3Gun
So, I while I am certainly not in any class near a Travis Haley, a Phuc Long, a Rob Ski (or Bob Sled) when it comes to shooting AKMs, I know how to operate them well enough and typically get reasonable % of hits on an IPSC size steel targets within a reasonable time. The handful of classes I've taken over the years have certainly elevated me to the class of a very safety conscious and very comfortable-with-a-gun above mediocre shooter, including with operation of the AKM.
Some of the folks I shoot with are pretty serious traveling 3Gun competitors and I normally trail well behind their times. This gets to me on occasion, but I'm running combloc vs. tricked out AR high speed rifles, and some of them have eyeballs that are half as old as mine. I have plenty of other excuses in my big bag of BS ...
If your safely proficient with a shotgun, pistol, and rifle, and you have a safe secure holster, and a few extra bits like mag holders/shotshell dispensers, you owe it to yourself to try 3Gun (or 2Gun, etc) if you haven't done so already. Your vz.58 will be perfect for 3gun IMO. Competing may make you a better shooter and you'll quickly discover the limitations of your guns and rig(s). It has certainly challenged me to get to the next level.
This year I am one of the volunteer Range Officers (RO) at a local range that runs monthly 3Gun events up until the Halloween night shoot (my personal favorite event), which gives me fee-free access to the range and the 3G events, not counting ammo and expenses.
Normally I shoot a OOW MDL VZ2000 or a CSA Vz.58 rifle in 3Gun, and never have used the 1 Frankenstein AR15 (also an OOW receiver) I have in my collection. Being one of about 3 folks that typically compete with a non-AR rifle, I get a bit of ribbing and criticism - if you know what I mean, Comrade. If I had a dollar for every time I heard: "You can run my AR", I could buy another VZ.
So last year I typically ran the following guns and equipment:
Rifle:
CSA Vz.58 SBR Modified trigger pack (varies Zendle DC, FM hack, CSA set), SF brake, Zendl TBR/TMR, RS regulate mount with Trijicon ACOG 3x /Burris Fastfire II red dot on front rail, adjustable stocks.) Kydex mag holder made for me for Vz.58 mags.
Pistol:
Walther PPQ 5" (finest trigger known to man out of the box, and frustrating mag release - moved it to the right side and the sights are horrible for me if a precision shot is required)
Shotgun:
Stoeger 3500Loading port opened a bit, extended mag tube 13+1 total, quick bolt release other bits and bobs uprgades.
Most frustrating gun and inconsistent gun I have ever operated, but still faster than my Mossberg 500 pump (if and when the Stoeger works). The gun design is based on the much more expensive and reliable Benelli inertia driven shotgun, but the Stoeger often misfeeds/double feeds, coughs, farts etc. esp. if the stock is not pulled tight (real tight) into your shoulder. ... and don't ever support the barrel on a barrier.

So
this year I wanted to give some love to other rifles in my collection, as Monty Python said: "Now for something completely different":
Rifle:
Saiga AKM (Izmash/FIME Group) SGL-21
Primary Arms 1x6 mounted with a Midwest Ind. mount, ALG trigger upgrade, Fixed US OEM stock with comb pad cheek riser jerry-rigged on with neoprene and vet tape (replaced a shock absorbing, muzzle rising FAB stock tube and stock), OEM AK74 muzzle break and hand guard.
Kydex mag holder made for me for Vz.58 mags - worked fine with Bulgarian Circle 10 AK mags.
Pistol:
Walther PPQ 5"
sticking with this
Shotgun
: Saiga 12 Gen1 unconverted (had this for years)Extended stock tube and grip for unconverted Saiga12 and FAB stock with cheek riser. 20 round shotshell drum
wrapped in rubber tape and 5 round OEM mag which unfortunately put my basic talents in Unlimited 3Gun Classwiththe real shooters, reduced recoil springs, CSS gas puck, MD adjustable gas plug, Tromix charging and big Tromix recoil-reducing muzzle break, Krebs fire control, Lucid Red Dot on a
Czech Small Arms VZ.58 high rise optic mount (it worked great on the rail!) I also carved up a vz.58 mag pouch to hold 2 - 8 round mags that I am still waiting for the Promag ("- its in the mail") to replace the springs for.
I just got this monster working in time for the first 3G match so it cycles with bird shot consistently. Hammer, files, dremel, lots of lube, and luck paid off - ran flawlessly. Anyone want to buy a Stoeger? I saw a couple other VEPR 12 shotguns come through but no other Saigas.
So, the rifles and optics were pre-sighted-in a week before at just under 50 yards. (Shotgun with slugs, and #8 birdshot pattern at about 30yds.) The PA1x6 AKM at 50yds.
So not having had a "bad day" here are my observations compared to last year for first time out:
All courses were run clean with some penalties for missed paper (close paper) with rifle.
Pistol: GREAT, same as last year but my shooting was better with it. Going to invest in some extended capacity mags for the Walter and potentially a red dot. I love this gun, mostly.
Shotgun: The Saiga12 is a bleep street sweeper and the 20 round drum kept me knocking down steel rather than reloading. Ran perfect. Compared to the troublesome Stoeger I believe it reduced my times on shotgun targets considerably. Problem is I cant shoot in the Factory or Practical Class with this gun, where I really belong with my shooting peers.
Rifle: Give me back the VZ.58s! The SGL-21 ran flawlessly (of course), but the recoil/muzzle rise combined with the PA optic (which I am not used to), did my times it. Distance shots on steel were great with the PA 1x6, (when I kept the muzzle down) but all the close in shots were understooting to the point I was missing rapid shot paper target circles and received penalties adding to my time. The 1x6 has the 7.62x39 BDC reticle, but does not have a center red dot for fast acquisition. The recoil on the AKM with the OEM muzzle break was not manageable for me to consistently get double shots on steel esp. while moving, but using the fast zoom lever I had installed on the PA optic allowed for fairly easy hits on steel heads at 50. Definitely need to work on my mag swaps too.

So the AKM rifle op times killed my time scores more than anything else. Obviously most of it was the shooter and not necessarily the gun. practice practice

I'll want to operate the AKM again at least once more after practicing, if just to get some more time with it in the "high stress" competition scenarios, but I may swap in a 3x ACOG combined with a 1x Burris red dot to see how that does compared to the 1x6.
Running the longer length PA 1x6 optic on a VZ.58 would require me to use the Magwedge full rail for mounting, and the occasional case ejection failure might ruin my day during an event like this.
Bottom line: the Saiga12 is a monster and a keeper, the AKM was fun, however I run VZ.58s faster and therefore they are coming back online for 3Gun for the majority of the 3Gun season.
P.S. No, I don't want to run your AR.
