Not really sure about a lot of the AK's...what models are available and all. I've had a few saigas (still have one) and just don't want to mess with a conversion. Which is the best to get in terms of build and everything (coupled with price as I don't want to spend what I could buy an AR or FAL for).

Whatever your choice, tell me where is the best place to get them.

thanx

Im saying other. Its an AK. get a cheap one. its not a jet or a long range gun, so just get something cheap that is suitable to your eye. those are the good ones in my book.

Dunhams Sporting Goods is selling some sweet looking AKs..nice wood and bayonets. 350. Beats me what model..I'll go look! lol.

Servo77,

I like Indy's idea of getting a single stack WASR-10 for $179 and opening the mag well to accept double stacks. The double stacks come into the country as singles and Century opens them here. They usually do such a poor job you end up having to clean up their work with a dremel to get the mags to fit properly anyway.

Save yourself a $100 bucks by getting the single stack. I bet CDNN can get you a single stack and ship it to your FFL cheaper than you can buy one at Dunhams.

http://www.gunsnstuffonline.com/index.aspx...circularid=5012

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/gunparts1.html

Wolverine

There is no"best"-just get the cheapest thing you find that meets YOUR quality standards.

G O B

Best in the group is the VEPR, for the money Saiga is better.

All AK family guns are ok, if you want looks and better finish and rpk
receiver get and VEPR, if you want a good Russian rifle convert your saiga
if you want a combat rifle that works and do not cost too much get a SAR1
alternatively a wars10.

I have a converted saiga and an sar1, love both guns but my sar1 is my ugly duckling
next to my SAIGA or AR15 looks like they were monkey fucking drunken monkeys when they made it, machine tool markings all over it, until I sand blasted the dam thing and put a new finish on it, looks a little better but is just and ugly duckling that takes a liking and keeps on ticking.

I pay just 175.00 bucks for it on a gun show; the dealer was leaving and was like
4 mp on Sunday and the man asked 230.00 bucks, I toll the man, I have only 175.00
and there it goes.

Bulgarian SLR101S (imported from Bulgaria as lo-cap and converted here) or SAM7S (assembled here as a legal hi-cap with foreign and domestic parts) are top notch examples of a milled receiver AK. The Bulgarians do about the best job of fit and finish on AKs. ALL the ones I have used have very good triggers. The VEPR is up there in quality, but they use a funky slant cut receiver. The Yugos were great quality but the supply dried up and I don't think their current prices are justified for a shooter AK.

If your intention is lots of blasting then get a SAR1 or WASR. They function as well as any other AK. If you want something to shoot and show off, my vote is with the Bulgies.

I don't own one because I'm not willing to pay the $$, but the milled Arsenal AK underfolders are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL... I mean BEAUTIFUL!

I looked at one the other day and it has the BEST factory finish/fit that I have EVER seen. The trigger guard rivets - perect, the trunion pin - perfect, receiver - not a single divet/dimple/filing scratch/, wood - perfect, finish - perfect.

Now the bad part - the dealer wanted $1100.

you GET what you PAY FOR... .simple as that...

My opinion varies..like the wind. I buy what turns me own THAT day. Per this discussion.. I own a SAR, a Saiga..(s)..an AK-USA104... an original AK..ect ect.. I would not buy anything but a Saiga for the money. We can help you do the PG conversion. The muzzle-break and anything after is just trying to get closer to the real thing..IMHP..after all.. a real AK in Afganistan(sp?) shoots 30 rounds in 2 seconds for $50 but you still can't hit crap..unless your good or GOD or ALA(sp?) is with ya...and if so..an M16 still might jump up and change his(ALA/GOD's) mind any given second.

I may be in the minority here, but for accurate comfortable shooting pleasure go with a Saiga (I like .223) and leave it alone. I did mine for "the look", but it was way more comfortable as it came from the factory, and high caps are a testosterone thing- we aren't going to war, ten rounders are great for bench shooting.
Then again, slapping in a 30 rounder in my SAR and bumpfiring the whole thing still makes me giggle.

I own and use high caps for a few reasons.

first, I like to load up with a bunch of rounds at the house then walk back into the woods and shoot. I have a shooting purse (go ahead, crack on me, ill kick your ass) that I carry extra ammo and mags in, but i can carry a lot more ammo around with the high caps.

second, the world is a scary and evil place. you never know when a terrorist or criminal is going to try to kill you these days, and you cant trust the government anymore. so it is always better to be prepared.

third, ten rounds is fine for firing at a range where they force you to conform to some b.s. "shoot every two seconds or get out" rule, or even on firing from a bipod prone or off a bench on SOME rifles. bipod shooting is why I own 20 round GI mags for my ar15. the 30 rounders I have dont allow me to support my trigger hand with my free hand, as they are way too long.

and lastly, I just plain hate to get into a groove and run out of rounds. the extra rounds in the magazine gives me a longer, more enjoyable workout with any gun.

high cap mags are VERY sporting. they just arent legal most places to hunt with. but then again, the second amendmant has nothing to do with sports or hunting for that matter, and as such all gun legislation is illegal. they need to stay with game laws and leave us the hell alone already.

I like the Yugoslav AK for its workmanship and plan to build one. The only drawback is the lack of a chrome barrel but I don't intend to use corrosive ammo anyway.

Saiga and the other Russian AKs are also well made and have chrome lined barrels. I would never buy an Egyptian AK (Maadi). I heard they suck from friends who served in the Israeli army and used captured AKs.

I bought a Norinco in 1986 that has never missed a beat and shoots great.

Took ya 3 years to say that?? LOL!!!

I guess the topic just never came up. I also have a yugo underfolder..

Valmet, but they are too much money now-a-days!

Holy Zombie Thread, Batman.

Necros coming out of the woodwork these days... lol

Arsenal has some very nice USA built AKs. They use the Bulgies for parts and do a fine job. I got the chance to shoot a friend's recently. I liked the milled receiver and the fit and finish was great.

I have a Maadi ARM that I like a lot................ Doesn't suck at all.
Some of the Maadi's are just cobbled together crap, though, as I understand it..........but some of them are as close as you could get to a Russian AK, made on Russian equipment, before Saigas hit.........
Never an instants problem with my ARM................

(Shannon, you have a Maadi too, don't you ????)

Whoa !!! Just saw the dates on these posts !!! I'm a little late into this one too, huh??

Yep, sure do Joe. It was my first AK and still one of my favorites. They get a bad rap on most gun forums, but not all of them are the "bottom of the barrel bullshit" like people like to go around spreading. I sent some closeup pics of mine to Ja Freeman, a very knowledgeable AK enthusiast, and he agreed, mine must have been a very early one or something, and wasn't beat together with hammers and shit like a lot of the MISRs were.
It's true, the Russians went over to Egypt and set up the first factory, using Russian equipment and Russian trainers. Even though they built new receivers and used Chinese parts, the Chinese AKs are noted for their heavier barrels and robust parts....overbuilt just like Russian stuff.

"Robert" had a maddi..














Red Dawn, Fool!

Although not an AK, you gotta consider the VZ 58.

I learned about them from the guys on the board and am VERY pleased that I got one.

It is worth the money. Centerfiresystems has them for $799

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSLV9rd53vw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLZGMimid8Y

Another neat new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvn16taVh-g

If cost was not an issue, the Vepr's ,Valmets and IMI Galils are tops /equals, followed closely by the Polytech's stamped and milled models and Arsenal's milled receivers. The Saigas are next but can be converted to very nice specimens by people like Red Jacket, Tromix and others. I placed Polytech's up there because the are very well made their stamped receivers are as thick as the Arsenal milled and my Legend has a 2mm thick receiver. The FCG is heat treated and the barrels are quite thick. Trade off is weight however and they are no longer commercially available. The Yugo M-70s, not the century's remake although those are alright, are pretty dang good also. The cost makes Saigas a good choice but they can get pricy real quick. I would pass on the WASR's and Romanian as well as Egyptian AK's. I have handled and examined many but not fired them. I was not impressed with the QC and mfg. process and some looked like the quintescential "goat herder" cobbled them together. That does not necessarily negate their usefulness. I would opt to use that cash elsewhere.

3 year old post resurrection by banshee

If cost were no object, I'd get a Red Jacket AK.

well I guess I did. It is odd, for some reason I got an email from the fourm saying "Topic Subscription Reply Notification ( forum.Saiga-12.com)" and I just assumed it was a new post and didn't look at the date..Why did I get notifaction on a post that was three years old??

That's a good question...If you didn't reply in it the first go round, then you shouldn't have gotten that notice at all. Strange...
Now if you had replied in it in 2005, and then someone else replied now, and then deleted their post...but you didn't...hmmm
Weird...forum gremlins again....

VEPR is a cut way above all other AKs it's just heavy, not all AKs are created equally.

WASR 10 ranked higher than SAR 1? What am I missing here....... I thought the SAR would be at least second behind the vepr. Can anyone help inform me why? I'm curious. TIA.

This thread is 3 years old. Good luck.


//continues to feed the Zombie thread//