I want to pull the trigger on this ... but I need some feedback first:

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Nushif

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Alright, so I am really wanting to do something kinda odd.

I am wanting to trade in three handguns I never shoot anymore for a .22 AK clone by CIA ... import something? The thing is I usually don't like the oddly proportioned .22 AK clones that just don't look right, but this one is actually properly proportioned, within proper exterior specs, etc ...

Now, my main concern is this:
I would seriously regret getting rid of some perfectly functional firearms for a non-functional one.
I don't expect a .22 semi-auto rifle to be perfectly reliable under all conditions yaddayadda, but I don't want it to be a jam-omatic.

So, does anyone have the faintest clue about the reliability of these .22 AKs by Century Arms? Because that is the big decider right now as to whether I am getting one.
 
... this is the rough part ...

One that was the first gun I ever actually worked on myself, one that I bought because "it looked like it needed a good owner" and one that I bought because it would be sensible to have as an Army Officer.

Hence I am so insistent on the AK clone working, because I have been drooling over AKs I can't afford to shoot ... for about two years now ... but I don't want one that won't be fun to shoot.
 
Century Arms = Angry Beavers

Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they just leave teeth marks. I wouldn't touch anything made by Century unless I was able to test fire it first or was given an iron-clad return guarantee if it didn't work. I'm not sure a .22 AK is worth three handguns. I'm not sure it isn't either.

Century Arms also has one of the worse warranties in the business. It's about a year and starts as soon as CAI ships, not when the customer buys from the shop

EMPTOR CAVEAT
 
Unless they were really cheap handguns, I wouldn't trade. Do you really want to take a chance on the Angry Beavers at CAI with their track record??
 
That's exactly what I'm getting at.

Two of those handguns are flawlessly performing Tauruses.
A company supposedly with horrid guns coupled with horrid CS. The other one is a supposed Jam-O-Matic by the Korean Devils.

So I would be trading what internet wisdom says is junk (which has always worked fine for me) for a rifle whose manufacturer makes ... internet junk?

You follow?
 
Dont take the chance you know that your guns are reliable so keep them.
Dont put too much stock in internet based opinions if I beleived half the stuff I see posted everything I have owned and shot for forty years or more is not accurate or reliable. Check Gun Broker and get an idea what your guns are really worth dont look at asking prices see what they sell for. You may be surprised but you are less likely to get a bad deal.
Best of luck
T
 
I agree with t bran on this one, check the prices of your handguns, Its a pretty sure deal that you can easily sell them on your own and get more money from them then any shop will give you. There is nothing wrong with a shop making a profit but I personally like to minimize my costs.

After you sell those 3 on your own you can always buy the .22 ak and pocket the extra cash. You could also go out and buy your self a 7.62 ak that you know wont jam. Its not as cheap as .22 but 7.62x39 isnt really pricey neither

Thats my 2 cents of internet wisdom :evil:
 
Nushif,

The replies you've been getting are right on. This a simple economic calculation. Vague notions of what the "internet says" are irrelevant. What's important is the market: what do these guns actually sell for? As they say, money talks and bull-- . . . etc, etc.

A WASR-22 can be found used in the neighborhood of $400. A new Romanian M10-22 can be ordered from Centerfire Systems for $420 plus shipping and transfer, say ~$460 total (or more than an FEG AMD-65 for the sake of comparison).

Does the market support your notion that each of your three handguns is worth $130-150 (or $420 and $460 divided by three)? Do you see other Tauri and Daewoos (?) selling for that kind of money? That should determine your answer.

With respect, I think you are letting your emotions get the best of you. Your reluctance to list the exact models of the guns you want to buy and sell seems like an unintended way to make the situation more ambiguous than it really is. Those Romanian-made 22LR AK clones are still being sold new and are not particularly rare. Their reliability is okay but even if it was perfect it's unlikely that they are worth three used handguns unless those handguns are stamped "Bryco" or "RG".

By the way:
I had a WASR-22 and it was kind of neat. I got it close, but not quite, 100% reliable then became bored of it and sent it down the road. Also, Century doesn't manufacture these rifles. They are imported from Romania as they are sold.
 
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Good running Taurus's will bring more than $150 each. You have money here to play with. Sell your hand guns first so you have a bank account to work with, THEN go shopping :)
 
If you actually want any useful opinions, you've got to give useful data. What Taurus models, 1911, snub nose .22, there's a pretty wide variety.

What Korean? If it's a North Korean Type 68 it's probably worth a bunch since they aren't exported. If it's a S. Korean K5, it should be worth $300 or so, I'd guess.

I don't understand your reluctance to give specifics obout the models or look up the values yourself. If all you want is validation, go ahead. The AK-22 will be a blast.
Good luck,
RT
 
Its not as cheap as .22 but 7.62x39 isnt really pricey neither
Click to expand...

22LR: $15.95/525 Federal Bulk Pack from Walmart

7.62x39 $199.50/1000 Wolf from AIM, this is about the same as the cheapest 9mm FMJ.

That's a rather significant difference IMHO, although it is pretty cheap for centerfire rifle ammo, its also unlikely to shoot much better than 3 or 4 MOA

Personally I'd carefully checkout the spare magazine price and availability issue on the AK22 before buying. Probably 90% of non-parts breakage gun problems end up being magazine problems.
 
check out the vids on you tube on breaking down the .22 AKs first! they are a beast to cleam/maintain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they are NOTHING like regular easy AK to break down and put back together!!! these are more like puzzles... you must remove stock and trigger group to take apart and clean! that made me forget about aK .22... you'd be better off with 10/22 and get Dragonov stock to get AK look!
 
My opinion for what it's worth, Sir, is if you bought a handgun have as an Officer, it's probably already an unlevel trade right there. CAI has a tendancy to be sloppy. I have one they imported from Cugir, which is fine, but the people at Century seem to have gone nuts on the inner workings with some kind of tool and made it rough and sloppy. Other than that it's just fine. No real problems cycling and accuracy is acceptable.

BUT, if I were an Army Offier, I'd never consider trading the weapon I bought to mark my commissioning cermony or anything like that.

one that I bought because it would be sensible to have as an Army Officer.
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That one, at least, should be left out of this trade, in my honest opinion. You'll probably regret it if you get rid of it.
 
Also, regardless of how different the internal workings are between a .22 AK and a real 7.62russian, a .22 AK is a training gun, I think. And AK's generally aren't very accurate.

I think JohnnyK got it right. A 10/22 about the most perfect/versatile semi-auto that I can think of. You can make it look like an AK and it'll probably be more fun to shoot
 
I think JohnnyK got it right. A 10/22 about the most perfect/versatile semi-auto that I can think of. You can make it look like an AK and it'll probably be more fun to shoot
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That would be pretty darned nice ... but I have never actually seen anyone do it right.

I will hold off on the trade at this point, because ze wife said I'd get a bum deal as well ... but man ... I want an AK. 8(
 
a ful size AK isn't much more expensive than that .22 you want. Ammo costs more, yes, but is also reloadable if that interests you.
 
I
will hold off on the trade at this point, because ze wife said I'd get a bum deal as well ... but man ... I want an AK.
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As much as I hate to say it, I think your wife is right.

I have a 22 Lugar clone. It's a fun pistol to shoot but I can hardly get a full mag through it with out at least one jam using good ammo and the pistol is clean.
 
Money better spent on a SIG 522 model. It looks like the SIG 556 model but shoots .22 LR ammo. Easy to clean, accurate, and the most reliable 22 I have ever shot. Stock folds over to the side and has a detachable flash hider as well. Magazines are not that expensive and definitely has that look like it means business and it can. In a SHTF type of situaion it'a better than a lot of other things out there.

SIG522-swat model

SIG Classic

SIG522LR-detail3.jpg
 
if you want a .22 rifle get a ruger 10/22. it will work and hold its value. You can stick in hi-cap mags and get guaranteed better functionality. the AK styling is just window dressing. I had a century Cetme and I shot it three times. on the third trip to the range the case head separated and I ended up having to get a stuck case remover. Don't mess around with no name guns, I have been burned almost every time. Even if you get a good gun when you want to sell it the value is gone.
 
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