centurion 39 vs sa m7

[Revolver Ocelot]

Looking at getting a milled ak and was saving for a sa m7 when I heard of the cai centurion 39. Normally I don't associate century with top notch quality but I can't seem to find anything negative about this one.

Has anyone been able to compare these 2 rifles, and could you see anything better about one over the other?

Thanks,

-Ocelot

 

[RiverPerson]

Original factory built AK or an American built AK?

I would take the Bulgarian any day. It's going to be better made with better materials and will hold its value far better than the Century.

Of course if you're not really into collecting AKs and just want something to blast with, the Century will do the job at a cheaper price.

I doubt if you're going to be carrying it into battle, so it probably doesn't really matter. Just how much you want to spend and what you're looking to get out of the rifle.

 

[Jackal]

Sorry, but stamped AK for the win. Same performance and less weight. There is literally zero tangible benefit to a milled AK.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

I'm really not to concerned about the extra weight, in Afghanistan I had the pleasure of shooting a lot of aks in various configurations, of the ones I shot my all time favorite was a milled type 3 receiver. Nothing against the stamped, I just prefer the milled.

The sa m7 I was thinking of getting is also a u.s. made receiver (I believe it is milled from a bulgy blank).

I hope to be sending it off to rifle dynamics once I have my hands on it so should it just be an issue of the finish, smoothness of the action etc and their is no perceivable difference in the quality of materials I will naturally want to save the extra money.

 

[aka108]

I purchased a Arsenal SA M7S and the quality is excellent. Receiver is machined at the Arsenal facility in Las Vegas, NV. The machined receiver torques a bit less than the stamped receiver which may result in some accuracy improvement. I also shoot a stock Saiga. The Arsenal does have a little edge in accuracy but not much. You could send it off to some company that will claim to make it more accurate but the AK's will never be target rifles. Wasn't designed to be from the git go.

 

[WinThePennant]

James Yeager just did a 1,000 round torture test of the Centurion 39 AK. It looks legit.

http://youtu.be/yazx214_PJU

 

[Inebriated]

^ I was going to post the Yeager video. Agree that it looks like a solid rifle.

It's going to be better made with better materials

How do you know that?

 

[dvdcrr]

Bulgarian would be the better buy.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

I'm thinking at this point it would be best if I tried to get to handle one. The first ak I got to handle/shoot was a Russian ak with a type 3 receiver made in 1959, that was the best ak I ever handled, after that was the arsenal sa m7 classic. If the century compares well to either one of those rifles I would have little reason not to get it.

 

[RiverPerson]

^ I was going to post the Yeager video. Agree that it looks like a solid rifle.

How do you know that?

An original factory CHF barrel vs. a U.S. barrel for starters.

I don't know of any U.S. made AK barrel that compares to a factory original.

 

[dvdcrr]

In that video I see minor hiccups with him having to bump the charging handle. Ive owned three milled Arsenals and never once had to do that. Also that mag that wouldnt work, you take that same mag and stick it in a russian or bulgarian and it will run like a sewing machine. I guess you know which one I would pick.

 

[WinThePennant]

The mag was bad. The follower got stuck about a quarter inch from the top. That sort of failure is completely independent of the firearm.

That was the only hiccup. Anything else is him just getting tired from shooting all those rounds.

 

[dvdcrr]

The mag maybe... But he is clearly re racking and helping the bolt forward like you do on an m1. Ive never had to do that on any bulgy. Ive also never seen a follower stick on a milsurp ak mag. These kind of excuses are putting us into commercial spec ar15 territory. Bulgy or russian ak plus steel mags equals RUN

 

[Inebriated]

The mag maybe... But he is clearly re racking and helping the bolt forward like you do on an m1. Ive never had to do that on any bulgy. Ive also never seen a follower stick on a milsurp ak mag. These kind of excuses are putting us into commercial spec ar15 territory. Bulgy or russian ak plus steel mags equals RUN

Put any under-lubed AK in the same test, and the bolt will stick. Your Bulgarian, my Russians, or his Century.

An original factory CHF barrel vs. a U.S. barrel for starters.

I don't know of any U.S. made AK barrel that compares to a factory original.

But do you know that it is a lesser grade barrel, or are you assuming?

I agree that most US barrels suck compared to a lot of foreign barrels, but I would want to know for sure before I decided one way or the other.

 

[dvdcrr]

Underlubed AK?
Ive seen some tight yugos and romanians which needed some cycling and probly the case with the 39. But my saiga 308, 545, vepr , nor any milled bulgy ever needed any lube or break in. Not sure about your frame of reference on that.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

I know I will be replacing the safety, the gas block with a front sight gas block as well as the furniture. I may very well replace the barrel with a chrome lined one (for the sake of not having to worry as much about corrosive ammo). even after replacing the barrel it would still be cheaper than an arsenal. all of that being said I am really only concerned with the quality of the receiver and the internal components.

 

[WinThePennant]

OK - So he had to help the bolt a couple times after loading a new mag. It was an unlubed torture test.

It looks to me like lube would do the trick. A step further, throw a stronger Wolff spring in there. A step even further, have a gunsmith find the points of excessive contact and smooth them out.