Tell me about AK's

[jtischauser]

I'm thinking I might need to add an AK to the safe. I am thinking about picking up one of those cheap ones out of shotgun news for $359. I had a low $ AK74 that ran fine for the 1000 rounds I popped thru it. Is there a reason to get anything but the el cheapo if all I plan to do is 30 round mag dumps to impress my non gun buddies???

What say you?

 

[redneck1861]

The WASR 10's are good rifles, I have one, and have had several of them. I have never had any issues with them. I say go ahead and get 1, they are alot of fun

 

[Rolando]

Check out the Norinco models. Of course the older ones are gonna be big bucks but the Mak-90 are still reasonably priced. The older Chinese Polytech are $1k+.
Chinese guns and ammo haven't been imported since 94 but there are a lot of them around and they are available.

 

[Alphagunner]

Get a Saiga and convert it yourself and you will only have a little more in it than a WASR. WASR rifles function fine but the ones I have owned had canted front sights and very loose magwells.

 

[ldp4570]

I'm thinking I might need to add an AK to the safe. I am thinking about picking up one of those cheap ones out of shotgun need for $359. I had a low $ AK74 that ran fine for the 1000 rounds I popped thru it. Is there a reason to get anything but the el cheapo if all I plan to do is 30 round mag dumps to impress my non gun buddies???

What say you?

I know it'll cost more than an AK, but I'm seriously looking at Rugers new tactical Mini-30.

 

[jtischauser]

I know it'll cost more than an AK, but I'm seriously looking at Rugers new tactical Mini-30.

I shot a Mini 14 once and that was enough for me.

 

[Hump66]

I vote for the Saiga. I love mine, never fails.

 

[drmitchgibson]

If you're just going to impress non-gun types, there is no reason to buy anything but el cheapo. But if you want to wring anything out of it, you should contact an AK distributor, like Classic Arms.

 

[Alphagunner]

Classic Arms is good to deal with they will steer you in the right direction.

 

[Septic_shock]

Any ak, from wasr to arsenal should be reliable and function fine. I would have no problem with buying a wasr if I could inspect it prior to buying it to check for function and gas block/sight cant. There could be more variance in accuracy with the cheaper ones than the higher priced ones.
I personally chose to go the Saiga-conversion route and couldn't be happier. Easy to do and ended up with a Russian-made rifle.
I also have a Romanian Draco that I will sbr in the future. It too is very reliable.

 

[shooterdave]

I know it'll cost more than an AK, but I'm seriously looking at Rugers new tactical Mini-30.

+1. I am with ya. My Dad has had a mini -30 for years and I've tried (with zero success) for years to talk him out of it. I guess I'll have to just buy a new one. They are a load of fun and unlike its .223 cousin, packs enough thump to kill Bambis effectively if one so chose.

 

[peanut]

There has yet to be a reliable highcap mag for the Mini30! I mean 30 round mag.
Proceed cautiously!
I went through EVERY mag manufacturer that i could find about 4 years ago for the Mini30.
NONE were found. I believe Ruger is now making 20 rd mags for the Mini30 now. Hopefully those work! I no longer have the Mini30. AK is better in my opinion.

 

[aestus]

If I was going for an AK, I'd get one of the cheaper Arsenal AK's. Even their stamped metal versions are usually far better than most other AK brands with "milled" receivers. If you don't mind spending the money, the hammer-forged milled Arsenal versions are hands down some of the best AK's you can buy. I've only handled Saiga's a couple of times and they seems to be pretty good for the price.

I'm usually of two mindsets when it comes to AK's. Either you get the best money can buy, or you get the cheapest and loosest clunk of metal you can find that shoots straight. Either will serve you pretty well and will probably outlast you.

 

[jtischauser]

It sounds to me like the cheap AK is much like the good old 870 with a wood stock. It isn't pretty but it will do the job.

 

[ldp4570]

It sounds to me like the cheap AK is much like the good old 870 with a wood stock. It isn't pretty but it will do the job.

Timex Watch of the battlefield!!

 

[cudajimmy]

If it's something you're gonna keep for awhile and then move on to something else, Wasr's the way. If it's something you plan on keeping, I would suggest buying a Yugo. They are the "tank" of the AK's. AND you can buy them relatively cheap as well. Not Wasr cheap, but still on the bottom end of the AK price range.

Whatever you do though, DO NOT BUY A CENTURY BUILT AK UNLESS YOU CAN SEE IT FIRST. I've sold well over 100 Century AK's, and only had one with an issue, but if you can't inspect it first, move on. Check several mags in it and make sure they lock up good and don't have excessive mag wobble, and check the front sites for cant.

I would suggest looking for a Yugo reweld milled ak. Looking at $600-$700 and it is bullet proof. I've got a milled Russian that is rewelded and it has almost 10,000 rounds through it. NEVER a hicup.

 

[peanut]

Also, if you get a YUGO make sure it has a good barrel, gas block and gas tube. ALOT of the early Yugos have extremely pitted barrels gas blocks and gas tubes.

 

[EagleScout]

Also, if you get a YUGO make sure it has a good barrel, gas block and gas tube. ALOT of the early Yugos have extremely pitted barrels gas blocks and gas tubes.

I like my Maddi ARM =)

 

[Septic_shock]

Do the yugo's have chrome-lined barrels? I had a yugo Sks and it did not have chrome lined barrel, so it was built with a heavier barrel. Nice rifle and pretty accurate.

 

[shooterdave]

One cool thing about a Yugo parts build is that you can put a new Barrel or gas block in when building it. The one I have at the house, my shop gun, actually has a tritium insert for night shooting. That was a cool surprise.