Those wacky Ethiopian Type 68 AKs are here
RTI, which has been bringing in the massive larder that has been Ethiopia’s accumulated military surplus going back to the 1940s, is now landing Ethiopian GAEC Gafat-1 pattern AK parts kits.
Ethiopian GAFAT-1 rifle from ConflictID (https://conflictid.c4ads.org/weapons)
My friend Vladimir Onokoy, probably the world’s foremost AK expert, wrote about these in TFB late last month, noting field experience with GAFAT guns in Somalia.
Ethiopian AKs are certainly not the best Kalashnikov rifles out there. But they do have a unique and fascinating history, and I am sure the gunsmiths in the US will do a better job putting them together than Ethiopian factory workers. So I am kinda excited that parts that I never expected to see outside of Africa will be available at the US civilian market.
According to RTI, “Ethiopian-produced ET-97 AK Parts Kits available now! These rifles were produced by the Gafat Armament Engineering Complex based upon the North Korean Type 68 rifle and further updated with some features similar to an AK-103.”
They are 7.62×39 and accept common AK-pattern mags, but have an AK-74 muzzle device, AM-72 style stocks, and two bayonet lugs.
These guns are riveted differently from just about anything else, and have seriously odd trunnions and sights.
More from RTI, below: