Opinion
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- Krebs PD-18 Pistol.
For discrete carry when traveling, in addition to discrete storage, SBRs (Short-Barreled Rifles) represents an excellent compromise for many, myself included.
SBRs are lighter than their full-sized cousins, and the short barrel is handy for deployment and serious fighting within confined spaces, such as the interior of a typical sedan.
However, under Federal Rules (arbitrary, like most rules), “rifles” have to have barrels no shorter than sixteen inches. When a rifle’s barrel is shorter, it becomes an “SBR” and thus an NFA (National Firearms Act of 1934) item, like silencers requiring individual government permission slips.
Citizens can own NFA items, like SBRs, in most states, but the transfer must be approved at the federal level, which requires intrusive and never-ending paperwork, as well as a long wait for the Feds to “get around to it,” sometimes a year or more.
Current NFA-application backlogs are enormous, and getting worse.
So, NFA items are of scant interest to most firearms owners. Even police departments often shy away from them, again due to paperwork, delays, and tedious accounting procedures.
Recently, however, in an attempt to satisfy consumer demand, manufacturers have started making “pistols” that look a lot like SBRs.
“Pistols,” meeting federal regulations may have a barrel of any length, but no “shoulder-stock.” It’s the exact definition of “shoulder-stock” that has kept ATF (along with the entire firearms industry) tied in knots for at least the past decade.
Under ATF’s current definition (at least for now) of “shoulder-stock,” certain “Arm-Braces” (which look a lot like shoulder-stocks to me) don’t meet the definition and are hence apparently “okay” to put on a rifle which has a barrel of fewer than sixteen inches.
With these “approved” arm-braces, one can now own, in effect, a non-NFA SBR (by definition, a “pistol”), and many are taking manufacturers up on the offer!
How the “arm-brace” is actually used by the shooter as the pistol is deployed is apparently no longer a concern of ATF.
Robinson Arms, Daniel Defense, Inland Manufacturing (M1 Carbine), and many others are jumping in on the trend.
Business is brisk!
Among those at the top of the list is the Krebs PD-18.
I’m testing my copy now. It’s a 7.62×39 Kalashnikov with an 11″ barrel, which includes the flash-suppressor. It features all of Mark’s famous AK enhancements, including a top-rail.
Today, I put 400 rounds through it. Runs perfectly, like everything Mark Krebs makes.
It’s equipped with Aimpoint PRO, a BFG Vickers Sling, and Krebs custom trigger and wonderful Western-style BUIS.
The arm-brace folds sideways (much as a shoulder-stock would), making the whole thing only 23″ long. With the arm-brace thus folded, the PD-18 Pistol fits nicely into an innocuous gym-bag for low-profile transport.
Within 50m, the PD-18 is every bit as accurate as a standard rifle. And, I was getting very respectable accuracy at 100m.
I sighted-in my PD-18 to be dead-on at 40m, which puts it dead-on again at 170m, so it is basically a 200m gun, which represents all the range I need for most domestic challenges. And the 30cal 7.62×39 round suffers less velocity deterioration due to barrel-shortening than does the 5.56×45 (223).
Set-up as I have mine, the Krebs PD-18 w/optic runs 2.5k, or so.
Contact Brian at www.krebscustom.com.
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
It must be nice to be rolling in dough, to be able to afford a $2,500 non SBR pistol! Here, back in the real world, where some of us made a total of $8 K last year, non SBR pistols in the $400 to $600 range are still luxury items, but at least after 6 months worth of busting our butts, we might be able to consider affording one by the time Christmas rolls around! How about you take the time to look at some weapons that poor folks can actually afford, or do you not afford to us the… Read more »
I’d be happy if some more standard Dracos came in in sufficient numbers to lower the unit pricing..of course (” cough! Century!”)has to quit polishing their RAS47&C39 V2 turds and either.make more AK63s or quit jerking around with the exclusive Import agreement with ROMARM/Cugir.
I like my Zastava M92. But with the prices of good imported or quality domestic AK builds creeping steadily upward, I may need to give Krebs-who I always regarded as a VERY good but EXPENSIVE custom builder-another look.