[ProCharger]

I am pretty much set on getting one for the simple reason of price alone (not to mention the looks) compared to most other rifles. well I am a newb when it comes tot he rifles themselves so this is all going to be a learning process for me. I was looking on aim's web site and was contemplating 2 rifles. http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Romanian_AK_WASR_10_7_62x39_Rifle.html which appears to be a brand new post ban rifle so the modifications to it are limited till the law is dropped on post ban rifles.....but the gun to me is already appealing so i dont think i would need to do anything. the other rifle i was looking at is http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Yugoslavian_M59_66_7_62x39_SKS_Rifle.html in the excellent grade. Is this gun pre-ban? Also what kind of price would i be looking at to make it look similar to the first AK that i posted if it is even possible. On the first link i posted.....is that AK considered to have a pistol grip or is it just a hole through the stock as far as legality issues are concerned. I would like to get a red dot scope on the rifle I get....and it would definately be a shooting gun, not a collection gun. being a new guy to the rifles....are they fully auto or semi....i dont know any of this stuff yet...sorry for the ignorance. Thanks in advance.

Brett

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/AKWasr10.gif

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/yugosksfreeship.gif

[Amish_Bill]

Yep - the "Romanian AK WASR-10 7.62x39 Rifle" is definitely a post post ban. (post 89, post 94)

The second rifle, "Yugoslavian M59/66 7.62x39 SKS Rifle" is defintely pre-ban (see furhter down for why this means nothing to the average SKS), but you will never get it to look like the first one.

The first one is an AK series. The second one is it's predecessor, the SKS. They are related and have similar types of construction, but they are completely and totally different beasts. even if it were legal, you'd never be able to properly outfit an SKS to look like an AK.

Pre-ban in the context of the SKS doesn't have much meaning, as the weapon fires from a 10 round fixed magazine instead of a removeable magazine, does not have a folding stock, pistol grip or a threaded muzzle. The fact that it has the fixed 10 ro9und mag means that this model can never be considered a Grandfathered AW.

[Langenator]

Actually, you can make an SKS look sort of like an AK, at least to people who don't know guns. To the average non-gun knowledgable person, the feature that most sticks out on the AK is the big banana mag. 30 round fixed (or semi-detachable) mags can be bought for the SKS. You can also get aftermarket stocks with pistol grips or the Dragunov style.

My wife's former roommate had an SKS, Chinese I think, that was outfitted with a 30 round mag and folding pistol-grip synthetic stock (made before those were declared to be officially evil). He kept in on the wall next to his pre-ban Bushmaster with telescoping stock.

[ProCharger]

ok....on the first rifle....with it being a post-ban....what's really the limitations on it then? pretty much all i would want for that gun is a red dot scope....i would not want a bayonette or anything else really besides maybe a sling. would an optical site be legal on the AK? I like the stock on it and I guess I could always swap it to a synthetic if I really wanted to....but i always hear that a post-ban rifle can have only 2 of the special features that are limitless on a pre-ban rifle such as a threaded barrel, folding stock, pistol grip, ect. I guess I would have to say at the moment i would be leaning towards the post-ban AK especially being that its primarily the style im looking for, and with the post/pre ban law does eventually get struck down then why not get the post-ban and wait my 200something days to do anything to the rifle.....persuade me otherwise and why thats not a good idea on the post-ban.

[Amish_Bill]

Adding a scope of most any sort to an AK is not a problem in the legal sense. The description of the AK does not say if it has a mounting rail on the other side. Some AK series rifles have a mounting rail on the left side of the receiver. This rail makes attaching optics a simple thing. Without the rail, you usually have to mount some type of special upper reciever cover.

Understand that you'll still need to pay for shipping to your FFL and the FFL's transfer fees on this rifle. Don't be overcome by the itmes price until you add in the extra costs.

[10mmshooter]

Go over to AK-47.net for a wealth of information on the AK series of rifles. IMHO...The SAR-1 is the best deal going for a post ban AK. It is probably the truest representation of an actual AKM rifle available. However, If you want one...ya' better snap it up quick, as they are no longer importing them.
Just go to the site I mentioned, and do a search in the Romanian AK section for SAR-1. You should find all you need to know there.

BTW...Here's a pic of mine(If this works)

[ProCharger]

whats the difference between a romanian ak sar-1 and the romanian ak wasr-10 both being in the 7.62x39?

going to the web site you gave me as we speak as well for more info. thanks.

Brett

[Hkmp5sd]

If you want the pistol grip type stock and 30 round magazines, buy the AK and forget about the SKS. Next to machineguns, the SKS is the most regulated firearm in the US with regards to what can and cannot be done to them. If you want a taste of the rules governing the SKS, read
Modifying Semi-Automatic Firearms or "What can I do to my SKS rifle?" (http://www.recguns.com/Sources/IIH2.html)

[10mmshooter]

The difference between the SAR-1, and the WASR HiCap...is that the WASR rifle started out as a single stack only rifle,and has been modified to accept high capacity magazines. This is usually done crudely with a dremil tool.
Also, the WASR, does not have the "dimples" that are placed above the opening on the reciever where the magazines are inserted. The result, is that the magazines in most WASR's tend to have quite a bit of wabble to them. Some folks report problems because of this others don't.
In addition...The re-sale value of the SAR-1 is slightly higher than that of the WASR.
Hope this helps.

[Tropical Z]

Im not a big fan of those stocks on an AK.When you hold one that has the squared off receiver and that stock, the reach to the trigger is just too much,and i have decent sized hands.My FFL clued me into this as he was trying to talk me out of getting one just because of the reach.He succeeded because he actually had one for me to hold.

[ProCharger]

I have made my decision, im gonna go with the romanian SAR-1 I do believe. Thank you for all the replies. Helped me in determining my final choice.

Brett