AK-74M: Creating a Picatinny Rail Above the Receiver

Two of our most popular products for creating a Picatinny rail above the receiver of the AK-74M and carbines based on it are the B-13 side mount bracket (installed on the side “dovetail” rail) and the B-33 receiver cover. Let’s compare the advantages of each option.

B-13 is the simplest way to create a Picatinny rail above the AK receiver. It mounts onto the side “dovetail” rail and does not require installing any additional tuning components. However, it should be noted that not all AK rifles come with a factory dovetail rail. In the photos, we demonstrate an AK-74M, which does have this rail. For example, the standard AKM configuration does not include a dovetail rail.

B-33 is a receiver cover that forms a Picatinny rail. It maintains point of impact (POI) even after repeated opening and closing. It attaches to our handguards. Compatible handguard options include: B-10M, B-10U, B-10L, B-30, B-30U and the “Sport-1,” “Sport-4,” and “Leader” kits.

The most popular handguard for the AK-74M is the B-10U. The B-10U is compatible with an under-barrel grenade launcher and the standard cleaning rod. It forms a Picatinny rail on the bottom and Basis rails on the sides.

Weight Comparison

The standard AK-74M weighs 3 kg 495 g. We weighed a deactivated AK-74M (without magazine and sling, but with cleaning rod and oil bottle). In the configurations below, the weight is also indicated without magazine and sling, but with cleaning rod and oil bottle:

• AK-74M with B-13 installed — 3 kg 670 g
• AK-74M with B-33 cover and B-10U handguard installed — 3 kg 595 g

Why is the configuration with the B-33 cover lighter than with the B-13 bracket? When installing the B-13, the weight of the bracket is simply added to the total weight. When installing the cover and handguard, their weight is added, but the weight of the factory cover and handguard is subtracted. As a result, the configuration with the cover and handguard is 75 g lighter than with the B-13.

The B-33 setup can be made even lighter by installing the lightest handguard option: B-10L. The B-10L features Basis rails on all sides, but unlike the B-10U, it is not compatible with the standard cleaning rod (the cleaning rod would need to be removed).