shells from ejecting. I installed a $100 truglow sight red dot to it (Weaver mount) and started busting clays. The rail is not standard picatinny I don't think, my reflex sight would not clamp on to it using the throw lever mount. I installed the modified choke and I was doing very well (I am not a good trap shooter). So far so good and I will keep a lookout for the problems mentioned above. It certainly made an impression on the people I was shooting with!
Also, I get most of what you are telling me (teflon tape and wolf extra power spring I understand) Channel locks? Trunions? Were they turned to .030 or were they turned down 0.03?
anyone know of a single point sling attachment that would work? Went to the trap range again. Gets people talking for sure. Positive comments especially when I tell them the price.
oh great, that is the adapter I ordered. Well this should be interesting. Upside is that it will be rock solid when I have it threaded through. When I was trap shooting, the 3 point strap just gets in the way.
Went to the trap range with my new 1 point sling and poly choke 2. The sling works fine except I am not tall enough. It rides very low to the ground. I am going to see if I can't tighten up the strap around the gun. Just a little should help. I have it fixed now but I had the poly choke on extra full. Big mistake, couldn't hit anything. I will try it next week on improved modified, that should helps. Since it was warm, we had the trap range to ourselves so I could load the magazine to see how it cycled. Worked great, no problems other than I forgot my earplugs the first shot. Cant wait to try it next week!
Anyone try any new chokes for it? I tried the Polychoke which is made for the Akdel but it is just too tight for my weak wrists to adjust it. I shot 25 rounds through but it is still locked tight. I would like a quality extended choke for it for trap shooting. The modified choke it comes with works fine, I would like an improved modified for it is all. Maybe a skeet also.
Hi, Kevin, after some mods i found here and elsewhere, i finally got my 1919 running like a sewing machine with any low and high brass i could feed it. I decided to go ahead and do the 922r upgrades you posted in Part 7. I installed the Tromix trigger, disconnector, gas piston and mag floorplate. Went to the range today to try it out. I started with Federal low brass target loads and got stovepipe ejection jams every round. Switched to Federal military 00 buckshot, then Remington sluggers, fired 25 rounds of each with no stovepipes. Switched back to the target loads and fired 100 rounds with no stovepipes. (I do not have the so called "low brass washer" installed.) I'm thinking that the new gas piston, which seemed to fit a little tighter than the factory one, just needed a little breaking in. I installed a choke adapter and short birdcage flash hider i found at Carolina Shooters Supply and everthing is good. All we need now is a reasonably priced railed handguard and high cap mags. I love this shotgun.
I bought a front hand guard from center fire, I had to take the gun apart to install it. It has three rails, bottom top and on one side. It has a front cocking lever which can be put on either side which I really like, this is why it don't have a fourth rail on the front. They have a short or long version of this hand guard, I bought the long so nothing had to be changed on the gas system. The long version is about three inches shorter than the original guard. This changes the whole look of the gun, I also added a large mag release botton, a larger charging handle and a screw in flash hider. The front hand guard run two big ones, but believe me it looks and works great , well worth the money. Now, I wish Tapco or someone would come out with a reasonable cost ten rd mag.
Hey guys, centerfire systems and carolina shooters now has oem factory 10rd mags for $70 + shipping. They say it will hold 2 3/4 & 3in shells. Beats the others I've seen for $140. Done got mine on the way.
I over tightened my polychoke (oops), I sent it back to get it repaired which they were kind enough to do. When I was shooting trap and loading through the breech, the 3" magazine seemed to work better than the 2.75" magazine. (I was using 2.75" shells) I want to try 5 stand with it. It should be a great 5 stand gun although the traditionalists at the range may have an issue with it. Will adding a polychoke create any 922r issues?
Anyone try installing flip up rear iron sights for it? Will they line up with the front sight? Can you buy a real ar15 front sight for it?
This is not legal advice and I suggest you contact the AFT directly on the legal answer, but I believe adding a sporting style choke would not create 922r issues.
Adding a red dot sight would not create any 922r issues. Sights are not listed as the 20 items per Title 27 C.F.R. 478.39 so they would not be considered an imported part when counting parts. Red dot sights are also becoming more popular in the sporting industry and I feel will always be considered a "sporting purpose" sight.
Thank you for the response. A couple questions about loading the magazines. In my limited experience, it appears to me high brass shells would be easier to load because you wouldn't have to slide the next shell over the plastic/brass meeting point. I can't afford to shoot high brass all of the time but reloading them is quite doable I would think.
Also, would leaving a magazine loaded over time crimp the top shell? I heard the Saiga magazines will but I can't see where that would happen withe MKA magazines.
Thanks Kevin. I was thinking spraying it with dry lube might work too. For now, I will just leave it dry and see what happens. I added an optic and removed the carry handle. I did add a riser to rail so the red dot could clear the front post with room to spare. When I was shooting trap, the post got in the way. Should be good now. I am reading your 887 review now.
I purchased it and after shooting approx 50 rounds of heavy dove it jams regularly. I'm a little weary of taking it apart to clean it because I may not be able to reassemble it. Any advice?
Cleaning it so it will cycle is pretty easy. You should not have to separate upper from the lower to fix a jamming problem imho. Depends how it jams I guess. I would take off the barrel and inspect the 2 gas ports to see if they are clogged. The other thing is to review the pictures here to make sure everything is installed correctly. I think mine was crossthreaded when it was installed. Worked OK but was a pain to unscrew. You can use teflon tape on the threads to keep everything tight, if gas is escaping out that way, this will stop it. I was shooting 3 and 1/4 DE heavy game loads with no trouble but was not rapid firing. The only other thing I can think of is the magazine. I was using the 3" magazine while shooting 2 3/4 (I swear I checked!). Oops...
I agree. Cleaning and making sure it is assembled properly is the key. Also you need to check your gas regulator nut to make sure it is not working loose. At this point, mine has been well broken in. It is shooting regular cheap loads without issue.
Jamming issues I have experienced are mostly due to operator error. Usually not having the stock firmly on my shoulder or having a limp wrist. So if the above doesn't work, maybe have someone with more experience have at it and see what happens. At a local firing range, I was ready to dump my pistol but the guy working there showed me what I was doing wrong and now I love it. He saved me a lot of money by doing that.
and 1 other thing. This is my first experience trying to load a box magazine with rimmed ammunition. Making the shells are lined up correctly be much harder than I expected. It always seems like 1 shell wants to nose down which I know will cause a jam.
I just purchased a MKA 1919 12GA for only 579.99 at CheaperthanDirt.com!! Everyhting came in good and I took it our to break it in with the 3-4 boxes the same day to break in the gun as advised by in the manual. I had a few issues with the gun feeding correctly, but it was the break in period so I can't complain really. It seemed as though I had more problems with the magazines failing to feed the shells to the receiver more than the gun's action actually failing (note: the magazines aren't the best). I plan on actually using my MKA 1919 for hunting and sporting purposes and from the little bit of skeet shooting I did do, I believe once I get a red dot on it and get used to the gun, I'll be shoot skeet out of the sky all day. Overall I thought the gun way really fun to shoot and was a pretty reliable action so far and I know time will tell but I think this gun will become more and more reliable as it gets broken in and hopefully will not have any malfunctions.
Hello, I enjoyed reading these posts, and wanted to thank all for the great tips and tricks so far. I bought this model a few weeks ago and am very pleased for the price, but like many, I saw a few sticking points that needed to be taken care of. From the outside in, here is what I found with mine, and what I did to take care of it.
1: Sharp seams from the moulded lower; 0000 steel wool fixed that quickly. 2: Safety was sloppy; A small ball bearing and stronger spring beneath the screw helps. 3: Creepy trigger; Remove the hammer, take a polishing felt on a dremmel to the lock surface of the sear and disconnect part of the hammer. VERY SLIGHTLY round the breaking edge of the hammer-side sear catch; so as to make a clean break with no drag or creep. 4: Shells failing to chamber/ jammed at breech; Remove barrel and feel breech and chamber leading edge with finger, it is very sharp and so is the relief cut for the extractor. VERY CAREFULLY use fine rock on dremmel to chamfer and radius these sharp edges and radius the extractor relief cut. Then use the felt polisher to FINELY polish all surfaces here. Shells will now feed so smoothly you would think they really wanted to be in there all along. 5: Shell deformed, and scraped from back to front, sometimes leaving shavings, sometimes just burrs one quarter inch long causing failure of bolt to close fully; This is caused by the bolt carrier, leading edge.(You can see the razor sharp culprit with the bolt closed, mag removed, and looking into magwell); To fix, pull the bolt carrier and bevel this edge to a nice 45 degree angle, and radius it well trailing back towards the rear of the carrier. When done, polish and de-burr the whole thing. It will no longer cause deformed or burred cases. 6: Metal shavings in receiver; These shavings are the inside of your upper being eaten away by your bolt lock (silver piece inside of the bolt) upon recoil. Radius and polish the sharp edge of the lock lug to remedy that.
In my opinion, most commonly experienced maladies with this firearm stem from a simple need for some TLC, 000 steel wool and fine valve finishing compound to most mating surfaces, good cleaning, and a long break-in period with high brass loads to work it in. Also, some weight in the stock helps with cycling, as does a rock solid hold and lean in while shooting. You need to make that bolt suck up the recoil to cycle properly, so dont let it move you instead.
I really hope this helps with anyone who may be having similar issues, all of mine are cleared up now.
B.C., Thanks for taking the time to add the tips! I agree with the TLC, cleaning and long break-in. That is a good point about keeping a firm shoulder.
I would like to put the Tromix trigger & disconnect and gas valve in my MK 1919, so I can use my 10 round mag, and perhaps to have the tweaking suggested by B.C. Anon also done. I don't know enough about the gun to feel comfortable doing the tweaking or changing out the trigger & disconnect. I have no gunsmithing experience. Does anyone know of a gunsmith in Northern California that knows enough about the MKA 1919's to do this work? MickfromNapa
Kevin, as noted earlier in the comments, there is a need for replacement handguards and hi-cap mags. Thought i would pass on some info on a couple of new sources just coming on line. One, toothandnail.com, just started shipping a one piece hand guard with multible picatinny rail combinations. I ordered one and will post my thoughts on it as soon as i can try it out. Another one is salem6.com, offering several upgrade parts. Both have stated that they will also be offering hi-cap mags and expanding their lines rapidly. I am not recommending anything, just excited about how quickly after market accessories are coming out for the platform.
Kevin,i recieved the toothandnailarmory handguard. It is very good quality workmanship. I got it with the full length top rail and short side rail on left front for a light, already installed. I put it on this morning and it fits and looks awesome. I mounted my red dot, light and a set of MI back up sights, which cowitness well. It balances very good and feels good in the hand. I like it.
Looking at the target pix with slugs groups, rear sight adj. max down vs. max up and impact going from bottom edge of paper to halfway up from bottom edge to bull's eye, and Kevin's comments about adopting a higher sight picture as a possible remedy ... how about this idea: to further raise POI up to bull's eye with rear sight at max height, why not file off a TEENSY bit of the front sight post, since it is a fixed molded part rather than the adjustables we veterans are used to from our M-16s ? That would get point of aim (B.E.) and point of impact closer, and if POI goes above B.E, stop filing and lower the rear sight a TEENSY bit to get back on the B.E. (all this is assuming the use of your favorite slug ammo at the range most likely to be used out in the boonies waiting for Bambi's grandson to wander by). Then, with a laser range finder (from a golf bag which has been retired for the season LOL), if it shows vennison at a different range than the zero, use ammo ballistics info to adjust aimpoint. (from Leon in NY)
While waiting for another commentator to see my last posting, I had another idea that could help, thanks to more online shopping and adding to lists of favs for later reference ... in lieu of shortening the front post permanently with a file, it could also be moved a tiny bit closer to the handguard ... this method, however, at least theoretically, opens up the worm can of magnifying the degree of impact error per same unit of sight picture error ... gotta love the geometry lessons sights teach, eh folks ?! LOL (I also plan to get a boresighting laser to save on ammo usage when sighting-in, and checked a golf site for laser range finders tonight, found we're way better off pricewise getting the rf from a gun stuff site and it will still find the tree behind the green, or the flagstick, or the handle of the bunker rake when not reflecting off vennison ribs or Thanksgiving dinner's head). Thanks, Kevin, for acknowledging. (Leon again)
Finally got the MKA to the range (after a couple times trap shooting with it) My friend and I put 75 rounds of 3.25 DE 7.5 shot through it along with 12 rounds of buckshot. He was a new shooter and was able to handle it just fine. Cycled just fine, no issues loading and ejecting wise. I was glad I bought extra magazines, you can shoot 5 rounds very quickly. Wish that dumb rail was mil spec... I was thinking of getting rid of it, not now!!! Too much fun!
another option on the height of front sight post / rear sight height maxed out / still impacting low issue ... add a riser mount under the carry handle, and if that's too much, move the front sight assembly a bit forward towards the muzzle ... investing in a laser boresighter would also pay for itself in ammo not fired to get sights fine-tuned (my plan) Leon again
I found a great video of a guy who shows what he did to take care of the hand guard nut coming loose.He also modified his MKA 1919 shotgun.The link is http://youtu.be/cDH9w-OrDsQ
A question for the June 7 poster who installed a Truglow red dot sight, is the Truglow sight holding up OK with the heavy 12 Gauge recoil of the MKA-1919? I was told that some of these type sights work well with 5.56/.223 AR-15 rifles, but can't tolerate the heavier recoil of a 12 Gauge. Has your Truglow sight held up and maintained its zero?
Another question for B C Anon on Sept 17. Thanks for the suggestions about cleaning up problems you posted. In your suggestions #4, 5 and 6 you said to chamfer and radius several sharp edges and to 45 degree bevel and radius the sharp edge on the bolt carrier. My question is how much of a radius or chamfer or 45 degree bevel did you do? Is is possible to post close up photographs of these modifications so we will know how much metal to remove from those sharp edges? I don't want to take off too much metal and ruin the part, as it is not clear that replacement parts are available.
The radius I put to the bolt carrier was 1/2 at the bottom. Most of the work I did was to simply knock down the edges of anything that touches the shells. I do not know how to post pics here but I can assure you that if you stick to rounding the edges rather than try to change the shape in any radical fashion, you are in no danger of needing replacement parts.
B.C. Anon, thanks for your reply. I'm not sure what you mean by a radius on the bolt carrier of "1/2 at the bottom". From your other instruction that I should "stick to rounding the edges", which sounds like about a .035 inch to .050 inch radius on other sharp edges, I assume "1/2 at the bottom" does not mean a 1/2 inch radius at the bottom. Did you mean a radius of 1/2 the bolt carrier thickness? Thanks again for your help.
I am trying to find a MKA-1919 at a reasonable price and CTD, which is where I was going to purchase it, has just stopped selling firearms due to the Newtown mess. Does anyone know of some place which has them in stock at a reasonable price?
I just purchased an Akdal MKA 1919 12 Ga. Shotgun (Black) for $699 and factory MKA1919 10 rd. Mag for 2 3/4 and 3" 12 ga. shells for $69.95 at Arms of America: http://armsofamerica.com/akdalmka191912ga.aspx
I am about to order a tactical choke which looks like an AR flash suppressor from Centerfire Systems for $39.99 (fits the MKA 1919 12 GA only): http://centerfiresystems.com/mka-tac-choke.aspx
the bolt carrier is the only one I took any great about of material from. on the sharp edge that touches the shotgun shell, I beveled and rounded to a 1/2 or 5/8 radius. On all the other parts I did as you said, breaking down the sharp edges only so they do not gouge the shells or induce a jam.
Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately the Arms of America web page says "accepting backorders" so they don't have any in stock now. Also they list the shotgun for $699. I was hoping to find a price in the $600-$620 range. $699 is the list price. CTD had them for $580 a month or so ago. I may have to wait until the Newtown scare calms down.
Ooops! Thanks for the heads-up. But I hadn't read your replies for a couple days, I've been very busy. I just called CTD and they have run out again, The lady said they got 69 in, but sold out again in a day or two. I had them add me to their email notification list so when they get more in I can order immediately. Thanks again for the heads-up.
CTD just has it back in stock for $859, $160 higher than the manufacturer's "list" price and $240 higher than they were a few days ago. I'm afraid I will have to wait, I can't afford that. My wife was pushing back at the former price of $619.
Found ONE gun shop that had 5 in stock. I bought 3(two black and one camo)Paid over $3000. Now you know why they had in stock...no one wanted to pay. Figured I'd butch up and buy. Been wanting for long time. Can't wait to modify(too bad everyone out of stock)
Just bought them yesterday. If anyone lives near Davie Florida I will publish shops name and you can check it out. They should have 2 left. Thanks for the great info here, Big Bob
For the last several weeks the CTD page says "We're sorry, but this product is no longer available." But I notice that Lanbo's Armory lists them for $666 (including shipping) and Centerfire Guns had them listed for $667 for the past week as being available in late February, but now says "out of stock". The price is still a little high, but may be coming back down.
I ordered mine from Arms of America on December 31 for $669 and it was delivered last week. I also ordered a 10 round magazine and (2) extra 5 round magazines to put blocks in to limit them to 2 rounds for hunting. Those got shipped yesterday. since then Centerfire has started advertising 2 round magazines. I may purchase those and keep the 5 round magazines as they are. I'm very happy that my orders are being filled. It just took a little patience because you have to backorder at most places.
Thanks Gunsumer! Excellent source for updating the MKA. Finally got down to 9 parts by swapping out forearm guards, Piston, Trigger, Connecter, and Mag floor plates. Can't wait to go blast some water jugs!
There is a next generation MKA 1919. It has a XN after where MKA1919 is stamped below the bolt. Do not know what the difference is. Just received 4 factory 10rnd mags from Carolina Shooters Supply. I assume they have more. Ordered forearm guard with bolt charging system from toothandnail. It's on the way. Everyone is out of stock on about all else that I want
Does anyone know what the difference in this XN model is? (No comments in a month.) Does the XN model fix the metal shavings problem that Kevin reported? Or any other changes?
I just noticed that both Salem 6 Arms and Touth and Nail Armory are offering parts that only fit the newer XN model. But nowhere can I find any description of what differences the XN model has, or why it was changed from the original model. RAAC has no mention of a revised model either.
I have been shooting my XN model extensively over the past couple months, and I have not seen any wear issues like Kevin reported. I don't know if this is due to design changes or not. As far as the differences go... The drive block and action bars are beefier on the XN than on the previous model. I don't have an old model to compare, but from videos on the web that I have watched, it appears the lock nut over the spring retaining nut has normal right hand threads. The lock nut on the XN model has reverse, left hand threads.
Anyone know what kind of choke threads it has (remchoke, mossberg, etc). We have a request from a customer who wants to put our Gator shot spreader on it, and we use chokes to install it.
Because RAAC had no information on their web site about the XN, I sent an email to them asking about the differences in the XN. They quickly sent this very informative reply:
"With the crazy things going on in the gun industry right now we are way behind in our normal everyday routine. Our web site needs attention and updating and it will come soon.
The main differences in the early MKA1919 and the new model MKA191XN is these: * XN has a commonized magazine that fits both size shells, 2 3/4 and 3 inch; * XN has a reverse thread locking nut on the op rod to keep the barrel tight. Early guns have the tendency to work loose after firing; * XN shotguns have a gas system that has been reworked to give about 30% more power coming out of the barrel. This helps on break in for those of us that try to break the shotgun in with low power shells; * XN shotguns also have a metal trigger (never had a complaint on the original but we asked for the metal trigger); I hope this helps in your understanding the MKA1919 The Turkish company is not afraid to improve the shotgun. Something we never got out of the Russians for the Saigas. All shotguns that we now import from Turkey will be the new XN models."
I'm not sure why a reverse thread nut locks any better than a standard (right hand) thread nut. (Maybe they have inserted a nylon locking plug in the nut?) It also appears that they have modified the gas system so it now works with lighter loads too. And the report just above that an XN model does not have the metal shavings problem Kevin reported suggests that issue may have been addressed too.
But this response from RAAC makes it clear that Akdal has been trying to address the problems turned up in the early models. Good!
I just noticed that Centerfire Systems now has them back in stock for $670 plus $10 shipping. Adding the local $30 background check fee, that pushes the price to $710. I'm going to wait a little longer until the total price is less than $650. My guess is that now that the Obama/Reid gun ban bill has failed in the Senate, the price should rapidly decline to the pre Newtown price.
Arms of America now has the MKA-1919 listed as "In Stock!" on their main MKA-1919 page for $669, but on the more info page it still says "Out of Stock". Several containers must have recently arrived from Turkey.
From above "I'm not sure why a reverse thread nut locks any better than a standard (right hand) thread nut. (Maybe they have inserted a nylon locking plug in the nut?)" They run on different threads. The main nut is right hand thread, the locking nut is left hand. So if the main nut tries to back out, the detented left hand locking nut will stop it on the XN version. Tooth and nail Armory http://www.toothandnailarmory.com/product/TN035.html now has a trigger, disconnector and hammer kit, so you have 3 compliant replacement parts. The trigger has a lighter feel, and pulls smoother than stock, with more hammer force. Installed in about 5 minutes. Get the gas piston and you are all set with a total count of 10 non-usa made parts. $199 shipped for all. No more need for Magazine Base Plates at $25 each. I shot my XN version with 100 rounds of 7.5 walmart bird load and had no issues with it cycling, right out of the box. http://morroutdoors.com/ has a few of the XN in stock, I think I paid $679
I am expecting my 1919 early next week. My intention is to make this my slug gun for deer hunting. I have tried to find a slug barrel but it seems that no one has taken this on. I have considered having a custom made using a PacNor blank but at $260 just for the blank and who knows how much to machine and fit, I thought I would maybe try to find an extended rifled choke but with out the gun in hand yet I do not know which chokes to consider.
Has any one tried this yet.
Any suggestions would be great. The round of choice for me would be the hornaday SST
I would like to mount an EoTech 552 on my Akdal MKA 1919. However, the top upper rail of mine is far away from picatinny standard that’s why no standard mount can be mounted on the Akdal – or at least not with the correct alignment. Do you have any suggestion with regard to this problem? Many thanks for any suggestion in advance.
Over the past 2 1/2 months, the price at Cheaper Than Dirt has been $859, then $759, then $699, and in the last few days it has dropped again to $659. Looks like the price is just about back down to the around $600 price before Newtown. The problem now is ammo of all types is still way too high.
Regarding the mags not fitting right, I've found a video that appears he's filing down something in the mag and it makes it fit tight. Check it out and see if this works.
I searched on the web for a BR-99 review but didn't find any. This must be a very new product to our market? It has several nice features that the AKDAL MKA-1919 requires expensive aftermarket parts to fix, but I would like to see some detailed reviews before considering it. New products tend to have bugs you don't want to have to deal with.
See, Bora Arms, Barak BR-99, still pictures and video at, Atlantic Firearms. Currently priced at $609.00 with shipping. Also see, < ar15.com/forums > . Re: Atlantic Firearms, Natmil, BR-99
<ar15.c0m/forums) doesn't have a search function. I can't find any mention of the BR-99 there. In which sub-directory and sub-sub-directory did you find the BR-99 tested or discussed?
Has anyone seen an indipendent review of the BR-99? I emailed thefirearmblog.com asking about their review and they replied it had been delayed until the end of the year.
I recently just bought the mka 1919 & watched a youtube video on disassembly. I'm trying to get gun re-assembled & having trouble getting barrel back into top of receiver. I have pulled bolt back halfway and will not go in. Any help would be appreciated.
I've had a mka1919 magnum for 2 years now. It has always had feeding issues, failure to fire and ejection issues. I cleaned up all the sharp edges after the first time out with the gun but that made little difference. I thought that breaking it in per the instructions would help, it didnt. I installed the tooth and nail hammer/trigger upgrade but that didnt make a difference either. A lot of time and money wasted.
I have a mka1919 that is a few years old now.. i've put about 30 rounds through it.. i also have 2 10rd clips.. wanted to see if anyone else has had this problem.. i've only used the 10rd clips once but when it did the weight of the shells and the recoil kept popping the release catch and the mags would fall out.. both mags did this almost every time, the 5 rd mags did fine.. is there a mag release catch upgrade avaliable for this?
In response to question on choke type. Mossberg. I run a Mossberg type rifled choke tube 2 in group at 85 yards using brenike green lightning foster slugs.
received mka 1919 match from buds. First shots fired, 5 rd mags, several fail to load last round. all types of low brass shot and cycle well, only prob is last round out of mag. will slightly press together mag lips to see if works. Trigger is crap, gritty and hard. est 8-10 lbs. will buy tromix trigger, polish hammer and spur, should be much better. Over all, with trigger job and mag fix , seems to be a well made and fun gun to shoot. Oh, handle and front sight in trash, useless. Have red dot, works perfect, accuracy very good so far.
Mark again, update. Passed on the tromix, more$$$ but the "tooth &nail armory " turned out to be the best, by far. Polished the hammer and sear with cloth wheel and polish compound until mirror like. NO slack, smooth 4-5 # excellent trigger. Waiting for burris III red dot for sight. Only prob is last round out of mags occasionally hangs up , don't know why, but seems to be getting better. "bout 80 rounds fired so far.
Hello, I recently purchase a MKA 1919, but have not yet had the opportunity to fire it. To start, your review was excellent. I was curious if you had fired the shotgun from the same location using the same type shell to see how well the choke tubes worked. I believe you mentioned the improved cylinder tube was installed, but was curious if you had checked the pattern with the modifed and full choke? I am not sure of the production date (I recall reading the first shipment had jewel looking inlays for the saftey selector markings, and the 2nd having the red and white paint, mine has the paint. The point being, the wear area you mention, on mine (if I am understanding the location you are speaking of) is not painted (or coated), but rather has more of a polished look. I am wondering if this is intended to address that issue? I would like to find a good set of iron sites compatible with the gun, the rear is no issue due to the rail, but I am not positive what might be a good choice for the front, any thoughts? The only thing I have noticed so far, with the bolt retracted and the empty clip installed, the bolt release is so tight I cannot get it to release, I am assuming this is due to the pressure from the mag follower. I hope loading/firing will help loosen this up. Again thanks, and I look forward to any information you can offer.
ReplyDeleteBest regards, JH in Alabama
JH,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive feedback. I didn't go through a patterning routine because I believe the primary use for this shotgun would be a tactical use. I did check the chokes diameters and feel they were close enough to industry standards. You are correct about the early models having jewel inlays. There may be a chance that your shotgun is one that has already undergone a mod for the wear area. After you shoot yours, you will need to disassembly and look at the upper surface inside the upper receiver to see if there is any wear. I'm not sure of a good choice for a replacement front sight. You may consider an accessory rail for a shotgun and then mount the rail on top. Then you would have to work with getting a height combination similar to that of your rear sight. It may be a little odd looking. My plan is to go with some type of optic. You have a good point about the bolt release with an empty clip. Mine was the same and I believe this is because the spring force from the magazine is working to resist you pushing the bolt release lever.
Good review. I purchased an MKA 1919 in Feb. of 2012. The shotgun had a few problems so I contacted RAAC and they took care of all the problems free of charge. Since then I have shot over a 100rd of shells with no problems. (slugs, buck shot, BB's and no.8 shot. Both 3in and cheap 2 3/4). I have also interchanged the mags. with no problems. There are 10rd mags. out there, but a bit to pricey for me. Thanks again for doing such a good review and posting all those pictures.
ReplyDeleteI know this review was 3 years ago but, what exactly did you do to contact raac and fix problems you were having? I'm having problems with stovepipe shells and feeding issues. It really annoying because I feel the gun has great potential but, the performance is an issue.
DeleteI purchased mine in 01/12 and have fired 300-400 rounds of slugs and 00 buck shot in three range sessions. I have also experienced the metal shaving from the inside top of the aluminum receiver and the loosening of the handguard nut and gas retainer nut. During all three sessions, after about 50 rounds fired i would begin to have light primer strikes resulting in failure to fire, which would get more frequent during the session. Some other owners attribute this to a weak hammer spring, but i also found that the firing pin is off center in the bolt channel and is probably draging. I too really like this shotgun, but there does seem to be significant differences in manufacturing tolerances from gun to gun. So far, about as many people have reported some or all of these problems as have reported no problems. If and when the manufacturer refines the gun and adresses these problems i think i would try another one, but for $700.00 i really expected more out of this one.
ReplyDeleteFollow up on my review of May,12,2012: I found out that the the hammer spring is indeed too weak. The firing pin trunions on the hammer are a larger diameter than on an AR-15, so i took my hammer to a local machine shop and had the trunions turned down to .030 and installed a Wolff extra power AR-15 hammer spring. I also wrapped 4 turns of plumbers teflon pipe tape around the threads for the gas tube nut and handguard nut, then tightened the nuts down with channel locks. I took the 1919 back to the range and fired over 100 rounds of slugs and buck with NO light primer strikes, NO failure to fire and the nuts did NOT loosen. The teflon tape is easily removed and replaced with new tape for cleaning and i could not find any ill effects from the heavier spring. I also noticed that that i also experienced the metal shaving from the top inside of the reciever, which seems to have stopped progressing. I also can not release the empty mag and have not tried to address it.
ReplyDeleteSorry, i need to edit this review: Second sentence- "The firing pin trunions", should be changed to "The hammer pin trunions and "the trunions turned down to .030" Should be changed to "the trunions turned down .030". I was trying to type too fast for my thoughts to keep up.
DeleteThanks for taking the time to provide this kind of detailed info on the shotgun. At the moment I'm working on a writeup to convert the shotgun (at minimal cost) to be legal for high capacity magazines. I sent a letter to the ATF to get them to make an official call on the imported parts in the shotgun. I'm also working to get some hybrid high capacity magazines (partly imported and partly american made parts). I hope to complete this within this next month. At that time I head back to the range and will give your teflon tape trick a try. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI did the 922r upgrades you outlined in Part7 and found that i needed to "break in" the new gas piston, which seemed a little tighter than the factory one, with 50 rounds of high brass slugs before it ran reliably with low brass target loads again. I initially got some stovepipe ejection jams, which disappeared after the short break in. Now i have my flash hider installed, just need a railed handguard and high cap mags to complete my gun.
DeleteJust a thought for you, go to www.centerfiresystems.com. They have a long & short hand rail that goes for 200.00, I bought the long one which turned out to be about three inches shorter than the plastic one. One thing I really liked is when you take off the carry handle the rails line up perfect front to rear. Another plus is it has three rails, top bottom and side, the other side which can be changed to either side has another charging handle. The new nut on the out side of the handguard comes with a allen screw in the end, this solves the problem of coming loose. I am completely satisfied with this rail, ckeck it out you may like it too. Kind regards Ed.
DeleteSorry guys, I just realized I had already told you about the front rail. Too late to take it off now. But I will say it still looks cool and performs great. Thanks everyone, Later!
DeleteTook my MKA 1919 to the trap range today. This was the first time I shot it. I used heavy load 7.5 shot and it locked back each time. A simple rubber band kept the shells from ejecting. I installed a $100 truglow sight red dot to it (Weaver mount) and started busting clays. The rail is not standard picatinny I don't think, my reflex sight would not clamp on to it using the throw lever mount.
ReplyDeleteI installed the modified choke and I was doing very well (I am not a good trap shooter).
So far so good and I will keep a lookout for the problems mentioned above. It certainly made an impression on the people I was shooting with!
Also, I get most of what you are telling me (teflon tape and wolf extra power spring I understand)
ReplyDeleteChannel locks?
Trunions? Were they turned to .030 or were they turned down 0.03?
anyone know of a single point sling attachment that would work? Went to the trap range again. Gets people talking for sure. Positive comments especially when I tell them the price.
ReplyDeleteFor a single point sling, take a look at this review.
ReplyDeletehttp://arealmansreviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/blackhawk-single-point-sling-adapter.html
oh great, that is the adapter I ordered. Well this should be interesting. Upside is that it will be rock solid when I have it threaded through. When I was trap shooting, the 3 point strap just gets in the way.
ReplyDeleteWent to the trap range with my new 1 point sling and poly choke 2. The sling works fine except I am not tall enough. It rides very low to the ground. I am going to see if I can't tighten up the strap around the gun. Just a little should help. I have it fixed now but I had the poly choke on extra full. Big mistake, couldn't hit anything. I will try it next week on improved modified, that should helps. Since it was warm, we had the trap range to ourselves so I could load the magazine to see how it cycled. Worked great, no problems other than I forgot my earplugs the first shot. Cant wait to try it next week!
ReplyDeleteAnyone try any new chokes for it? I tried the Polychoke which is made for the Akdel but it is just too tight for my weak wrists to adjust it. I shot 25 rounds through but it is still locked tight. I would like a quality extended choke for it for trap shooting. The modified choke it comes with works fine, I would like an improved modified for it is all. Maybe a skeet also.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kevin, after some mods i found here and elsewhere, i finally got my 1919 running like a sewing machine with any low and high brass i could feed it. I decided to go ahead and do the 922r upgrades you posted in Part 7. I installed the Tromix trigger, disconnector, gas piston and mag floorplate. Went to the range today to try it out. I started with Federal low brass target loads and got stovepipe ejection jams every round. Switched to Federal military 00 buckshot, then Remington sluggers, fired 25 rounds of each with no stovepipes. Switched back to the target loads and fired 100 rounds with no stovepipes. (I do not have the so called "low brass washer" installed.) I'm thinking that the new gas piston, which seemed to fit a little tighter than the factory one, just needed a little breaking in. I installed a choke adapter and short birdcage flash hider i found at Carolina Shooters Supply and everthing is good. All we need now is a reasonably priced railed handguard and high cap mags. I love this shotgun.
ReplyDeleteI bought a front hand guard from center fire, I had to take the gun apart to install it. It has three rails, bottom top and on one side. It has a front cocking lever which can be put on either side which I really like, this is why it don't have a fourth rail on the front. They have a short or long version of this hand guard, I bought the long so nothing had to be changed on the gas system. The long version is about three inches shorter than the original guard. This changes the whole look of the gun, I also added a large mag release botton, a larger charging handle and a screw in flash hider. The front hand guard run two big ones, but believe me it looks and works great , well worth the money. Now, I wish Tapco or someone would come out with a reasonable cost ten rd mag.
DeleteHey guys, centerfire systems and carolina shooters now has oem factory 10rd mags for $70 + shipping. They say it will hold 2 3/4 & 3in shells. Beats the others I've seen for $140. Done got mine on the way.
DeleteI agree, we really a value railed handguard. Thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteI over tightened my polychoke (oops), I sent it back to get it repaired which they were kind enough to do. When I was shooting trap and loading through the breech, the 3" magazine seemed to work better than the 2.75" magazine. (I was using 2.75" shells) I want to try 5 stand with it. It should be a great 5 stand gun although the traditionalists at the range may have an issue with it. Will adding a polychoke create any 922r issues?
ReplyDeleteAnyone try installing flip up rear iron sights for it? Will they line up with the front sight? Can you buy a real ar15 front sight for it?
Will adding a red dot cause any 922r issues? The 1919 shoots great with the cheap red dot I put on it.
ReplyDeleteThis is not legal advice and I suggest you contact the AFT directly on the legal answer, but I believe adding a sporting style choke would not create 922r issues.
ReplyDeleteAdding a red dot sight would not create any 922r issues. Sights are not listed as the 20 items per Title 27 C.F.R. 478.39 so they would not be considered an imported part when counting parts. Red dot sights are also becoming more popular in the sporting industry and I feel will always be considered a "sporting purpose" sight.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the response. A couple questions about loading the magazines. In my limited experience, it appears to me high brass shells would be easier to load because you wouldn't have to slide the next shell over the plastic/brass meeting point. I can't afford to shoot high brass all of the time but reloading them is quite doable I would think.
ReplyDeleteAlso, would leaving a magazine loaded over time crimp the top shell? I heard the Saiga magazines will but I can't see where that would happen withe MKA magazines.
Yes, leaving a magazine loaded over time will crimp the shells into an oval shape front end. This is the problem with box magazines in shotguns.
DeleteAnyone know of a tool to turn the gas regulator nut? Mine is stuck...
ReplyDeleteAny reason to upgrade the carry handle? Answered my own question, cheap needle nose vice grips
ReplyDeleteany reason to lube the piston? I read that Remington 1100 users in 3 gun would lube their piston which this setup reminds me of...
I'm planning on removing the carry handle and front sight and putting some type of optic on the upper receiver rail.
ReplyDeleteMy general feeling is that if it functions dry, shoot it dry. Trying a little lube will not hurt. If you don't like the results, wipe it clean.
Thanks Kevin. I was thinking spraying it with dry lube might work too. For now, I will just leave it dry and see what happens. I added an optic and removed the carry handle. I did add a riser to rail so the red dot could clear the front post with room to spare. When I was shooting trap, the post got in the way. Should be good now. I am reading your 887 review now.
ReplyDeleteI purchased it and after shooting approx 50 rounds of heavy dove it jams regularly. I'm a little weary of taking it apart to clean it because I may not be able to reassemble it. Any advice?
ReplyDeleteCleaning it so it will cycle is pretty easy. You should not have to separate upper from the lower to fix a jamming problem imho. Depends how it jams I guess. I would take off the barrel and inspect the 2 gas ports to see if they are clogged. The other thing is to review the pictures here to make sure everything is installed correctly. I think mine was crossthreaded when it was installed. Worked OK but was a pain to unscrew. You can use teflon tape on the threads to keep everything tight, if gas is escaping out that way, this will stop it. I was shooting 3 and 1/4 DE heavy game loads with no trouble but was not rapid firing. The only other thing I can think of is the magazine. I was using the 3" magazine while shooting 2 3/4 (I swear I checked!). Oops...
ReplyDeleteI agree. Cleaning and making sure it is assembled properly is the key. Also you need to check your gas regulator nut to make sure it is not working loose. At this point, mine has been well broken in. It is shooting regular cheap loads without issue.
ReplyDeleteJamming issues I have experienced are mostly due to operator error. Usually not having the stock firmly on my shoulder or having a limp wrist. So if the above doesn't work, maybe have someone with more experience have at it and see what happens. At a local firing range, I was ready to dump my pistol but the guy working there showed me what I was doing wrong and now I love it. He saved me a lot of money by doing that.
ReplyDeleteand 1 other thing. This is my first experience trying to load a box magazine with rimmed ammunition. Making the shells are lined up correctly be much harder than I expected. It always seems like 1 shell wants to nose down which I know will cause a jam.
ReplyDeleteIf you press about in the middle of the shell it will slant up and over the rim of the one below.
DeleteI just noticed Centerfire Systems is carrying aftermarket parts for the MKA 1919. Bigger charging handle and rails would be nice...
ReplyDeleteI just purchased a MKA 1919 12GA for only 579.99 at CheaperthanDirt.com!! Everyhting came in good and I took it our to break it in with the 3-4 boxes the same day to break in the gun as advised by in the manual. I had a few issues with the gun feeding correctly, but it was the break in period so I can't complain really. It seemed as though I had more problems with the magazines failing to feed the shells to the receiver more than the gun's action actually failing (note: the magazines aren't the best). I plan on actually using my MKA 1919 for hunting and sporting purposes and from the little bit of skeet shooting I did do, I believe once I get a red dot on it and get used to the gun, I'll be shoot skeet out of the sky all day. Overall I thought the gun way really fun to shoot and was a pretty reliable action so far and I know time will tell but I think this gun will become more and more reliable as it gets broken in and hopefully will not have any malfunctions.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Joey
Hello, I enjoyed reading these posts, and wanted to thank all for the great tips and tricks so far. I bought this model a few weeks ago and am very pleased for the price, but like many, I saw a few sticking points that needed to be taken care of. From the outside in, here is what I found with mine, and what I did to take care of it.
ReplyDelete1: Sharp seams from the moulded lower; 0000 steel wool fixed that quickly.
2: Safety was sloppy; A small ball bearing and stronger spring beneath the screw helps.
3: Creepy trigger; Remove the hammer, take a polishing felt on a dremmel to the lock surface
of the sear and disconnect part of the hammer. VERY SLIGHTLY round the breaking edge of
the hammer-side sear catch; so as to make a clean break with no drag or creep.
4: Shells failing to chamber/ jammed at breech; Remove barrel and feel breech and chamber
leading edge with finger, it is very sharp and so is the relief cut for the extractor.
VERY CAREFULLY use fine rock on dremmel to chamfer and radius these sharp edges and
radius the extractor relief cut. Then use the felt polisher to FINELY polish all surfaces
here. Shells will now feed so smoothly you would think they really wanted to be in there
all along.
5: Shell deformed, and scraped from back to front, sometimes leaving shavings, sometimes
just burrs one quarter inch long causing failure of bolt to close fully; This is caused
by the bolt carrier, leading edge.(You can see the razor sharp culprit with the bolt
closed, mag removed, and looking into magwell); To fix, pull the bolt carrier and bevel
this edge to a nice 45 degree angle, and radius it well trailing back towards the rear
of the carrier. When done, polish and de-burr the whole thing. It will no longer cause
deformed or burred cases.
6: Metal shavings in receiver; These shavings are the inside of your upper being eaten away
by your bolt lock (silver piece inside of the bolt) upon recoil. Radius and polish the
sharp edge of the lock lug to remedy that.
In my opinion, most commonly experienced maladies with this firearm stem from a simple need for some TLC, 000 steel wool and fine valve finishing compound to most mating surfaces, good cleaning, and a long break-in period with high brass loads to work it in. Also, some weight in the stock helps with cycling, as does a rock solid hold and lean in while shooting. You need to make that bolt suck up the recoil to cycle properly, so dont let it move you instead.
I really hope this helps with anyone who may be having similar issues, all of mine are cleared up now.
B.C., Thanks for taking the time to add the tips! I agree with the TLC, cleaning and long break-in. That is a good point about keeping a firm shoulder.
ReplyDeleteI would like to put the Tromix trigger & disconnect and gas valve in my MK 1919, so I can use my 10 round mag, and perhaps to have the tweaking suggested by B.C. Anon also done. I don't know enough about the gun to feel comfortable doing the tweaking or changing out the trigger & disconnect. I have no gunsmithing experience. Does anyone know of a gunsmith in Northern California that knows enough about the MKA 1919's to do this work? MickfromNapa
ReplyDeleteI sugget taking a look at this page below. It really is very simple.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gunsumerreports.com/review_akdal_mka_1919_p7.php
Kevin, as noted earlier in the comments, there is a need for replacement handguards and hi-cap mags. Thought i would pass on some info on a couple of new sources just coming on line. One, toothandnail.com, just started shipping a one piece hand guard with multible picatinny rail combinations. I ordered one and will post my thoughts on it as soon as i can try it out. Another one is salem6.com, offering several upgrade parts. Both have stated that they will also be offering hi-cap mags and expanding their lines rapidly. I am not recommending anything, just excited about how quickly after market accessories are coming out for the platform.
ReplyDeleteThe site above is actually toothandnailarmory.com.
DeleteThanks for the info. I believe the website is http://salem6arms.com/ for Salem 6. I'm glad to see manufacturers are gearing up with aftermarket parts.
DeleteKevin,i recieved the toothandnailarmory handguard. It is very good quality workmanship. I got it with the full length top rail and short side rail on left front for a light, already installed. I put it on this morning and it fits and looks awesome. I mounted my red dot, light and a set of MI back up sights, which cowitness well. It balances very good and feels good in the hand. I like it.
DeleteI just watched the video showing the installation of the ToothAndNailArmory handguard and it looks good and easy to install. Thanks for the update.
DeleteLooking at the target pix with slugs groups, rear sight adj. max down vs. max up and impact going from bottom edge of paper to halfway up from bottom edge to bull's eye, and Kevin's comments about adopting a higher sight picture as a possible remedy ... how about this idea: to further raise POI up to bull's eye with rear sight at max height, why not file off a TEENSY bit of the front sight post, since it is a fixed molded part rather than the adjustables we veterans are used to from our M-16s ? That would get point of aim (B.E.) and point of impact closer, and if POI goes above B.E, stop filing and lower the rear sight a TEENSY bit to get back on the B.E. (all this is assuming the use of your favorite slug ammo at the range most likely to be used out in the boonies waiting for Bambi's grandson to wander by). Then, with a laser range finder (from a golf bag which has been retired for the season LOL), if it shows vennison at a different range than the zero, use ammo ballistics info to adjust aimpoint. (from Leon in NY)
ReplyDeleteLeon, I agree that filing the front sight could be a good option. Thanks for pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteWhile waiting for another commentator to see my last posting, I had another idea that could help, thanks to more online shopping and adding to lists of favs for later reference ... in lieu of shortening the front post permanently with a file, it could also be moved a tiny bit closer to the handguard ... this method, however, at least theoretically, opens up the worm can of magnifying the degree of impact error per same unit of sight picture error ... gotta love the geometry lessons sights teach, eh folks ?! LOL (I also plan to get a boresighting laser to save on ammo usage when sighting-in, and checked a golf site for laser range finders tonight, found we're way better off pricewise getting the rf from a gun stuff site and it will still find the tree behind the green, or the flagstick, or the handle of the bunker rake when not reflecting off vennison ribs or Thanksgiving dinner's head). Thanks, Kevin, for acknowledging. (Leon again)
ReplyDeleteFinally got the MKA to the range (after a couple times trap shooting with it) My friend and I put 75 rounds of 3.25 DE 7.5 shot through it along with 12 rounds of buckshot. He was a new shooter and was able to handle it just fine. Cycled just fine, no issues loading and ejecting wise. I was glad I bought extra magazines, you can shoot 5 rounds very quickly. Wish that dumb rail was mil spec... I was thinking of getting rid of it, not now!!! Too much fun!
ReplyDeleteanother option on the height of front sight post / rear sight height maxed out / still impacting low issue ... add a riser mount under the carry handle, and if that's too much, move the front sight assembly a bit forward towards the muzzle ... investing in a laser boresighter would also pay for itself in ammo not fired to get sights fine-tuned (my plan)
ReplyDeleteLeon again
I found a great video of a guy who shows what he did to take care of the hand guard nut coming loose.He also modified his MKA 1919 shotgun.The link is http://youtu.be/cDH9w-OrDsQ
ReplyDeleteA question for the June 7 poster who installed a Truglow red dot sight, is the Truglow sight holding up OK with the heavy 12 Gauge recoil of the MKA-1919? I was told that some of these type sights work well with 5.56/.223 AR-15 rifles, but can't tolerate the heavier recoil of a 12 Gauge. Has your Truglow sight held up and maintained its zero?
ReplyDeleteAnother question for B C Anon on Sept 17. Thanks for the suggestions about cleaning up problems you posted. In your suggestions #4, 5 and 6 you said to chamfer and radius several sharp edges and to 45 degree bevel and radius the sharp edge on the bolt carrier. My question is how much of a radius or chamfer or 45 degree bevel did you do? Is is possible to post close up photographs of these modifications so we will know how much metal to remove from those sharp edges? I don't want to take off too much metal and ruin the part, as it is not clear that replacement parts are available.
ReplyDeleteThe radius I put to the bolt carrier was 1/2 at the bottom. Most of the work I did was to simply knock down the edges of anything that touches the shells. I do not know how to post pics here but I can assure you that if you stick to rounding the edges rather than try to change the shape in any radical fashion, you are in no danger of needing replacement parts.
ReplyDeleteB.C. Anon, thanks for your reply. I'm not sure what you mean by a radius on the bolt carrier of "1/2 at the bottom". From your other instruction that I should "stick to rounding the edges", which sounds like about a .035 inch to .050 inch radius on other sharp edges, I assume "1/2 at the bottom" does not mean a 1/2 inch radius at the bottom. Did you mean a radius of 1/2 the bolt carrier thickness? Thanks again for your help.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to find a MKA-1919 at a reasonable price and CTD, which is where I was going to purchase it, has just stopped selling firearms due to the Newtown mess. Does anyone know of some place which has them in stock at a reasonable price?
I just purchased an Akdal MKA 1919 12 Ga. Shotgun (Black) for $699 and factory MKA1919 10 rd. Mag for 2 3/4 and 3" 12 ga. shells for $69.95 at Arms of America:
Deletehttp://armsofamerica.com/akdalmka191912ga.aspx
I am about to order a tactical choke which looks like an AR flash suppressor from Centerfire Systems for $39.99 (fits the MKA 1919 12 GA only):
http://centerfiresystems.com/mka-tac-choke.aspx
Lee Brandon - Corpus Christi, Texas
the bolt carrier is the only one I took any great about of material from. on the sharp edge that touches the shotgun shell, I beveled and rounded to a 1/2 or 5/8 radius. On all the other parts I did as you said, breaking down the sharp edges only so they do not gouge the shells or induce a jam.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the replies. Unfortunately the Arms of America web page says "accepting backorders" so they don't have any in stock now. Also they list the shotgun for $699. I was hoping to find a price in the $600-$620 range. $699 is the list price. CTD had them for $580 a month or so ago. I may have to wait until the Newtown scare calms down.
ReplyDeleteCheaper Than Dirt has them on sale for $619.00
ReplyDeleteGot a e-mail flyer from Cheaper Than Dirt (CTD) today. Appears they have the MKA 1919 back in stock at $619.
ReplyDeleteOoops! Thanks for the heads-up. But I hadn't read your replies for a couple days, I've been very busy. I just called CTD and they have run out again, The lady said they got 69 in, but sold out again in a day or two. I had them add me to their email notification list so when they get more in I can order immediately. Thanks again for the heads-up.
ReplyDeleteCTD just has it back in stock for $859, $160 higher than the manufacturer's "list" price and $240 higher than they were a few days ago. I'm afraid I will have to wait, I can't afford that. My wife was pushing back at the former price of $619.
ReplyDeleteFound ONE gun shop that had 5 in stock. I bought 3(two black and one camo)Paid over $3000. Now you know why they had in stock...no one wanted to pay. Figured I'd butch up and buy. Been wanting for long time. Can't wait to modify(too bad everyone out of stock)
ReplyDeleteJust bought them yesterday. If anyone lives near Davie Florida I will publish shops name and you can check it out. They should have 2 left. Thanks for the great info here, Big Bob
ReplyDeleteWhat is the Davie Florida price? If $620 or less I'm interested.
ReplyDelete$1000 each
DeleteJust got one for 619. Cant wait to take it apart.LOL
ReplyDeleteWho has them now for $619?
ReplyDeletewww.cheaperthandirt.com
DeleteFor the last several weeks the CTD page says "We're sorry, but this product is no longer available." But I notice that Lanbo's Armory lists them for $666 (including shipping) and Centerfire Guns had them listed for $667 for the past week as being available in late February, but now says "out of stock". The price is still a little high, but may be coming back down.
DeleteI ordered mine from Arms of America on December 31 for $669 and it was delivered last week. I also ordered a 10 round magazine and (2) extra 5 round magazines to put blocks in to limit them to 2 rounds for hunting. Those got shipped yesterday. since then Centerfire has started advertising 2 round magazines. I may purchase those and keep the 5 round magazines as they are. I'm very happy that my orders are being filled. It just took a little patience because you have to backorder at most places.
DeleteThanks Gunsumer! Excellent source for updating the MKA. Finally got down to 9 parts by swapping out forearm guards, Piston, Trigger, Connecter, and Mag floor plates. Can't wait to go blast some water jugs!
ReplyDeletecomment Jan 12th at 10:05 is same person at 10:16...that would be $1000 each
ReplyDeleteThere is a next generation MKA 1919. It has a XN after where MKA1919 is stamped below the bolt. Do not know what the difference is. Just received 4 factory 10rnd mags from Carolina Shooters Supply. I assume they have more. Ordered forearm guard with bolt charging system from toothandnail. It's on the way. Everyone is out of stock on about all else that I want
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what the difference in this XN model is? (No comments in a month.) Does the XN model fix the metal shavings problem that Kevin reported? Or any other changes?
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that both Salem 6 Arms and Touth and Nail Armory are offering parts that only fit the newer XN model. But nowhere can I find any description of what differences the XN model has, or why it was changed from the original model. RAAC has no mention of a revised model either.
ReplyDeleteI have been shooting my XN model extensively over the past couple months, and I have not seen any wear issues like Kevin reported. I don't know if this is due to design changes or not. As far as the differences go... The drive block and action bars are beefier on the XN than on the previous model. I don't have an old model to compare, but from videos on the web that I have watched, it appears the lock nut over the spring retaining nut has normal right hand threads. The lock nut on the XN model has reverse, left hand threads.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know what kind of choke threads it has (remchoke, mossberg, etc). We have a request from a customer who wants to put our Gator shot spreader on it, and we use chokes to install it.
ReplyDeleteBecause RAAC had no information on their web site about the XN, I sent an email to them asking about the differences in the XN. They quickly sent this very informative reply:
ReplyDelete"With the crazy things going on in the gun industry right now we are way behind in our normal everyday routine. Our web site needs attention and updating and it will come soon.
The main differences in the early MKA1919 and the new model MKA191XN is these:
* XN has a commonized magazine that fits both size shells, 2 3/4 and 3 inch;
* XN has a reverse thread locking nut on the op rod to keep the barrel tight. Early guns have the tendency to work loose after firing;
* XN shotguns have a gas system that has been reworked to give about 30% more power coming out of the barrel. This helps on break in for those of us that try to break the shotgun in with low power shells;
* XN shotguns also have a metal trigger (never had a complaint on the original but we asked for the metal trigger);
I hope this helps in your understanding the MKA1919 The Turkish company is not afraid to improve the shotgun. Something we never got out of the Russians for the Saigas. All shotguns that we now import from Turkey will be the new XN models."
I'm not sure why a reverse thread nut locks any better than a standard (right hand) thread nut. (Maybe they have inserted a nylon locking plug in the nut?) It also appears that they have modified the gas system so it now works with lighter loads too. And the report just above that an XN model does not have the metal shavings problem Kevin reported suggests that issue may have been addressed too.
But this response from RAAC makes it clear that Akdal has been trying to address the problems turned up in the early models. Good!
I just noticed that Centerfire Systems now has them back in stock for $670 plus $10 shipping. Adding the local $30 background check fee, that pushes the price to $710. I'm going to wait a little longer until the total price is less than $650. My guess is that now that the Obama/Reid gun ban bill has failed in the Senate, the price should rapidly decline to the pre Newtown price.
ReplyDeleteCheaper Than Dirt also now has them for $859, a ridiculous price considering they offered them for $580 before Newtown.
ReplyDeleteArms of America now has the MKA-1919 listed as "In Stock!" on their main MKA-1919 page for $669, but on the more info page it still says "Out of Stock". Several containers must have recently arrived from Turkey.
ReplyDeleteXN, Eksen Arms..., Kunya, Turkey. xnarms.com
ReplyDeleteFrom above
ReplyDelete"I'm not sure why a reverse thread nut locks any better than a standard (right hand) thread nut. (Maybe they have inserted a nylon locking plug in the nut?)"
They run on different threads. The main nut is right hand thread, the locking nut is left hand. So if the main nut tries to back out, the detented left hand locking nut will stop it on the XN version.
Tooth and nail Armory http://www.toothandnailarmory.com/product/TN035.html now has a trigger, disconnector and hammer kit, so you have 3 compliant replacement parts. The trigger has a lighter feel, and pulls smoother than stock, with more hammer force. Installed in about 5 minutes. Get the gas piston and you are all set with a total count of 10 non-usa made parts. $199 shipped for all. No more need for Magazine Base Plates at $25 each. I shot my XN version with 100 rounds of 7.5 walmart bird load and had no issues with it cycling, right out of the box. http://morroutdoors.com/ has a few of the XN in stock, I think I paid $679
Correction - that was $199, but included a stock adapter at $60
DeleteI am expecting my 1919 early next week. My intention is to make this my slug gun for deer hunting.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to find a slug barrel but it seems that no one has taken this on. I have considered having a custom made using a PacNor blank but at $260 just for the blank and who knows how much to machine and fit, I thought I would maybe try to find an extended rifled choke but with out the gun in hand yet I do not know which chokes to consider.
Has any one tried this yet.
Any suggestions would be great. The round of choice for me would be the hornaday SST
Thanks
Hi everybody,
ReplyDeleteI would like to mount an EoTech 552 on my Akdal MKA 1919. However, the top upper rail of mine is far away from picatinny standard that’s why no standard mount can be mounted on the Akdal – or at least not with the correct alignment. Do you have any suggestion with regard to this problem? Many thanks for any suggestion in advance.
Best regards,
Mike / Zurich
Over the past 2 1/2 months, the price at Cheaper Than Dirt has been $859, then $759, then $699, and in the last few days it has dropped again to $659. Looks like the price is just about back down to the around $600 price before Newtown. The problem now is ammo of all types is still way too high.
ReplyDeleteI just purchased 4 10 round Mags by XNARMS. They fit well in the gun but when I shot the magazine falls out. What do I need to adjust?
ReplyDeleteCheaper Than Dirt is now down to $599, almost down to where they were last fall.
ReplyDeleteOops. Cheaper Than Dirt just increased their price back up to $619. They are trying to play games with demand.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem as the comment above. 10 shot mag falls out everytjme I shoot. Any advice for a fix?
ReplyDeleteRegarding the mags not fitting right, I've found a video that appears he's filing down something in the mag and it makes it fit tight. Check it out and see if this works.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/whYWEn3xhHA
Also, I checked on Cheaper than dirt.com that price is still at $619 with free shipping.
ReplyDeleteI saw another company selling parts. Triple F Firearms. Anybody ever heard of them?
ReplyDeleteCheck out the BR-99 12 gage shotgun. Natmil import from Turkey. Produced by ?
ReplyDeleteI searched on the web for a BR-99 review but didn't find any. This must be a very new product to our market? It has several nice features that the AKDAL MKA-1919 requires expensive aftermarket parts to fix, but I would like to see some detailed reviews before considering it. New products tend to have bugs you don't want to have to deal with.
DeleteBR-99 review is pending in Sept. On, < thefirearmblog.com >. Some talk at,
ReplyDelete< ar15.com/forums > Re: BR-99, Natmil
See, Bora Arms, Barak BR-99, still pictures and video at, Atlantic Firearms. Currently priced at $609.00 with shipping. Also see, < ar15.com/forums > . Re: Atlantic Firearms, Natmil, BR-99
ReplyDelete<ar15.c0m/forums) doesn't have a search function. I can't find any mention of the BR-99 there. In which sub-directory and sub-sub-directory did you find the BR-99 tested or discussed?
DeleteAddress shows, ar15.com/forums/t_6_1/406051
ReplyDeleteSee if that works. Video at Atlantic Firearms, review pending at, thefirearmblog.com
The ar15.com showed up in a search for the BR-99.
Went back found.. go to, ar15.com ,go to, armory ,go to, shotguns
ReplyDeleteShould do it...
I found that. It is just Atlantic Firearms' video. Not a review by some indipendent tester.
DeleteBR-99 reviews to come, new product. Seems to address some of the MKA 1919 XN issues ?.
ReplyDeleteCheaper Than Dirt price now back down to $599. Ammo now down too.
ReplyDeleteNow Cheaper Than Dirt is down to $579 again, the old price before Newtown.
ReplyDeleteCompetition, from the new BR-99. A Natmil import/ Atlantic Firearms.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen an indipendent review of the BR-99? I emailed thefirearmblog.com asking about their review and they replied it had been delayed until the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteCTD has dropped their price again, to $559. Lowest I have ever seen. Competition from the new BR-99 must be depressing MKA-1919 sales.
ReplyDeleteI recently just bought the mka 1919 & watched a youtube video on disassembly. I'm trying to get gun re-assembled & having trouble getting barrel back into top of receiver. I have pulled bolt back halfway and will not go in. Any help would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteCTD back up again to $579.
ReplyDeleteThere's a new short review & range report of the BR-99 on ar15.com - http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_1/407143_.html&page=1
ReplyDeleteCTD is now down to $549. What's going on? They are up and down regularly.
ReplyDeleteOoops! CTD back up to $579. They can't make up their minds.
ReplyDeleteI've had a mka1919 magnum for 2 years now. It has always had feeding issues, failure to fire and ejection issues. I cleaned up all the sharp edges after the first time out with the gun but that made little difference. I thought that breaking it in per the instructions would help, it didnt. I installed the tooth and nail hammer/trigger upgrade but that didnt make a difference either. A lot of time and money wasted.
ReplyDeleteI have a mka1919 that is a few years old now.. i've put about 30 rounds through it.. i also have 2 10rd clips.. wanted to see if anyone else has had this problem..
ReplyDeletei've only used the 10rd clips once but when it did the weight of the shells and the recoil kept popping the release catch and the mags would fall out.. both mags did this almost every time, the 5 rd mags did fine.. is there a mag release catch upgrade avaliable for this?
In response to question on choke type. Mossberg. I run a Mossberg type rifled choke tube 2 in group at 85 yards using brenike green lightning foster slugs.
ReplyDeleteI keep seeing "cracked bolt" issues anybody hear about this? Also what give with the different models?Which one is the best??
ReplyDeleteJust noticed this thread is a year old, oops. I guess I'm late to the party.
ReplyDeleteJust ordered one MKA-1919 XN for 399.00 + 14.99 ship. Centerfiresystems
ReplyDeletereceived mka 1919 match from buds. First shots fired, 5 rd mags, several fail to load last round. all types of low brass shot and cycle well, only prob is last round out of mag. will slightly press together mag lips to see if works. Trigger is crap, gritty and hard. est 8-10 lbs. will buy tromix trigger, polish hammer and spur, should be much better. Over all, with trigger job and mag fix , seems to be a well made and fun gun to shoot. Oh, handle and front sight in trash, useless. Have red dot, works perfect, accuracy very good so far.
ReplyDeleteMark again, update. Passed on the tromix, more$$$ but the "tooth &nail armory " turned out to be the best, by far. Polished the hammer and sear with cloth wheel and polish compound until mirror like. NO slack, smooth 4-5 # excellent trigger. Waiting for burris III red dot for sight. Only prob is last round out of mags occasionally hangs up , don't know why, but seems to be getting better. "bout 80 rounds fired so far.
DeleteCan you give an update? How's she running now? How the mags, try any of the Promag 10 rounders yet?
DeleteJust got my MKA 1919 - thanks so much for the advice on the Truelock Tactical Choke. Gun would not look the same without it. Added the "cool" factor
ReplyDeleteHello, i really love this resources, thanks for this good idea and details information that i have shared here
ReplyDeleteHi Dear,
ReplyDeleteI really prefer your blog..! This blog are very useful for me and other. So I see it every day.
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ReplyDelete