There is a gun show this weekend and I am toying with the idea of picking out an AK47. I don't know much about them, I heard Bulgarian ones are the best. I would like a classical AK47 with wood stock, nothing fancy but still a good rifle. In a nutshell what should I be looking for? And what kind of prices?
AK-47 - which are good ones
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Check out the AK site, lots of good info.
Here’s a good recent thread:
http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33171
I have the Yugo M70AB1 with the fixed wood stock, about $450, very nice rifle. The Vector from Atlantic Firearms is about $100 more, but that’s online. I think the Yugo is the best for price/quality and it’s possible you can find one at a gun show.
Good luck.
Here’s a good recent thread:
http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33171
I have the Yugo M70AB1 with the fixed wood stock, about $450, very nice rifle. The Vector from Atlantic Firearms is about $100 more, but that’s online. I think the Yugo is the best for price/quality and it’s possible you can find one at a gun show.
Good luck.
There is no "best" with Kalashnikovs.
They all go bang when you pull the trigger.
The Yugo mentioned is the best bang for the buck at the moment.
They all go bang when you pull the trigger.
The Yugo mentioned is the best bang for the buck at the moment.
I recently purchased a WASR at a gun show. I spent about a hundred bucks and added TAPCO furniture on it. At 25 yds it was dead on, at 50 it was still in the 9 ring, at 100 I was about an inch.5 low. At 200 I was about 8" low.
I fed absolutely everything through it and it functioned flawlessly through 500 rounds with NO cleaning.
If you want a precision rifle don't buy an AK. If you want one of the most reliable, battle proven CQB rifles ever, buy one.
P.S. I bought an Elk River AK about a month ago and am on the process of building it up. Accuracy was better than the Romanian rifle but not significantly.
I fed absolutely everything through it and it functioned flawlessly through 500 rounds with NO cleaning.
If you want a precision rifle don't buy an AK. If you want one of the most reliable, battle proven CQB rifles ever, buy one.
P.S. I bought an Elk River AK about a month ago and am on the process of building it up. Accuracy was better than the Romanian rifle but not significantly.
i am a huge fan of the yugo underfolders, and i think they are the best ak's out there for the money!
i have a mak-90 and it is a good, reliable shooter.
i have a mak-90 and it is a good, reliable shooter.
AKs are a weird subset all to themselves. I got confused by the whole variations bit but I ended up buying a saiga and converting it. The main points for me were it was inexpensive (250), Russian, and most important NEW. good Romy G kits are going for 150 now and you would need a receiver so I figured I spent 50 more from a kit viewpoint and addd an ace folding stock and saw grip. I am still tinkering with it but I got a good AK. My only bitch was the sight was slightly canted.
I think only the saiga, vepr, and bulgarian arsenals are all new parts guns. All the others are milsurp with us parts to some degree.
I think only the saiga, vepr, and bulgarian arsenals are all new parts guns. All the others are milsurp with us parts to some degree.
If you've bought (or converted, in the case of the Saiga) one of those in the past 9 years or so, they've got US parts in 'em, too.rocinante said:
But you are correct, Vepr, Arsenal [USA/Bulgaria] and Saigas are all imported as brand new rifles, not built from parts kits.
Notch up the rear sight
.Romanian WASRs are at the bottom end in terms of fit and finish. Arsenal is at the top. In the middle are Lancaster and Vector. There's also a bunch of independent companies out there. With all AKs, check for canted front sight and excessive mag wobble. All AKs have some mag wobble, but if it feels like the mag will fall out, don't go for the rifle.
FWIW, I have a WASR-2 (AK-74) and it's solidly built.
yep on my mak-90 the 3 is great out to 200yds, i hit center mass 20 out of 20 with it from the prone on an e-type shillouete.
I liked the YUGO I had, was a fixed stock model. The gas port was horribly pitted and corroded, and it kept on cycling. In the end I just couldn't get over that corroded part and sold the rifle.
But before I did we were shooting at water filled laundry detergent and gallon milk bottles at 300 yards and hitting them with regularity with that rifle. To me that equates to a headshot at that distance. These are good rifles for sure.
Today I would get a Polish Underfolder from Lancaster.
But before I did we were shooting at water filled laundry detergent and gallon milk bottles at 300 yards and hitting them with regularity with that rifle. To me that equates to a headshot at that distance. These are good rifles for sure.
Today I would get a Polish Underfolder from Lancaster.
Well, if you want "the best" AKMs on the US market, in my opinion they are the Bulgarian milled ones from the 1990s. SLR-95, SLR-96, SLR-93, SA-M7.... Others may think the Polytech Legend, Valmets or Galils are best, and they may be, but they are so rare and pricey that I haven't shot one.
Prices vary but expect to pay $700-1200 for one of the Bulgarian ones I listed.
I bought a converted Saiga and fixed it up myself. It cost about $1000 by the time I was done with it, but it's a real stamped receiver AK made in Russia, which is the only way you can get one of those today.
Prices vary but expect to pay $700-1200 for one of the Bulgarian ones I listed.
I bought a converted Saiga and fixed it up myself. It cost about $1000 by the time I was done with it, but it's a real stamped receiver AK made in Russia, which is the only way you can get one of those today.
I like my MAK90 better than any of the other low to mid priced AK's I have shot. The trigger on my MAK is smooth and crisp which is not always the case with other AK's I have shot. I have not shot a high priced $1000 and above AK though.
I bought my saigas (7.62x39 and S12) new in the box. They didn't have any U.S. parts AFAIK. I think you saying the converted one have U.S. parts for 922 compliance. I am compliant in my self done conversions. Stupidest gun law on the books IMHO. Well maybe not the stupidest because there are so many to compete with
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