KUSA makes two versions, one called KP-9 which is an 8" barrel version with a proper 5.5mm folding hinge but with a pistol brace instead of a stock, and the KR-9 which is the same weapon except with a 16" barrel and has the correct Bizon/Vityaz 5.5mm triangle folder (US copy)
***Jan 2023 Update***
Some reports of Out of Battery detonations are happening with the KR series. I don't have a dog in the fight and love my KR-9 but I am updating this page as a public service announcement to those who may not have heard of the issue
From my research it sounds to me like there may be a design difference in the KR/KP9 which could allow the firing pin to hit the primer before the bolt is in battery
Please do your research on the forums. I haven't had any issues with my KR-9 but I have only recently become aware of the problem and will need to check my weapon carefully to see for myself
Use caution until the issue is settled one way or the other
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Shown here on the KUSA KR-9 Vityaz clone with Perst 3, Omega 9K, Surefire light and Modbutton mini on top. I switched to Perst 3 mainly because Perst 4 doesn't have an illuminator, and I had never gotten around to getting a Klesch light. The modbutton is also a smaller profile and works the way I need it to, so Perst 3 and a Surefire worked out best for me
I can manipulate the Perst 3 buttons with my offhand thumb because it's right next to the Modbutton. It works pretty well but if the Perst 3 had a smaller IR lens assembly I could push it all the way to the front sight block and have more room for using a modified modbutton with a spliced Perst connector like I did on the AK105
Factory configuration with BelOMO RS-M optic
Fit and finish on these rifles is excellent and KUSA has done a really good job with the build. Attention to detail is excellent and they seem very well constructed. Some of the very earliest guns had a few issues with cracked rear dust covers but that seemed to be fixed really quickly and KUSA jumped in and took care of their customers. Mine hasn't had any issue at all after 1 year and about 2000 rounds (May 2020)
As far as I heard the KR is 100% made in the USA off the exact Russian blueprints that Izhmash uses for the Vityaz. Russian Vityaz mags work in the KR-9 without modification from what I have seen
There were rumors that the actual Vityaz was self destructing around 7,000 rounds due to the blow back design and the additional stresses it creates on the receiver and rails, but that turned out to be false and has apparently been debunked. The rumor seems to have started over Russian 3 gun competitors and is related to some modifications they had done for matches; but there doesn't seem to be any evidence that military guns have this issue. At least 2 KR-9 owners in the US have exceeded that round count as of 2019 and reported no issues
For me this rifle has been an incredible purchase and instantly rocked to the top of my favorites list. It's been rock solid with all ammo types and has really tight groups with quality factory ammo, typically 1.5" at 50 yards. See below for ammo testing
I bought this in March of 2019 and promptly E-Filed a Form to 1 SBR'd the rifle. I added a ZenitCo lower HG, IPSC Labs Ultimak style gas tube and ZenitCo Perst 4 Green + / IR Laser
Shown here with Wolf 9-SD (short), Jupiter 1P87 optic and Perst 4 IR laser with Zenitco short rail switch
The IPSC Lab gas tube is intended to function in a similar manner as the MP5 charging handle as well as being an excellent place to mount an optic like the US designed Ultimak gas tube rail. It has held zero for my laser but the charging handle quickly gummed up with flaking finish and after a couple hundred rounds was frozen in place, so I removed it and just kept using it as a gas tube rail
Top view of the gas tube and Perst 4
This is a great varmint gun suppressed. It's quiet, accurate and a riot to shoot under NV (though to be fair the Perst 4 laser needs an illuminator to cut the bloom). Hitting critters with a powerful laser is tricky because the bloom obscures the actual target most of the time. I typically use a 100 yard zero and have good luck at 100 or less
With Ghost-M short and T1 optic
A word of caution about triggers:
There is something about the design of the KR-9 bolt carrier system that doesn't seem to play well with the ALG trigger in particular. I had one in mine for a while but it was too light and the weapon would bump fire unexpectedly so I removed it for safety reasons. I found it difficult to hold the reset and it would malfunction and fire from time to time
Likewise I tried a Boogie Switch binary trigger and the KR-9 would malfunction too often to be reliable so I switched to a RAK-1 trigger and it's been rock solid since
Your mileage may vary but I believe you will need to be cautious when changing triggers in the KR-9 and I'd suggest to stick with something slightly heavier on the milspec side
KR-9 Defensive Ammo Testing
While I don't realistically expect to use a 9mm PCC for defense instead of a solid 11.5" AR15 type rifle I did want to see how accurate the KR-9 was for some of the common go to brands
These groups were all shot with the Dead Air Wolf 9-SD in short configuration, Russian 1P87 red dot and 3x magnifier at 50 yards
There were no jams or any other issues using hollow point ammo. In fact I don't believe I have had a single malfunction with any ammo of any kind so far using KUSA manufactured magazines
Magtech 147gr subsonic First Defense Bonded
Hornady Critical Duty 135gr +P
Speer Gold Dot 124gr
Winchester PDX Defender 124gr +P
Federal 124gr HST
Magtech 147gr subsonic First Defense Bonded
Avg 2.65" 50 yards
Hornady Critical Duty 135gr +P
Avg 1.3" 50 yards
Speer Gold Dot 124gr
Avg 1.4" 50 yards
Winchester PDX Defender 124gr +P
Avg 1.22" 50 yards
Federal 124gr HST
Avg 1.77" 50 yards
KR-9 Suppressor Testing
In late 2019 I did a series of tests with multiple suppressors using the same ammo and same rifle to see if there were differences in POI and group size
Dead Air Wolf 9-SD (long)
Dead Air Wolf 9-SD (short)
Dead Air Ghost-M (Long)
Dead Air Ghost-M (Short)
SilencerCo Omega 9K
AAC Illusion 9
Distance was 50 yards from the bench using a new T2 2moa and a Russian 3x magnifier. POA was the center of the black square for all groups fired. All the suppressors have fixed barrel inserts or 1/2x28 fixed mounts for use on PCCs instead of the pistol mounts with spring/pistons. Weather was about 70f, light wind and clear skies
I had to switch to a RAK-1 trigger because in a previous session the ALG trigger began to double and burst fire
Baseline with no suppressor: I did adjust the T2 to match POI during the first three 5 round groups but there seemed to be a little POI shift again during the second three 5 round groups. I'm not sure exactly what happened but the two sets of groups were close enough I decided to proceed on with the test
Baseline Avg 1.8" 50 yards
(For some reason I thought the box said 147gr so that's what I marked the targets)
Wolf 9SD Short
I usually run this gun with the Wolf 9 in short configuration and that is what has produced the best groups overall with multiple ammo types so far. This set was different, they are actually a little looser than usual. Could be just me getting settled in but I made a note of it anyway
Avg 1.65" 50 yards
Wolf 9SD Long
The long configuration with subsonics is stupid quiet. I had a few people standing by just to listen because of how remarkable they found it
Avg 1.55" 50 yards
Ghost M Short
Avg 1.61" 50 yards
Ghost M Long did well but had an odd split of really tight and not so tight groups. Best group of the day was .8" though...really impressive
Avg 1.65" 50 yards
The Omega 9k started off really poorly, I'm not sure why it did but then it started throwing down really good groups
Avg 1.63" 50 yards
The Illusion 9 unfortunately grouped the worst of the day. It's perfectly normal to have different POI shifts with different suppressors - that was absolutely no surprise. What got me was how far right it was...over 6 inches at 50 yards compared to the baseline of no suppressor. That by itself is no big deal because you'd simply zero for the suppressor and be done with it, but the groups themselves were really loose too. The AAC was so far off in accuracy and POI I stopped shooting after 3 groups but I'll put it back on my G19 where it came from
Avg 3.46" 50 yards ( Side note, I also fired two groups of PDX-1 to verify the Perst 4 green laser was on target. The first group is loose, but look at the second)
To say that I am impressed with the KR-9 is an understatement. It's been an extremely reliable and impressively accurate shooter and actually shoots tighter groups than several of my full size AK74 rifles. I am a big fan of the KR-9 and really believe KUSA knocked it out of the park. My gun was an off the rack purchase from a LGS and I've had no contact with KUSA or anyone associated with the KR-9, my entire experience has been as a random customer with a random gun
In fact, I like this gun so much I sold my Zenith MP5 and my Scorpion Evo 3. The KR-9 shoots roughly half the group size or tighter at 50 yards of either of those rifles and while I liked them both I noticed the only thing I always grabbed on range day was the KR-9
Cheers to KUSA on a damn fine rifle
