Thinking About An AK

[bad_dad_brad]

The latest "Shotgun News" has an article in it which tests five different new models of the AK-47 type. Got me to thinking, that might be a fun rifle to have. I hate to clean guns, but I force myself to do it after every shoot. And you have to clean my AR-15. So I figured the AK could be something I could abuse, fire and forget, take it out, and do it again. I might shoot more often if I did not have to clean the rifle as often and still be reliable.

So anyway, the article reviewed the:

Romanian AK-74 5.45X39 imported by Intrac.
SA M-7 Bulgarian AK-47 7.62X39 made in America by Arsenal Inc.
Saiga conversion AK-103 7.62X39 by Krebs Custom Inc.
Vepr II from Robinson Armament (comes in .308, 5.45X39, 7.62X39, and 5.56 Nato). Tested was the 5.56 Nato.

The reviewer, David Fortier, liked all four versions. Said the Romanian AK was the roughest, but the cheapest as well, and it was the most accurate. It was implied that the SA M-7, the Krebs AK103, and the Vepr might cost several hundered dollars more. All were 100% reliable and combat accurate.

Anybody have one of these AKs, and/or do you know of other selections available?

General impressions of AKs?

Finally ammo choice. 7.62X39 is plentyful and cheap. So is the 5.56 Nato (but it uses converted 5.49 mags by Robinson). Finally, how available is the newer 5.45X39 AK74 stuff, and is it a good round?

Thanks in advance AK fans.

Brad.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Brad,

I have a Rumanian SAR-1 in 7.62x39. The SAR-2 in 5.45x39 is pretty much the same, except for the chambering.

Is it rough? You bet. But it works 100% of the time, and is plenty accurate for its intended purpose. I expect the SAR-2 to work just as well as a SAR-1 and probably be a bit more accurate.

7.62x39 is readily available both in gun shops (at least here in PA) and online. 5.45x39 is not as readily available, although I've seen it at gun shows and can be mail ordered from a lot of suppliers. Both are cheap to buy.

I also have a Saiga in 7.62x39 that was reworked by Hesse into an AK-103 lookalike. It works just as well as my SAR-1 and has much better workmanship. Due to the AK-74 style muzzlebrake, it also has almost no recoil. The 'brake doesn't make the rifle obnoxiously loud, although it might if in 5.45, and probably will in rifles chambered for 5.56mm.

AKs are very fun to shoot, super reliable, reasonably priced, and easy to maintain. A couple good sites that you find more info about them are:

http://www.ak-47.net/

http://linx310.nothingbutguns.com/

HTH.

 

[TIMC]

I have the SAR1 as well. Great little gun for playing. Get one and save some old milk jugs, fill them with water and set them out about 50 yards. Load a 30 round mag and see what she'll do. Rapid firing is a lot of fun if you have a place to do it.

 

[natedog]

5.45 mags are only like $5