Gun Review: Century Arms BFT 556 Rifle

“American guns should use American cartridges and Russian guns should use Russian cartridges.” Such was the advice given by a respected friend and experienced small arms and tactics instructor. And truthfully, it’s hard to argue with that. 

Yes, it’s true that Russia made an AK101 and AK102 as well as the current model AK19 from the Kalashnikov Group. All chamber the 5.56mm NATO round. And there have been a number of Stoner-based AR rifles chambered in 7.62.x39mm and a handful in 5.45x39mm back when that ammo was cheap and available.

However, does an AK in 5.56 offer decided advantages over an AR chambered in the same caliber? How about an AR chambered in 7.62x39mm? Or are we just playing with new toys here? 

Steel vs Brass, Straight vs Taper

Before we get into the guns, let’s discuss the ammunition. The closest Russian cartridge to 5.56mm NATO is 5.45x39mm Russian. While very similar, there are some significant differences. NATO ammunition uses brass cases and the 5.56mm round is based on .223 Remington, which in turn came from .222 Remington. The bottle-neck 5.56mm case has a straight walled body. The 5.45x39mm cartridge is essentially a shrunken version of the 7.62x39mm round. The cases are lacquered steel and the case body is tapered.

Most people would say that if you want “a .22 caliber” AK, stick with the 5.45x39mm. While there’s some truth to that, thanks to some political chicanery, 5.45x39mm isn’t the bargain that it once was and availability as this article is written is limited (to say the least) compared to .223 Remington. The Remington round is, on average, 10 to 20 cents cheaper per shot. When you buy ammo by the case, that makes a big difference.  

Also, if you happen to be a prudent shopper, like many of my peers, you’ve likely been sitting on a good supply of .223/5.56mm for a while. A good deal of it might be Wolf steel-cased from long ago when the ammo was about 20¢ a round. 

The Century Arms BFT 556

When I first found out that Century Arms was making one of their BFT (bulged forged trunnion) rifles in 5.56mm, though I thought I already knew the answer to this question, I sent my contact there a message: “Will it run steel?” The response was, “Of course, do you want to test one?” “Yes please.” For those who are unaware, a few years ago, Century released their BFT 47 rifles, a very true-to-the-original AKM version that’s manufactured 100% in the USA. Now, Century has the BFT 556 and the BFT 74. 

The Century Arms BFT 556 stands out from all the other rifles in their lineup in that it has uniquely colored hardwood furniture. The stock and forend have a bright red finish. This is surely going to be one of those love it or hate it situations. As for me, I’m fine with it as the rifle certainly stands apart from my other AKM rifles. The new BFT 556 is a true semi-auto AK with all the controls right where you’d expect them to be. 

Range Time

Prior to my range trip I went to the ammo locker to see what I still had in terms of steel-cased .223. I found that I had some green steel Red Army Standard ammo, some Russian Barnaul and some Wolf “polyformance.” And by “some” I mean half of a .50 cal ammo can of loose rounds, more than enough to whet the appetite of the BFT 556. I also threw in some brass-cased Federal 55 grain FMJ just for fun. 

Popping off the dust cover to pull out the bolt-carrier assembly was simple enough and I made sure to apply a good amount of Froglube Extreme to the bolt/bolt carrier and the rails before shooting the gun. As for the magazines to feed the rifle, they are the AC-Unity Gen 3 versions for the AK19. I had two of them on hand to test out. This was my first time working with these. With the rifle, ammo, targets, etc. loaded into the truck, I hit the range on a mercifully pleasant December day up here in the mountains at about 6500 feet. The mercury got all the way up to 35º F. 

My first impression was that the recoil felt like that of the 5.45x39mm rifles. That is, it was barely perceptible. Yes, you feel the impulse of the action cycling, but it’s not what an experienced rifle shooter would call recoil. The AK74-style muzzle device kept barrel rise to such a minimum that I set up a camera to the side to video the gun under recoil. The reaction of everyone I shared the video with was basically the same, “The gun doesn’t move” or “it barely moves” were the most common replies. 

As for accuracy, I didn’t bother with a bench test. With the rear sight bottomed, I stepped back to 50 yards and took aim at a ½ steel silhouette. Clang, clang, clang. Hits on a steel were right where they were supposed to impact. I called that good for AK accuracy and started running practical drills with the rifle.

The only handicap I had was having to recharge magazines every five minutes or so. I was wearing the targets out so rapidly that I gained the attention of the guy in the bay next to me. During a break for more ammo I caught him watching me with curiosity. We exchanged waves,as men do, but that was it. 

I only ran about 20 rounds of brass-cased ammo through the gun as I’d just as soon save that for my ARs. In short, the BFT 556 ate up the steel-cased ammo like it was starving. I wasn’t counting individual rounds, but I put at least eight full magazines through the gun in an afternoon before sitting down to write this piece, you can math it yourself.

The Wrap Up

I’m sorry to report this to the cynics and haters out there but, the Century Arms BFT 556 ran without a single stoppage. When you handle the gun, the quality of the workmanship is easily apparent. Yes, Century had some well-known growing pains a decade or so back when they set out to become America’s largest maker of Kalashnikov-style rifles. To their great credit, they’ve learned and made numerous improvements over the old Centurion models. 

The only ding on the gun is that the manual safety is stiff. And, that’s really not much of a ding because 90% of factory AKs have stiff manual safeties. You, the end user, just need to work the safety a few hundred times in training. Yes, I said the “T” word. I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that the road to mastery begins with you taking professional training.   

If you’re an AR guy with a healthy stash of .223/5.56 and are looking to dip your toe into the AK pond, the BFT 556 is a great way to do that. If you’re an AK guy and looking for something different, you’ve probably already ordered one of these rifles before you finished this article.

Specifications: Century Arms BFT 556 Rifle

5.56x45mm (.223 Remington)
Bulged and Forged Trunnion w/ 1.5mm Stamped Steel
Polymer US Palm Grip
Forged and Bulged 4140 Steel Front Trunnion
Manganese Phosphate Finish per Mil-DTL-16232
Chrome Lined Chrome-Moly 4150 Steel
30 Round Magazine standard
Adjustable Front and Adjustable Rear, Optics Ready Side Mount
RAK-1 Enhanced Trigger
Hardwood stock and forend
Enhanced manual safety with bolt hold open
MSRP: $1,049

 

Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.