AK style rifles? Help!

[Layton]

What I know about AK style rifles you can wright across a gnat's ass. My wife grew up shooting her fathers and wants her own to plink with at the farm now. What mfg's should I be looking at etc.? I've read about all the reveiws etc I can get my hands on but looking for some real world experience. Sorry for such a basic query.

L

 

[cramey74]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Take a look at firing line oklahoma Mike Friend builds one of the finest AK's you will lay your hands on if you want quality..Also the obvious suspects Krebs,Arsenal etc...

 

[echo3]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Do you want a plinker/utility rifle that you can beat to hell and not care?
Or do you want a world class example of the system? That you can still beat the hell out of and it wont care.
Cheap and mostly reliable is WASR.
Ferrari is Jim Fuller Rifle Dynamics.

 

[AvsFan]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

The best current production (non-custom) AK variants that you want to concentrate your efforts on are: Arsenal & Arsenal/Saiga converted models. Also, the majority of the pre-ban (1989) models are excellent candidates as well...Kassnar, Poly-Tech, Norinco, Steyr Maadi. The pre-bans will cost a lot more coin as, they're 100% imported rifles w/o US parts (unless, somebody has screwed with them).

AvsFan

 

[Gildoom]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

I really like my Arsenals. If you want a gun for her to plink with, get the 5.45x39, they have almost zero recoil and the ammo is cheaper than bicycle tires in Beijing.

 

[kingweb50]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

I like the mak 90s for decent priced ak but you have to add us parts to get rid of the thumb hole stock.

 

[Layton]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Thanks ya'll. I really don't have a budget as every time I set a budget on a project like this it gets blown anyway. So something along the lines of beat the hell of it and it won't care. I'm sure it will be dropped, etc.

L

 

[windermike]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

If you want someone to build one for you Mario at Piece of History arms builds a fine ak. I have built a few myself. They are not hard at all. You do need some specialized tooling. Any ak you buy as long as the barrel is good, there is nothing that can't be fixed pretty easily.

Mike

 

[BravoSector1]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

A WASR 10/63 in 7.62x39 or a Century/Mississippi Auto Arms AK-74 would suit your needs. If she hates it...you're only $500 into the rifle and can move it. I love my Arsenals but I wouldn't start out with one if you're not sure she, or you, will hang on to it.

 

[AK264]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

A possibility is a saiga 5.45. It is widly regarded as the cheapest way to get into a quality 5.45 gun- then upgrade. it has a funky stock but you can upgrade with us parts and the pistol grip. High quality russian made. $350 at http://centerfiresystems.com/sai-545.aspx She will love the light recoil. I never met a girl that didnt prefer the 5.45. 9 out of 10 guys prefer them too after they find out how fun they are. mags are getting hard to find for the 5.45s though which sucks but if she doesnt need to pack a load its not a issue. 5.45 ammo seems to be getting scarce. here is some mags but $$ https://www.apexgunparts.com/product_info.php/cPath/50/products_id/2767 In a 7.62 i would get one of the Zastava yugo guns that century just started getting in www.centuryarms.com.
Id post this same question on www.akfiles.com. Who knows there might be somone down the block who has what what you need. You might find a package a good 5.45 some mags and amunition. Here in colorado there is a lot of high quality aks showing up for sale used. the market seems to be saturated. saw a arsenal go for $750 and a milled polish with a sealed case of yugo (1200)go for $700 on the local board this week. People seem to hang on to their 5.45s and sell their 7.62s... Not that the 7.62 is a bad round , its not its a awesome round. The 7.62 norincos thumbholes were the best bang for the buck for a long time when you could find them for 3-400 but people have caught on that no more of them will ever come in and they were in fact well made units. Now 600 seems the bottom for a mak-90 and they arnt worth that. If you find one for 400 from a guy that bought it in 94 for 200 snap it up put the tapco g-2 trigger group in it the hougue pistol grip on it and a ironwood stock- a classic.

 

[USMC_03XX]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

+1 To Jim Fuller and Rifle Dynamics. Arguably the best fighting rifle on the market.

 

[cramey74]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Rangerwalker71 here on the hide has a Gordon Tech/Arsenal AK47 underfolder cerakoted in multi cam for sale that would be an excellent rifle....

 

[Layton]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cramey74</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Rangerwalker71 here on the hide has a Gordon Tech/Arsenal AK47 underfolder cerakoted in multi cam for sale that would be an excellent rifle.... </div></div>

I just showed her the pics in his listing. LOL, she doesn't like the color. I'm like crap, i'll paint it for ya but nooo. Thought that was going to be a easy out for me.

L

 

[cramey74]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Then I would seriously call Mike Friend @ Firing Line Oklahoma he usually has rifles ready to go He is the fella that host the Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot & Trade Show OFAST his rifles are every bit as good as Rifle Dynamics...nothing against Jim Fuller except he hangs aroung that ass clown @ Red Jacket

 

[317millhand]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kingweb50</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I like the mak 90s for decent priced ak but you have to add us parts to get rid of the thumb hole stock. </div></div>

Ill second that. The MAK90 makes a really fine weapon, once you change out the stock. I believe they have the best trigger of any AK. Accuracy is great as well. Most of the factory built AK's are OK. Problems come around, from the rifles that are mass produced by the thousands with cut up parts kits.

 

[fmsniper]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

AK Variant, a great rifle is the Daewoo K1 or 2 , AR100

 

[Ballistic Artist]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Arsenal is the Only AK to buy. You could get a cheaper one but for accuracy, reliability and fit and finish, you cant beat a Arsenal. With American ammo and a Russian optic I have shot inch and a quarter 5 shot groups at 100 yards. Ive done this more than once and it still leaves me in aww. Buy an Arsenal, you will love it. Or if you can find a Hungarian SA-85, they are great too but they are getting pretty hard to find. WASR guns work good too... When you have a boat that needs rowing or a scrap bin to fill.

 

[sav338lapua]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

hey i bought an ati (american tactical inc.) at-47 and it is sweet to put it lightly. it has a machined receiver but is set up with a stamped receiver rear trunion so the stocks that are available for the stamped ones will fit this receiver but you have the stiffness of a machined receiver. oh it shoots under 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards too.
here it is all dressed to kill lol

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

How about a Yugo SKS as a possible alternative? Priced better, I believe they have a better accuracy potential, and they're not as easily singled out as an 'evil assault rifle'.

I like mine a lot (except it's a Norinco), and back it up with a Savage Scout 7.62x39 that's been set up with a conventional scope mount and an inexpensive but pleasingly effective tasco 2.5-10x42 Varmint/Target MilDot scope.

Greg

 

[Layton]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

Thanks!! Had a couple of SKSs way back when they were a $100 bill. Didn't really like the way the mag fit on em so I sold em. I do have a Mini30 that's fun but she wants an AK since she grew up shooting em with her dad. And given how much crap I buy I better keep her happy. Personally as far as semi's go my M1As are my favorite.

L

 

[taseal]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

I think you need to buy the red jacket sniper rifle AK.

BWAHAHAHHA

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/sons-of-guns-ak-sniper-rifle-videos/

 

[taseal]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

In all serious note...

think about this... What is more authentic AK that is made in motherland russia in the same factory as the original AK47, and the designer of the AK works there?

Get a saiga.

for your wife's plinking purposes, you can't beat it. they work well too.

Arsenal are great too though. built very well.

I'm not sure what receiver they use, but I would imagine it's like a fine tuned AK. my buddy has one, and I can't say I care much about them.

 

[Layton]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

LOL, hadn't seen that one. That show is just soo bad.

L

 

[samnev]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

I would go for one of the AK's in the Arsenal line.

 

[CarlsonCustoms]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

I've had two AK's now.. a standard Romanian WASR10 which was a full stocked rifle and it worked just fine. I traded it off and traded into a Hungarian AMD65.

So far I like the AMD65 just for its sheer compact size, for some reason the AMD is the softest shooting ak I've had, I'm sure the long muzzle break helps.

 

[TheNewRoman]

Re: AK style rifles? Help!

My advice go to a gun show, this way to and view the rifle and get cheap prices.
If you see a polish AK 47 or 74, keep that on your radar since Polish AK's from my experience have been very good.

But if you want to spend the money, go for Arsenal AK's since they are of very good quality.

And below is me just starting about aftermarket stuff.

If you get a 47 you must get a ak74 muzzle brake, it help reduce recoil so much, and also look up ACE Stocks they are good quality and also the rubber butt pad only makes the rifle easier to shoot and more enjoyable.

As for handguard and grip, thats up to up.

But what I had was hogue rubber grip, like many AK owners have.
As for the handguard, ATI makes a decent on but Personally if i get an AK again i'll go for a light weight rail.

Optics if you care about those, get a red dot since red dots and AK are a match made in heaven.
And check out kalinka optics, for POSP Scopes