by Snagging a modern airsoft AK AEG that’s both accurate externally and good-to-go internally can be a challenge. Does LCT’s AK-105 stand up to the competition?
Join us as we cover the gun inside and out, and give you some accessory recommendations to boot!
Who’s It For?
The AK-100 series rifles are perhaps some of the most iconic modern Kalashnikov variants around. Notable for their continued appearance in the hands of various Russian FSB units, the 100 series rifles have shed the classic AK wood for sleek, black polymer furniture, and LCT’s replica is absolutely gorgeous on the eyes!
For the milsim-minded or impressionist airsofter, it’d be hard to find a better base rifle for your kit.
You aren’t getting much more than the gun, magazine, and Kalashnikov carbine-style muzzle brake straight out of the box–but presumably if you’re dropping the cash on an LCT, that isn’t an issue.
LCT is essentially a middle to higher end manufacturer, and unlike less expensive AEGs, the assumption is that you likely already have a battery and charger ready to go when you pick up the gun.
Fit, Feel, and Finish
First impressions are fantastic–the gun is incredibly solid, and a quick shake test reveals zero loose or wobbly components like you might find in less expensive AKs.
While LCT technically has this rifle labeled as an AK-104, the nerds among you will realize this is actually incorrect.
The AK-104 looks identical to the gun we’ve got here, but is chambered in the original AK’s 7.62×39 cartridge in real life, which means it also utilizes traditional 7.62 AK magazines as well.
The included LCT magazine is actually a black polymer AK74 type standard capacity mag, which means that in real life, it’d hold 5.45x39mm cartridges. Visually, the two magazines are a bit different, which means that this gun is technically an AK-105.
If you’re having trouble tracking, just check out the differences in the magazines in the two guns below:
Again, dumb nerdy nitpicky details, but important details for the milsim oriented bunch of you nonetheless.
The gun’s receiver and primary components are steel and feature a gorgeous matte black finish across both the metal and polymer bits.
All AK-100 series rifles feature an integrated folding full stock, activated by pressing a small button on the left rear portion of the receiver that allows the stock to collapse inwards and lock into place.
You’ll notice there’s actually a cut-out in the stock that facilitates a snug fit against the receiver despite the presence of the dovetail optics mount.
Unlike some of the entry-level AKs, the entire process of manipulating the folding stock just feels like there’s quality craftsmanship behind it.
You’ll need a firm press of that button to release the stock latch, and from there the stock can be guided into its folded position while still offering a tiny bit of resistance–which we much prefer to things feeling all loosey-goosey (to use a technical phrase). The stock locks into the accompanying receiver latch with a satisfying click.
To release the folded stick, simply press in on the now raised large button protruding from the stocks buttplate, and throw it back into position. Boom! Ready to go.
If you’ve ever handled an airsoft AK before, you’ll be in familiar territory here when it comes to the magazine. AKs typically require the mags to be “rocked” into place in order to seat properly, and the LCT 105 is no different.
The only slight difference you might notice, however, is the relatively tight fit of the mag in the magazine well.
We’ll gladly take a tight mag fit over a loose one, but you’ll likely want to spend some time practicing reloads before heading out into the field, as they can be a bit tricky.
Essentially, you’ll want to make sure that the lip of the magazine catches on the lowest lip on the inside of the mag well, which allows you to rock the rear portion of the mag into place. If the mag lip is inserted too high up into the magazine well, you’ll be unable to rock the mag all the way to the rear, and the magazine will fail to seat correctly.
This is also likely going to vary from mag to mag given the different specs manufacturers often use–so your mileage may vary. This process seems pretty typical from new, out of the box LCT magazines, however.
The mag itself, as mentioned, is a typical mid-capacity mag, and you’ll need some kind of speed loader to effectively load the mag’s ~130 rounds or so.
Towards the front, you’ve got a standard AK sling attachment point built into the front handguard retention cap, and an accompanying sling swivel on the right side of the stock, just aft of the receiver.
While potentially confusing for folks used to modern highspeed slings, the AK series rifles are designed to be used with the old issue canvas AK sling, which loops through the rear swivel and snaps into the front handguard with a standard hook.
If you’re concerned with mounting optics on the LCT 105, you’ve got a few options. The gun’s dovetail mount on the left side of the receiver allows for the installation of both Russian optics like the PSO or PKAS, or various scope mounts that will give you a Picatinny mount that sits just above the gun’s dust cover.
It’s worth noting that installing a scope will likely interfere with accessing the gun’s battery compartment, which sits just beneath the dust cover. Something to keep in mind if you might need to swap batteries mid-game.
Speaking of, battery storage is a bit limited. You’ll definitely want to utilize some sort of stick LiPo battery to get the most out of the gun performance-wise without fighting to get the thing installed. To access the battery compartment, simply press in on the button just in front of the stock, and lift the entire dust cover upwards.
LCT’s dust covers have a tendency to fit much tighter than other manufacturers’, so keep that in mind when reinstalling it. The battery compartment extends into the handguard’s gas tube, allowing you to shimmy a stick battery down into the space above the barrel, and manage your wires effectively.
The gun’s hop up adjustment tab also sits in this cavity, and though you can access the slider while the dust cover is installed by pulling the charging handle back, batteries can sometimes interfere with the operation of the charging handle.
In our experience, its best to set your hop up with the dust cover off so that you can manipulate the hop up slider tab freely, then reassemble everything once you’ve got your desired flight path locked in. As with most AKs, sliding the hop adjustment tab to the rear gradually applies more backspin to the BB as it leaves the barrel, allowing you to maximize your flat trajectory and extend your range a bit.
The selector lever is quite stiff, but we enjoy the fact that you won’t likely wobble out of your selected fire mode easily.
Many lesser AKs have a tendency to wobble between semi and full auto, sometimes inducing full auto fire in semi or a safety lockup when in semi, etc.
There’s a satisfying amount of force required to switch the gun off safe and into full auto, which is the next position down on AK type rifles. Semi-auto sits all the way at the bottom, though we’d expect the action to loosen up a bit over time.
The gun’s handguards can be removed by throwing the locking lever next to the front sight up, which allows the top handguard to be lifted out of place. This also reveals the locking pin for the lower handguard, which can similarly be rotated towards the muzzle, allowing you to slide the handguard retaining cap forward and remove the lower handguard once the cleaning rod is removed.
It’s worth noting that the LCT AKs should be fully compatible with the range of Zenitco-style aftermarket rails and accessories, such as those from Asura Dynamics. However, as with any aftermarket parts, fit my vary, and you may end up having to modify or shave parts down to ensure an exact fit.
Lastly, the gun includes standard AK 24mm threads up front. This allows you to both install the included 104/105 booster muzzle brake, or various aftermarket mock suppressors, assuming the threads are also 24mm negative.
How Does It Shoot?
Straight out of the box, the LCT AK-105 is going to have a perfectly serviceable accuracy and rate of fire with an 11.1v LiPo battery. Our particular 105 actually clocked in a bit hotter than expected:
While we’re not entirely sure why this particular AK is hitting so hard (as LCTs tend to chrono right around 400 or so), this is something to be aware of if you plan on hitting your local field that could potentially have lower FPS limits that’d preclude your gun from being fieldable. The more you know!
With our specific gun, we actually found that the gearbox had a very harsh whine to it when fired. This typically indicates that the height of the motor is not adjusted correctly, and the motor is pressed too far into the gearbox to mesh with the internal gear set efficiently.
Luckily, this can be adjusted!
By removing the gun’s pistol grip, you’ll have access to the motor cage. Nearly all airsoft AKs utilize a Version 3 gearbox with a motor cage, and there should be a small set screw on the bottom of the cage that adjusts the height of the motor.
Once adjusted, we found measured the rounds per second at approximately ~14. Pretty much what you’d expect from a stock gun with an 11.1v Li-Po battery!
As mentioned, adjusting your hop up with a battery inserted can be a little bit of a pain, as the hop up slider can become bound by the pressure of the battery and wires.
However, once adjusted the BB’s trajectory remained flat and reasonably accurate out to ~120 feet or so. This is more or less exactly what you’d expect from a stock AEG, so no surprises there.
Upgrades and Accessories
As always, adding accessories to the exterior of your airsoft gun can be a roll of the dice in terms of out of the box fit. While there’s always a chance a bit of modification will be required, these parts should fit with minimal sweat and tears!
Chances are if you’re seriously eyeing an LCT, you’ll probably want to dress the gun up with typical Russian-themed SOF flair as well.
To that extent, Asura Dynamic’s line of Zenitco replica pieces are going to be your go-to here, such as their B10 handguard–giving you Picatinny rail space for lights, lasers, what have you.
Stay tuned as we test and add more accessories to the mix!
Optics
While this model of AK is definitely going to need an adapter if you’re looking to mount any kind of standard red dot or holographic sight on it, you’ve got a few ready-made options that will fit the gun’s dovetail mount, such as this PSO style scope most commonly seen on SVD Dragunov type rifles.
If you’d prefer to go the traditional red dot route, we’d likely snag a scope mount and something a bit lower profile, like this Microdot sight.
By The Numbers
Reliability: 8/10
LCT AEGs run pretty damn well in their stock configuration, and we’ve only docked a few points both for the oddly-adjusted motor out of the box (not usually a problem), and the bit of finesse it takes to really get your hop up dialed in. Good to go outside of that!
Accuracy: 7/10
It’s always a bit tricky to provide meaningful measurements of accuracy within BB gats, but the 105’s able to land chest-sized shots accurately at roughly 25 yards or so–which for a stock gun feels pretty good to us!
Effective Range: 7/10
Again, it’s a stock gun and it should be judged as such. You’re definitely not going to be stretching the legs on this AEG, but you’re also not really going to be limited to short and medium range engagements either. Realistically you’ll find the 105’s sweet spot sitting right in the 100-150 feet range or so, with a max perhaps a bit further past that with a well-adjusted hop up.
Rate of Fire: 6/10
14 rounds per second on an 11.1v Li-Po battery is pretty par for the course on stock guns. It’s not bad by any means and is more than enough plastic to stay competitive in close quarters, but you may find yourself outgunned if you’re regularly playing against speedsofters.
Ergonomics: 6/10
It’s an AK platform rifle, and there’s certainly nothing special about them ergonomically. However, it’s also a design that’s been around the block for a good hot minute, meaning that it’s got staying power for a reason! It’s a functional AEG with a folding stock–and is a great platform to upgrade if you’re really gonna ride the ergonomics pony.
Looks: 9/10
I’m absolutely biased as the resident “AK guy” around here, but the sleek black polymer furniture and matte steel of the AK-100 series rifles just looks great. A fine alternative to the sea of M4s commonly found at fields the world over!
Customization: 8/10
Gone are the days when the aftermarket parts world was largely dominated by M4 accessories, and AK users can now enjoy a full host of both internal and external upgrades to really fine-tune their AEG exactly to their liking! Whether you’re trying to trick this bad boy out for a milsim event with a replica Zenitco parts, or you’re trying to squeeze more accuracy and tighter groups out of it, the LCT AK-105 is ready for just about any situation you might want to throw it into.
Conclusion
LCT AEGs are expensive, but you also get what you pay for! We imagine this particular model is likely going to be most sought after by milsim players looking for a super solid base gun to get their FSB cosplay larp on, and if that’s your end goal, we certainly think LCT is at the top of that very niche particular game.
With full steel externals, easily swappable furniture, and reasonably high FPS, RPS, and accuracy straight from the get-go, the LCT AK-105 may well be exactly the sort of nerd swag gat you’re looking for. 😎
Ever play with the LCT AK-105? What did you think about it? Shopping for one? What made you add it to your list to research? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below–we want to hear from you! For more great AKs, check out the Best AK AEGs!
This is the best airgun i had seen.