Today’s Photo Of The Day was found in one of the online communities dedicated to AKs. It depicts a half-built Wolfpack Armory AK with a carbon fiber wrapped barrel. While carbon fiber barrels are nothing new in the industry and there are probably half a dozen companies making such barrels, they are mostly seen on bolt action rifles and AR-15/AR-10 pattern gas guns. For whatever reason, we don’t often see other firearms with carbon fiber wrapped barrels. In fact, this is the first time I ever see an AK with such a barrel.

One of the advantages of such barrels is faster heat dissipation. Another benefit is the better harmonics thanks to the overall thickness and stiffness achieved in a much lighter weight package compared to all-steel heavy profile barrels. Judging by the way AR carbon fiber barrels are designed, I assume this AK barrel has two wrapped sections divided by a steel portion where the gas block is mounted. Obviously, the ends of the barrel where the muzzle threads are and the breech area where the barrel is pressed into the receiver or front trunnion as well as the rear sight block mounting portion also must have exposed steel.