When you’ve been involved in a certain subject for a long time such as the firearms world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that everyone else already knows or understands the same things you do. For instance, I’ve been aware of Occam Defense Solutions, founded by engineering genius Brian Keeney, since its inception.
The feedback that I received, after the ODS-1775 pistol review was published last month reminded me again that there are still lots of folks out there in the gun community who are/were unaware of Occam Defense and the products that they offer. Also, since National Hug Your AK Day is rapidly approaching (Oct 18th), I thought this would be an appropriate time to offer you a review of the ODS-1775 Kalashnikov-style rifle.
ODS-1775 Rifle
The “ODS” part stands for Occam Defense Solutions. As mentioned, being an engineer by trade, Mr. Keeney subscribes to the philosophical principle of Occam’s razor and that the simplest answer is most often the best one. The “1775” comes from April 19, 1775, the true conception date of the United States of America. Brian’s strong personal belief is that every patriotic American should own a rugged, reliable rifle as a part of their civic duty as citizens of the republic.
The ODS-1775 rifle featured here was custom built for Student of the Gun. The receiver is a stamped Childers Mil-Spec Polish design. A forged European parts kit is used. For the barrel, they chose a 14.5-inch Nitride version with a 1:9.5 twist chambered in 7.62x39mm. Then they welded on a muzzle device to make the total length 16 inches to keep the gun NFA compliant. A very crisp ALS trigger group was installed as well and the manual safety on this gun is a Krebs Custom (RIP, Marc) enhanced version.
Surrounding the barrel of the ODS rifle is a MERC free-float handguard. This aluminum handguard is M-LOK compatible and, compared to standard aluminum rails, it’s very lightweight. The MERC handguard, an Occam patent, eliminates the need for traditional front and rear AK sights. This handguard extends over the dust cover and trunnion and secures to the rifle with zero movement or play. The end user can install iron sights or an optic with complete confidence that their sight zero will be maintained.
The stock is a Magpul MOE black polymer version and it’s fixed, not a folder or adjustable. In addition to being rugged and having a rubber buttpad to grip your shoulder, the top of the MOE AK stock has a secret storage compartment, a feature that can be easily overlooked at first glance. What can you/should you store in there? Your choice. I’m sure my GWoT vets are already calculating Skittle-capacity.
The pistol grip is a Tango Down version that was stippled in the ODS shop. Onto the barrel, they attached a Dead Air Silencers flash hider muzzle device that also functions as a suppressor adapter. I can testify that the DAS flash hider works as advertised. In complete darkness, only a small orange spark can be seen. Those familiar with the 7.62x39mm know that it can be rather “flashy.” The ability to tame the fire from that round isn’t something to be dismissed.
One of several unique products from Occam is their ODS-PH2 adjustable sight combination. These sights are made to mate perfectly with the MERC handguard as they will fit all M1913 Picatinny rails. The front sight uses an AR/M-16 Milspec front sight post in “A2” quarter-click configuration. The rear right has four different aperture options; small, medium, large (ghost ring) and notch. Windage for the ODS-PH2 sight system is adjusted in the rear and elevation in the front.
The ODS-PH2 sight set that I picked up had the standard Milspec front sight post. However, I wanted something a bit brighter. Night Fision sights produces a tritium AR-15 front sight. This small, but critical, component was intelligently designed to allow for quarter-click adjustments while keeping the tritium facing the shooter. The green tritium vial is surrounded by translucent polymer which comes in numerous colors. I chose the super bright yellow/green version.
Currently, Occam Defense has a variety of options available on their website including color options and add-on accessories. All of these rifles are custom built to order.
Duracoat Custom Finish
My ODS-1775 rifle arrived black. The tigerstripe finish was applied by me after I attended Duracoat’s custom finishers workshop several years ago. The Occam rifle was the first long gun that I refinished. I think it turned out alright. If you are interested, Duracoat offers their “Duracoat Certified Refinisher” course online.
Range Time
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. The ODS-1775 rifle is infinitely reliable and rugged. I’ve been running it for years with zero issues. From a handling standpoint, due to the lightweight MERC handguard replacing either traditional hardwood or the heavier M1913 “pic-rail” forends, the balance of the full-sized rifle is excellent. I have encountered numerous AK rifles that had so much weight forward of the magazine as to be front-heavy. Not so with the ODS-1775.
Now let’s talk about accuracy. The dogmatic AR lovers are fond of pointing out that while the AKM might be reliable it’s not as accurate as a good AR. First, if we unpack that statement, it’s backwards. Reliability is the #1 priority for self-loading arms. Also, if we’re being honest, how many of those making the AR vs. AK accuracy comments have a 5 MOA flinch built into their trigger finger?
Every accuracy test is going to be somewhat ammo dependent. When it comes to FMJ 7.62x39mm, you’re either going to get 123 grain or 124 grain bullets. I benched the ODS-1775 on a range bag to BZO the iron sights at 50 meters. It took me seven or eight rounds to get dialed in to where I wanted to be. Then I slowfired a three-shot group with 123 grain FMJ in the lacquered green steel cases for confirmation. Three rounds from that distance posted a tight triangle that measured less than an inch across. I’ll call that good.
From front to rear, top to bottom, the ODS-1775 rifle is a top-shelf, high-quality item. Close examination reveals the mastercraftsmanship that went into the custom build. I’m looking forward to giving my rifle a hug on October 18th. If you don’t have an Occam rifle yet, you’ll have to get your order in for next year’s Hug Your AK Day.
Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student of the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.