MB47: Classic AK, Meets Modernity

A Collaboration Between Century Arms and Sharps Brothers

By By Oleg Volk Cover and photos by Oleg Volk

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.

[Continue reading "MB47: Classic AK, Meets Modernity" in the March 2025 issue]

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