While doing a research for another TFB article, I came across this chassis called Shadow designed by a Russian company called AKademia. It is an aluminum chassis that converts the Molot Vepr-308 Super rifles from their classic hunting configuration into basically a DMR type rifle. In other words, the AKademia Shadow chassis converts this:

Into this:

This chassis is machined out of aluminum. The company’s website says D16T (Д16Т) aluminum which is a Russian designation. Looks like it is similar to 2024 aluminum. The design of the chassis is quite interesting. Its handguard/rail is installed the first by sliding over the barrel and fixing it in place via a screw in front of the receiver where the original wooden stock was attached to the rifle. The rear block that provides an AK pistol grip and AR buffer tube mounting points, is fixed in place by being linked to the handguard via a set of two side plates on either side. The rear block is also sandwiched inbetween the receiver and the pistol grip when the latter is installed. Here is a video showing the installation process.

The side plates are also forming a short magazine well which should make it a little bit easier to align and attach the magazine. I think it would be even better if one of the right side plates was an extended one providing an index point to rest the magazine on and easier rock it in – like the extended magazine well wall in FN FAL rifle receivers. I’d also add to one of the right side plates an FN FNC or Galil ACE style dust cover for the charging handle slot. In the standard AK rifles, the charging handle slot is covered by the safety selector lever, however, the Vepr-308 Super has a crossbolt safety and exposed charging handle slot.

The magazine attached to the rifle is a PuFGun 20-rounder designed for Vepr rifles chambered in .308 Winchester.

Although currently Molot Oruzhie products are much harder to come by in the stateside, it is still possible to find used ones and also many of you probably already own Vepr Super 308 rifles purchased when they were available. If you find the AKademia Shadow chassis interesting enough to swap it with the wood stock of your rifle, you can probably order it right from Mother Russia. There is no MSRP on the manufacturer’s website, however, I found it listed on the websites of a couple of Russian retailers at price points of 31,000 and 35,000 Rubles which is roughly equal to $480 and $540 respectively.

Images from www.gunfighters.ru , www.molot.biz