Featured Build: Kalashnikov Komrad 12 Gauge

The Kalashnikov Komrad is a firearm in a class all its own. Based on the Saiga 12 platform, the Komrad is a US manufactured, 12 gauge firearm with some interesting features that help set it apart from the crowd. When we first saw this gun, we knew we had to get our hands on it and make it our own. Here is a closer look at a Komrad owned and customized by one of our employees. 

Pictured above: The Kalashnikov Komrad as it ships from the factory

The first thing you notice is its size. The Komrad features a 12" barrel, with an overall length of just 31.5". This would normally make the gun a short-barreled shotgun (SBS), requiring the user to go through all the hassle of the NFA paperwork and wait time, not to mention the $200 tax stamp. However, the Komrad falls under a different set of rules, since it is legally classified as a "firearm" rather than a shotgun. It lacks the stock that you would find on an SBS, being replaced with an SB Tactical SBA3 brace. 

Out of the box, the Komrad is set up really nice, but we swapped out a few parts right away just based on personal preference. One of the nice things about this gun is the selection of aftermarket parts available. The gun is compatible with many Saiga parts, including magazines and drums. We swapped out the included vertical foregrip for a more sleek Magpul AFG and replaced the factory pistol grip with a Magpul MOE AK+ grip.

After we had the gun set up a little more to our liking, we took it out to the range and filmed this video review. The Komrad is an excellent weapon and a blast to shoot (pun intended), but after putting a couple hundred rounds through it, we had a good idea of what we would like to upgrade or improve. 

The Komrad comes with the standard bead front sight and notch rear, but they sit really low and getting a good sight picture was difficult with the SBA3 brace. It felt like you had to get down really low on the gun and it would tend to slap you in the cheek pretty good when firing heavier loads, like buckshot or slugs. This problem was easily remedied by installing the Midwest Industries AK railed scope mount which allowed us to mount a Vortex Viper 6 MOA red dot. This setup works really well with this gun, it raises the sight up just enough to get a better sight picture and makes target acquisition quick and easy.

Because this gun is so small, it makes an excellent home defense weapon. That's why we added a Surefire Scout light to the front end via the Tri-rail handguard. The 500 lumen Surefire provides plenty of light should the gun ever be needed in a dark or dimly lit encounter. The light attaches with the included picatinny mount, and has a rear click on/off button activation. The Magpul angled fore grip positions your thumb right near the activation switch on the back of light, making it very fast to activate/deactivate without really moving your hand off of the grip. 

Overall this is a great gun made even better by just a few small improvements that can be easily done by the end user, no gunsmith needed! This may be one of our favorite home defense weapons yet. 

Keep an eye out for more featured builds, coming soon!

Here are the parts you will need: