[sturmruger]

I have been debating several differant rifles. I have a .223 and would like to get a rifle in 7.62X39 to round out my collection. The question is what do you think is the best rifle for the money. I am leaning towards getting a Saiga, but am unsure on what type of magazines it uses. Thanks

[hillbilly]

I would get the $109 Yugo SKS from Aimsurplus.com and then spend the other $391 on ammo, ammo, and more ammo. Maybe a synthetic stock, too.

hillbilly

[duckfoot]

As far as the SKSs go the Yugo is bulit very heavy, solid, outstanding truck gun. Plus you could buy three for 500 bills. Or Two and a trunk full of ammo.

Just my .02 to be taken with salt

[SodaPop]

1)Saiga
2)SKS
3)SAR (because they are going for almost $400 now).

[DMK]

Personally, I think the SKS is made better than the AK. I like the Norinco the best because it's handier than the Yugo, but the Yugos have more consistent quality.

AKs are nice for the hi capacity mags though and they are even smaller and handier than any SKS except maybe a Paratrooper Norinco.

For $500 you should be able to get both a Yugo (under $150) or Norinco ($150-200) SKS and a SAR-1 AK($300-350).

I am leaning towards getting a Saiga, but am unsure on what type of magazines it uses. Saigas don't use regular AK mags.

[Correia]

I would get together another $20-$50 and buy a Vepr K. Simply an awesome rifle. I love mine.

[B27]

None of the above.:D
You left out my current favorite...

http://www.fototime.com/980A825C11FD429/standard.jpg

[XxAR10xX]

Nothing beats the original Ghetto Gun. I vote for A-Kay!

It's like a beater car because you can abuse the hell out of it, ding & dents don't matter, and it still run like a champ regardless. I still carry my AK around in a Hefty Garbage bag. A regular rifle case is too good for it. :D

[gryphon]

For $500 I can get the AK with a bunch of 30 rd mags and 2000 rounds of ammo!

[telewinz]

If "generic" (can't you be specific than that?) means SAR-1, its the best buy for the money but you can't go wrong with an SKS at half the price.

[AK103K]

Saigas don't use regular AK mags.

Mine does :)

http://www.krebscustom.com/AK103-Carbine-RT-Sized.JPG

[MAKOwner]

I would get an AK. SKS' are nice and cheap and a good solid rifle but the AK is superior in nearly every way if a "evil assault weapon" is what you really want. The trigger is better, the magazine is infinitely better (compared to SKS "duckbill" detachable mags, the stock fixed SKS mag is a good quality setup...), the gun is lighter/handier, the action is slightly better designed although similar (less seperate parts in the AK's setup, about as simple/rugged as you can get), etc. Not that I don't like the SKS. I have a very nice Norinco I bought new and I like it alot. I like my AKs better though for what I want...

The Saiga wouldn't be a bad idea since they are as cheap as an SKS, yet you can convert them to take standard-cap AK mags pretty easily as well as convert it to use the standard AK pistol grip stock setup (looks worlds better plus helps fulfill the US parts count for legally taking the hi-cap mags) if you're a DIY-er type of guy. Search on AK-47.net's forums and you'll see alot of posts on Saiga conversions. If you don't care about over 10 rnd mags the Saiga's mags are still good quality mags although they are $20ish vs $5-$8 for standard AK mags... They are better than Mini-30 mags or similar though...

[SodaPop]

ENOUGH WITH THESE SAIGA PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't take it anymore..............:banghead:

[DMK]

I agree with Sodapop, they are pushing me over the edge also. Especially those with the black synthetic furniture. That's all I need, another project. :rolleyes:

Please post more. :evil:

[PATH]

Generic Ak. Cheap ammo and endless hours of shooting fun! Easy to care for and they keep on going. I like the the SLR's.(Bulgarian)

[Kharn]

Gotta go with the AK on this one, nothing beats it in reliability.

Kharn

[OEF_VET]

Buy the AK and a few mags, then BA/UU/R.

Frank

[Jack19]

AK!! How about a nice SA M-7? Milled receiver and US made. I love mine.

http://www.arsenalinc.com/images/bigsam7.jpg

[CZ52GUY]

I have been debating several differant rifles. I have a .223 and would like to get a rifle in 7.62X39 to round out my collection. The question is what do you think is the best rifle for the money. I am leaning towards getting a Saiga, but am unsure on what type of magazines it uses. Thanks

Depending on purpose:

- Target/Plinking - gotta' love the Saiga's price, mag's are readily available from CDNN as are the rifles (need to ship to your FFL).

- For pure fun and SHTF capability, gotta' go with the AK (I got 3) :D

Some pictures of the family...

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data/500/19164CZ52_Ak_s_Reduced-med.jpg

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data/500/19164sam7s_with_kobra_left_reduced-med.jpg

SAR-1 = Great first AK, but it has some issues...http://linx310.nothingbutguns.com/index.shtml

SSR-56 - Much better fit and finish, beautiful wood, but no side rail...http://www.arsenalusa.com/

SAM-7S - Beautiful, milled receiver, has the side rail (great for Russian Optics), but pricey by comparison...
http://www.arsenalinc.com/sam7s.html

I like the Kobra Red Dot...http://www.nightvisionweb.com/kobra.htm

Good luck and safe shooting,

CZ52'

[Preacherman]

For a first 7.62x39mm. rifle, I highly recommend the Saiga. It's very cheap ($169 at CDNN plus shipping, $199 at many retailers), is an AK action (so it can accept the side-mounted optics, the Red Star trigger group, etc.), and can be upgraded to accept 30-round magazines in future, if you want to. For my money, it's more cost-effective than the SKS, which would be my second choice. (I own both, and like them both, but in value for money terms, I have to give first place to the Saiga.)

Oh, and for Sodapop's benefit... :evil: :neener: :p


http://www.eaacorp.com/firearms/saiga/rifles/images/saigasynthetic.jpg

[Sir Galahad]

The SAR-1 is actually a great AK for the price. Mine is dead-on accurate right out of the box. You can add a K-Var black polymer stock set and you'll be tickled pink. The SAR-1 is close enough for Soviet government work to a real AKM. The receiver is made exactly how an AKM receiver is made, complete with the "dimples" over the mag well. Century boofed the replacement fire control group on the SARs, but you can fix that with a Red Star Arms trigger group. Mine had some trigger slap that has disappeared before I sent away for the Red Star trigger group, so I'm holding off now and going to get a K-Var stock set. Those, by the way, come in black, olive drab, and plum. Why plum? Some Warsaw Pact AKs used plastic stocks that were plum colored and some folks want that effect. My SAR has blasted thousands of rounds and never a malfunction yet. By the way, the K-Var stock set adds 1 1/4" pull to the buttstock which is nice. It still retains the trap in the butt for the cleaning kit. And the butt sling swivel is on the side where it belongs. And the foregrip has a eat shield.

And if you're into bump-firing, the SAR bumps so fast it sounds like a full-auto. Did this once at the pits and people there thought it was a selective-fire full-on AK. It wastes ammo, so I only did this a couple times, but everyone has to do it once to get it out of their system.

[Andrew Wyatt]

my .223 is a mini-14, so the mini-30 makes sense. I think the sights and safety have the ak series beat all hollow.

[Sir Galahad]

But the lack of high-cap mags that work have the Ruger Minis looking like overpriced ten shooters. I can get at least 3 military issue 30 round AK mags that will work forever for the price of one POS Mini mag that doesn't work. Do you know how many Mini mags I see at the pits shot full of holes? Talk about frustration! The safety on an AK is fine when you learn to use it right. Not the best, but not the worst, either. The sights, well, again, it's a familiarity thing. If it's what you shoot, that's what you know. I know you can't get an AK in Cali because your state is run by imbeciles. So, I can't fault your choice in a Mini. But it's not got the AK beat all hollow by a damn sight. When the Mini racks up the reputation the AK has had long before the Mini was a warm thought in Bill Ruger's head, then we'll talk. But it never will because no major military ever has or ever will use the Mini as an issue weapon.

[Johnny Guest]

For those choices listed, I picked the Yugo SKS, cause I already have an acceptable AK. I picked up a MAK90 and installed proper (US made) wood a while back, just to spite Billary.

What I'd really like is the little Mauser action version, but then I'd have to get into handloading the cartridge, and I have too many projects on the fire already . . . . . ;)

Has anyone ever gotten a Mini 30 to really shoot well? I mean, groups, rather than patterns?:p

Best,
Johnny

[Andrew Wyatt]

For what i'd use a mini-30 for, ten rounds of capacity is fine.

[Sir Galahad]

Maybe 10 rounds is fine for you, but the man doesn't live in Cali. He has other options besides firearms the great white fathers in Crapramento will grudgingly allow Californians to have for the time being. I say why settle for 10 when you can have 30? AK is easier to maintain, mags are cheaper and better (and fuller) and the folks importing/selling them don't give a @#$%&^ what the press or public thinks about the weapon accepting full capacity mags.

[benEzra]

I own both a stainless mini-14 Ranch rifle with a shortened Choate "E2"-style stock, and a SAR-1. They are about the same size and weight and handle similarly. The rear sight on the SAR isn't much to write home about (ridiculously narrow vertical notch), but other than that I prefer the SAR. The safety takes a little getting used to, but it seals the action against dirt when it's in the on position (by closing the charging handle slot), so it has its advantages.

Where the SAR beats the mini is ruggedness, durability (my mini is already peening the bolt), magazine design/availability, and (to me) looks. It is also more accurate when the barrel is hot.

They're both good rifles, but I'd give the nod to the SAR, and it's $150 cheaper.

[chetrogers]

Generic Ak.Very cheap to shoot..You can drop it in mud and it will still fire...There fun...

[russlate]

B27 has my vote. I've an SKS and a Norinco Hunter, but the VZ527 mannlicher stocked 223 I had for a while and let go, is calling me again. Actually, it's telling me to get her sister in 7.62x39, too! Then the CZ550 in Full stock ( mannlicher ) 7x57.

Hard to decide. Do I go with the blonde first, then the redhead,and then the brunette or...

[LynnMassGuy]

If I had $500 I buy a saiga and a couple of yugos.

[P95Carry]

My 7.62 x 39 slots are filled but I'd still vote generaic AK ..... I have an SAR1 and it is a good tool ... recently added red dot ...ven better!

First tho was a Yugo SKS .. not a good specimen but got it into working order ... then found a Norinco SKS with red dot on .. like that - a lot.

But to choose .... back to AK!

[natedog]

What's with the rising cost of SAR-1's lately?

[GW]

Stuck here in Kaliforny, and with $500 to spend, I'd buy 2 SKS's and 2Kof ammo

[Detachment Charlie]

Faced this decision a few months ago. Took the KISS approach.
#1. The 7.62x39 really, really cheap to shoot. #2. All do about "minute of pie plate". #3. If the 10 rnd limit goes away, there WILL be hi-cap mags for the Saiga. #4. In a SHTF situation, I'll do what I did before: Look for the Marines with a Ma Deuce. #5. I could walk out of the gun show with an EBR right then. #6. (The Clincher) At only $200 I can buy a LOT of ammo and still afford good beer.
Oh, and #7, it's stone reliable, draws questions at the range and it's blast to shoot.
It's a Saiga, doooood.:D

[Hamonrye]

Can the red star trigger group be installed on the Saiga 7.62? Or is there a cheaper way to go about a good trigger job?

[Zeke Menuar]

AK and two Yugos.

ZM

[Andrew Wyatt]

Maybe 10 rounds is fine for you, but the man doesn't live in Cali. He has other options besides firearms the great white fathers in Crapramento will grudgingly allow Californians to have for the time being.


Don't worry, mate. The Cali AWB will reproduced in federal law really soon anyway.

As an aside, I don't appreciate being talked down to because the state I was born in happens to adopt draconian gun laws five years before everyone else.

[Doug S]

I working on a 3 gun 7.62x 39 battery. Romanian AK, CZ 527 Carbine, Yugo SKS. If your looking for a shtf rifle the Romanian SAR is nice (cheap & reliable), the Yugo would be my second choice for a shtf rifle. The CZ is by far the nicest of the three and pulls duty as a medium range hunting rifle & politically correct hiking carbine. I agree with some of the other posts, you should be able to pick up a SAR & an SKS for around $500.

[Gewehr98]

As an aside, I don't appreciate being talked down to because the state I was born in happens to adopt draconian gun laws five years before everyone else.

That Andrew's proud of it? :uhoh:

[Andrew Wyatt]

here, let me blame you guys for something totally out of your control and see how you like it.

I Cannot leave California.

I Didn't write or vot for any of the gun laws of my state.

I don't want to hear about what a moron I am because I live in california, especially from people who will be in the same position I'm in right now in less than a decade.

[N3rday]

You Moron... Just kidding!:D

I voted AK...well, because I want one badly.

Do all of those Arsenal AKs take hi-caps?

[mwv4]

SAR 1 for all the reasons already posted

[gburner]

$500.00, eh.....

Yugo SKS...$150.00
Choate 'Drag' fiberglass stock...$85.00 Stripping the cosmolene and
Clipping the appendages (GL, sights, bayo)...$40.00
Mojo rear sight...$40.00
Total...$315.00 (YMMV)


Plenty of sheckels left over for ammo, range time AND A WHOLE LOT OF EFFING
DE-CAF. Geez, some people!!!
:rolleyes:

[SodaPop]

I'd start looking at an SLR95 if I had $500 to spend.

[Gewehr98]

I Cannot leave California.

I Didn't write or vot for any of the gun laws of my state.

I don't want to hear about what a moron I am because I live in california, especially from people who will be in the same position I'm in right now in less than a decade.

So, basically, it's a "sour grapes" thing. If you can't have it, nobody else should, either. Nice. :scrutiny:


SodaPop, I honestly don't know if you can find a SLR-95 or SLR-96 for $500 anymore. I wish now that I had grabbed more than one when I bought mine for $219.95. (Sacramento, 1997, Andrew may not remember them being available out there, he wasn't old enough to buy a gun then...)

http://mauser98.com/aksmall.jpg