Need help buying my first AK please!

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

Lcgivz12

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
1
So I have been reading a good amount on the AK 47 platform and am about to pull the trigger on one but I need help choosing I have these 2 in mind

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/com...le-interarms-iac-47-wood-detail.html?Itemid=0

And

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/com...rifles/arsenal-sgl-21-63-detail.html?Itemid=0

To be honest I don't know much of the difference and which I should choose. I hear that arsenals are really good AKs but the IAC has its limited lifetime garuntee. I guess I'm weary because arsenals other places are 2,000 but this seems cheap. Is this more of a AK 74 chambered in 7.62? Or.... I'm just a total noob and need some help choosing the better rifle.

Thanks guys.
 
Definitely the Arsenal. There are some that do go for up around $2000 but their more basic models fall in around $800-$1000. The Arsenal is a converted Saiga rifle imported from Russia.

Besides being a genuine Russian AK and having excellent reliability, the Arsenal will also hold its resale value better than comparable models. They are recognized as a leader in the civilian AK market by most everyone.
 
Just because I like the looks better: Wooden laminate stock...

But, YOU are buying the gun. They are both of sufficient quality so as not to be too concerned about a "bad" choice.
 
Not all the Arsenal AK rifles are Russian. They also have the Bulgarians. You can get the milled Bulgarian rifles for around a grand (or you could) and the stamped side folders for the same price. My rifle has a cold hammer forged chrome-lined barrel, chrome-lined gas tube port and chrome piston. The numbers al match because the rifle IS truely made in Bulgaria and is new. They are converted over here to adhere to 922r. I have owned a Century Arms WASR which I hated, a Polish underfolder by Century which was built over here using a mismatched parts kit, domestic non chrome-lined barrel and a Spud Nodak receiver. It was OK, but it is heads and tails below what I have now.
 
Arsenals are very nice, but I personally like the other one better, it's a standard AK which is simplistic beauty. but it's up to you. I vote IAC.
 
If you hit the "add to cart" button....you'll see the Arsenal is out of stock anyways.

Historically, Arsenal started off as Arsenal of Bulgaria.
They still exist and manufacture all sorts of military weaponry. Not just AKs.

Arsenal in Las Vegas was started up by some people who worked for Arsenal of Bulgaria. Originally, their goal was to take import neutered Bulgarian guns and return them back to normal configurations by adding some USA made parts, while sticking with Bulgarian manufacturing methods for the most part.
Arsenal (of Vegas) didn't start carrying Russian guns until much later on.
 
I was really into AKs for a bit. Even built one (M64 reweld). My only advice is, stay away from Century and amateur home builds. Especially over the internet. Just my 2c. YMMV. Good luck!

Between the choices, Arsenal is the no-brainer.

ETA: Oh, and welcome to THR!!
 
Last edited:
Or you could buy a Romanian wasr 10 from buds and save some cash.

I know, it's not as nice as an arsenal, but if it shoots....
 
Between those two, Arsenal. Russian barrel and receiver. Closest you're going to get to an actual Russian AK.
Interarms=U.S. made.

Personally, I would look for Saiga and convert it myself. And I would wait for prices to go down first.

ETA: Most WASRs will work just as well as the Arsenal. People just don't like it when someone else paid half the cost for a gun that works just as well as their high-speed, name brand gun. An AK is an AK.

Of course, now-a-days, even the lower priced Ak's are running close to a grand.
Like I said, best to wait for lower prices.

Then again, I understand how it is when you really want something and have the money burning a hole in your pocket :)
 
Last edited:
While I'd usually say an Arsenal, I'm kinda wanting an Archer.

Me being you, and you having enough money for me :)...Polish Archer.
 
if i was going to BUY an AK, id get either an arsenal, or a polish archer rifle (semi automatic version of their militarys beryl ak (5.56mm)
 
Maadi makes an excellent AK-47. They bought Russian equipment to build them I believe. That's what I've heard anyway. I know the one's I've seen were excellent quality. They were certainly better than my rank rookie built Romanian Frankenrifle. It was supposed to be a Romanian anyway but not a WASR. It was an earlier design which is said to be much better. But if you buy a Bulgarian receiver and try to force it to work with a Romanian parts kit chances are you are going to have the same problems I did which would take me a week to list. Don't trust home built AK's. I was given a great deal (or so he claimed) by a guy who basically wanted me to help finance his learning curve on building from kits. OK but he didn't tell me that part. What I heard was he would have it up and running in 2 hours. 10 months later it still didn't work right - not even close in fact. It stunk actually. Beware kit AK's. Arsenal is good. But I'd rather have a Maadi myself.

Actually I'd rather have an SKS. They're better rifles. You just can't convert them to full auto like some lunatics do. Many of those guys are currently in prison so you may not see them around. AK's were designed to be fully automatic rifles. If they are full auto they are fantastic. But as a semi-auto they are just ok. A semi-auto SKS is better. It's more accurate and more reliable and will take more abuse.
 
Can't go wrong with the arsenal. Might want to look into the Zastava pap m70. It's Serbian (Yugoslavian) made. Sent to C.A.I. In America where they widen the mag well. Not actually built by CAI. They are very sturdy and well built and sell for cheaper than the arsenals
 
I have owned 10-12 AK's over the last 20 years. The ONLY ONE that couldn't get through a mag without some king of issue was an Arsenal. Get ANYTHING, even a WASR, than an Arsenal.
 
Bring over your best SKS and let's test your theory.
Click to expand...

I've already done that. That's why I posted what I did. This ain't my first rodeo friend. I've shot a bunch of AK's. What do you think they do better? They certainly aren't more accurate. I've gone one that I've had 21 years that hasn't jammed more than 25 times through many thousands of rounds and those problems were directly connected either to putting new parts on that wouldn't work with old parts or using ammo that just wasn't up to snuff. I don't know how you get more reliable than that. And I know for sure the accuracy is better on most SKS's.

Let's put it this way. I have owned both. I now have 2 SKS's and no AK's and I won't be getting any more AK's.

And since you want to play testing games YOU come to Ohio and we'll see. You think I'm driving to Kansas to prove what I already know? I've been to Kansas. I wasn't impressed that much. Too flat.
 
A semi-auto SKS is better. It's more accurate and more reliable and will take more abuse.
Click to expand...

HA! Seriously? I would absolutely accept that challenge ANY day my friend...

I've owned AT Least a dozen AK's and currently the ones I've kept take up a whole side of the safe. I customize, I convert (and no I'm not talking about just swapping furniture and parts, I mean full on tuning and fab.)

My suggestion, get yourself an Izhmash Saiga 7.62x39, you can tune it the same way Arsenal would for much cheaper (if you already have a good dremel, a tool box, and some basic mechanical savvy) and it will prove to be a keeper you can run side-by-side with the best of them for a much better cost. However I would likely wait until the prices settle back down. Next suggestion would be, don't let yourself get all excited when you get it and run out and get the flimsy "tacti-cool" ATI strikeforce kits and crap you'll end up swapping out for quality parts anyway. You'll just kick yourself for not doing a little research and comparison first. Also, if you have a budget of say $50 for a new stock or something, put it off and save up a little more for something quality that you may even have some real life experience with instead. My first AK, I "mall ninja"'d the crap out of it....and ya years later I don't even own any of that junk anymore and have solid rifles now to show from the educational process...learn from others experience before wasting your money.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Century RAS-47
Replies
1
Views
605
Jackal
Jackal
H
  • Locked
BAK/BAX AK Rifles At Atlantic Firearms
Replies
1
Views
402
Fishbed77
F
2011redrider
  • Locked
CA Legal AR and AK's ready to go
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
BrocLuno
BrocLuno
Dr.Rob
  • Locked
Heads Up: Colt 6721 under $900
Replies
7
Views
1K
M1key
M1key
greyling22
  • Locked
9mm AK: the akx-9k
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
readyeddy
R
Back
Top