Optical Serenity
Member
I'm trying to decide which AK-47 to buy, which one should I be looking at?
What Country AK do you prefer?
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GTSteve03
Member
My vote goes for Russian. Can't get better than the original thing. 
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
Depends on your budget. I voted "Romanian" because that's the only variant I could afford, since a majority of our budget goes to pay our son's medical-related expenses.
Romanian SAR-1
All AK lookalikes are decent guns. Fit and finish is better the more you pay, starting with the Egyptian and Romanian guns at the lower end and the Russian guns at the high end. Accuracy is reportedly somewhat better with the high-end guns than with the Romanian guns.
Don't forget that you may also want to budget some for accessories (the standard sights on a civvie AK lookalike are as bad as those on the real thing--post front and V-notch rear, which wouldn't be SO bad were it not for the very short sight radius). If you ever want to fit yours with optics, you need to get a variant with a siderail (everything but the Chinese guns have siderails, AFAIK, and they can usually be retrofitted), unless you want to spring for an aftermarket Ultimak scout rail that replaces the gas tube.
Romanian SAR-1
All AK lookalikes are decent guns. Fit and finish is better the more you pay, starting with the Egyptian and Romanian guns at the lower end and the Russian guns at the high end. Accuracy is reportedly somewhat better with the high-end guns than with the Romanian guns.
Don't forget that you may also want to budget some for accessories (the standard sights on a civvie AK lookalike are as bad as those on the real thing--post front and V-notch rear, which wouldn't be SO bad were it not for the very short sight radius). If you ever want to fit yours with optics, you need to get a variant with a siderail (everything but the Chinese guns have siderails, AFAIK, and they can usually be retrofitted), unless you want to spring for an aftermarket Ultimak scout rail that replaces the gas tube.
Optical Serenity
Member
I'm looking to spend around $550 or so for the gun.
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
Romanian AK's currently run around $350-ish. For $550, you can definitely get one of the more nicely finished examples.
Jeff Timm
Member
Yugoslavian. The sheet metal used in the receiver is thicker.
Unfortunatly, during the late unpleasantness, the USAF destroyed the factory.
Geoff
Who notes they used to be avialable. Sigh...
Unfortunatly, during the late unpleasantness, the USAF destroyed the factory.
Geoff
Who notes they used to be avialable. Sigh...
Drakejake
Member
I got a MAK-90 that is beautifully made and has a superb trigger. It has the milled receiver. About $300 at the gun show. It came in a Choate Dragunov-type stock that I like very much.
Drakejake
Drakejake
It doesnt really matter, they will all work and have the same general accuracy.
When you pay more for an AK, you get better fit and finish, or rare options/configurations like folding stocks.
If better fit and finish is worth it to you, then try an arsenal (bulgarian), saiga conversion (russian), preban hungarian or chinese (lots of $ though). If you just want one that works and doesnt break the bank, get a SAR-1 (romanian) or a converted MAK-90 (chinese) or even a hand picked WASR.
When you pay more for an AK, you get better fit and finish, or rare options/configurations like folding stocks.
If better fit and finish is worth it to you, then try an arsenal (bulgarian), saiga conversion (russian), preban hungarian or chinese (lots of $ though). If you just want one that works and doesnt break the bank, get a SAR-1 (romanian) or a converted MAK-90 (chinese) or even a hand picked WASR.
db_tanker
Member
didn't list the Polish Radoms...I am going to be assembling one soon. Or at least having one assembled.
D
D
The Vepr and Saigas are better AKs than just about anything else out there (yes I am a bit bias). The Arsenal guns are great guns for kit guns, as are the Vector guns.
I currently own Russian, Chinese, Polish, Romanian, and Bulgarian. I have worked on real AK's from just about every country that makes them. By far the Russian guns are at the top of my list, and the Chinese guns at the bottom.
I currently own Russian, Chinese, Polish, Romanian, and Bulgarian. I have worked on real AK's from just about every country that makes them. By far the Russian guns are at the top of my list, and the Chinese guns at the bottom.
I have three a VEPR side folder, a Romak, and a romainian refinished by cyotee customs... Or at least I think that is who did it (got it second hand from a friend who wanted money for another AR). Yeah now that I have looked around online it was a cyotee custom rifle... Its just like this one... Here is a link to an auction...
http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=7186326
The VEPR is friggin awesome, but they are also expensive... For the price I would go with the romainian. They are everybit as reliable, and are surprisingly accurate 2-3 moa from a prone unsupported position, a little better if I rest it on my pack. Standing is actually not to bad. At 120-250 yds I can reliably (better than 9/10 of the time) hit a 6"x12" metal plate. One bit of advice get good synthetic mags, I think the ones I just got were bulgarian? A bit more expensive, but they are strong, dont dent or rust and just plain look cool...
http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=7186326
The VEPR is friggin awesome, but they are also expensive... For the price I would go with the romainian. They are everybit as reliable, and are surprisingly accurate 2-3 moa from a prone unsupported position, a little better if I rest it on my pack. Standing is actually not to bad. At 120-250 yds I can reliably (better than 9/10 of the time) hit a 6"x12" metal plate. One bit of advice get good synthetic mags, I think the ones I just got were bulgarian? A bit more expensive, but they are strong, dont dent or rust and just plain look cool...
Arsenals arent really 'kit' guns. The rifles with SLR in the model are made in bulgaria, then converted here. The SA series are made here on US receivers, but from new parts. The clarification that came on the barrel ban was primarily for places like arsenal, who import new barrels to produce firearms.PvtPyle said:
Vectors are true kit guns, but as you said, they are pretty well thought of.
shortydog said:
OK, Conversion.
And give you Chicom gun to a person in the third world for 6 months and then tell me how nice they are. I had recent production Chinese AK (80's and 90's vintage) that were just trashed after a decade or so in country. But then we had Russian and other Warsaw guns that had been around since the 40's and 50's, all the way up to guns made in the 2000's. By far they were made better and lasted better than the Chinese and Egyptian counter parts. And the Russian guns had been there for a good two decades.
I am glad you like your Chinese gun, but like I said, give it to Haji for 6 months and see what happens.
Gordon
Member
East German Ak's are the best I've been told by Europeans that have them. I like my Hunkies and Yugos. I should of kept the Valmet and Galil variants as they seemed better all around than any commie stuff I,ve seen. I haven't seen the East German though, except in the 'parts kit' I have which looks perfect! When I retire to Oregon I might (legally) put it together.
Chinese guns are built well, the problem is the bluing doesnt hold up too well, and the receivers arent always as strong as others. They mostly made up for it with 1.5mm thickness though.
If you take care of it, its not a problem, but if you start dragging it around a swamp who knows.
If you take care of it, its not a problem, but if you start dragging it around a swamp who knows.
Those guns are made from imported and domestic production parts. I got that straight from Arsenal. Some have been imported with the thumbhole stock to meet the sporting purposes and then converted here.
If you import them one way, and convert them for sale here in the US, that is a conversion. If you bring in barrels and other receiver parts to the US, that is a kit gun. I dont care where they made the receiver, The barrels and trunions and bolt carrier group were made in Bulgaria. THAT is a kit gun. I can make a car out of parts from Mexico and it would be made in America. Thats in a nutshell what they did here.
If you import them one way, and convert them for sale here in the US, that is a conversion. If you bring in barrels and other receiver parts to the US, that is a kit gun. I dont care where they made the receiver, The barrels and trunions and bolt carrier group were made in Bulgaria. THAT is a kit gun. I can make a car out of parts from Mexico and it would be made in America. Thats in a nutshell what they did here.
CentralTexas
Member
49hudson said:
AK-47 variant NOT SKS...
CT
PvtPyle said:
WHAT?
the sa-m7 rifle was assembled in the usa{VIRGIN}.
it was NOT assembled in bulgaria then shipped here to be converted.
and as far as your description of a kit gun, that would mean darn near every product out there was a "kit" .
i suppose my $$$ long range is "just a kit gun" becuase it has a $$ german barrel.
Others, that were imported during the ban with thumb hole stocks were converted here. Your sa-7 very well may have been assembled here, but none the less it is a kit gun. You are acting like it is a bad thing or that I dont like it. That's not what I am saying at all. You are free to get offended or whatever, but if it is built here on parts from other countries and US made parts it is a kit gun, even if you advertise it as being made in the US. Sorry mate.
If you like it, does it really matter? The Veprs could be called a kit gun because of the US parts swap. The Saiga, in its imported form is the only AK going right now that I can think of that isn't a kit gun. Once we convert them, they could easily be called a kit gun.
None the less, they are all fine weapons. Why the big negative reaction? You act like I insulted your manhood. I just illustrated that your Arsenal AK is not made from 100% US parts. Hence the term, kit gun.
If you like it, does it really matter? The Veprs could be called a kit gun because of the US parts swap. The Saiga, in its imported form is the only AK going right now that I can think of that isn't a kit gun. Once we convert them, they could easily be called a kit gun.
None the less, they are all fine weapons. Why the big negative reaction? You act like I insulted your manhood. I just illustrated that your Arsenal AK is not made from 100% US parts. Hence the term, kit gun.
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