The Innovative MB47: What Happens When Classic AK Meets Modernity

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Century Arms collaboration with Sharps Bros. is called MB47. It’s as old fashioned an AK as it gets in one way—the milled steel receiver, but as modern as possible in others such as the side rail and Ultimak Picatinny gas tube offering many optics mounting options. While USSR replaced the milled AK47 with the stamped AKM as soon as they figured out the technology, countries like Yugoslavia continued to manufacture both. Stamped rifles and light machine guns were for the mainstream troops, while more rigid milled receivers formed the basis for specialist sniper rifles like the M76.

In the US, Sharps Bros. manufactures milled receivers for shooters who like their AKs to be a little more accurate. The thickness of the black phosphated billet receiver doesn’t just benefit optics mounting and mechanical accuracy, it also permits incorporating QD sockets. Originally, Century Arms imported military surplus AKs. Later, they worked with demilled parts kits and some American components. MB47 is an effort to make an all-American AK47 that would beat the original in performance. In case of the USSR, ammunition and barrel quality was such that the extra rigidity of the receiver didn’t produce much of an accuracy benefit. That fit fine with the Soviet military doctrine, in which AK47 was originally considered a more powerful submachine gun rather than a rifle replacement. American shooters have better ammo available, along with better optics.

The rifle comes with a free-floated MLOK forend, 30-round polymer magazine, and a grooveless grip, all by US Palm. Adjustable stock is by Magpul, the muzzle compensator was internally developed by Century. Ultimak rail completed the ensemble. At 8.4 pounds, the rifle is hefty even with lightening contouring on the receiver. Once side optics rail and LPVO are added, the total is over ten pounds, but most of the weight is towards the back. This makes for a very stable shooting platform and low felt recoil. Khyber Customs flat-faced two-stage RAK-1 trigger breaks at five pounds, with 
sufficient crispness for accuracy. Going with a red dot on the forend saves weight but shifts balance towards the muzzle. The one unusual component is the bolt carrier, with a cutaway top for weight reduction.

While the 16¼-inch chrome-lined barrel isn’t light in profile, it is fluted for weight reduction and increased cooling surface. The standard 5/8x24 muzzle threading gives plentiful options in brakes, sound suppressors, and flash hiders, the included compensator is efficient for controlled rapid fire, not overly concussive, and doesn’t vent flames upward. It does project a rather noticeable fireball forward though. Low-bore axis, compared to other AK models, also improves control when shooting fast. Felt recoil is already minimal, and ejection is as energetic as expected from this platform: about six feet forward and right.

While standard AK graduated rear sight is included, the front sight is part of the gas block, gaining robustness at the expense of sight radius. Considering the preeminence of optics, shorter sight radius might be a small sacrifice for the more robust backup sighting system. For faster and more accurate shooting, I tried a variety of red dot sights. Low profile varieties, like the Aimpoint T series, is definitely a win here. For real accuracy testing, 
magnified optics were needed.

Originally, I tried a Hi-Lux 1-4x scope with BDC for 7.62x39. That design sports a useful range finding reticle for 7.62x39, and it’s modestly sized. Unfortunately, I ran out of windage adjustment to the left before achieving zero. For physically larger LPVO scopes, like Vudu 1-6x FFP, medium height rings are needed for the zoom ring to cleat the dust cover.

The Magpul DT carbine stock is compatible with a raised cheek rest needed for a consistent sight picture. I ended up approaching accuracy testing brute force style with a Meopta 6-24x precision scope zoomed all the way in. This isn’t how I would run this rifle in the field, but this setup—with high magnification and adjustable focus for parallax-free sighting—makes it unlikely that any reticle misalignment would affect my groups.

In my recent tests with other 7.62x39 rifles, I’ve seen very inconsistent results due to ammunition quality. An excellent CZ527 bolt action rifle gave drastically bigger groups than several years prior. I’ve seen AK and vz58 rifles give wildly differing groups from shot string to shot string. Fired off a sandbag, MB47 proved pleasantly consistent. The trigger was good enough to facilitate small groups, though the reset was more noticeable than I found comfortable. Here’s how different ammunition stacked up fired from a bench at 100 yards:

Considering the results from a typical AKM hover in the 4–5MOA range, a shade over 1.5MOA with budget-priced ball ammunition is quite respectable. That, in itself, justifies the extra weight and cost of the milled receiver. In addition to being more accurate than others, Belom was also slightly hotter, impacting about an inch above the others at 100 yards. Earlier, I fired other ammunition from prone at 70 yards, with the following results. The results were consistent with the more formal bench testing.

• Bulgarian-made Global Ordnance lacquered steel case shot very consistently at 2.5" (3.6MOA), perfectly respectable for the price.
• Winchester white box with PPU headstamp and red-sealed primers shot 1.75" (2.5MOA).
• PPU blue box FMJ shot 1.75" (2.5MOA). Considering the origins, it’s no surprise that the two loads showed similar performance.
• Wolf polymer coated ball shot 3" (4.3MOA), decent for that load but obviously the least accurate of the lot.

Federal Fusion soft point shot 2.3" (3.3MOA), a bit of a surprise considering near-match past performance. Federal ammunition showed a prominent example of a typical AK accuracy problem in which ammunition from the left and right side of the magazine print fairly tight but distinct groups. Each group is 1MOA or tighter, but the two groups are offset from each other enough to push the overall spread to 3MOA or more. This has to do with cartridge alignment in the chamber resulting from the relatively loose lockup of the two bolt lugs, and it’s likely that physically wider cases and bullets are less susceptible to this issue. Using a single-row magazine, such as a drum, removes this phenomenon. 

As a more practical test, I shot Federal Fusion at a hostage and perp steel target set at 105 yards. All five shots impacted close to the center of “hostage taker” head. The rifle, properly sighted and carefully aimed, can be used for consistent silhouette hits to the limit of the cartridge effectiveness at 300 yards. Free float rail combined with rigid receiver means the gun may be mounted on a bipod without point of impact deflection typical of RPK solution.

Everything about the rifle other than the safety is easy. The safety lever required a substantial effort to move on or off but should be adjustable for tension once taken off the rifle. The flapper magazine release is comfortable, so are the stock and the pistol grip. Mechanically, I and the other shooters have had zero malfunctions shooting a wide variety of steel and brass cased ammunition during testing and photoshoots. With the rifle intended more for short-range self-defense than paper-punching, MB47 weight and compensator combine for a very flat-shooting rifle suitable for effective rapid fire. Reliability has been 100% with every kind of fodder I fed this weapon. It’s what you would expect from an AK, right? 

CENTURY ARMS MB47 RIFLE SPECS

• Action Type: Semi-automatic, Long-stroke piston 
• Cartridge: 7.62x39mm
• Magazine: One 30-Round US Palm included (any standard AK-type magazine)
• Barrel Length: 16.25 in.
• Muzzle: Threaded 5/8x24, with Chevron Compensator
• Overall Length: 35–38 in.
• Receiver: Milled steel
• Weight: 8.4 lbs.
• Sights: Front: Adjustable post, Rear: Range Adjustable to 800m
• Finish: Black
• Origin: Made in USA
• MSRP: $1,699.99
• Contact: CenturyArms.com

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