World's TOP 5 worst AK producers

Ive owned a few Chinese AK's and they all worked just fine. The Type 84s in 5.56 were my favorites
Made from 1.5mm sheet instead of 1.0mm was a benefit, and the parts never broke, thankfully.

The price of .223/5.56 30 round magazines for Chinese AK's were hitting on 250$ each on Gunbroker.
I made my own mags that work 100% from inexpensive steel Galil ma35 rd mags.

Norinco made and imported semi auto versions of the AK, ex military and police SKS's, as well as various other semi auto and bolt action arms.

That came to a screaming halt when a connex van full of full auto AK's arrived and was found by authoritys in california.

To double knuckle down, Joe "assault weapons ban" Biden got his legislation through and for 10 years the ban stopped no crime and saved no one. Since nearly all ammo sources cross the Atlantic now, ammo prices were doubled back then simply due to shipping t across the US, here to the West coast......1,200 5.56 back than was 89$ landed at my feet, and nearly the same for X39 and X54r.

Century's US built AKs and Inter Ordnance were and are the most craptastic of the AKs.

Bcwitt said:

A Chinese AK is one of the better ones.

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So what makes the Chinese AK so great?
Attention to detail. They did not follow the eastern-European standards for Kalashnikovs. Chinese AKs used a 1.5 mm-thick sheet metal receiver as opposed to the 1.0 mm that is used in Europe. Right off the bat, this gives you a sturdier base — it makes the heart of your rifle tougher and more accurate.

Chinese AKs also came with much thicker barrels than most imported AKs. The barrels were pressed a lot tighter into the trunnions or milled receivers than any other AK out there. Having that super-tight fit and a thicker barrel, without a doubt, is one of the reasons the guns are so accurate. Their actions are smooth and their triggers are fantastic. Chinese AKs make a lot of other Kalashnikov-style guns look like and feel like trash.

The first Chinese AK was called the Type 56 assault rifle. It was created in 1956 and is still in service today. A rough estimate of 10-15 million of these were produced. Countless numbers were exported to countries all over the world, including many African, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian nations. These guns, unfortunately, were the ones primarily used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. They ended up having a stigma for Vietnam War veterans that continues to this day.

Although a lot of the imported Chinese guns might look similar, their quality is a completely different story. Some might call the Polytech Legend the finest AK-platform gun that was ever imported to the States, while the B-West is a “hit or miss” purchase. All Chinese AKs are collectable, but not all are as valuable as others.

JDGray said:

From what I've read, Chinese AKs took a dive after the US import ban, but were decent rifles till that point. I love my milled MAK-90, but all my Romanian rifles are just as good. My SAR-1 being my favorite AK, followed by my Romak 991 Khyber pass build, and Draco-C SBR.

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Remember we are comparing a genuine militery rifle to a commercial import. Chinese (By Chinese I mean PLA) is one of the best. The examples made for the US commercial market, not so much.

Arsenal Bulgaria makes their SAM7 series of milled AKs in the same factory as their military contract guns. In fact a few years ago the Indian Army ordered several hundred thousand AKs and the Arsenals stopped showing up in the US for a few years since they were fulfilling those orders.

The receivers are hot die hammer forged and machines on traditional equipment that takes 5 hours per receiver. The barrel, gas block, sight assemblies, receiver, bolt and bolt carrier are all made in Bulgaria and are 100% milspec. The semi-auto fire control group and furniture are US made in order to follow 922r compliance.

There’s a shooting range in Las Vegas called “Battlefield Vegas” that has 300 thousand rounds through a SAM7 with no failures. They’re considered the Rolls Royce of AKs currently being imported into this country. They are very expensive but worth it.

So, not every commercial gun destined for the US is of subpar quality.

Dr T said:

It appears that the production standards are consistent.

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Having seen some of the current-production Chinese AKs in Afghanistan, I can without question say there is a massive difference between the Chinese AKs exported to the US in the 80s and 90s and the current rifles that Vladimir Onokoy is referring to in that article (and in a video he made on the same topic).

The Type 56-1s, Polytech Legends, and most of the various versions of MAK-90s are actually well built and durable firearms. Back when I owned and shot a MAK-90 in the 90s, most of the folks I spoke to who said disparaging things about the Chinese AKs had literally nothing to compare them to. In other words, when I'd ask them what, specifically, was sub-standard compared to a "good" AK, they'd be pulling things out of their rectum like poor metallurgy, soft bolts, machine marks, etc. None of which, by the way, have been a problem on any of those rifles, and we've had two decades since then to see the evidence of it.

Yes, some of the Norinco M-14s imported in the 80s had bolt issues...but those receivers today are widely coveted as being built like tanks and highly durable.

Ignition Override said:

Beijing News?

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The article was reprinted from another source and the content was from Kalasnikov concern the folks who ride herd on Russian AK quality & parts interchangeability.

Added: Fox News has reprinted stories from Associated Press and Reuters.
Say you read it in Fox News, the sneers fly about "Faux News".
Say you read it from AP or Reuters, the same content gets more respect.
If a "questionable" source is reprinting from a "better" source, I have learned to cite the original source.

Century Arms behind Ethiopia sounds about right.

The MAK-90 I've shot was a very high quality gun... tight magazine fit, sharp paint on the leaf sight numbers, snappy selector, good trigger etc. We haven't imported rifles from them in a while, but 2021 China is light years more economically developed than 1990s China. If they could churn out that quality of rifle for export 30 years ago, there is no reason they'd be making "the world's worst AKs" today.

Hacker15E said:

Having seen some of the current-production Chinese AKs in Afghanistan, I can without question say there is a massive difference between the Chinese AKs exported to the US in the 80s and 90s and the current rifles that Vladimir Onokoy is referring to in that article (and in a video he made on the same topic).

The Type 56-1s, Polytech Legends, and most of the various versions of MAK-90s are actually well built and durable firearms. Back when I owned and shot a MAK-90 in the 90s, most of the folks I spoke to who said disparaging things about the Chinese AKs had literally nothing to compare them to. In other words, when I'd ask them what, specifically, was sub-standard compared to a "good" AK, they'd be pulling things out of their rectum like poor metallurgy, soft bolts, machine marks, etc. None of which, by the way, have been a problem on any of those rifles, and we've had two decades since then to see the evidence of it.

Yes, some of the Norinco M-14s imported in the 80s had bolt issues...but those receivers today are widely coveted as being built like tanks and highly durable.

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Just so I'm sure that I understand, are you saying that current production Chinese military type AK's are of much lower quality than 1980's/90's commercial exports to the U.S.?

HPJeep said:

Century's US built AKs and Inter Ordnance were and are the most craptastic of the AKs.

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I have a century vska which they claim is built better then all the others they produce. Runs fine,no canted sights, accurate enough, and is a blast to shoot. Time will tell if I made the choice or maybe my folks will start calling me stumpy.

Years ago the Century imported WASR 10 was said to be the worst AK made but it's one of the better ones now. LOL
It shoots & don't blow up in your face.

HPJeep said:

Century's US built AKs and Inter Ordnance were and are the most craptastic of the AKs.

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Quoted for posterity.

Has anyone else here ever fired a real Chinese Type 56?

Meeks36 said:

I have a century vska which they claim is built better then all the others they produce. Runs fine,no canted sights, accurate enough, and is a blast to shoot. Time will tell if I made the choice or maybe my folks will start calling me stumpy.

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The best AK Century ever built was the M1960 Polish

The Egyptian Maddi looked like crap.
Back when the AK’s popularity really started taking off (think 90’s) the WASAR from Century typically had canted sights & a really bad finish.

GunnyUSMC:
Fired a true 'select-fire' Chinese AK (tax stamp etc)? Yes. The AKM looks brand-new, has the same soft choa wood as any semi-commercial Chinese SKS.

Also fired a few rounds from the same gun owner's select-fire MP5.

The owner grew up near London UK. The really weird irony about his FFL license and gun ownership is how he "votes", but let's avoid that.......

Ignition Override said:

GunnyUSMC:
Fired a true 'select-fire' Chinese AK (tax stamp etc)? Yes. The AKM looks brand-new, has the same soft choa wood as any semi-commercial Chinese SKS.

Also fired a few rounds from the same gun owner's select-fire MP5.

The owner grew up near London UK. The really weird irony about his FFL license and gun ownership is how he "votes", but let's avoid that.......

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That Type 56 in my pic has no tax stamp. It was brought back from Vietnam by a Vet. and some how came into police custody. After the court cast was done, to was donated to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab it add to their reference library. You can see the control tag on the neck of the buttstock.

Oops, double post

GunnyUSMC: I was referring to my buddy's tax stamp for his MP5 and AKM.

Whether anybody else has the proper red tape doesn't matter among law-abiding citizens.

That sure looks like fun!

Century Arms does suck .

But Chinese AKs are actually pretty good, about above average quality. I question the reliability of this source.
Maybe they're confusing them with Chinese mosins?

GunnyUSMC said:

That Type 56 in my pic has no tax stamp. It was brought back from Vietnam by a Vet. and some how came into police custody. After the court cast was done, to was donated to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab it add to their reference library. You can see the control tag on the neck of the buttstock.

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That might be how it came into police custody.
None of my NFA firearms have a "tax stamp".
All are lawfully possessed on a Form 3, no tax stamp required.


Tax stamps are only for tax paid transfers. NFA firearms transfer to LE on a tax free Form 5. To lawfully possess, the LA State Police must have registered the Type 56 or received it via a Form 5.

dogtown tom said:

That might be how it came into police custody.
None of my NFA firearms have a "tax stamp".
All are lawfully possessed on a Form 3, no tax stamp required.


Tax stamps are only for tax paid transfers. NFA firearms transfer to LE on a tax free Form 5. To lawfully possess, the LA State Police must have registered the Type 56 or received it via a Form 5.

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It’s on a form 5, just as all the other full auto guns they have.

Swampman said:

Just so I'm sure that I understand, are you saying that current production Chinese military type AK's are of much lower quality than 1980's/90's commercial exports to the U.S.?

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Correct.

Hacker15E said:

Having seen some of the current-production Chinese AKs in Afghanistan, I can without question say there is a massive difference between the Chinese AKs exported to the US in the 80s and 90s and the current rifles that Vladimir Onokoy is referring to in that article (and in a video he made on the same topic).

Click to expand...