Types of AK47s.

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rasputin747

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2006
Messages
140
Location
Indiana
Since I will be getting a good amount of money soon, I am wanting to buy an AK47. I know I like the looks and from everything I have heard their durability and reliability can't be matched. However, due to my suspicions of quality, etc. I would like to buy a Russian, Yugoslavian, Romanian or Bulgarian and not Chinese. My question to you guys is which one is the best, and how widely available are the non-chinese AK47s?
 
Russian and Yugoslavian are excellent AK's judging from what I've read over many forums. Have heard good things about Bulgarian too, just not as much info as the first two. Romanian WASR is what I have and it was a work-in-progress until recently. The Romanian WASR's seem to need tweaking more than the others.
-----------------------------
I need to add that nothing was functionally wrong with my WASR. It fired like a champ right outta the box. But, it had a canted front sight, the mag well had a great deal of slop and the trigger was not a G-2 from Tapco so I had a lotta fun with trigger slap. NOT!

Well, all of those little things didn't keep it from putting rounds onto paper at a hundred yards nor did it keep it from eating every type of AK ammo I could put through it without a hiccup.
I just felt I could make it better and so I did. Now, it's a great rifle and getting rid of it is totally off the table. In the not too distant future I'll be adding a Yugo or a Hungarian AK because they have better fit and finish overall.
 
Last edited:
imho

my romanian has never bobbled and all its ever seen was wolf in as high a speed as i could manage. i actually have video of the cosmoline smokin!
 
Kind of depends on how much you're looking to spend on an AK. Prices are pretty wide, from the Romanians at the bottom end to cutom/low rate production guns from people like Krebs Customs. You're looking at probably a $7-800 price spread from the top to the bottom of the AK pile.
 
kind of depends on how much you want to spend
for a nice low price shooter i've been quite happy w/my romanian sar-1

but you get what you pay for, it is nowhere near as nice as a $800+ arsenal slr
 
its insane how much imported akm's have gone up in price...the wasr is almost the only option,,,spending over 500 on any ak is to much. So A WASRGP is what I think you shoul go on and get.
 
VEPR a russian AK-47 built on a RPK reciever. best AK-47 imported.

check them out on robinson arm vepr
best looking AK. I want one.
 
what is wrong with chinese? i have a mak-90 that runs like a dream, the only other one that i like any better is the yugo underfolders which are awesome by the way.
 
Chinese AKs are among the very best in the world. You should expect to pay well over $1000 if you can even find one in the USA that was imported way-back-when (1980s?).

Russian (VEPRs), Yugo, Hungarian and Bulgarian are all A+, top notch rifles. Romanian AKs are good AKs, but typically not made with quite the same quality parts and the same fit and finish as the others listed above. But, the Romanians are cheaper these days and they are great rifles to start with and learn about the rifle. Then you can go after a nice Bulgarian with a forged receiver and a chrome lined barrel or something after you know more what you want in an AK.

They have gone up in price a lot now. For a nice one, expect to pay quite a bit more than what they were advertised for just two years ago.
 
Another nice one is the Hungarian FEG SA-85 version of the AK 47. I've had one of these for a lot of years. Great trigger, but I don't shoot it much.
When I'm shooting, I prefer to knock around with an old MAK 90.

However, I'd buy an Arsenal if I had the money.
 
There are a lot of " ak " guys , some have chimed inn and some will still . IMHO from a user standpoint the best and worst thing about the ak actions is that it will work , a cheap one , or the top flight milled one , it will work , If you buy the best , it also wont shoot a great deal better . If you want the best AK made just to have or brag about then by all means get it , if you want a good gun that will run , then by all means buy cheap . For the price diff's in AKs you can get spare parts kits , ammo , ect ... But its your choice , think about it then get what you want to own .
 
Romanian is just as good of a choice... Get it from someone who can send it back to century if it has issues or if you can, give it the all-out inspection.
 
Yes, I am heavily leaning towards the Century GP WASR-10 right now. It's within my price range, and why go all out on my first AK? I am going to ask my local dealer if he can get me one. I just want it to come with all the stuff. Two mags, bayonet, sling, cleaning kit. If he can get me one with all that stuff for the price I've seen them for online, etc. then I am all good. The average price Ive seen online is around $450. Is that good?
 
Plus one on the G2 trigger.

You can get the G2 trigger from Tapco, but I heard that Century has been using them of late.

I put a G2 in my SAR1 Romanian. I also put in the Shephard's Crook Replacement Plate from Red Star Arms, for easier trigger group assembly, dissasembly.
 
What is the difference with the G2 trigger?
Click to expand...

Its just a better part, better steel, better trigger.
The old Century triggers would develop "trigger slap" after a while.
 
The best AKs available, imho, are the milled bulgarian types. Expect to pay about $600ish for a nice one.

I've had a WASR and it ran fine, but it's a single stack limited capacity magazine gun that is cut open to accept normal cap 30 rounders after importation to the US.

WASRs fall under the "922r" law requiring that six parts be US made. Typically this is the three pieces of the fire control group (either century made parts or the G2 style, the G2 being more highly regarded.) and the pistol grip and the magazine is equipped with a US follower and floorplate. So, in theory and according to some interpretation of the import regs, the gun can't be equiped with a standard magazine since that would leave the gun with only 4 US made parts...blah blah, I don't know that they've ever enforced this silly restriction, but something to be knowledgable on.

Now, the wasrs do run fine, but I had to open mine up with a file to accept a drum (I changed the gas piston and muzzle device to get my count to six without relying on magazine parts...). The finish is of low standards, even for a commie backwoods country like romania, but I refinished mine and it came out pretty nice.

Maks are nice (I think the SEALs were using Norincos exclusively a while back when they required an AK?), the Polish and Hungarians are nice as well. I've never had the pleasure of a russian, except the sporter saiga and vepr types (veprs are nice, but not quite as "traditional" as I like, but built like a tank and excellent value for the money). And the Yugos are also built with the extra beefy front trunnion.

I think if you want cheap, look at a mak or a SAR-1 (watching for the infamous front sight cant/crooked issue...). WASRs would probably be okay, but they're a bit below even my admitly low standards. :)

What you should realllly do though, is just plan on one from each locale!

Oh, and about trigger slap, that's really a big potential problem with FA, but can be an issue on semis too--the biggest variable for solving this is reportedly using a double hook, instead of a single hook, style trigger. Never had an issue, but I use G2 double hooks anyhow.
 
Last edited:
So what you're saying is the WASR won't take 30 round mags? Or, that they are modified upon arrival in the USA to take 30 round mags?
 
Trigger slap isn't caused or alleviated by the number of trigger hooks.

Oh, and about trigger slap, that's really a big potential problem with FA, but can be an issue on semis too--the biggest variable for solving this is reportedly using a double hook, instead of a single hook, style trigger. Never had an issue, but I use G2 double hooks anyhow.
Click to expand...

Trigger slap is caused by incorrect trigger geometry on parts used by the importer's (Century Arms is one transgressor) trained monkeys. The Tapco G2 trigger, as well as the RedStar adjustable AK trigger, clean up the components to leave less metal hanging out there for the bolt carrier to impact during cycling (Trigger slap). See the pic below - Century Arms FCG on the left, Tapco G2 FCG on the right. Note the cleaned-up portions of the Tapco G2 FCG on the right. Regarding single-hooks vs. double-hooks, that only comes into play if your receiver is set up for them. If you have a stamped European-pattern AK receiver, chances are your gun is set up for a single-hook trigger group. If you were to try to install a double-hook trigger group in that gun, you'd get a bit of a surprise. (The second hook relief slot isn't there in the bottom of the receiver)

tapcofirecontrolgroup.gif
 
Excellent post, Gewehr98!

Here is a fix for that pesky trigger slap problem:

http://www.gunsnet.net/Linx310/slapfix.htm

I did this fix myself and it worked for me. Admittedly, there were a couple of steps that were a bit tricky, but, totally do-able.

This is one of the great things about the Kalishnikov design. You can work on these guns yourself. After doing all the little tweakings and improvements on my WASR, I feel like a kitchen table armorer. Well, sort of... :)
 
The quality of the AK you get depends on who builds it.

Many of the ones on the market right now are built from surplus parts on US-made receivers. Century and Vector both do this. For my money, I'd pay the extra and get the Vector. Century's QC can still be hit or miss.

The Romanians are single-stack, thumbhole-stock imports that Century redoes to make them more like normal AKs. The conversions can often be very rough (my friend's WASR-10 had a mag well so sharp and ragged you could cut yourself on it) and initial build quality often leaves much to be desired.

Many of the AKs on the market now are converted Saiga sporter rifles. The fit and finish of the Saiga rifles (made by Izhmash of Russia) is top notch; the trick is in who does the conversion. Vulcan/Hesse are the ones to avoid.

The Yugoslavian AKs are built by Vector and Century on surplus parts kits. I'd go with Vector.

Check out:

Krebs Custom
Vector Arms
Tromix
Arsenal, Inc.
AK USA
Ohio Rapid Fire
 
Yo Possum,

Let him go. It means there wll be a lot more Chinese MAKs for the rest of us. Personally, I tell people Norincos are junk just so they don't buy them and learn the truth. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

F
  • Locked
Chinese AK47 Milled or Stamped?
Replies
19
Views
3K
fvf
F
J
  • Locked
75 rd ak drums
Replies
22
Views
5K
444
4
4
  • Locked
Best AK to get Now for Good Price?
Replies
12
Views
578
possum
P
J
  • Locked
Russian AK47 from Atlantic Arms Question:
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
jon_in_wv
J
J
  • Locked
AR15 vs AK47 vs Mosin Nagant
Replies
2
Views
1K
nalioth
N
Back
Top