Stamped AK receivers

[MT GUNNY]

I know they are not High Quality, But people do Buy them . So My ? is, If you can only afford them at $475. This area, and supply is dropping, and I Buy One. How Long will it last with Average Shooting, say 500 rounds a year as a base #? Can they be repaired buy a competent Gunny with Basic tools? If this all comes out Negative Should I get Two, 1 now 1 later if available?

I mostly want to hear about 1st hand accounts with stamped AK's
Thanks guy's and gal's

 

[Shear_stress]

Stamped receivers can be very high quality. It's what the Russian army uses. I prefer the heft of a milled receiver, but I realize that it really makes very little difference in accuracy or durability. I've got AKs with both stamped (1 and 1.5mm) and milled receivers and can't discern any real difference in performance. The best of both worlds is a CZ VZ-58 (not actually an AK) that is milled yet weighs the same as a stamped AK.

 

[MT GUNNY]

Im looking at Romanian WASR 10's

 

[MRIman]

At 500 rounds a year,the receiver will last long enough for
your great,great,great grand kids to shoot her!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now the barrel might not make it past 20-30K.

Go with an NDS if your shopping.

 

[Shear_stress]

I've got a WASR. Not as pretty as my other AKs, but I've had absolutely no problems with it over the course of several thousand rounds. I agree with MRIman, at 500 rounds per year, it'll outlast any of us. Basic repairs (replacement of fire control group, etc.) are pretty simple.

 

[Evil Monkey]

The receiver will last, practically, forever. Unless it blows up due to a bad round or so, receivers generally will be the last part of the gun standing.

 

[Gryphon1410]

A stamped receiver AK is just dandy. I echo the sentiments of the others that 500 rounds per year won't bother it any and that receiver should out last you. The biggest problems people have reported on WASRs are canted front sights and gas blocks. If your rifle does have these, there are tutorials how to fix it on AK47.net.

 

[MT GUNNY]

Thanks Fellas, I was a little Worried about the one I put on layaway. I think maybe another would be good also.

 

[kcmarine]

They work fine. The only reason machined receivers are around is because the Soviets couldn't figure out how to stamp the parts for the AK and keep them in spec. When they figured out how to do so a few years after the AK was introduced, they stopped milling them and started stamping them. As far as AK production goes, milling is a ridiculously wasteful process. You take an 8 pound block of steel and shave that down to 2. The only real benefit that a milled AK could possibly have over a stamped one would be a small increase in accuracy in repeated fire due to more weight and a small increase in receiver stiffness. Then again, you're talking about an AK here... buying one variation over another for accuracy reasons is like buying one Yugo over another because it goes faster... all in all, it's still not a very fast car, just like the AK isn't a very accurate rifle.

Get yourself a stamped receiver and take care of it. You'll be fine.

 

[lions]

The AK has used a stamped receiver for a long time, absolutely nothing wrong with it.

 

[benEzra]

Stamped receivers can be just as high quality as milled receivers; they are also lighter.

They are certainly not inferior in durability. IIRC, the design life of the full-auto AKM-47 (stamped, 1mm) receiver was 100,000 rounds. At 500 rounds/year, you're good for the next 200 years or so before hitting that milestone, and since your AK is a civilian semiauto (which keeps receiver temps down), I wouldn't expect it to fall apart at 100,000.

The barrel will wear out first.