Contemplating a Kalashnikov

Yes. All of them but I will stick to just a few in no particular order.
Romanian AKM patteren WASR10. Cheap and has never hesitated to go bang when asked. Not safe queen pretty or deadly accurate but a basic battlefield AKM.
Mine shoots everything with acceptable (to me) accuracy.
Saiga series in your flavor of caliber.
easily enough modified back to correct format and actually Russian made.
I have the 12 guage and love it.
12's a slightly different horse of course but a great way to get into AK patterns.
Arsenal has good products I hear. Spendy but those that got 'em seem to love 'em.
Yugo M70. Military(ish) wind nicely made. I can only speak on the wood foregrip underfolder model but the straight stock model looks to be of similar quality.
Enough to get started on I guess...
Cheers and enjoy.
Oops. Saigas don't possess a lug. Worth a hard look though.

I've had my WASR10/63 over five years and it's still going strong. It's about the cheapest AK clone out there that works.

WASR 10/63, Chinese or Arsenal/Saiga. Get a chrome lined barrel. IMO, AK47 over AK74.

Take a look at what Atlantic Firearms has to offer. They have quite a few different guns to choose from, including some models that they have built specifically for them. They are a pleasure to deal with as well.

Its generally accepted that Arsenal is the best and i agree 100%. If you want a more traditional look get an Arsenal and then just install wood furniture.

Cant argue Century's history but mine is absolutely assembled fine. I understand through other boards most of the newer ones coming out are decidedly free of the canted sites issue and magazine well wobble/fit is much better.
I guess after far too many complaints they've stepped up the quality control.
The mag wobble seems to be very minor in mine and is different with each one of the ribbed back metal Mag's.
I mostly use the Bulgarian smooth slab sides and those lock up tight with zero movement.
The one and only Tapco mag is the worst of the bunch.
all that being said try to locate one in person if your concerned about a bad build.
A quick visual inspection will weed out any problem rifles.
If I didn't have any and only wanted one id get the Saiga and convert it.
Some can be found with the gas assembly converted to AK style. The hardest part of the conversion in my utterly error prone opinion.

Sergei Mosin said:

...something as close to the original Soviet-pattern AK-47 or AKM as possible, in 7.62x39...

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Easy, Arsenal SGL. I like the look of the folding metal stock:

Convert a Saiga. It's fun, it's a learning experience, and you get to build it YOUR way.

yugo m70 - thicker receiver than most AKs and built like tanks. or convert a saiga.

I love my ARs, but when it comes to business, I'll take a my AK 74 or 47

If you want an AKM, go with this:
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/storeproduct1067.aspx

If you want an AK-103, go with this:
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/storeproduct1170.aspx

id rather get the wasr 1063 or any pre-ban chinese ak, over any saiga or arsenal

ifit said:

id rather get the wasr 1063 or any pre-ban chinese ak, over any saiga or arsenal

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Do elaborate.

meanmustard, its just cause i prefer these variants and others over the saiga/arsenal....thats all.

Ever owned, or used them? They aren't like ARs, which to me are pots and kettles, and have very different "personalities" I'd guess you'd say. I have, and without trying to sound too elitist, Saiga/Arsenal are what an AK SHOULD be.

But, preference in your case trumps all that. We buy what makes us smile.

never owned a saiga/arsenal but have closely looked at them handled them and shot them(friends own) did not see what the hype was all about. before my first ak i purchased a vz58 that put a smile on my face. then the rest is history for me bought all kinds of ak variants chinese/romys/hungarian/vepr and all have put a smile on my face without buyin one single saiga/arsenal

ifit said:

never owned a saiga/arsenal but have closely looked at them handled them and shot them(friends own) did not see what the hype was all about. before my first ak i purchased a vz58 that put a smile on my face. then the rest is history for me bought all kinds of ak variants chinese/romys/hungarian/vepr and all have put a smile on my face without buyin one single saiga/arsenal

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I do love me some veprs, but I too find them in a class above Romys. Norincos I like better as well. IDK, something about the WASR being the archetypal inaccurate and low build quality rifle always put me off. How they hold their value is beyond me. I owned one, oh bout six years ago, that grouped best with brown bear. Best group I could muster with a clean, cold barrel at 50 yards was six inches. This while resting on bags. Not impressed.

Hopefully, your eyes and your WASR are and we're better than mine!

My buddy recently picked up a WASR-2 (5.45x39)...my god is it rough around the edges. Even beyond the edges. But, it's still endearing like all AKs.

century rifles are fine if you buy new- the new stuff is only imported by century-

Yeah, but the Cugir factory is almost as bad as Century when it comes to quality. Canted front sight bases all come from Cugir, not Century, as do many of the problems on the WASR.

segei mosin, i know you asked about the kalashnikov but you should also consider the vz58 from czechpoint. when i first bought my first ar15 years back i also wanted a ak type variant and was considering a saiga/arsenal, but found something way better and purchased a cz-usa vz58 before any of my aks, till this day is my favorite rifle out of all my ak variants.

Love my wasr/s.... I think there were real issues with the early wasrs... 1990's era. The internet has refused to let those issues die. I have 2 of the 10/63's and would like to have as many more of them as I could afford...

The best Kalashnikov type rifles were the old Finnish Vamet and original Israeli Galil rifles from the 1980s. I had both and they were excellent.

Some of the old Chinese solid milled receiver AK were pretty nice as well. They are almost impossible to find for sale up here these days.

I recently obtained a new CAI Polish Under-folder. The receiver is a US made NoDak and I think the barrel is US made as well. It is very tight and shoots nice groups for an AK. No mag wobble or loose fo0lding stock either. My only complaint is the Tapco G2 trigger. A problem I have solved.

ifit said:

segei mosin, i know you asked about the kalashnikov but you should also consider the vz58 from czechpoint. when i first bought my first ar15 years back i also wanted a ak type variant and was considering a saiga/arsenal, but found something way better and purchased a cz-usa vz58 before any of my aks, till this day is my favorite rifle out of all my ak variants.

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Those are indeed BA. Wish I owned one.