"Shooting a gun that you built with your bare hands, there's definitely a better relationship between you and the gun," said Scott Rickard, who built an AK-47 from a kit. He shared his build with Guns.com at the 2021 Red Oktober Kalashnikov Championships that takes place every October just outside Las Vegas.
 

Restores Tanks

 

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Rickard and his team pose on the Syrian T62 tank they restored. (Photo: Ben Philippi/Guns.com)


Rickard and his team restore tanks and military equipment at Battlefield Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. We've featured him a few times on our site, and we've also gotten a chance to see some of Battlefield Vega's heavy firepower in action on a previous visit.
 

RELATED: Large Calibers & Tank Rounds at Battlefield Vegas [VIDEO] 
 

He was at Red Oktober with the Syrian T62 tank that his team had just finished restoring. It was a good fit for this event that is dedicated to the "Russian Hammer," or Kalashnikov rifle. It's one of a few AK-themed shooting competitions that are growing in popularity.
 

Polish Kit

 

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Rickard's friend Dimitri poses with the AKs they built. (Photo: Ben Philippi/Guns.com)


Rickard's AK-47 was built from a Polish kit because he heard it was the closest thing to a real Russian AK. Although he has a great deal of experience working with his hands, he still found building his AK to be challenging but also very rewarding. He highly recommends everyone give it a go.

His goal was to shoot his AK-47 he built from the Syrian T62 tank he restored. He got to do just that at the Red Oktober event, and it was a hit with the crowd.

We hope to attend the Red Oktober Shooting Championships this fall. We had a fantastic time at last year's event. If you decide to go, we'll see you there.

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