Avid reloader here with 9mm being one of my main calibers; I concur with your thoughts. Looks cool and IS cool, but removes one of the greatest attributes of the 9mm, low recoil. I shoot AR-9’s (SBR) and they’re snappy enough.
Love the AK platform, but has many drawbacks compared to a quality modern AR. Also, I have never seen an AK dust cover, even the hinged variety, hold a an optic zero very well.
To me, the 9mm round is a 70m round max, with 50m and less much more preferred ballistics are on the dumpster behind that and hold overs become absurd.
*Ballistics are in the dumpster and holdovers are absurd
Agreed on the dust covers, which is why I don’t mount on them. Try an ultimak/aimpoint. My Mak90 has a nitrided barrel as opposed to chrome I had installed some years ago, and it groups around the size of my fist at 250 yards. All squared up to the action with about .0002” runoff. Also got a pws sfc compensator. Makes those 7.62x39s feel more like a 55gr .223. I put a lot of work in it over the years and it’s one of my finest rifles