HISTORY
Draco pistols are inseparable from Century Arms. Over 50 years ago, Century Arms was a firearms importer. Due to difficulty to import many popular AK-47 rifles, the company now boasts a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the United States, which makes these rifles for American consumers. Some firearms are still imported, and my Draco for testing is made in Romania.
The original Draco was chambered in 7.62x39mm and offered here in 2017. It sports a, 11-inch barrel, is 19 inches long, and weighs 6.25 pounds – a very impressive reduction of the AK-47 package. In 2018, Century Arms decided to go one step further by making the Draco into a lighter, shorter, 9mm blowback pistol. This is my subject firearm for testing.
So, what does one do with a shortened version of the AK-47 chambered in 9 mm? I feel its slight size and weight will make it ideal for close-quarters home defense uses. Conventional handguns are smaller and lighter but do not offer the firepower and controllability of the Draco. I can foresee a lot of fun shooting 2-liter root beer bottles at my favorite range here in Arizona, too!
MY IMPRESSIONS
When I opened the box and hefted the Draco 9S, I thought it was a bit strange. Here is an AK-47-style rifle that left the factory unfinished! Where is the stock and who cut off the barrel? Well, it is complete as is and nicely done as well.
Hard to believe that this is a Certified Used gun. There are no signs of wear or marks of any kind. I am impressed with the metalwork finish and the blond-colored forestock. Unlike conventional handguns, holding it takes both hands. I can imagine shooting this little 9mm from the hip with its high-capacity magazine.
Metal surfaces are smooth and darkly blued. The pistol grip is generous, fills my hand well, and offers needed control. The charging handle is located on the right side of the receiver and is large enough to grasp easily. The familiar AK-47 safety fire-select lever is also on the right of the receiver and moves with a positive click.
MORE FEATURES
The rear sight is carried over from the AK-47 and is adjustable for long-range shooting. The front sight is a simple shrouded post. I doubt the effectiveness of these sights without a stock or stable shooting platform.
Century Arms did think to include a nice 5.5-inch Picatinny rail, which enables attachment of a more practical red dot sight or even a long-eye-relief scope. I can envision a laser sight taking the guesswork out of hip shooting, too. The rear receiver-mounted swivel is intended for attachment of a strap or sling, which will help stabilize the pistol when aiming with sights.
The Draco is supplied with a Magpul PMag 35 polymer magazine. I love Magpul and know it will function perfectly before I shoot it. If you own a Scorpion 9mm pistol, its EV9 magazine will also fit the Draco. The pistol’s magazine release is located forward of the trigger guard and is easy to manipulate. Installing a magazine is also easily done, as it rocks into place with a solid click.
The 11.14-inch barrel protrudes slightly under the front sight but is threaded to accept a suppressor or muzzle brake. I cannot wait to attach my SilencerCo Hybrid to test noise reduction and overall control.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Caliber: 9mm
- Overall length: 19 inches
- Barrel length: 11.14 inches
- Weight: 6.25 pounds
- Height: 8 inches
- Width: 1.5 inches
- Trigger pull: 9 pounds, 8 ounces
- Sights: Adjustable front and rear
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MSRP: $739.99
RANGE TIME
Area 51 is primed with targets today, and my only regret is that I only have one magazine. The Magpul PMag 35 is double-stacked and holds 35 rounds of 9mm ammo. This feature makes it easy to load. It is crucial that the magazine be fully inserted and locked to avoid a first-round misfeed. Today I am shooting Winchester Active Duty 115-grain training rounds. These are low-velocity jacketed rounds that reduce felt kick.
How does one steady a nose-heavy handgun weighing over 6 pounds? Draco is designed to be fired with a sling or strap attached to sling swivels on the forend and rear receiver. Shoulder the strap and pull away to steady the pistol. This allows for accurate aim and steady follow-through as needed to hit alien root beer bottles.
Initial sighting shots center nicely on the milk-bottle steel target and silhouette-style target set at 10 yards. Both targets send lead spatter downward to hit root beer jugs and become spurters! The swinging plate is easily moved from right to left by bullets leaving Draco’s 11-inch barrel. Shooting 2-liter bottles from left to right, Draco eats them up. Eat lead, alien root beer jugs! Even the soda cans explode violently. Final testing with my SilencerCo Hybrid suppressor was successful and tamed Draco’s noisy bark.
Two stovepipe failures to eject were encountered during testing. I believe this is due to the low-velocity ammo selected for review. I recommend high-velocity 9mm ammo, preferably with 124-grain bullets, for the Draco to avoid this problem.
PROS & CONS
