Mak-90 Sporter--a few questions

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MJD

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Hello,

I haven't ventured much into the realm of AK's and AR's. My experience with long guns is primarily with hunting arms and US military rifles.

I ran across a Mak-90 Sporter in 7.62x39 in a gun shop today for $400. The gun was in good shape, appeared well maintained, and had a decent bore. It did have the thumbhole stock. After doing some research at home, I do not remember if it had a threaded barrel end or not. I also don't remember if it was slant or straight cut.

For anything associated with the AK, $400 seems like a good price. Before running across this particular rifle, I had contemplated buying something in x39 for relatively cheap plinking...and this comes along.

I understand that if I want to change that stock, I'll have to make sure I'm in 922 compliance and that's not a big deal. I'm looking for any insights on the rifle and if the Mak-90 Sporter is a decent rifle.

I don't mind dropping the money on this rifle, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings to walk away either. Any input or thoughts? Decent rifle, decent deal?

Thanks in advance.
 
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After about $150 for the compliance parts I think you'll end up with a better AK than the current crop of $600 Yugos and WSARs So I'd say go for it, these were $200 guns when Bill Clinton was president. I converted mine soon after the ban ran out in late 2004.

The Tapco trigger has a much better pull than the original, which IMHO is more than enough to justify the conversion.
 
Hey Wally, thanks for the information. My research has turned up that if I was to take off the thumbhole stock, the easiest way to stay in 922r compliance would be to change the stock, trigger, and handguards?
 
The MAK90 is probably one of the best out there. Mine has the stock trigger and it feels pretty good. Some guys actually like the thumb hole stock. I have seen the prices go up on these given that an unaltered MAK 90 is a little difficult to find these days. You might want to leave it the way it is.
 
You'll also need one more part in addition to the stock set and trigger group. Most people opt for the piston but I don't think you can easily change it as I believe its pressed in.

More than likely the barrel is not threaded since compliance Norincos weren't made with threaded barrels and they normally are machined with a thinner muzzle and cannot be threaded to accept the normal AK breaks because of this although some were brought in early on with thicker muzzles that can be threaded

Overall, Chinese AK's are some of the nicest out there. The fit and finish is excellent and they use a thicker RPK receiver. You can't go wrong with a Mak-90.
 
I just bought what I wa told is a post ban Mak-90. I paid $200 for it and it came with 3 five round chinese mags. Mine has the thumb hole stock and the back of the receiver is straight, not slanted so to change the stock I have to buy a special stock set that was over $150 unfinished. I bought two more 30 round mags for it.

I haven't shot it. I don't really like it but at $200 it was too good to pass up. I have seen them sell for $800 on gun broker. Thats most likely what I will do with mine and get something I like.

And my gun came with a side mounted scope base. It sits the scope over the center of the bore. Plus it is made so you loosen a thumb screw on the scope comes off the base. And it will return to zero. I don't know who made the mount but its built like a tank. One of the sturdiest mounts I have ever seen.

I forgot to add that my piston is easily removable and not captive. What a simple, brute strong action. Its no wonder people say they would choose one for a SHTF/end of the world gun.
 
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Great deal these days IMO. I paid about the same for one with a 75 rd Chinese drum a few years back. I converted mine. (New grip, new trigger group, new op rod) Excellent guns.
 
the Mak-90 has a thicker receiver stamping, and a slightly thicker barrel than the WASR's. Some of them have milled receivers too. Mine is great, I converted it also.
 
Sounds like it's a good deal. I'm going to jump on it tomorrow after work if they still have it. Thanks to all for your input.
 
$400 is a great deal

They never came with threaded muzzles. Some had the threads ground off, some never had the threads cut. Hard to say without looking at it very well.
 
The easiest way, IMO, to convert the mak-90 without having to worry about if your magazines are all US made, is a US stock set...grip, handguard, and buttstock, and a tapco trigger set. This puts you 1 part over compliance, since the trigger group makes 3 US parts. The trigger is not hard to replace. If you have a slant cut receiver, look into ironwood stocks for your furniture.

If you go the tapco trigger route, make sure if you have a two tang or one tang trigger, mine was a two tang trigger but yours may be different.

$400 is a great deal, btw. I would jump all over that if i saw it, even though I already have one
 
silicosys4 said:
The easiest way, IMO, to convert the mak-90 without having to worry about if your magazines are all US made, is a US stock set...grip, handguard, and buttstock, and a tapco trigger set. This puts you 1 part over compliance, since the trigger group makes 3 US parts. The trigger is not hard to replace. If you have a slant cut receiver, look into ironwood stocks for your furniture.

If you go the tapco trigger route, make sure if you have a two tang or one tang trigger, mine was a two tang trigger but yours may be different.

$400 is a great deal, btw. I would jump all over that if i saw it, even though I already have one
Click to expand...

Tang triggers? The tang is on the rear of the rifle its what the buttstock screws in to. You mean double hook or single hook triggers right?
 
I have a (922 compliant) MAK stock set for a stamped receiver. If you are interested I have been trying to get rid of it for awhile, just let me know. I will have to look up the particulars of my stock set, but I do know it's an Ironwood Designs off the top of my head.
 
FYI,

There were a whole series of MAK90 rifles with different variations. Variations included different kinds of thumbhole stocks, straight (desirable) verses slanted receiver. Milled vs. stamped receiver.

I sold a lot of MAK90s when I had my FFL in the 1980s-2000. I never saw one come with a side rail mount though. I did see a version in 1993 that came with 5 round mags only. That was near the end of importation of them. It had a rivet in the mag release tang area which prevented higher cap mags from being used. One simply drilled out the rivet and 30 rounders could be inserted.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Just my luck, it sold about an hour after I left and right before the shop closed for the weekend. Missed out on this one, but that's life!
 
Here's my MAK90 after conversion. Mine had a slant cut receiver but it wasn't a big issue fitting a standard stock to. It was my first time so I could've done better, but I'm happy with it for a $9 mil-surp stock.

attachment.php
 
Certainly disappointing, but I'd rather do the research than spontaneously buy something I don't know about.

Thanks again to all for the responses.
 
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I've got a NATO length butt stock from kvar that's been pre fitted to a straight cut Mak 90 its black polymer if your interested in it pm me. Its us made to help with compliance.
 
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Mak-90

I have a milled & slanted receiver on mine, & thumbhole stock. I have only put a few hundred rounds through it.
So far so good, great trigger, I mean "GREAT" trigger (10 shots -2" @ 50 yds) 5"-7" @ 100 with those damned iron sights.
Still; it's fun to shoot as long as you don't take it too seriously, but then I was never a big fan of those rifles,
I'm a bolt & lever kind of guy.:evil:
 
The nato length stock I have is us made by kvar/arsenal. I'll let it go for 40.00 shipped. Its already pre fitted to a mak90 all you have to do is drill the pilot hole for the tang screw.
 
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