The development of modern long guns-type firearms (e.g. rifles) systems has spawned numerous accessories and devices for improving the integrity, and ease of firing, and the like, to obtain more accurate shooting results. In particular, firearm ergonomics, and construction, have advanced over the last half-century with the advent of rifles where a central component, the chassis or “receiver”, is primarily metallic, is used as a bracket or backbone from which to attach the other components. Two of the fire arms which typify this type of construction include the so-called “AK-47” type rifle, initially manufactured by the old Soviet state (i.e. Russia); and the modern United States M4/M16/Armalite/AR series rifles. Both designs have been adapted to military and civilian usage due, in part, to modern construction and design.
The modern United States M4/M16/Armalite/AR series rifles are constructed around a cast and/or machined aluminum alloy backbone that allows for a direct linear recoil force to be transmitted to a shooter. This type of design is useful for returning subsequent shots and keeping on target as is well known in the shooting arts.
In contrast, most traditional types of rifles employ a dropped stock portion that transmits recoil forces in a somewhat angular, off axis fashion to the shooter. This ergonomic arrangement makes a second or follow-up shot to a target more difficult as the shooter often must re-aim the rifle. The so-called “AK-47”/Kalashnikov rifle (“AK”) is of modern metal channel construction, and incorporates a traditional drop-style stock. The Kalashnikov rifle is popular with both military and civilian shooters due to its simplicity and low cost design, and the availability of inexpensive ammunition. These rifles are officially known in Russian as “Avtomat Kalashnikova” (Kalashnikov Automatic) but are widely known as “Kalashnikovs”, “AKs”, “AK-47”, or in Russian slang, as a “Kalash” and the like. Originally, primarily, Izhmash manufactured them in the Soviet Union. These rifles, and their many variants, are now manufactured in many other countries, and by numerous companies including, but not limited to: Saiga, IMI Galil, and Arsenel, along with many others. Often, the AK type of rifle is constructed of a receiver fabricated from a sheet metal stamping having a bottom and sides, with various openings being pre-stamped or formed in the sheet prior to bending the sheet to the shape of a c-channel shaped receiver (or rifle chassis) to facilitate attachment of various rifle parts directly thereto (triggers, handgrips, stocks, barrel, guards, firing mechanism, top, ejection mechanism, etc.) These component parts are attached to the receiver by pins, clasps, screws, rivets, etc. through the standard system of slots and holes, etc. for ease of interchangeability. The standard AK C-channel receiver is universally known and a generic folded sheet metal form. But, this remarkable simplicity results in a number of shortcomings due to the aforementioned sheet metal structure and design of the receiver. AK-type rifles are often perceived as lacking the ability to shoot accurately, consistently, and retain their structural integrity over time. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide components that make use of standard AK-receivers to overcome and improve on these deficiencies without major modifications thereto. The present invention comprises parts and subassemblies to overcome some of the deficiencies in the AK- or other type firearms based around shell type fabricated c-channel receiver-based firearms.