Ak question...better a MAK-90 or a WASR-10??

[saturno_v]

I bought few monts ago a beautiful MAK-90 in pristine conditions for $350 (3 magazines, 2 30 rounds and one 10 rounds)
It has the thumb-hole stock, recoil pad, sling, bayonet lug filed, no cleaning rod and no muzzle break/flash hider.
I bought a AK-74 style pin locked muzzle break/flash hider still to be installed.
I have a doubt that "tortures" my mind...is a MAk-90 can be considered a "true" AK-47 given the fact that it had few features "clipped" because of the first president Bush ban??? Can it be considered a "castrated" AK???
I could sell my MAk-90 and buy a brand new full fledged Romanian WASR-10 AK-47 with muzzle break/flash hider, cleaning rod, bayonet lug and pistol grip.
The local gun shops sell them for $400 with 2 30 rounds magazines.
To be honest, holding the WASR-10 in my hands I noticed that the finishing is inferior compared to my MAK-90 and the wood stock and forearm are "crude" they do not have any finishing (I guess i could use the easy to use Stock Finishing product).
What to do??....Sell the MAK and buy the WASR-10 or keep the MAK??
Help me reach the "peace of mind"....ehehe

Thank you!!!

 

[theken206]

WASR IMO, you CAN NOT convert the mak-90

 

[saturno_v]

I do not want to convert the MAK-90....i just want to know if overall is better to keep my MAK or buy a WASR-10...which is a better rifle??

 

[happybrew]

How does that saying go? "You can drink a girl pretty, but you can't drink her smart."

You can refinish the WASR. You can't do much to the MAK. I think the thumbhole stock is potentially dangerous if you try to use it in a self or home defense situation. Think about it. Your thumb is stuck in there. If the rifle gets jammed on something or you end up in CQC with the BG, you can do some serious damage to your thumb. Without your thumb, your hand loses grip, grasp, pinch, and function. You may as well have another foot hanging off of your wrist.

That reminds me, I put a nice cherry stain finish on mine. I must now coat the wood with urethane.

happybrew

 

[nwilliams]

I'd rather have a Mak-90 myself, $350 is a great price on a pristine one also, so I say keep it!

Personally I think the Mak-90 is a better built AK variant than the WASR's are, just my personal opinion here. As far as value goes, I remember when you could find a plethora of Mak-90's for sale for dirt cheap, now they are getting harder to find and more expensive.

IMO you should keep the Mak-90 and save up a couple hundred bucks and buy a WASR also. WASR's are still pretty cheap and easy to find, buy one now and simply add another AK to your collection.

Sure the WASR's are more evil in the eyes of the anti's, but if we're talking about the quality of the gun then the Mak-90 wins that contest.
http://www.ak-47.net/ak47/mak90.html

Also the Mak-90 is convertable, there are plenty of evil parts out there that you can buy for it.
For example: http://www.gunaccessories.com/AK47-MAK90/StockSet.asp

 

[theken206]

"How does that saying go? "You can drink a girl pretty, but you can't drink her smart."

You can refinish the WASR. You can't do much to the MAK."

agreed, i love my WASR-10

 

[rbernie]

I like my WASRs, but the MAC-90 is a much better AK. It's better made, to better tolerances, and much better finished.

As far as I know, you *can* modify the MAC-90 so long as you include the appropriate number of compliance parts. Does anyone know why that would not be so?

 

[elmerfudd]

I'm not really crazy about either one, but a MAK90 is still a much better rifle than a WASR10. It's got either a forged or a heavy stamped receiver with dimples, double hook trigger that's much smoother than a G2, a much better finish and it's just plain worth more money. If you play the 922r game you can convert it.

 

[MAKOwner]

Versus a WASR-10 I'd say the MAK90 is the better choice. Add some US parts to legally allow for the pistol grip stock setup and you've got all the evil features you need. You can thread the barrel if you really want and the bayonet mount is a worthless relic.


I got rid of my last MAK90 (to get a SAR2 coincidentally) since my SAR1 outshot my MAK in back to back shooting (especially when the MAK heated up). Plus I preferred the more rough and tumble AKM style SAR vs the semi-bastardized MAK. The MAK is still a nice AK though.

 

[ftierson]

MAK-90...

http://www.ironwooddesigns.com makes nice stock sets for the milled and stamped MAK-90s...

You can even get one for a slant cut receiver stamped MAK-90 if that's what you've got...

Forrest

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Keep the Mak-90 and buy the WASR-10. Convert the Mak-90 per ftierson's suggestion and link.

Dave

 

[H2O MAN]

Of the two... keep the MAK-90

 

[Odnar]

I have a MAK-90 and have shot a WASR-10. You couldn't get me to trade. Ever.

Personal preference aside, you got a hell of a deal for a gun that can't be imported any more. I just checked AuctionArms, and at this moment there are six WASR 10s for sale. Zero MAK 90s. The selling price of the MAKs are just going to go up. Supply/demand and all that good stuff.

 

[Hokkmike]

I don't know about the MAK - 90, but the WASR 10 is the bottom of the AK food chain. Many of them are junk. If we had to inspect firearms like we do for cars to make sure they are safe the WASR - 10 would never pass. They are cheap, they do look cool, and there are a FEW good ones out there.

 

[wdlsguy]

Keep the MAK-90 and replace the thumb-hole stock with a U.S.-made buttstock and pistol grip. Assuming it has a stamped receiver, you only need three more parts for 18 USC 922(r) compliance. A U.S.-made fire control group (trigger, hammer and disconnector) would fill the bill nicely.

The 16 countable parts of an AK rifle. No more than 10 of these parts may be imported.

(1) Receiver
(2) Barrel
(3) Trunnion
(4) Muzzle attachments(flash hiders, brakes, barrel extensions, barrel nuts)
(5) Bolt
(6) Bolt carrier
(7) Gas piston
(8) Trigger
(9) Hammer
(10) Disconnecter
(11) Buttstock
(12) Pistol grip
(13) Forearm handguards
(14) Magazine body
(15) Follower
(16) Floorplate

The underlined parts are the most commonly available U.S. manufactured parts.

On a typical stamped receiver rifle you need to replace 5 parts with no muzzle attachment and 6 parts with a muzzle attachment.

On a typical milled recevier rifle you need to replace 4 parts with no muzzle attachment and 5 parts with a muzzle attachment, because there isn't a barrel trunion, it is part of the receiver.

When building an AK pistol, these regulations do not apply. You can not have a stock or forward pistol grip on a pistol.

http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=80

 

[jrfoxx]

I've had my WASR for 4-5 years now and love it.It's accurate enough (they were never meant to be precision rifles, a you will never make one such), and most importantly, it's dead on reliable and durable (and I've had mine fall over multiple times from leaning it against something to cool).No jams of any type with any cheap ammo, including wolf, and hollow points,that I've run thru it( and it lso hasnt been cleaned at all even once (wanted to see how long it will go before I notice any troubles, and I'll say when I had it apart a couple days ago to put it back to its original stock and sights (left the afterarket ergo grip on though, as I love that thing, and didnt think it detracted from the "traditional" look enough to matter to me), it was dirty as HECK.My hands turned very black just from handeling it).As for its appearance, a $5 can of Rustolueum High Temp BBQ paint (good to 1400 deg F, and dries completely in a couple minutes, and you'd have to actually work at it to make it have drips/runs)makes the finish look real nice, and a little sanding, stain, and some BLO/tung oil, and the wood can look great too.Here's my cheapo $300 WASR after doing the things mentioned above.Just my 2 cents, as some people hate/trash WASR's, and they may personally have good reason to, but if you inspect it first, I cant see how you'll go wrong really.

 

[Kurt_D]

KEEP THE MAK.

I've shot both (owned a WASR). The MAK90 is in a different league. Much, much better fit and finish than a WASR and was built from the get-go for double stack mags. The MAK is easy to convert to PG config, even if you have a slant cut receiver. Ironwood makes a nice stock set that will count for 3 US parts, then all you need is a US FCG for 3 more (really only need 5, but oh well). Then MAK also seems to group better than the WASR.

The blued MAK with wood looks a lot better than the scared/BBQ paint WASR. That said, the WASR will for the most part go bang everytime you pull the trigger.