Yet another "where do I get cheap AKs?" thread...

[Gord]

None of my searched results have really given me any leads (probably because of caliber) so...

I'm in the market for an AK-pattern rifle, with November looming (actually, it's high time I got one anyway - I like the ergos) but, being that 7.62x39 is so high and still rising, I'm looking to jump on the 5.45x39 wagon and ride that baby all the way to the end of the line.

Yeah, I know, foreign ammo, surplus availability, etc., etc. - heard all the arguments, certainly doesn't seem to be stopping anyone from buying K-31s and GP-11. At least 5.45 is being made commercially in Russia. I can buy 2k rounds of 5.45 for the price of 1k rounds of 7.62, too, so I should be able to accumulate a nice pile of ammo before anything drastic happens.

Anyway - my local shop has a WASR-2 for $389, and it's not a bad little gun, but... it's a WASR. I have absolutely no experience with AKs, but on all the WASR-10s I've fondled, the mags seem to wobble quite a bit more than I feel comfortable with. The WASR-2 has a less pronounced wobble, but it's still there and it still feels like a little more than I'd like. I've handled two or three higher-end AKs with magwell dimples and the wobble is hardly there at all.

Thing is, I really don't want to spend $600 to $700 on an AK. I realize that the glory days of $200-250 WASRs are over, but all I can seem to find is those for $350-400, and high-end US AK builds for $600 on up (and the "on up" part goes by pretty quickly, too). I can think of a lot of guns I'd rather spend seven to eight hundred bucks on than an AK.

I don't need pretty, I just need functional and a mag that doesn't have twenty degrees of lateral wobble. Is there a 5.45 AK with dimples and a receiver untouched by Century's horde of liquored-up dremel surgeons out there for $400-500, or am I really going to have to choose between a sub-$400 monkey job and an $800 blacked-out monument to Why Didn't I Just Buy An (AR, FAL, CETME, PTR-91, and so on)?

 

[rangerruck]

under 400 for a 545 ak is not done any more, unless you get lucky, find one, get one used from some guy, etc. someone out there came out with a 545 upper, so if you allready have a complete ar, you may wanna go with that.
otherwise, be prepared to start forking out more than 400 bucks, for a 545 AK.

 

[ccd]

Smith & Wesson is offering the AR uppers in 5.45 x 39.

 

[Prince Yamato]

The wobble in WASR-2s is not pronounced if you use a mag other than the orange ones they are supplied with. Metal mags, or the black and brown bulgarians should have little to no wobble.

There is a Tantal 5.45 from century for ~$499. It has dimples.

 

[Gord]

I'd prefer metal mags anyway; is there a cheap source for these? The Bakelite mags seem to be fairly cheap, but the metal mags I've seen are something like $25-30 a pop. No thanks...

As far as the Tantals go, I'm not looking for a folder; can the folding wire stock be replaced with a fixed stock simply (i.e., bolt-on)? And - how is the quality on these things? I'm overly wary of anything Century's had its hands on...

 

[xd45gaper]

Ohio Rapid Fire has 74's for 649.

http://rapidfire.targetweb.net/cgi-...omplete_AK_Rifles&cart_id=5160954.4832*R97LV1

dont get no better than that!

 

[Gord]

I've drooled long and hard over ORF's 74s, but they're about a hundred, hundred and fifty bucks outside of my preferred price range...

5.45 parts kits seem to be going for more than the finished guns themselves.

 

[xd45gaper]

LOL i know i have a couple of them just waiting on my NDS receivers before i build them. i have an itch to purchase another.

sad part is I saw a pic on another board of an ORF flyer that had the wood Bulgarian AK74 kits for like 129$ (think this was like a little over a year ago lol) i just saw one for sell on the same board for over 500!!

oh and the kits are that high cause of the BATFE barrel ban, only kits with barrels now are the ones left in the US all new kits coming in have either a cut barrel or no barrel at all!

 

[dstorm1911]

Century doesn't build their kit guns anymore they are farmed out to a pro builder who does em assembly line fashion, not as good as a individual presicion build but better than what Century used to build themselves....

 

[nalioth]

[quote='Tactical Ninja"]I'm not looking for a folder; can the folding wire stock be replaced with a fixed stock simply (i.e., bolt-on)?[/quote] The Polish Tantal uses a standard rear block. Any buttstock that will fit a stamped AKM/AK74 will interchange.


As far as mag wobble, that is purely aesthetic. So long as it locks in and fires dependably, it means nothing. I've got 3 WASRs in 3 calibers - all with 'mag wobble' to some extent. They all run just fine.

These aren't AR15s with their close tolerances.

 

[buck00]

I've drooled long and hard over ORF's 74s, but they're about a hundred, hundred and fifty bucks outside of my preferred price range...

Don't mean to analyze your finances, but I'm sure you can hold off a few months and tuck away some money. Trust me, an ORF AK-74 would be worlds better quality than a WASR and you would be very satisfied.

 

[Nickotym]

What is this about 7.62x39 ammo being so expensive? It is not getting any more expensive than any other ammo. It is still being produced commercially in Russia at present.

 

[nalioth]

What is this about 7.62x39 ammo being so expensive?

Not sure if you've noticed, but there are two combat zones in the middle east.

Uncle Sugar and all the rest of the 'helpful' governments are buying up 7.62x39 as fast as they can get it to send over there.

 

[Picard]

If you want a 5.45, I'd go with a Tantal. They're fairly inexpensive and Polish AK builds are one of the best. Pick one up while you can.

From my little experience with century (Yugo M70 AK), I can't really complain. If the gun is made from a good parts kit, there's little they can do to mess it up.
Get one and don't look back.

 

[Gord]

What is this about 7.62x39 ammo being so expensive?

When I can still get surplus 54R for $140/800rds, 7.62x25 for $120/1224 rds and 5.45 for $120/1080 rds, yeah, $250/1k for surplus 7.62x39 starts looking a little ridiculous.

It's not ideal, but I'm currently pretty dependent on surplus ammo for my shooting needs. I cannot afford $0.50/rd commercial ammo. Do I want to buy a gallon of gas, or do I want to put eight rounds of commercial ammo downrange? One seems to last a heck of a lot longer (and provide a lot more fun in the form of offroading) than the other, even in a 5.9L V8.

I think I just need to buy an AR kit and build that up first, so that subsequently I don't feel like so much of a chump for spending the same amount of money on a parts-kit AK that cost $200 to make in Bulgaria.

Still looking for a cheap source of metal 5.45 mags - anyone?

 

[RP88]

AIM's prices havent changed in forever on Wolf 7.62x39 Still the same 180+shipping since last November. I don't see the bad about 7.62 right now, unless being young makes me late to the party when it used to be half the price.

 

[Nickotym]

Sure 7.62x39 is more expensive than it used to be, but is still a heck of a lot cheaper than Locally produced ammo.

 

[leadcounsel]

My analysis is based on the cost of magazines.

Will the more expensive cost of magazines eat away at the CURRENT $60 per 1000 rounds savings?

Stated another way, if each rifle (47 and 74) costs the same (say $500), if you spend an extra $10 per magazine and want 10 mags, that's an extra $100 for the AK74 rifle over the AK47.

Given these assumed variables, the AK74 and 10 mags will cost $100 more than the AK47 and 10 mags. But you save $60 per 1,000 rounds on the AK74. So you are financially better off after you buy your second batch of 1,000 rounds, you barely break even and then start saving money.

Once you consume 10,000 rounds, you save $600 - or the cost of the AK74 and the extra money for the 10 mags (over the cost of the AK47 mags) - at these assumed prices.

 

[xd45gaper]

your therory sounds good but i would say it depends on how many 74's or 47's you have. if you have say 5 AK 74's and you only get/want 10 mags then the cost of mag per rifle goes down so it would be cheaper in the long run to have a 74