The market for AK-47 muzzle devices has been very off the last few years. There hasn’t been much in the way of designs for new muzzle brakes aside from a few attempts that worked reasonably well like the Definitive Arms Fighter Brake. That was until I was fortunate enough to get an email from a colleague who asked me if I wanted to try a new muzzle device for my Polish AK47. I’m always eager for new adventure and agreed, but asked who made the brake I was testing, the response was Axelson Tactical.
Now for those of you read the site or keep up with any sort of military events will recognize part of the name of the company the name Axelson, as in Matthew Axelson. The United States Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions and valor during Operation Red Wings in the Kunar Valley in Afghanistan. The company bearing his last name was started by his brother Jeff Axelson, and has been very active in support a long list of worthy Military Veteran centered Non Profit Corporations.
Axelson Tactical as a company has been has steadily built its client base and has expanded their product line over the last few years from hardware such as pistols and rifles into soft goods like apparel and accessories. The company now manufactures nine different styles of muzzle brakes including the one that we are fortunate enough to evaluate. The Kraken is built for the AK-47 family of rifles and it appears to have all the attributes that we look for when we are shopping for quality accessories.
Image:Rick Dembroski Axelson Tactical Logo on the bottom of the brake
The market for AK-47 muzzle devices has been very off the last few years. There hasn’t been much in the way of designs for new muzzle brakes aside from a few attempts that worked reasonably well like the Definitive Arms Fighter Brake. That was until I was fortunate enough to get an email from a colleague who asked me if I wanted to try a new muzzle device for my Polish AK47. I’m always eager for new adventure and agreed, but asked who made the brake I was testing, the response was Axelson Tactical.
Now for those of you read the site or keep up with any sort of military events will recognize part of the name of the company the name Axelson, as in Matthew Axelson. The United States Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions and valor during Operation Red Wings in the Kunar Valley in Afghanistan. The company bearing his last name was started by his brother Jeff Axelson, and has been very active in support a long list of worthy Military Veteran centered Non Profit Corporations.
Axelson Tactical as a company has been has steadily built its client base and has expanded their product line over the last few years from hardware such as pistols and rifles into soft goods like apparel and accessories. The company now manufactures nine different styles of muzzle brakes including the one that we are fortunate enough to evaluate. The Kraken is built for the AK-47 family of rifles and it appears to have all the attributes that we look for when we are shopping for quality accessories.
Image:Rick Dembroski Axelson Tactical Logo on the bottom of the brake
I will say right up front that I have been very happy with the brake that was previously on my Polish AK47, but sometimes when an opportunity presents itself you just have to brake out of your comfort zone and try something new. This was one of those chances and anytime someone can make a more efficient process or part that will reduce the felt recoil on my twice repaired shoulder, I’m all for trying it out. I wasn’t sure how long it would take for the brake to show up once I agreed to test it, and to my surprise it showed up less than a week later after the initial conversation I had with my colleague.
When the package showed up I tore into it, like I do all my packages that have gun parts and tossed the envelope on my work bench and laid eyes on the Kraken. The brake takes its name from the Kraken which is a mythological sea monster found as far back as the 13th Century tales told by Vikings who sailed the North Atlantic. The monster was said to have been able to pull the largest ship under the waves and kill all aboard the boat. That’s a pretty tall reputation to live up to, so naming something The Kraken, you better make one hell of a product to deliver, and at first glance Axleson Tactical does just that.
The brake is milled out of 4140 steel and it features a nice combination of porting evenly spaced along its topside. On the sides of the brake are two larger ports that are sure to piss off any shooters standing to the left or right of you. This is fine in my opinion because I’m not exactly worried about the concussion from the rifle bothering my neighbor shooters. I am worried more about controlling the recoil and blast that effects my shooting ability. I have to be honest with our readers about that. The combination of the thirteen different ports in the brake is designed to allow for faster follow-up shots and to dramatically reduce muzzle climb.
Image:Rick Dembroski Note the pair of large horizontal ports
The brake installation was straight forward and simple, the company did mill the brake to have two large flat spots to allow owners to place a wrench on it while installing it on the rifles. I didn’t have to use a wrench because it was going on an AK-47, and I’d like to mention one of the beautiful things about AK’s is that I didn’t need a crush washer or a torque wrench to properly install the Kraken on my rifle. To install all I had to do was simply remember the rifle has left-handed threads and depress the detent located in the form site post, then twist. The brake settled in very nicely on the front of my rifle, almost like it was meant to be there.
There is one thing about the brake I noticed during its installation and that was its overall length. I had for the past year or so been using a brake that I thought was quite a bit larger than the stock 45* slant brake that most AK-47 pattern rifles came with. The Axelson Tactical Kraken is larger than the brake it was replacing but not excessively large by any means. The length of the brake reminds me of the brakes commonly found on the AK-74 patterned rifles that are chambered in 5.45×39 mm. So it’s not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, just something small I noticed that I felt needed mentioning in some form.
I have 400 rounds of high quality and very dirty Wolf brand 123 grain full metal jacketed rounds already loaded up for my first range session with the Axelson Tactical Kraken that is slated for this Saturday. I’m all set to record video of the brake compared to the brake it replaced so If i can figure a way to shoot the video in slow motion is should yield some great results. I generally try to put some rounds through the gear I am testing before I do a write-up, but sometimes I just think that sometimes gear should be given a quick preview. It’s sort of a benefit to our readers so they know what is coming up in the very near future. The Axelson Tactical Kraken in American Made, by a company whose family and staff have a long tradition of supporting and defending our nation. We are honored and extremely excited to be allowed to test and evaluate the Kraken. Check back soon and see the video and the range results.
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