WBP AK-47 CLASSIC STRAIGHT-PULL RIFLE

The AK-47 is arguably the most famous rifle in the world, appearing everywhere, from TV news and novels to national flags. It uses the legendary 7.62x39mm round, and its distinctive shape is defined by the 30-round banana-shaped magazine. Millions remain in use worldwide in their original semi and fully-automatic military configurations. While often incredibly worn and not particularly accurate, they are still capable of getting rounds down range. Many of the UK-legal, single-shot, straight-pull AKs I have encountered were less dust-ridden and worn but had clearly been assembled from a variety of parts. Although functional, they were little more than curiosities.
The WBP straight-pull is newly manufactured in Poland within ISO-rated facilities, designed to be a smarter, well-built rifle that retains all the AK’s characteristics but with fewer sharp edges, which would otherwise require years of use to wear smooth.

Jack of all trades
The ‘Jack’ model commences at the muzzle with an angled compensator to divert gas upwards/to the right to counter the natural muzzle rise of the rifle. This has a spring detent and can be removed to reveal a 14x1 left-hand thread for an optional sound moderator. You can see the angled gas tube rising away from the barrel. In automatic/military versions, this powers the reciprocating gas piston mechanism, but here it has been neutralised to comply with UK Section 1 regulations.
The barrel is 14.7mm in diameter, and there is a cleaning rod stored underneath, which you may or may not use. Both the barrel and gas tube are housed beneath the removable laminated fore-end, which extends to the adjustable rear sight, a simple matte black notch with calibration markings up to 800m. The tall foresight has wings to protect the central post, and a tool is supplied to adjust the windage.

AK features
The central receiver and action area of the AK display a remarkably fine finish, with a deep black lustre on all the stamped, folded, and riveted steel components. The inner forged rotating bolt and carrier are made of brightly finished, nickel-plated steel, ensuring smooth operation and durability as they feed ammunition into the hammer-forged, chrome-moly vanadium barrel.
The external cocking lever and firing/safe selector latch seem slightly larger than the norm, and I was especially pleased to feel that the folded edges were all smooth, which means that it is less likely that you will cut yourself.
The left side of the action has a proprietary rail in place for the scope mount, but otherwise, the features are familiar, with an extended magazine release lever hanging between the front of the trigger guard and the rear of the magazine.
The rifle came supplied with three polymer magazines: one 30-round and two 20-round units. They are transparent, so you can see the ammunition quantity within, and each load into two staggered columns from the top, making them very easy to use.
The hinged loading style means that the nose of the magazine is inserted into the underside of the magwell first, and the magazine is then drawn backwards and up to lock it securely into the gun. The large magazine release lever ensures effortless removal, and these magazines fit snugly in the rifle, without the loose rattle of steel military surplus versions that may have seen extensive use around the world.

Ergonomics
An injection-moulded, tan-coloured grip hangs below the receiver, but it doesn’t really match the laminated woodwork. The fore-end features a sling loop at the front, and there is a rear sling loop under the butt. The polymer recoil plate protects the stock, which has a very short length of pull that measures just 12.75” (320mm). This is an ergonomic relic of the iron-sighted battle rifle.

What’s it like to shoot?
Operating the rifle is easy, as its design enables use with minimal instruction. Simply load the magazine, insert it, pull back on the side handle, and release. Of course, this straight-pull version requires the bolt to be operated every time, and the right-side fire control lever is a two-position switch, moving up for safe and down for fire.
In use, the WBP AK was surprisingly smooth and light to operate, with notably good extraction and ejection, characteristics often lacking in lower-quality AKs, which were originally designed for faster bolt operation via the gas system.
The trigger is a single-stage unit that operates smoothly but lacks a distinctly crisp break. It is consistent, breaking reliably at 1,500g (55oz), with what I would describe as a military-style ‘surprise break’ feel. An internal inspection revealed significantly superior components and machining compared to the average AK.

It is what it is
During testing, I used three types of ammunition, both with and without a moderator fitted. I also used the additional scope mount, which has a quick-release lever and maintains what could be described as ‘zero’ when removed and replaced. I added a 1-8x Primary Arms scope, which would have been ideal for the rifle if not for the incredibly short length of pull. Even pushed right to the front of the mount, eye relief was cramped, highlighting the need for an additional, thicker recoil pad to be fitted if you want to use a scope. I adjusted as best I could, but with my neck and head craned back to the limit, there was a clear ergonomic compromise when it came to shoulder pressure.
The 7.62x39mm cartridge does not generate much recoil, and the gun weighs 3.26kg, so shooting is not at all arduous. The rounds load easily, and once you get the knack of inserting a magazine into the rifle, you really can burn through some ammo.
Stripping down the rifle for cleaning is not hard, and pressing the sprung button on the rear of the top cover allows it to unlatch and lift away. With the bolt assembly and recoil spring removed, you can then access the entire trigger mechanism and barrel for cleaning.
The hammer in the trigger group is guaranteed to give your firing pin and every primer a good whack, as it was designed to work with almost any 7.62x39mm ammo, which, depending on your source, could be decades old.

CSR
C&G supplied me with some Sellier & Bellot 124gr ammunition in 20-round boxes, along with a bulk bag of their own ‘AK Food’, which was steel-cased modern military surplus loaded with a 124gr bullet.
In fairness, if you want an AK, the WBP is a very good example of a dedicated single-shot version, but no AK will ever be a precision rifle capable of shooting small groups, for both mechanical and ergonomic reasons. Remember, this is a nearly 80-year-old design based on cost and simplicity, so no matter how well-made it is, it will always feature the same rotating bolt design within the carrier to lock and unlock the chamber.
An equivalent AR is a relatively ‘space-age’ precision platform from an opposing economic and military background. That’s good in a way, though, as it makes you want to enjoy the AK for what it is, a living, modern museum piece with near-100% reliable mechanics.
The trigger was noticeably better than many others, and I was impressed by the smooth bolt operation, despite the original semi/full-auto styling and design.

Conclusion
The bolt will lock open if you pull it level with the rear of the ejection port. There is no specific bolt release, so you just pull it back to the stop and let it go. Zeroing depends on how good you are with iron sights, and shooting this way is great fun on relatively large steel gongs. The scope provides greater aiming precision, but the rifle feels more natural when used as intended, with iron sights. If you do run a scope, you will need to increase the length of pull.
In the end, the best group I shot at 100 yards measured 3.5 MOA, and surprisingly, it was with C&G’s AK Food, which developed 2,289fps. The S&B was a little faster at 2,346fps, but the best I managed was a 4 MOA average.
I’m sure the rifle would have performed slightly better with a scope and a longer stock, ensuring proper eye relief, shoulder contact, and a clear, vignette-free field of view. But I had the most fun shooting it free-standing or kneeling with the iron sights, using improvised rest positions and ringing steel. If that’s what you want an AK for, I think the WBP is actually a very fun gun.
Just get the length-of-pull extended if you want to use a scope, and don’t expect miracles on paper. It may be best suited to a brand-specific competition and course of fire, where it can be appreciated for what it is rather than what it can never be.