AK Operators Union is a good recommendation for reviews on rifles and general info on AKs. I’d also add Brandon Herrera / “The AK Guy” on YouTube. He has a lot of different videos up, but several of them dive into the things to look for when buying an AK, how various mechanisms work, etc.
For the short list - I’d recommend an Arsenal. Or a Rifle Dynamics if you want to put more money into it. With a lot of AKs running around $900+ right now, I don’t see a reason to not step up to an Arsenal (if you can find one that is).
I’d avoid the American AKs - most haven’t really gotten the kinks figured out. Several of them in the past have used cast trunions (you want forged trunions). I hear good things about the PSA AK and the Kalashnikov USA (not related to the Russian company) rifles, but it’s a little early to know the long term durability.
Other things to consider... I tend to prefer stamped AKs, but milled guns aren’t bad by any means. The AK-47 started as a stamped design, but the Russian/Soviet stamping process wasn’t really up to snuff at first so they decided to mill the receivers instead. Once they fixed the stamping process, they added a few more tweaks and called the gun the AKM. There are far more stamped guns out there.
If you want a specific type or style of stock, make sure you get it from the start. Fixed stock, under folders, and side folders all use different receivers, so if you have one you’re pretty much stuck with it. The exception would be that if you have a fixed stock, there are some kits that let you add a collapsible stock or a non traditional folding stock.
If you can find one, the triangle or AK-100 series side folder is a really good way to go. All the sturdiness and comfort of a fixed stock, but you can still make the gun compact for storage. Under folders look cool, but in my experience they aren’t very comfortable to shoot.
Be careful on furniture. There were lots of variations between different countries AK rifles (a great example is the Yugos) and not all furniture works with all rifles. If you just want a dot and a light, an Ultimak is great. If you want a full handguard setup, I like Midwest Industries, but Texas Weapon Systems has some really cool stuff. Also be careful on railed top covers. MOST don’t allow for good lockup which means you may have issues with a wandering zero every time you take the top cover off to clean the rifle.
Check for canted front sights and gas blocks.
I’m not sure what you’re planning on with the spare parts. The good thing is that very few things on a good AK will break regularly. The bad news is that replacing parts is not like working with an AR. If you swap the bolt you will need to check the headspace (because it might not be the same). Changing headspace means a 12 ton press and redrilling a barrel pin. Much more than that means messing with rivets and at that point you might as well rebuild the gun. Not that it’s really complicated, but it takes some specialized tools and you can’t just swap a bolt or barrel at the kitchen table.
If you’re interested in the AK and working on it (at a field level, not a building level) Jim Fuller (founder of Rifle Dynamics) has an AK Armorer video that has lots of good information.
