Arsenal opinions? (Bulgarian AKMs)

I've been happy with the 107 I have.

I have owned several. None purchased new (or at inflated prices)

I just think that their marketing department is selling good kool-aid.

All the AK factories are producing AKs for around $50.

An AK is an AK. Why pay for a name?

An AK is an AK. Why pay for a name?

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If you compare the fit and finish of an Arsenal with a romanian made AK, you will see the different.
I'm happy with my Arsenal. Top of the line are east German AK but it's hard to find....

I don't think there's anything wrong with them aside from the price.

Mine has been flawless so far.

My brother has an Arsenal and it's a pretty nice gun. Actually it's a really nice gun if you can get over the price tag it carries and the fact it came with free canted sights. I'll pass on Arsenal, you'd think they would have better quality control considering how much they sell them for. I would have only thought the monkeys at Century could have pulled that off. I was wrong.

Couldn't be happier with my SLR-95. I picked it up used last year for $575 and of all my AK's its the best.

Of course the SLR-95 is one of the older Arsenal models and before I added some compliance parts allow for the pistol grip it was 100% Bulgarian. I can't tell you anything about the quality of the new ones coming out of Nevada but I'd buy another SLR-95 in a second for the right price.

All the AK factories are producing AKs for around $50

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Maybe overseas. The Arsenal rifles do have a couple different compliance parts the big one being the US BARREL. The barrel is probably driving up the price the most.

My SLR-105R has been great.

I love my SLR-107CR its a great AK...shoots Wolf and Golden Tiger rounds all day without a problem.

Also have a SLR-95 & it's a keeper.

col tapiocca said:

If you compare the fit and finish of an Arsenal with a romanian made AK, you will see the different.

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... and the fit and finish make it run better than a Romanian or Yugo AK? I personally (and probably a few other folks) don't give a fig what it looks like, only that it runs right.

JHansenAK47 said:

The Arsenal rifles do have a couple different compliance parts the big one being the US BARREL.

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This is the very first I've heard of this. Where can I read more on Arsenal's US made barrels?

Just got a Lancaster Arms AK and I am very happy with it. I looked at the Arsenals, but didn't think they justified the money.

I got a good deal on the Lancaster and everything I have read and the experience I have had so far, tells me I got a great rifle for a decent price.

I'm fine paying for quality, but other than the milled receiver, what's the big difference?

I have read several threads and posts from people that did have some problems with their Arsenal's, but that could have been they were expecting too much to begin with.

camslam said:

I'm fine paying for quality, but other than the milled receiver, what's the big difference?

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A milled receiver doth not quality make ( more kool-aid ).

A milled receiver adds a little more weight, which can make for a slightly more accurate rifle, though the same thing could be accomplished with a 1.6mm receiver alla Lancaster.

Honestly, there's really not much to an AK. Look at the inside of it. If the bullets can feed into the barrel, you're going to get the same relative accuracy out of the rifle. The fire control groups are the same on all the rifles. The sights are the same. That leaves only fit and finish. The Romanians are very rough, but they work. Arsenal's look nice with the black finish, but honestly, I wouldn't buy an AK for it to look pretty. As soon as you hit the selector lever, you're going to take a swatch of finish off your rifle so, there you go. Finish wasn't worth much, was it?

This is why I'm glad I bought mine before the prices jumped.

A milled receiver doth not quality make ( more kool-aid ).

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Right. That is why I went with a stamped receiver and I am very happy with it. The money wasn't worth it to me to get an arsenal.

love my sa-m7 classic!! I know i know it isnt an akm
BUT
it is undoubtedly the most beautiful firearm i own second only to my minty
k31!!
well...it is actually a toss up between that and my equally minty m96

either way it shoots better than any romanian or yugo i have seen, with my reloads i routinely get 2 moa with stock sights.

true it was darned expensive, but i would rather have a gun that looks 10x better and is just as functional than one that looks sloppy (parts kits).

also, me being more of a military collector, i am rather turned onto the fact that it is very close to the origional late type III ak-47

well worth the money but i am always wondering if i should get an akm arsenal in .223

This is the very first I've heard of this. Where can I read more on Arsenal's US made barrels?

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That's part of the ATF ban on imported barrels from a couple years ago, I think. Arsenal, if I understand it correctly, is basically importing parts kits and assembling them in Las Vegas with US compliance parts, including receivers and (now) barrels.

Unless they're getting around that restriction somehow, which may be the case.

They WERE importing barreled receivers made in Bulgaria, the receiver mag opening of low-cap size for legal import, then opening the opening, also adding enough compliance parts to be legal.....if they've run out of barreled receivers, the ban puts them at using US-made barrels....my SLR106FR was a fine gun, the finish/paint was poor, but otherwise a fine (if high priced) AK....much better than most the junk pretending to be an AK....

Arsenal makes good guns. I own a Bulgarian but I don't own an Arsenal. I've shot several of their models and their quality is typical of the Bulgarian AKs. That said, I don't think they're worth the extra money unless having a finer finish is worth it to you. I might consider the extra cost if it was a Valmet. Those are really smooth, well made AKs.

Honestly, there's really not much to an AK. Look at the inside of it. If the bullets can feed into the barrel, you're going to get the same relative accuracy out of the rifle. The fire control groups are the same on all the rifles. The sights are the same. That leaves only fit and finish. The Romanians are very rough, but they work. Arsenal's look nice with the black finish, but honestly, I wouldn't buy an AK for it to look pretty. As soon as you hit the selector lever, you're going to take a swatch of finish off your rifle so, there you go. Finish wasn't worth much, was it?

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There's a LOT more to it than that, if you know anything about how an AK is put together so that the stamped receiver doesn't crack and/or that the rivits holding front/rear trunnions in place don't shear....the Bulgarians know how to do that, and many US-assemblers do NOT...neither do many of the US-assemblers use correct rivits....

I've been happy with the 107 I have.

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Just kidding, of course, but I did a nice double take there.

That's part of the ATF ban on imported barrels from a couple years ago, I think.

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The barrel ban only applies to parts kits not to fully completed rifles. You can send a barreled receiver over here no problem.