The SLR-106FR is a U.S.-made AK-74 variant that comes with a magazine, cleaning rod, accessory case, drift pin cleaning jag, bore brush, combination tool, oil bottle, cleaning rod, and a web sling.
The SLR-106FR is 922(r) compliant, meaning it contains 10 or fewer foreign-made parts, according to Arsenal documents. Those parts include the major Bulgarian-made items, such as the barrel, receiver, and bolt. To make the gun U.S.-compliant, Arsenal takes a Bulgarian gun and adds six U.S.-made parts: the hammer, trigger, disconnector, buttstock, pistol grip, and handguards.
Our test SLR-106FR had an overall length of 36.8 inches with the AK74-type compensator installed. Without the compensator, the overall length was 34.5 inches. The folded length with the compensator installed was 27.4 inches. Without the compensator, the folded length measured 25.2 inches. The barrel length with the compensator installed was 18.5 inches; without the compensator, the barrel length was 16.25 inches. The six-groove barrel had a 1:7 right-hand twist. The rifle weighed 7.3 pounds without a magazine.
The front sight base was the SLR-105 type, with 24×1.5 right-hand threads. It also uses a front-sight post that is adjustable for both windage and elevation. The small U-shaped rear notch cut into a wide rear blade, combined with the curving ears on the front sight, was difficult to read, our testers said. We thought it was the worst sight of the test, and it likely contributed to the gun’s indifferent accuracy results.
Also on the front of the gun, the upper and lower handguards, made from high-tech polymers and dyes to resist cracking and fading, looked and fit great. The company said, “Several months of research and development involving great expense, went into the design and manufacture of these heat shields, ensuring that we can provide the enthusiast with the absolute best in cooling performance. Its heat dissipation performance is unmatched!” But after 200 rounds of rapid-fire shooting in our test, the lower forearm grip, which had an aluminum heat shield under it, got too hot for us to handle.
The compensator is the SLR-105 unit, but with the mild 223 round, we didn’t see a need for it to shoot the gun accurately and fast. Pushing in a spring-loaded pin under the front trunnion allowed us to remove the compensator easily, after which we could remove the cleaning rod, which was threaded to accept a supplied jag. Also, the bayonet lug will accept a bayonet, provided the compensator is installed.
The pistol grip for the SLR-106FR is designed for use on rifles with the grip-reinforcement plate. According to Arsenal, they are matte black and are shallower in depth than the old-style pistol grips, and they fit flush with the grip reinforcement plate. Our testers said they thought the grip was too thin at 0.9 inches wide. Nice feature: The grip angle allows the rifle to stand straight up when the stock is folded.
The polymer folding stock is made in the U.S., and it is a direct replacement for the skeleton folding stock with the 4.5mm pivot pin. The hinge and rear latch mechanism is the heart of this folding stock, and we think it is a good one. A button on the left side of the receiver releases a catch, allowing the shooter to fold the stock to the left, where it latches to the front of the receiver. We worked the folding mechanism dozens of times, and we agreed that the tolerances were tight and the swing radius was dead on. This feature gave the Arsenal a decided edge over the other guns.
However, when the stock was fully extended, we found we didn’t like the stamped-metal buttplate. Though it was ribbed to keep it from slipping off the shooter’s shoulder, it was still too slick, and the trapdoor spring pushbutton that allows the shooter to unlatch the stock from the forward catch mechanism was irritating, we thought. A plus: The rotating sling swivel on the front of the buttstock allowed the rifle to be slung and carried folded or extended.
Loading the Arsenal magazine required a rocking motion. The Century was faster at this task.The magazines used in these rifles are the 5.56 NATO polymer mags produced by Arsenal, Bulgaria. Distributed by K-Var, they are available in 5- and 10-round black units, as well as in green, featuring the Arsenal logo. They are also available in 30-round black waffles, and 20- and 30-round versions in clear waffle. The two 30-rounders we bought were the clear-waffle units, and they worked flawlessly. In our view, 20-round magazines in both the AK and M16 rifles offer the best combined handling characteristics for bench or field shooting.
The bolt carrier, bolt group, and gas piston were manufactured in Bulgaria. The bolt carrier has a slot designed to clear the magazine lips on the caliber 5.56x45mm magazines. A spring-loaded firing pin replaces the inertia firing pins found on most AKs. A mechanical drag installed in the trigger mechanism delays the hammer’s fall until bolt bounce had settled down. AKs are famous for their reliability, and our unit went 265 rounds before we had a single failure to extract. It was much easier to clear than when the C15 Sporter locked up.
Our Arsenal gun did not have a hold-open device, so after the last round was fired, the bolt group traveled forward into battery without chambering a round. On a war-zone gun that must be peasant-simple to operate, this feature makes some sense. However, on a civilian gun marketed in the U.S, we don’t like this feature on a safety basis. We’d prefer that Arsenal machine in a hold-open button.
Also, to reload the gun, the shooter must hit the magazine-release catch in front of the trigger guard and pull the magazine forward to get it out of the gun, then tilt the fresh magazine forward into the well and rock it backward to get fresh rounds loaded. In this area, the other two guns were clearly faster.
The fire control system has a two-stage trigger; after an initial take-up of 3 pounds, the final pull weight was 8.1 pounds. We would prefer less let-off weight.
