CMMG MK47 AKM Mutant 7.62x39mm Semi-Automatic Rifle

by Jeff Quinn

photography by Jeff Quinn & Boge Quinn

December 4th, 2014

 

Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AR style dust cover (top), empty case deflector (middle), and safety (bottom).

 

 

 

 

AR style grip.

 

 

Six-position telescoping buttstock.

 

 

 

 

AK style ambidextrous magazine catch.

 

 

Magpul thirty-round AK magazine.

 

 

CMMG has just introduced a new rifle that solves the problems of trying to chamber the 7.62x39mm cartridge in an AR-15 rifle. The AR-15 is an excellent system, but adapting an AR mag to run reliably with that tapered 7.62x39 cartridge creates problems of having to run a proprietary magazine, and also the problem of opening up the bolt face on the AR-15 bolt to accommodate the larger case head of the 7.62x39mm cartridge.

The CMMG MK47 Mutant is somewhat of a hybrid. It uses components of the AR-15, AR-10, and AK-47 systems, resulting in an AR-like rifle, that runs 7.62x39 ammo reliably, and most importantly, it uses the cheap and plentiful AK magazines.

The Mutant is pretty much AR-15 on the lower receiver, from the magazine well rearward. AR triggers, pistol grips, and buttstocks work in the Mutant lower. The mag well is modified to accept AK magazines, and the Mutant uses the AK-style magazine latch, which is very easy to use, and also ambidextrous. The upper receiver has an AR-style dust cover and case deflector, and uses a shortened full-diameter AR-10 bolt and carrier, to handle the size and pressure of the 7.62x39 cartridge. The upper and lower receivers are milled from billet 7075-T6 aluminum. The top of the upper receiver wears an integral Picatinny rail, which matches with the full-length rail atop the CMMG RKM Keymod handguard.

There are three different variants of the MK47 Mutant, with the AKM version shown here. It wears a Magpul CTR buttstock and MOE pistolgrip. The free-floated medium weight barrel measures 16.1 inches in length, has a one-in-ten-inch rifling twist, and the muzzle is fitted with a CMMG SV muzzle brake. The trigger is a CMMG single-stage unit, with the resistance measuring just a bit over five pounds. The gas system is a carbine-length direct gas impingement system.

The CMMG Mutant ships with one Magpul polymer thirty-round AK magazine. CMMG states that the Mutant will work with most AK mags on the market. The test rifle worked very well, but one unmarked AK steel mag from Century Arms would not lock into the mag well. The P-MAGs worked perfectly.

I fired the CMMG Mutant with every type of 7.62x39mm ammo that I had available. Velocities are listed in the chart below, and are listed in feet-per-second (fps). Velocity readings were taken at ten feet from the muzzle, at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level. Air temperatures hovered around the forty degree Fahrenheit mark, with relative humidity of ninety percent. FMJ is a full metal jacket bullet. DPX is a homogenous copper hollowpoint. SP is a lead-core soft point bullet. MPG is a hollowpoint bullet. Bullet weights are listed in grains.

Ammunition Bullet Weight Velocity
Red Army FMJ 123 2360
Cor-Bon DPX 123 2464
Cor-Bon MPG 108 2734
Winchester SP 123 2418
Winchester FMJ 123 2420
Chinese Surplus FMJ 123 2311

Reliability was perfect with each of the 123 grain loads. Every round fed, fired, and ejected perfectly. While the 108 grain Cor-Bon load exhibited very good velocity, it did not have enough power to completely cycle the bolt. The empty cases would eject just fine, but the bolt did not have sufficient travel to pick up the next cartridge from the magazine. Accuracy was very good with most ammunition, and as is always the case, the weapon is only as accurate as the ammunition fed it. A couple of types of ammo exhibited sub-MOA groups, but the Chinese surplus (reject) junk would group no better than four inches at 100 yards. Again, ammo selection is very important to accuracy. Many times, someone will spend a lot of money on a good rifle, then feed it the cheapest junk he can find, and blame the rifle for inaccuracy. This CMMG rifle is very accurate, but it must be fed good ammo. Surprising to me was the accuracy exhibited by the inexpensive Red Army ammo. It is imported from the Ukraine by Century Arms, and is very affordable, yet shot very well in this CMMG rifle.

As mentioned above, this CMMG rifle is one of three variations they have on the MK47 platform, as of the time of this review. It weighs in at 7.2 pounds, and has an overall length of between 33.5 and 36.75 inches, depending upon the position of the buttstock. The AKM variation shown here has a suggested retail price of a nickel under $1650 US. This is the mid-price version, and details and prices on the other two can be seen at the CMMG website.

For accuracy testing, I mounted a Leupold Mark 4 8.5 to 25 power scope. After getting on target at twenty-five and fifty, I fired three-shot groups at one hundred yards, allowing the barrel to cool a bit between groups. As mentioned above, the accuracy varied from bad to outstanding, depending upon the quality of the ammo. I also want to point out once more that the poor groups fired were certainly no fault of the rifle, as with good ammo, it performed very well.

After the accuracy work was done, I removed the Leupold and mounted a Trijicon Reflex dot sight. I love the Reflex, as it is very durable, always "on", and never needs batteries. Banging targets of opportunity out to one hundred yards (the limit of my backdoor range), the CMMG with the Trijicon atop is a lot of fun to shoot. The muzzle brake is very effective, and recoil is not a factor at all, even after shooting several magazines of ammo in one session.

The CMMG MK47 Mutant is a handy, reliable, and very accurate rifle that combines some of the best features of the two most-popular rifles in the world.

Check out the AKM Mutant and other CMMG products online at www.cmmginc.com.

To order quality 7.62x39mm ammunition, go to www.centuryarms.com, www.luckygunner.com, www.doubletapammo.com, and  www.midsouthshooterssupply.com.

For a closer look at quality optics, go to www.trijicon.com and www.leupold.com.

Jeff Quinn

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Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

Red Army ammo worked perfectly in the MK47.

 

 

Leupold 8.5 to 25 Mark 4 scope used for accuracy testing.

 

 

100-yard groups demonstrate the accuracy capability of the MK47.