LCT PP-19-01 Zco Custom AEG; ASTER II Bluetooth® ETU

The real PP-19-01 Vityaz-SN Submachine Gun

The real PP-19-01 finds its origins in the iconic yet weird PP-19 Bizon, an AK-derived submachine gun chambered in 9x18 Makarov, designed for Counter-terrorist teams and Law Enforcement. The PP-19-01 Vityaz is a modernised version of the Bison, chambered in 9x19 parabellum with a more conventional magazine design and improved ergonomics.

At a glance, the PP-19-01 looks very similar to an AK, designed for parts commonality and ease of training. Inside, the Vityaz differs from the AK in its lack of the long-stroke gas piston system, no longer required due to the pistol-calibre chambering. By all accounts, the Vityaz is controllable in full auto and extremely reliable, while being favoured in the competition-shooting market as the semi-auto "Saiga 9".

Think of this as the Russian MP5, the breacher's tool of choice, often used by Alpha Group Special Forces and SOBR SWAT team with the 7N21 overpressure 9mm rounds, which are reportedly capable of penetrating body armour. While it's still going strong in Russian service, a new variant, known as the PPK-20, has been developed and now serves with the Russian Aerospace Forces as part of its survival kit for military pilots.

Suggested Setups

SOBR Russian SWAT: 5KU Russian Aluminium Foregrip | JJ Airsoft 1P87 Red Dot Sight | WADSN K-2P Tactical Flashlight

Tactical Saiga 9: 5KU KP-9 Tracer Unit | Vector Optics Maverick Gen.II Red Dot Sight | WADSN M340A Scout Light Pro

Platform Details

Starting at the front, we have a steel muzzle brake, a perfect match for the real PP-19-01. To remove the muzzle device, you'll need to hold the detent in the front sight down while you unscrew it. The barrel features 14mm CCW male threading at the tip, so if your mission requires a tracer unit or suppressor, you're good to go!

Following the muzzle brake, we can find the front sight block, equipped with an adjustable front sight post with protective wings on each side. The front sight block is made from robust milled steel with a gorgeous finish, exactly what we expect from a premium LCT build. On the bottom of the front sight, we have a single 20mm Picatinny rail slot, ideal for a tactical flashlight.

The handguard of the PP-19-01 is patterned after real steel Zco parts, equipped with 20mm Picatinny rails on all sides, ready to be kitted out. All rails on the Zco-style handguard are weight-reduced, cut in the centre to remove unnecessary material to keep the front end agile and quick to point.

The quality of machining has to be seen to be believed; all the details are crisp, realistic Zco markings are present, and the coating is smooth and hard-wearing, far more comfortable to hold than the usual razor-sharp powder-coated finish. On the left side of the front handguard cap, we have a sling point built in, made from steel for maximum strength.

Moving rearwards, we come to the trunnion block, to which the rear sight of the PP-19-01 mounts. This is the typical AK-style tangent open sight with a wider rear notch for faster sight acquisition when exchanging fire at close range. The rear sight is marked in tens of meters, which only applies to the real PP-19-01, but is a nice addition for authenticity.

On the right side of the trunnion block, we can see the handguard/gas tube disassembly lever, which can be rotated upwards to remove the upper handguard to access the gas tube for maintenance. In this Zco Custom build, you'll also need to remove the screws securing the upper handguard to the lower before the gas tube can be removed. You won't need to do this as part of your regular Airsoft maintenance, but it is a great feature for authenticity.

Next up, we come to the receiver, constructed from steel with a flawless blued-style finish which closely matches real Russian AKs. As we would expect from LCT, all of the realistic details are flawlessly recreated. Mock rivets and pins adorn either side, all separate parts with a contrasting finish, which makes the details pop. On each side, we have a reinforcement dimple, designed in the real steel to provide extra strength around the magazine well.

On the left side of the receiver, we can find a Russian AK side rail, realistically riveted onto the receiver. This rail is intended for either 20mm Picatinny rail mounts or Russian optics designed for the AK-type side rail, though we recommend using the built-in 20mm Picatinny rail on the receiver top cover for ease of access to the battery compartment.

The standout feature of the LCT receiver is its thick, stamped steel construction. Many Airsoft AKs feature stamped steel receivers, but most use thin sheet steel to keep weight manageable and costs down. LCT take it to the next level, with seriously thick steel stamped into a flawless form. Put this next to another stamped steel AK body, and the difference is obvious. If you want the most realistic AK build around, choose LCT!

The top cover of the PP-19-01 boasts a lengthy 20mm Picatinny rail, ready for a 20mm rail-compatible red dot sight or scope to be mounted. The 20mm rail makes this a "Vityaz SN", a recently developed variant which adds compatibility with Western optical sights. There is plenty of space up top for anything you may want to mount, including red dot sights, rifle scopes and even rear-mounted magnifiers.

The battery compartment can be found beneath the hinged top cover and is accessed by pressing the button at the rear of the receiver. Inside, you can find a Deans connector to which you connect your battery. We recommend a 7.4V LiPo 1000mAh stick battery for the best combination of a comfortable fit and great performance.

The lower receiver follows a familiar format; it looks like an AK, but smaller. The fire selector is on the right side, the renowned AK-style hybrid selector/dust cover with its recognisable shape. The selector is made from stamped steel and offers 3 fire modes: safe at the top, full-auto in the middle, and semi-auto at the bottom. The pre-installed ASTER II ETU also allows for programming burst modes, binary trigger and more!

The adjustable HOP-up unit can be found inside the receiver and is accessible with the top cover raised. This HOP-up unit is a new design from LCT, replacing the old "slider" style adjuster with a more modern TDC rotary adjuster. This makes the HOP-up adjustment more precise, with less chance of side-to-side deviation.

On the bottom of the receiver, we can find a flared magazine well where we would usually find the classic AK "rock and lock" style mag well. This enhancement keeps the Vityaz competitive with modern Western designs in terms of ergonomics, allowing for a straight-in insertion, making reloading quick and easy.

Positioned at the centre rear of the magazine well, we can find the ambidextrous magazine catch, made from robust steel and easily accessible from either side of the platform. This is similarly placed to that of an AK, making it an easy transition to the Vityaz for experienced AK users.

The pistol grip is a unique design to the PP-19-01, a comfortable ergonomic shape, which is a far cry from the original AK grips, which put little thought into ergonomics. The grip is smooth-sided with a fine fibre-reinforced texture and a palm rest at the bottom to keep your hand firmly in place.

The trigger guard is the same as that found on the original AK rifle and needs no changes, thanks to its wide profile allowing for use with thick gloves, and its thin yet robust steel construction. The trigger guard is riveted onto the receiver, just like the real thing, showing LCT is unwilling to take shortcuts when it comes to external realism.

Bringing up the rear, we are treated to what is probably the most adjustable rifle stock available, for the AK platform or otherwise. This stock is known as the Zco PT-1 and offers 20 length of pull positions via the magnetic catch on the right side, adjustable cheek riser height via the bolts on the right side and an adjustable butt plate.

Also present on the PT-1 is an ambidextrous sling bar for modern sling setups, centrally placed for ease of use with single-point slings. The adjustable butt plate allows you to set it up at the right height to suit your loadout and has been added to allow the entire position of the stock to be raised, allowing for large night vision optics and thermal devices to be fitted and intuitively used.

Like the old-school AK-74 side folder, the PT-1 can also be folded to the left side of the platform for storage, using the button on the rear left of the receiver. The rectangular detent under the folding mech must be pushed in before the stock can be set in the deployed position.

Internals

Inside, this superb Vityaz build is based around the version 3 gearbox with TM-compatible internals, ideal for the techy types. Gearbox internals include 18:1 ratio steel gears running on 9mm ball bearing bushings, a steel ball-bearing quick change spring guide, a POM piston with a full steel tooth rack and a powerful 22K RPM motor. The result is a super-smooth running gearbox, with little left to improve!

This version of the PP-19-01 builds on LCT's usual robust internals by adding the advanced Gate ASTER II Bluetooth® ETU, the latest variant of Gate's optical trigger system. The ASTER II provides a wide range of programmable fire modes, trigger sensitivity settings and adjustable parameters, all of which can be adjusted through the Gate Control Station (GCS) app via Bluetooth. Having an ASTER II on board is a hallmark of a premium build, the perfect pairing for LCT's incredible external quality.

Features

• Steel / CNC 6061 Aluminium build - Unparalleled realism
• Realistic Vityaz Muzzle brake - Compact & aggressive
• 14mm CCW Male threaded outer barrel - Tracer/suppressor ready
• Steel front sight with rail section - Adjustable front sight post, flawlessly realistic shape
• Steel handguard caps - Maximum authenticity and strength, sling point built-in
• CNC Aluminium "Zco" handguards - 20mm Picatinny accessory rails on all sides
• Open "tangent" iron sights - Adjust by pressing the drum, then sliding it back and forth
• Hinged top cover - Easy battery access, perfectly matches the real PP-19-01 Vityaz SN
• Stamped steel receiver & top cover - Authentic rivet detail, thicker than usual stamped steel receivers
• 20mm Picatinny receiver rail - Ready for a red dot sight or scope
• Steel bolt carrier - Rack it back for a satisfying metal-on-metal "clank"
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit - Updated design, improved setting retention compared to the slider
• 3-Position fire selector switch - SAFE - FULL AUTO - SEMI, just like a real AK
• Russian AK-style side rail - Mount Russian AK optics or 20mm Picatinny rail mounts for optics
• Ergonomic pistol grip - Impressively comfortable for an AK-derived design
• Side-folding PT-1 adjustable stock - Folds to the side, 20 length of pull positions
• Adjustable cheek riser - Adjust the comb height to suit your optic
• Adjustable butt plate - Raise and lower the butt plate to suit your loadout
• Top-wired: Deans connector - Recommended Battery: 7.4V 1000mAh LiPo
• Version 3 gearbox:
  • Steel ball-bearing quick-change spring guide
  • 9mm Ball-bearing bushings
  • Chrome-plated brass cylinder
  • POM Piston with steel tooth rack
  • 22K RPM Motor
  • Gate ASTER II Bluetooth® ETU
• Compatible with LCT 100rnd Mid-Cap Magazines

Package Includes

• LCT PP-19-01 Zco Custom AEG; ASTER II Bluetooth® ETU
  • 100rnd Medium-capacity magazine x 2
  • Magazine coupler (pre-installed)

Special Instructions

LCT AKs have a very tightly fitted fire selector switch, and most of our examples have the classic AK fire selector switch scratch. This is an unavoidable consequence of testing at the factory, and will develop over time, regardless of how careful you are. Please consider this carefully before making your purchase.

The PT-1 stock requires that a small rectangular detent on the underside of the folding mech is held down to unfold the stock. Do not force the stock without pressing the detent, as this will potentially break the folding mech. Each LCT PP-19-01 is supplied with an image showing how to deploy the stock and a QR code leading to a video explanation.