The "King" sounds like a bit of an overstatement from VFC... but is it really?

GHK, KWA, KSC and WE have been in the AK GBBR market for sometime now and with the addition of Marui AKs, there are no shortage of choice for Gas AKs.

So what sets this bad boy (VFC) apart from the rest? First off, everything is steel and I meant, everything that is meant to be. The Barrel, Sight Block, Gas tube, Receiver, Stock, Bolt Carrier, Piston, Hammer and Trigger assembly.

The general spec is 1:1 scale with the real deal and ideally should take real steel furniture... but this wasn't really the case. Since we're on this topic, let's get the Cons out of the way first by comparing it to the GHK V3.


The GHK V3 AKM was released first as in response to the V2 being a bit lackluster for AK enthusiasts that wanted MOAR REALISM! The V3 features a 1:1 Scale construction and is able to take "real-steel" furniture such as the handguard, dust cover, grip and stock. It also runs a Hammer and Trigger Pin Set held by a Shepherd's Spring Assembly, like the real deal. The Bolt travel is extended to almost 90% of being "Full-Travel" and this contributes to a realistic Rate of Fire that can also be Short-Stroked with the included Buffer. All-in-all, the V3 presents itself as the top contender for all AK Gas Replicas!

Now the VFC despite being 1:1 does not take "real-spec" Handguards as the retainer is much narrower. This meant either trimming the handguard or the retainer to have them fit each other. The Folding Stock/ Receiver Mounting is the same dimensions as the real deal but runs on a 4.5mm Pin as opposed to a 5.5mm on the real 74M. This means you are unable to use AEG stocks as the likes of LCT and 5KU (without a modified spacer) or any modern folding stocks that use 5.5mm Pins... Good Luck hunting for a real 4.5mm Stock, especially with the shortage of Russian parts.


Turning the unit upside down, it reveals that the Front Sight Block and Gas Block are mounted on the Barrel with Phillips Screws... they did not even bother to make it subtle. For context, the real Sight posts and gas block are either Pinned or Heat Pressed. This bothers me very much this was a major complaint with the grub screws that held these on the GHK V2s. They would often loosen themselves and with the constant tightening required, it would loose its integrity over time.

The steel used for the receiver is somewhat thinner than other AK GBBRS but the biggest concern was the Bolt-Carrier colliding with the left-side of the rear sight block. Despite both parts being steel, you can definitely tell that they are of a softer mix and have "mushroomed" with just a few magazines later.

The Bolt-Travel as hyped by all the fan-boys was meant to be "Full-travel". Unfortunately, this is shorter than the GHK V3. It only reaches to about 80-85% of full travel length. That being said, the Rate of Fire was decent and the cycle of the Bolt Carrier was extremely snappy.

Forthwith, here comes the GOOD part. The cycle and kick of the 74M is snappy and extremely satisfying. Each shot greets your shoulder with a definite kickback, as the weight of the Long Stroke Piston and CNC Steel Bolt Carrier is quite substantial at approx. 385g. This is also contributed by the 22mm enlarged gas cylinder and nozzle piston design which drives it extremely well. Despite the slightly lesser recoil than a GHK V3, the snappiness negates that impression and leaves an extremely big grin after mag-dumping it on the Fun-Switch. It KICKS and CYCLES like an absolute dream!

After emptying the magazine all at once, I didn't notice any significant cool-down and went for a second round, third and even a fourth round with the same fill of gas! We then tried it on semi-auto at a 0.5 second pace and managed to fire over 200+ shots with that one single fill of gas. This is all contributed by the aluminium external construction of the Magazine with only the polymer feeding channel as separate piece running down the front of the mag. Having thinner walls meant it could accommodate more gas and handle cool-down much more efficiently. The trade off is once again the realism and this will show very quickly with silver streaks revealing when the paint wears off.


Taking it onto the field for a "real-world" test, the 74M had no issues with throwing down 0.36g BBs at some incredible distances. After some minor tuning of the hop (easily through the chamber without a tool) and optic, it was reaching straight out to 60-70m and was wiping out entire squads at Operation Armoured Fury 3. It aided me in ranking a 2nd place on the OPAF 3 SkirMesh system but we'll leave the details in another private review of my own. *wink* To say the least, I was very impressed with its performance.


To summarize everything, the VFC AK74M is a real performer and will outshine most GBBRs on the field. It is far from being the most realistic replica but no one would notice those ugly Phillips screws whilst you are pinging them from 60-70m away.

If you want a collector's piece to rub your greasy hands on, maybe the GHK V3 systems might salivate your hunger for more realism. If you need a gas AK for a Milsim Game or just want to whoop-arse with a GBBR, by all means get a VFC AK Sytem! The gas efficiency and bolt cycle snappiness is a clear winner.

~ Image of VFC AK74M Customized with LCT and 5KU Furniture. Internally factory stock.