Who REALLY makes this AK?

[AKElroy]

I bought an Armory USA AK a few years ago, and I am in the process of making it into a low-light hog getter w/ a quality mount & low light optics. Given the investment, I am curious about other opinions of this rig.

So far, I have been impressed with the quality, accuracy & fine trigger of this gun.

Is this a fully domestic built from scratch? If not, what gun is the basis for the build?? I know the company is currently DOA---

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

Not an "Expert" but my vegas bet would be a romanian kit on a us reciever. By far the most prolific. HOWEVER, there are lots of better informed folks here than I, so until corrected....I say a romanian.

 

[AKElroy]

Thanks for the response. I would be interested in opinions from those with specific knowledge of this company. This AK actually has one of the best triggers of any gun I own. I have only fired 50 yrd groups with it, but even w/ surplus ammo I have been very impressed with tennis ball sized groups w/ open sights at that distance. (may sound like ugly groups for some, but I don't shoot open sights well)

 

[RP88]

We'll need better pics in order to tell you exactly what it is.

If the wood is as dark and reddish as it looks, I'd say possibly something by Lancaster.

The trigger you have is most likely a tapco G2 trigger. I have one in my converted Saiga and it is indeed very nice for an AK trigger.

 

[AKElroy]

These are the only other pics I have on this machine; I am away from home. I will attempt better pics later, but try and zoom if your system allows. Thanks---

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I googled it and found the below

Armory USA = Global Trades

They have a good reputation - I have been to their manufacturing facility -

If the gun was produced by them it should be good -- I have two of their guns - both are great shooters - reliable - well built --

Problem is they also use to sell receivers- anyone could order them - so I could have bought a receiver from them and picked up an AK kit from an on line seller - and without knowing anything could have slapped a gun together.

Many small AK builders also purchased recievers from Armory USA -

BTW in case you don't know this is the receiver

http://www.ak47stuff.com/Sales/Receivers.php

it will be stamped with the manufactures name - and is considered to the part that makes a gun a gun.

Armory USA /Global Trades is now Elf River Tool and Die - it no longer sells receivers

http://www.globaltrades.com/ak_parts_general.html

Not sure if this will work - but you could get the serial number off the gun and give Armory USA a call - ask them if this was a gun they produced - worth a shot..

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Last edited by Z71bill; 11-07-2008 at 09:11.

 

[saigafreake]

best way to tell is to show us a pic of the left side of the front trunnion.

 

[AKElroy]

The receiver is stamped Armory USA. Does this mean it is a ground up domestic build, or does it include foreign parts?

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Armory USA makes stamped receivers. That is the only part you can be SURE that Armory USA made. The rest COULD be of any manufacture or country of origin.

 

[Ian]

The left side of the front trunnion will almost always have markings identifying the country that first made the gun. A triangle or vertical arrow in a triangle followed by a 4-digit year and a serial number will signify Romanian manufacture.

 

[nalioth]

IF you guys don't know, don't guess.

Armory USA / Global Trades is the company that got kit building going in this country.

They imported brand new parts from Bulgaria and hand built all their AKs from them, using their own receivers and some other parts they made in-house.

They are considered some of the finest AKs out there.


P.S. Their success spurred Arsenal of Bulgaria to start up Arsenal Inc / K-Var in Las Vegas.

 

[Coronach]

The AK is somewhat modular, so, as was said, the various parts could be from any of a number of makers. For example, my SAR-1, as issued, had a mediocre trigger with some impressive slap. It now has a Tapco G1 trigger group, that is crisp and clean. Someone shooting it might assume that Romak makes a sweet-trigger for their AKs, but they would be incorrect. See where we're going with this?

Mike

 

[ol' scratch]

If it is a true Armory AK, it is Bulgarian. I do remember you could buy the receivers and build them yourself. Some of their receivers were thicker than typical AK receivers. I have handled a true Armory Ak and I thought it was one of the nicest AKs I had ever held. At the time, they wanted $560 for it. Shortly after seeing that rifle, they stopped showing up at my local gun store. Too bad, they really are nice.

 

[Paul Kersey]

The receivers were built by Arsenal Bulgaria, as were the hammerforged barrels. A couple of Armory's points were the 1.6mm receiver (same as the orginal milled AK) that while stamped was Russian sourced weapon grade(?) steel that was machined then hardened and the decent trigger. The ones I've been around were very good rifles.

 

[nalioth]

he receivers were built by Arsenal Bulgaria, as were the hammerforged barrels.

This is not true.

The receivers were made at Armory USA/Global Trades facilities in Houston, Texas.

You may be confusing the Bulgarian stamping machinery they were made on in the Houston facility.

 

[Paul Kersey]

The Gunny Shop where I bought it and a guy at Global Trades said "made in Bulgaria". The receiver says Bulgaria.

 

[nalioth]

The Gunny Shop where I bought it and a guy at Global Trades said "made in Bulgaria". The receiver says Bulgaria.

These would be the SSR-85 series of rifles. These are made from recycled Bulgarian military type 3 AK-47s.

Armory USA / Global did not make these, but were the original importers of them. AUSA/Global just added 922r parts and resold them.

 

[AKElroy]

Since my eyes have degraded, this AK has become a safe queen. I just don't see opens sights well anymore. It may sound stupid to some, but I am mounting a real, honest to goodness scope on this rig, and nothing even remotely tactical. Since a quality mount / scope is expensive, I appreciate the positive feedback for this make.

I do feel better investing in good optics for this piece since many seem to think it is a solid platform. I have ordered the following:

Nikon Prostaff 3X9X40, BDC, Weaver top mount rings, Texas Dog Leg mount w/ Peep sight (just in case).

I hope to see how good a shooter this rig can be--I will post pics of the rig & groups when I have all the shipments installed. When I first got the gun, it shot nice groups at 50 yrds with open sights & surplus ammo, so I am confident with a decent load & solid mount, it can do cool stuff for an AK.

 

[AKElroy]

The left side of the front trunnion will almost always have markings identifying the country that first made the gun. A triangle or vertical arrow in a triangle followed by a 4-digit year and a serial number will signify Romanian manufacture.

It is Romanian, 1979. Anyway to determine if this has a 1.6mm receiver? Did all Armory USA AK's have this?

 

[Maverick223]

Anyway to determine if this has a 1.6mm receiver?

Don't want to sound like a smart@$$, but why not use a dial/digital caliper or a micrometer?

 

[Redemption]

I bought a dozen "kits" from Global trades in the late 90's and they were all from Poland. They were the best looking AK's I have ever seen. The Polish AKM's had a high gloss finish. They offered a Matte finish AKS, I believe, that had a folding stock. The Matte ones had the new style bayonet lug which will invariably be ground off on yours.

Not to hijack, but those parts were 125 back then and a new milled Bulgarian receiver was 99 bucks. A beautiful AK for less than 3 bills...the good ol'days.

 

[AKElroy]

Don't want to sound like a smart@$$, but why not use a dial/digital caliper or a micrometer?

Ain't got one.

 

[Maverick223]

Ain't got one.

Sounds like a good enough reason.

 

[Ian]

FWIW, a normal penny is almost exactly 1.6mm thick - you could probably use one for comparison.

Still, the thickness of an AK receiver really doesn't matter.

 

[Maverick223]

Still, the thickness of an AK receiver really doesn't matter.

Very true...the only difference is weight, all seem to work equally well (including milled receivers).