The Rifle Dynamics Red Oktober match begins on a wet, gray morning in a rock-strewn, dusty locale…

That seems a little apropos, though perhaps not the best conditions for participants and competitors. Thanks to Sinistral Rifleman, we’ll be covering it.

Красный Октябрь начинается сегодня утром!

That means you need to check back here and visit our social feed frequently.

Follow Sinistral Rifleman, @sinistralrifleman.

As you may recall from our article earlier this summer, the Red Oktober action shooting match (#redoktober on social) is at the Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range in Utah, just outside St. George.

I don’t want to read this, just take me to the pretty pictures.

There are five divisions of competitors. Kalash Heavy, Kalash Light, Open Kalash, and Armored (all of which require the use of an AK style weapon) and ComBloc, which is reserved for any other Warsaw Pact weapon that is not an AK (such as the PPSh-41).

Each stage is named for a “conflict zone”, and there are 10 official event courses. In addition to those, this year’s match has added such games as the “Matroyshka” ComBloc Pistol Challenge and Kalash Field Strip Challenge to the schedule.

Between each stage and “conflict zone” are sponsors and vendors.

Tom Cornelius from X Tech limbering up!

Here’s the timeline for today and tomorrow:

Saturday, 6 OCT 2018
0800 – Ranges Open, Event Commences
1900 – Ranges Closed

The “Freedom AK.” Sounds counter-intuitive to some, but… #kalashlife

Sunday, 7 OCT 2018
0800 – Ranges Open, Event Commences
1800 – Ranges Closed
1830 – Food begins serving for Finale BBQ
1900 – Gun Giveaway and Awards/Prizes Commence
2030 – Final Gun Giveaway and End of Awards

That Rifle Dynamics would choose to host a Kalashnikov-specific competition is no big surprise. He has long wanted to “normalize” the AK47 here in the US. In fact, he addressed that very issue in an interview a couple years back.

“By normalization, I mean a true U.S. spec, preferably something close to Russian with improvements that bring the gun into the 21st century, while staying true to a design that made the Kalashnikov the most dependable fighting rifle ever. That’s really hard to do unless the military sets standards that all will need to follow in some way, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon. There are some companies trying to develop U.S.-made parts; some are giving it an honest effort, but sadly most have followed a path of trying to cheap out the building process. This has resulted in low-end substandard guns that are failing regularly. We’ve been working on our own parts with some success, but we don’t have development budgets like the big guys so it will be awhile for us.”*

Follow the Red Oktober match as it proceeds on social, #redoktober.

The Man, the Myth, the Ever-Laconic RoboGila, Russell “Sinistral Rifleman” Phagan at Red Oktober. #breachbangtribe

Becky Yackley, Tim Yackley, and one of the stage officials at Red Oktober. #ourgirlsshootbetterthanyou

Sandy, from MOD Outfitters, at the Rifle Dynamics #RedOktober. 📷 Sinistral Rifleman (@sinistralrifleman)

Ruben, from Vortex Optics, showing off his tricked out blaster. 📷 Sinistral Rifleman (@sinistralrifleman)

Josh Froelich, from Dissident Arms. 📷 Sinistral Rifleman (@sinistralrifleman)

Dave Hartman from the 3 Gun Show! 📷 Sinistral Rifleman (@sinistralrifleman)

Phil, rockin’ his Spetznaz outfit. 📷 Sinistral Rifleman (@sinistralrifleman)

☝️ Two of our favoritest shooters ever. 📷 Sinistral Rifleman (@sinistralrifleman)

KNS Precision on display at Rifle Dynamics Red Oktober match.

You can find the official event page online here, or visit the Rifle Dynamics Red Oktober Facebook page.

[*Read: Zeroed In — Jim Fuller, from RECOIL issue #26.]

Read more of our AK related articles in Vodka Blasters.