If you’ve ever wanted a blow-back AK-ish pistol chambered in 9mm that took Beretta 92 magazines, Chiappa has the gun for you!
Expected to be shown at the 2016 SHOT Show, the new AK-9 from Chiappa Firearms is a semi-automatic pistol that has the look of an AK-style pistol but is not likely to share much in common with those guns. The guns use a straight blowback action and are fed from Beretta 92 magazines. The gun ships with a pair of 10-round mags.
[Ed. note: Chiappa has a new PDW-style gun that is much more attractive than this pistol. Check out the new CBR-9 pistol.]
Chiappa equipped the pistol with a 6.3″ barrel. Overall, the gun is 14.25″ in length. Mechanical sights are included, though I suspect many people will prefer to add a red dot of some type using the built-in Picatinny rail. The rear sight is fixed, while the front is adjustable.
Speaking of accessory rails, the gun has one underneath the barrel as well as a pair at the 3 and 6 o’clock positions. The underside rail ends with a ramped hand stop. The side rails are high up on the gun and well above the barrel.
The AK-9 pistol appears to use an AK-style magazine release and safety selector. A swivel is attached to the rear of the gun for a sling.
If you are not familiar with Chiappa, they produce a number of reproduction guns. Many people may be familiar with the Rhino revolvers the company introduced a few years ago. Although the Rhino is a nice shooting gun (even in .357 Magnum,) it is very much a niche gun that does not enjoy widespread popularity. Well, besides being one of the guns used in the remake of Total Recall.
The suggested retail price on this gun is $569. Frankly, this gun doesn’t do anything for me. What about you – are you interested in it at all? Sound off in the comment section below. Just try to keep it PG, please.