orangeninja
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- Dec 4, 2003
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- 3,117
Just got one, haven't fired it yet. Traded a Ruger PC4 for it and was wondering what your take is on them?
What do you think of your SAR 1?
- Thread starter orangeninja
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DMK
Member
I like it a lot except that I can't get rid of the %$#& trigger slap.
It's a fun blaster though.
It's a fun blaster though.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Don't expect miracles .... it's not sorta piece!! However .... mine has never yet failed to promote a grin of wideness-factor 100%!
Seems to digest all the steel cased junk I stuff in it ... and so far IIRC not an FTF or FTE. .... not bad. Waiting for the time the handguard catches fire!!
Seems to digest all the steel cased junk I stuff in it ... and so far IIRC not an FTF or FTE. .... not bad. Waiting for the time the handguard catches fire!!
I like mine real well...
It had a few of the little quirks like canted gas tube, etc. but it has never, ever jammed. Out-of-the-box accuracy was on the order of 5" @ 100 yards. I have cleaned the trigger up a bit, straightened out the hardware, home-built an aperture where the rear notch used to be and re-crowned the muzzle. The stocks on the Romanian guns just flat sucks for ergonomics, unless you're a spider monkey. I haven't quite reached a decision on what to do about that yet.
It has been well worth the effort. Accuracy is now down around 2.5", and a couple of 3-shot, 200 meter groups have gone right at 4". It seems to prefer Barnaul "Silver Bear" ball but shoots nearly as well with Wolf ball, and maybe a shade better with their 154 softpoint. The latter round gets into ".30-30 country" for power, and should retain energy better at 200+ yards by virtue of its spitzer bullet.
I am getting tempted to scope this thing and see what it will really do. I hear a lot of derision about the AK family of MBR's but this one has convinced me that it can be an entirely servicable general-use rifle. I like it better than any SKS we ever had around here, and the SKS ain't a bad rifle within it's design limits.
Thumbs-up on the SAR-1 from this camp.
It had a few of the little quirks like canted gas tube, etc. but it has never, ever jammed. Out-of-the-box accuracy was on the order of 5" @ 100 yards. I have cleaned the trigger up a bit, straightened out the hardware, home-built an aperture where the rear notch used to be and re-crowned the muzzle. The stocks on the Romanian guns just flat sucks for ergonomics, unless you're a spider monkey. I haven't quite reached a decision on what to do about that yet.
It has been well worth the effort. Accuracy is now down around 2.5", and a couple of 3-shot, 200 meter groups have gone right at 4". It seems to prefer Barnaul "Silver Bear" ball but shoots nearly as well with Wolf ball, and maybe a shade better with their 154 softpoint. The latter round gets into ".30-30 country" for power, and should retain energy better at 200+ yards by virtue of its spitzer bullet.
I am getting tempted to scope this thing and see what it will really do. I hear a lot of derision about the AK family of MBR's but this one has convinced me that it can be an entirely servicable general-use rifle. I like it better than any SKS we ever had around here, and the SKS ain't a bad rifle within it's design limits.
Thumbs-up on the SAR-1 from this camp.
Mulliga
Member
Guess I'm a spider monkey.
I like mine a lot, but I paid too much for it. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it's a fun blaster that I would trust my life with.
I like mine a lot, but I paid too much for it. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it's a fun blaster that I would trust my life with.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Sarge ... before I fitted a red dot ..... I too found the stock sucked ... so got a Mac stock for $5, to try. Hate the look but oh my .. does it feel better ... does for me anyways.
Even having now added red dot ... have left it as is .... looks don't concern me when it feels good.
- shoots well enough too for me... even with no major work done on it. Too lazy!
I had a Sar-1. Did not like the accuracy. I was getting huge dinner plate groups at 50 yards. Sold the Sar-1 and got a Yugo SKS. I am much more accurate with the SKS than I was with the SAR. I belive it has to do with the differing weights of the guns. YMMV.
I love my SAR1 (and 2). Mine was great outta the box except for a bit of trigger slap, which I solved in 20 minutes with my dremel. It makes for a fun project gun to, lots of stuff you can do to "pretty" em up, several cool Russian military optics choices, etc. I love em. I refinished both the metal and wood on mine for DIY low-buck cheap and it turned out great... I get about 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards with Wolf, not that I try for groups all the time... Never had a jam/failure of any type in several thousand rounds.
Jon Coppenbarger
Member
I have had one for 3 years and fired it back then and since then it has been in the safe.
picked mine out from a large group of them my friend had and got one that everything looked right on.
installed the akm adjustible sight and it is a fairly acurate rifle with actually decent trigger pull.
Will not sell it and its a keeper, ammo is cheap and rifle is very reliable and mags are cheap also.
picked mine out from a large group of them my friend had and got one that everything looked right on.
installed the akm adjustible sight and it is a fairly acurate rifle with actually decent trigger pull.
Will not sell it and its a keeper, ammo is cheap and rifle is very reliable and mags are cheap also.
Master Blaster
Member
Ditto to what Doug S. said, the FC group in my 2003 is the original config, no the Machingun version that caused the trigger slap problems.
Where did you get a MAC stock for $5 and did you have to do anything to make it fit?
The small stock is its only real shortcomming, other than the crappy finish.
Where did you get a MAC stock for $5 and did you have to do anything to make it fit?
The small stock is its only real shortcomming, other than the crappy finish.
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
I have a 2002 SAR-1 and absolutely love it. The finish is actually pretty good, not quite as good as my wife's mint Russian SKS but not bad. The trigger pull is excellent, very smooth, and not a bit of slap; in fact, it has a far better trigger than my mini-14 ranch rifle. I added a $99 POSP 4x24 scope to it and the best group so far is 0.5" x 1.25" at 50 yards, which translates to about 2.5 MOA, with Norinco 123-gr FMJ.
I am a short guy (5'6") and the stock fits me perfectly. You guys must be a bunch of long-armed galoots.
Magazines are less than $10 at gun shows, and you can buy ammunition for $1.75 a box. I love it.
I am a short guy (5'6") and the stock fits me perfectly. You guys must be a bunch of long-armed galoots.
Magazines are less than $10 at gun shows, and you can buy ammunition for $1.75 a box. I love it.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Blaster ..... danged if I remember now where I got the stock ..... just happened to see in one of the fliers .... coulda been CDNN ... or Guns'n'stuff ....... really forget .. sorry. Was too cheap to pass up.
Fitting? ...... not exactly ''drop in'' ........ had to tweak the hole for the long bolt .. things would not align .. plus very slight trim. You'll see from pic that fit is not 100% but .... what the heck ..... this gun is never meant to be a showpiece.
AK103K
member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2002
- Messages
- 7,610
If you cant get rid of the slap, the Red Star Arms trigger is the way to go. Mine had slap that would not go away no matter how much I filed.
The AK's stock is the same length of pull as the M16A1's. The longer stocks are actually a hindrance, especially if you have gear on or hunt with it. The shorter stocks are MUCH easier and more natural to snap shoot with. I think once you get used to it, you'll soon be wanting shorter stocks on most of your rifles, especially the working guns. If your used to the American stocked hunting rifles meant for a scope, it will take a little getting used to. Your head should also be forward with your nose on or very close to the top cover. I notice a lot of people at the range who hold their head up and back on the stock for some reason, and this goes for a lot of rifles, not just the AK.
The best add on I've found for the AK's is the Ultimak mount that replaces the upper handguard and a red dot sight. Does wonders for tightening your groups and is very fast on target. With the dot or scope forward, you have a full field of view and snap shooting is a breeze. Its out of the way and doesnt take the handiness out of the gun. You can also cowitness the iron sights if you use the right dot sight, but with knock off rings, it really doesnt matter as the dot can be gone quick.
The AK's stock is the same length of pull as the M16A1's. The longer stocks are actually a hindrance, especially if you have gear on or hunt with it. The shorter stocks are MUCH easier and more natural to snap shoot with. I think once you get used to it, you'll soon be wanting shorter stocks on most of your rifles, especially the working guns. If your used to the American stocked hunting rifles meant for a scope, it will take a little getting used to. Your head should also be forward with your nose on or very close to the top cover. I notice a lot of people at the range who hold their head up and back on the stock for some reason, and this goes for a lot of rifles, not just the AK.
The best add on I've found for the AK's is the Ultimak mount that replaces the upper handguard and a red dot sight. Does wonders for tightening your groups and is very fast on target. With the dot or scope forward, you have a full field of view and snap shooting is a breeze. Its out of the way and doesnt take the handiness out of the gun. You can also cowitness the iron sights if you use the right dot sight, but with knock off rings, it really doesnt matter as the dot can be gone quick.
bad_dad_brad
Member
I like mine a lot. When I bought it a year or so ago, the dealer had two. One was ugly, fit and finish bad, sights misaligned and curiously the other was almost perfect. Of course I bought the one that was perfect.
Shoots good, wicked reliable, combat accurate, and for whatever reason, I don't seem to notice much if any trigger slap. I think I payed $320 for it.
I guess what is being said is that it is a crap shoot in regards to SAR-1s. I was lucky and got a really nice one. Perhaps mine was assembled by a happy Romanian? Regardless, I think you will find that they all shoot pretty good and like all AK-47s, they are all very reliable.
Shoots good, wicked reliable, combat accurate, and for whatever reason, I don't seem to notice much if any trigger slap. I think I payed $320 for it.
I guess what is being said is that it is a crap shoot in regards to SAR-1s. I was lucky and got a really nice one. Perhaps mine was assembled by a happy Romanian? Regardless, I think you will find that they all shoot pretty good and like all AK-47s, they are all very reliable.
Sorry guys...
about the 'spider monkey' comment. No offense was intended. I have to crane my big old stiff neck down to acquire the sights, and my neck don't like it much. All you young, limber folks probably don't even notice it- yet.
The SAR1 is short, handy and shoots good enough for about 90% of what you'd do with this kind of an implement- a 30 shot iron sighted .30-30 carbine, about the size of a yardstick.
about the 'spider monkey' comment. No offense was intended. I have to crane my big old stiff neck down to acquire the sights, and my neck don't like it much. All you young, limber folks probably don't even notice it- yet.
The SAR1 is short, handy and shoots good enough for about 90% of what you'd do with this kind of an implement- a 30 shot iron sighted .30-30 carbine, about the size of a yardstick.
CZ-100
Member
I have a 2000 SAR-1 and love it, it is FUN to shoot. I replaced the original furniture with the K-VAr Set that it 1.25 in longer.
SDAL
Member
I love mine, had trouble getting the grin off my face after cutting a tree down in my mother-in-law's back yard. Only problem was those 
rivits in the forearm get HOT quick.
rivits in the forearm get HOT quick.
Dave Markowitz
Member
Trigger slap
If removing the extra metal on your disconnector doesn't work, replacing the fire control group with Tapco's G2 FCG should do the trick.
If removing the extra metal on your disconnector doesn't work, replacing the fire control group with Tapco's G2 FCG should do the trick.
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