Are chinesse AKs junk?

[clange]

Don't know, I'm not sure if he even knows that this is required. How many people get busted for this? I'm talking regular people not dealers and importers.

I have never heard of anyone getting busted for a parts count violation, and if you search every gun forum online, you wont find one either. The ATF has much better things to do with their time. They dont really care if your trigger, which is exactly the same as the one before it, has 'US' on it or not. MAYBE, maybe you can find someone that messed up a lot of different ways and had the parts count thing tacked on to add time.

Bottom line, almost zero chance of getting busted, but theres no reason to risk it when you can be compliant for $50. All of mine are compliant. I dont want to be the first guy everyone reads about, getting busted at a gun show.

It is illegal in some states and legal in others. You need to check your local laws.

Yeah, the pistol grip thing can be state by state too. The parts count thing is a federal law.

 

[whm1974]

Just buy the Yugo you want and sleep well at night. Buying a factory built rifle and not modifying it should be a good defense if ever questioned. If you do change parts, understand what is US made and what isn't to keep the rifle legal.

I'd also advise your buddy to convert his rifle back (or get the US parts in it ASAP) since it has been directly discussed on a firearms website for all to see.

AFAIK the kit he used is american made but I don't if that is enough parts. I think I'll end up getting the yugo.

I have never heard of anyone getting busted for a parts count violation, and if you search every gun forum online, you wont find one either. The ATF has much better things to do with their time. They dont really care if your trigger, which is exactly the same as the one before it, has 'US' on it or not. MAYBE, maybe you can find someone that messed up a lot of different ways and had the parts count thing tacked on to add time.

I thought so. I was thinking this would be a very hard law to enforce. Or not really that important to them in comparsion to NFA volations and whatnot. But it is still the law.

I used to know people who would never buy something like an AK or AR15 from a private party, only a gun dealer. You never know what the person did to his weapon.

-Bill

 

[1911user]

AFAIK the kit he used is american made but I don't if that is enough parts. I think I'll end up getting the yugo.
-Bill

This is the first time you mentioned any kind of "kit" instead of just replacing the thumbhole stock. If it was done as part of a pistol grip kit, it may be legal and certainly a good price unless it was abused. There were/are kits of parts sold then and now for replacing thumbhole stocks. The downside to the lower cost kits is they commonly used a mag floorplate and/or follower as 1 or 2 of the parts. If you bought the mak-90, you'd need to know what was and was not done to it.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

Mine is a 5.56 and even though some accessories are more expensive I like the fact that the ammo isn't and is readily available.

7.62x39 ammo is quite cheap. I picked up 1000 rounds of Golden Tiger (pretty much the same as Wolf, Silver Bear, Brown Bear and others) for only $95 OTD at a local gun show. There aren't many calibers where you can buy 1000 rounds for under $100.

 

[whm1974]

If you bought the mak-90, you'd need to know what was and was not done to it.

This may be true for a lot of firarms. I was reading something awhile back that it is or was commen for AR-15s and M1 Carbines to have the wrong(read illegal) hammer, bolt, and whatnot installed.

When I get my tax refund I might go shopping.

-Bill

 

[whm1974]

I ran into a friend yestiday, and to make a long story short he said most AK are made from weak steel and are tempermental about working right and have other problems. now he has been saying this every since I got my FOID a year and half ago and I mention that I want an AK of some sort.

Now he has an expensive AR-15 and a Para-Ordince PDA(?) so I'm wondering if he is just a gun snob. or listerns to gun "experts" too much.

Everyone I know that owns an AK seems to be happy with with as far as funtioning goes. If they have any problems at all, it with using american made ammo.

-Bill

 

[Kramer Krazy]

This may be true for a lot of firarms. I was reading something awhile back that it is or was commen for AR-15s and M1 Carbines to have the wrong(read illegal) hammer, bolt, and whatnot installed.

Not necessarily true as being "illegal". In 1993 and 1994, you could buy M1 carbines all-day-long with M2 components. I even saw one at a gun show that had a disconnector in it, and it is not a semi-auto functioning part. When they were importing them (at $129 each), as the parts piles got smaller, more and more M2 parts were used to manufacture semi-auto M1s. There are seven parts alone, without even owning a rifle, that are defined as machineguns.

There is no reason to own a disconnect, disconnect spring and plunger, selector switch and spring, and actuator arm, as these serve no function in a semi-auto rifle, but........it's not uncommon to find any other M2 part in an M1. If it is illegal to have any of these parts in the M1, someone sure better inform a LOT of people.....even people who have no idea how to recognize them......As for M-16 parts.....yeah, that happened a lot, too. Last I read, to play it safe, you're best off swapping those parts.....or modifying them to an AR-15 configuration, but just having an M-16 hammer in a gun full of AR-15 parts, won't necessarily get you into any trouble (it's been posted before that Colt has been distributing AR-15s with M-16 bolt carriers, just recently).......Anyone know of any fact-based laws that say you can't have a single M-16 or M2 part in your rifle?

 

[1911user]

I'll be polite, but your friend is very un-educated about AK-type rifles. I never thought I'd read "tempermental" and "AK" in the same sentance. AKs are not perfect (neither are ARs), but both work well when maintained as needed and fed decent ammo.
Do some reading (not asking questions, just read at first) on ar15.com in the AR and AK sections.

I ran into a friend yestiday, and to make a long story short he said most AK are made from weak steel and are tempermental about working right and have other problems. now he has been saying this every since I got my FOID a year and half ago and I mention that I want an AK of some sort.

Now he has an expensive AR-15 and a Para-Ordince PDA(?) so I'm wondering if he is just a gun snob. or listerns to gun "experts" too much.

Everyone I know that owns an AK seems to be happy with with as far as funtioning goes. If they have any problems at all, it with using american made ammo.

-Bill

 

[ktd]

I ran into a friend yestiday, and to make a long story short he said most AK are made from weak steel and are tempermental about working right and have other problems.

well, Ak's are not quite as reliable as some people make them out to be, though they are better than many other designs. There is however, a wide variety in the execution. A good commercial Yugo or some such is actually pretty nice. He may be one of those people who equate stamping with weak, especially since milled versions are available. But the only stamped receivers I have seen failed were exposed to IED's. The only real tempermental ones I have seen are rebuilds, though any rebulid can be problematic (CAI).

 

[clange]

Now he has an expensive AR-15

Say no more.

Like everyone else said, he doesnt really know what he's talking about. Factory built AKs, and kit buids by good builders are very very reliable. The stamped receiver is not a point of concern. The AKs reputation for reliability is built on the stamped AKM, not milled receivers. The milled (russian) AKs were only made for 8 years. Everything since then has been stamped. Most of the AKs in the world are stamped. Stories coming out of iraq about AKs firing with dime sized rocks inside are most likely stamped versions. Etc, etc.

As long as you get something factory built, or from a good known builder, it'll be fine.

 

[whm1974]

Anyone know of any fact-based laws that say you can't have a single M-16 or M2 part in your rifle?

From what I read, The ATF considered an AR-15 with any of the five M-16 parts to be a machine gun even though you will still need the auto sear to get FA even if you had all five parts installed.

He may be one of those people who equate stamping with weak,

From the way he talks sometimes I think you are right. He even called my S&W 22A junk because the frame is made from aluminam. Which is funny since most AR-15 lower receviers are made from the same metal, while AKs are made from STEEL.

-Bill

 

[3big]

MAC are JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

First off I must say due to LACK of metal in China they use what ever they can find for thee barrels. Most barres are made out of OLD rail road ties!

My old mac look nice but when you go to shoot them they 8-10 inchs at 100 yards.
w
My Romak best dam move in the world get 4-6 inch with wolf!
MU yugo ak kit build with a fair boar even got 3-4 with wolf!

Mac dont like any surplus Rounds, maks have poor barrels, cheap barrel ruins ther gun!
buy a yugo or Romak you be much happier!

 

[c_yeager]

The Chinese Mak-90 is one of the best AKs you can get at any price. They have a thicker reciever than any other AK type rifle and they are widely known as being remarkably reliable and feature what is probably the smoothest trigger to be had on a non-Russian AK. People dont like Chinese goods because they are made in China, but there really isnt any reason to apply this reasoning to the AK, which was designed to be manufactured in the sort of industrial environment that exists in China.

 

[aaronrkelly]

The Chinese Mak-90 is one of the best AKs you can get at any price. They have a thicker reciever than any other AK type rifle and they are widely known as being remarkably reliable and feature what is probably the smoothest trigger to be had on a non-Russian AK. People dont like Chinese goods because they are made in China, but there really isnt any reason to apply this reasoning to the AK, which was designed to be manufactured in the sort of industrial environment that exists in China.

The above has been my experience as well. I have a MAK and its my best AK so far - hands down. The fit and finish is worlds better than a WASR at the same price (or cheaper). I gave $250 for my MAK.

If you want an underfolder your probably better off just buying an underfolder - but if you want a standard stock the MAK is a great buy. Some MAKS already are setup for the underfolder stock but the ones I have come across havent been that way.

The Yugos underfolders are great guns at a great price but EVERY place I called was backordered and they had a 2 month waiting list.

I ended up ordering a Vector Arms underfolder at Atlantic Firearms. They make a damn fine weapon.

 

[Mannlicher]

All I have fired and handled were ok.

 

[MechAg94]

First off I must say due to LACK of metal in China they use what ever they can find for thee barrels. Most barres are made out of OLD rail road ties!

My old mac look nice but when you go to shoot them they 8-10 inchs at 100 yards.
w
My Romak best dam move in the world get 4-6 inch with wolf!
MU yugo ak kit build with a fair boar even got 3-4 with wolf!

Mac dont like any surplus Rounds, maks have poor barrels, cheap barrel ruins ther gun!
buy a yugo or Romak you be much happier!

I assume you mean railroad spikes. I doubt they made barrels out of wood even if it is treated wood.

From all I have read on these boards, it is unwise to judge any manufacturer by a single bad rifle. For any of them, you can always find one guy with problems.
My Vepr will do 4" with Wolf easily enough. I bought a few boxes of Brown Bear Match ammo that I want to play with though.

 

[atblis]

IMO (Haven't verified this)

It appears that some of the Chinese guns are mad specifically for import to us. These generally suck. I've also heard that these are sometimes made by litterally slave labor (prisons).

Some of the Chinese guns are actually from their military arsenals. These appear to be as good as anybody elses. If you can figure out which arsenals are the real military, ones you can get a quite decent gun (Arsenal 386 comes to mine). 26 is a decent arsenal for the SKS.

Not all Chinese guns are junk. I have an NS522 that is quite interesting (very good shooter). From what I can gather the barrel is a Steyr barrel made in China. The gun is entirely milled steel.

 

[whm1974]

Well guys looks like the deal is mute. He has a friend that is suppose to buy a number guns from him, and they were talking about this before he asked me.

I did tell him that if his buddy doesn't buy I still may be inrested.

-Bill

 

[clange]

It appears that some of the Chinese guns are mad specifically for import to us. These generally suck. I've also heard that these are sometimes made by litterally slave labor (prisons).

Some of the Chinese guns are actually from their military arsenals. These appear to be as good as anybody elses. If you can figure out which arsenals are the real military, ones you can get a quite decent gun (Arsenal 386 comes to mine). 26 is a decent arsenal for the SKS.

Not all Chinese guns are junk. I have an NS522 that is quite interesting (very good shooter). From what I can gather the barrel is a Steyr barrel made in China. The gun is entirely milled steel.

Every chinese AK here, that doesnt cost $20,000+, is made for import to us ONLY. There arent any military surplus AKs, anywhere, because AKs are full auto.

 

[nucstl1]

I have two Chinese aks. 1 Stamped Norinco 56s, underfolder, and 1 Polytech Legend standard. Both shoot flawlessly, but I prefer the Legend. It has more to do with ergonomics than reliability though. As AKs are designed for small people, neither is ergonomically as compatible as the M1A or M4 I have. Now I have seen various problems with the east block AKs but I am not sure if the problems are wide spread or just one-off events. Two different friends have bought Romanian AK-47s in the past year, and both rifles had a feed ramp that looked like a block of steel that had not been machined....Both rifles had serious feeding problems out of the box...Both problems were remedied with 30 minutes of a dremmel. Cheap ammo is a plus, but it will never get down to the prices from a year ago. The mak is not a bad way to go for a first run....You can pick them up cheap and change out the stock easy enough.

 

[possum]

I own a mak-90 and chineese sks and i love both of them, I have many many rds through both of them and I have never had a single issue with them. i think they are well made and have strong recievers. much better than the romanians I have seen. i am not impressed withthe romaniains, i will probally buy another mak-90 or 91 ad make it a project gun.

 

[whm1974]

Now I have seen various problems with the east block AKs but I am not sure if the problems are wide spread or just one-off events. Two different friends have bought Romanian AK-47s in the past year, and both rifles had a feed ramp that looked like a block of steel that had not been machined....Both rifles had serious feeding problems out of the box...Both problems were remedied with 30 minutes of a dremmel.

I was thinking of buying one of these. It's my understanding that Centry doesn't always do a proper job on thier AKs

-Bill

 

[Optical Serenity]

My favorite AK I had was a Chinese MAK-90

 

[dfaugh]

Well...

FWIW...My best shootin' buddy has a pre-ban Chinese underfolder, and its the best AK I've ever seen, as far as fit, finish and accuracy. Don't know if this translates to the newer ones, though.

Also, I have an SKS-M (Norinco) which is also the best SKS I've ever seen, including my unissued Yugo, which is pretty good.