Good news, ComBloc fans: Circle 10 AK has revealed that Century Arms will once again start importing the Romanian Puşcă Semiautomată cu Lunetă (PSL) rifle into the United States.
Century Arms’ Romanian PSL
Circle 10 claims that Century Arms is planning on offering two versions of the Romanian PSL. One model will come with a Russian-made optic with a serial number that doesn’t match that of the rifle. In addition, the other model reportedly includes a Romanian optic with a matching serial number to the rifle.
There is no current ETA on these rifles. But Circle 10 says they’re “currently on the way.” In addition, there’s no word on pricing for these Romanian PSL rifles, but Circle 10 claims they’ll be “more expensive than previous offerings due to production costs.”
Manufactured by Fabrica de Arme Cugir SA—a facility under the umbrella of Romanian state-owned defense company ROMARM—the Romanian PSL is a semi-automatic, long-stroke gas piston rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR with a 24.4-inch barrel; overall weight of around 10 pounds; overall length of 45.2 inches; steel accessory rail attached to the left side of the receiver to accept the rifle’s PSO-1-type optic; and a capacity of 10 rounds from a detachable box magazine. It was first fielded by the Romanian Armed Forces in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Here’s a little more information on this system, via a prior review on this website:
Romanian PSL
The heart of the PSL is an elongated and reinforced stamped-steel Kalashnikov-style receiver. To handle the increased impulse stress of the full power rimmed 7.62x54R cartridge (which produces performance similar to the .30-06 Springfield cartridge) over the Kalashnikov’s standard 7.62x39mm intermediate cartridge, the PSL’s 11-inch receiver features several reinforcement points over a standard sheet metal Kalashnikov-style receiver.
At the rear of the receiver are two riveted reinforcing plates where the stock meets the receiver to help the rifle withstand and spread out the heavier recoil of the more powerful cartridge. At the forward part of the receiver are two RPK-style raised reinforcing ribs around the rifle’s trunnion area, also to help add strength to the receiver. A stamped-steel top cover features reinforcing ribs in the latter-day AKM style of the Kalashnikov.
The mechanism of the PSL’s semi-automatic system of operation is also quite different. While the SVD featured a short-stroke gas piston system, the PSL employs a large, heavy bolt carrier assembly with an affixed gas piston like the Kalashnikov. In fact, the large assembly measures just under 18 inches in total length, resulting in a large mass of metal slapping back and forth during cycling. A rotating bolt head locks into a stressed-steel trunnion housed within the stamped-steel receiver.
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