Some days I wonder if I wouldn't have been happier if I had bought 2-3 AK's instead of my Bushy Dissapator. I overpaid for the Bushy so I could have probably gotten AK's for it.
I do have an Egyptian Maadi though... which seems to be the WORST possible AK you can buy from what I gather on the 'net. Oh well, I kinda like mine. It sure is fun!
Personally, the AK pro column reads:
Cheap mags... and they just WORK. They're solid. You buy an AK mag with a good solid spring and it's going to work. That isn't the case with my AR mags. Ironically the chepest ones I bought (30 bucks for 3 mags and a pouch) are the only ones that work right! My AK mags cost me $8. Zero problems.
Cheap ammo! Granted, you can get .223 from Ammoman.com for a good price that's still "cheap enough" for me but $75 bucks for 1,000 rounds of Wolf JHP at the gun show? Sign me up. Walked out with a case of that the day I got my Maadi. FYI: Maadi ($300 used) + 1k Ammo + 2 30 rounds mags == Out the door for $410 bucks or so. That was nice.
"Accurate enough" for me. I know the AK isn't an accurate gun so I don't strive for perfect groups. Given that I probably need new glasses I typically shoot rifles at 50 yards. Yes, this is horrible, but I can keep a decent small cluster with it. While at the range recently with a guy shooting a front-stuffer we walked out to check our targets and he takes a gander at mine and says "Well, much smaller than a man's chest. Good enough!" My sentiments exactly. No qualms about it that's the real reason behind the weapon. Yes, I use it for fun and recreation but if ever need be it's "good enough" for whatever else. Given proper optics on my face I'm sure it'll do 4-6" groups at 100 yards in my hands.
Fun. It's just plain fun to shoot for the most part. That's a combination of the cheap ammo, good mags, and zero worries about it being "fussy" at the firing line.
It's good wood on it -- which seems to make it less "dangerous" to people that know an AK is naturally "evil." You're more likely to get Bubba the Hunter to give your AK a go at the firing line (and keep him from thinking that "assault rifles" are evil) than you are witih an AR. Just my opinion though!
Breakdown and cleaning is mind numblingly simple. I timed myself once I can tear down and put one back together in 45 seconds with my eyes closed.
While I don't hunt I understand 7.62x39mm is comparable to 30.30 which puts it into the realm of being quite capable of putting down a white tailed deer. Yes .223 is considered (by some) good enough for deer but that's not always legal. If ever asked for a "loaner" by somebody for a young kid on his first deer hunt I'd have no qualms about lending out the AK. It's reliable, it's simple, it's light, and "accurate enough" out to 100 yards with a decent sized round.
Cons:
My Maadi has horrid trigger slap. Not noticable usually, but when you're out there in 5 degree Michigan weather you notice it MUCH more. This could be fixed but I don't really see the point in it. I might someday if I get bored. For those of you who don't know what near-zero or sub-zero temperature do to your fingers: it tends to make them very senstive in a very numb way. Stick you r hands in a bowl of ice for 2-3-5 minutes then run them in hot water. THAT's what trigger slap at 5 degrees feels like!
Not as accurate as my Bushy. This might just be a sight problem though as I find the A2 style sights much better than the AK's style. I find no logical reason for this -- it just has to be something to do with how my brain functions in aiming. Given the range I shoot at I should be getting MUCH better groups with the AK but I just don't.
Also, I like not having that "sproooiing!" in my ear. That sound makes me feel like I'm shooting a friggen toy
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I like both the AK and the AR... but then again I've found that I like every gun ever made I think. Well, certainly anything that's ever seen military service.
Once again, I've been too verbose. Just buy the AK. Save up for the AR later on if you feel you still want one. If I had bought the AK before the AR I might have never gotten the AR and just moved on to more AK style guns.
