Out of the loop and want an AK or similar?

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schadenfreude

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I haven't really been on here since 2004, life gets busy eh? But I've been out of the loop for a while and had a few questions about getting an assault rifle.


I have used the search and read post after post and the problem I have is there are too many options out there.

First of all is price, I was thinking about $350-$450 because I wanted some accessories and a bunch of ammo. Every $50 I go up the Mrs. gets antsy :D

Then caliber, I've been told that they might try to ban 7.62x39 instead of the weapon. Any truth to this? So people are recommending that I get something in .223.

Features? Black furniture, thread on muzzle break, high cap etc Be able to put a side folding stock. I think I want the shorter barrel.

If the 7.62x39 is the way to go I saw a Romanian G code with black furniture for $399 at Century. Not sure if I can put a side folder on this.

I was really wanting a Saiga but with mods it will be out of my price range.

Any thoughts? I figure I'll buy this now in case they try to ban em then get a 12g when money presents the opportunity. So that'll be my Springfield loaded 1911, a SHTF rifle and a shotgun.

Thanks in advance for any tips, I need to buy fairly soon or she'll spend all the money on flowers for the yard. :uhoh::D
 
IMO, the biggest downside of the 7.62x39 is that if the cheap foreign ammo goes away you'd be in trouble.
Having said that, the cheap foreign ammo for the 7.62x51 went away and we're still keeping our .308's.
My advice is to add $400 to your budget when you find your dream AK and put it into 2K of ammo while you can still get it.

Right now, if I were getting an AK I'd be tempted to try the 5.45. It's true that it's even more vulnerable to ammo supplies than the '39 but you can also get 1K of ammo for them for about $100 online. At that price you could still afford to put a lot of it away for future use.

Then you got 5.56 - a domestically made round that should be around for awhile yet. At the same time, I have seen gun stores sold completely out of it (along with '39).

Guess you take your chances no matter what.
 
yea, if theres an import ban on ammo, AK-lovers will be screwed as a whole. Doesnt mean 7.62 will be gone, just means it'll resemble the costs of .223

for 350... WASR-10. Warning: may contain bad gas block and crooked sights. it also has a bad finish
for ~500... M70 Yugo, either classic or underfolder. Both shoot great, have thick receivers, and are pretty to look at
for ~550-575... converted Saiga in the caliber of your choice. Much more accurate (for an AK), although it lacks the traditional AK design (noticeably in the barrel layout/design). Very good since you can get whatever caliber you want.
~600... Bulgarian. Comes with poly-stock and grips. Very good receivers and quality
750+...Gahlil, CZ, or something like a higher-up.

For AKs, the more you pay, the better it gets
 
schadenfreud,

I converted my saiga for around 150 dollars. I bought it for around 220 dollars. That's not much more than your run-of-the-mill WASR, and mine shoots much, MUCH better.
 
RP88 On the Yugo M70, can a side folding stock be put on one of those? And who does Saiga conversions on the 223?


Deer Hunter I looked at the conversion instructions and honestly, it looks like more work and out of my comfort zone. Looks a little daunting.
 
Schaden, I was 18 when I did my conversino. I used a hammer, needle-noes pliars, and a dremel. I had to put a bullet guide on mine, since it's a .223, so I had a friend of mine help me with tapping the trunion. That was probably the most complicated part.

It isn't as hard as it looks. AKs are simple beasts.

DSC03737-1.jpg

PB030008.jpg
 
IMO, the biggest downside of the 7.62x39 is that if the cheap foreign ammo goes away you'd be in trouble.
Click to expand...

how ya figure?

Winchester, Remington, Cor Bon, Federal and more all make ammo in 7.62X39.

ya ammo wont be as cheap as it is now with out Wolf, Bear, Tiger, S&B and surplus. but it will be about the same as rivaling .223 prices.
 
good luck finding one with a side-folder. More importantly, good luck finding anything AK-like with a side-folder within your price range that shoots straight.

Putting one on would require some 're-trunionizing', so to speak. The pieces and the stock would also put the price out of range.

There are some Romanian poly-models with side-folders in full kits, and they run for about 500 bucks. It's pretty much a WASR with nicer foregrips and a sidefolder. Getting a high-quality AK with a SFer will go a little ways into your wallet than you would want to, and buying the 500-dollar kit is essentially buying an overpriced, purdy'd up WASR. IMO, not worth the money for what you get out of it quality-wise, but if a WASR is all you need, then it passes, especially since it comes with the bayonet lugs, sling, etc.

check impactguns for it. That was the last place I saw it
 
RP88 said:
good luck finding one with a side-folder. More importantly, good luck finding anything AK-like with a side-folder within your price range that shoots straight.

Putting one on would require some 're-trunionizing', so to speak. The pieces and the stock would also put the price out of range.
Click to expand...
Not at all, Tapco (*cringe*) makes side folders. Romania, East Germany and Poland made side folders, too, which are available here. All of those mentioned are direct replacements for the standard buttstock.


...Sure you could pay for a bulgarian AKS-74 side folder and then pay again to have it installed, but why pay more than the gun costs to do so?
 
RP88 On the Yugo M70, can a side folding stock be put on one of those? And who does Saiga conversions on the 223?



With a Yugo M70 ab2 underfolder why would you want a side folder? The Yugo's metal stock is prefect. It doesn't have any cheek slap, your eye lines up with the iron sights better than on any solid stock AK, any the whole rifle is built like a tank. If I could only have one AK-47 it would be a Yugo underfolder. And if you have to bet your life on a bullet, bigger is better, 7.62x39 beats the hell out of 5.56x45 or the 5.45x39.:scrutiny:
 
You like bigger and slower with the greater mass over the flatter trajectory and generally greater accuracy out of a 5.45 or 5.56 AK platform? I guess it's got its place.

I hate the underfolders, I have a few kits that I got and after doing one M92 and one AB-70, I'm done with 'em. I'll sell em off and get an AR before I do another one of those. :) I much prefer the side folders

But, opinions and all.

(And oh, i got 4 or 5 romanian or east german '47 sidefolders that fit on standard rear trunnions in a group buy for $50ish each, shipped. They're all over the place now for about the same. Pretty sure that fits on a standard saiga, yeah? If a normal fixed ak stock fits, these will too.)
 
7.62x39 is best because its cheap and plentiful

it also hits with its full force every time, instead of playing the guessing game of whether or not it'll fragment, or hoping that it will not get blown away by the target's breath:p
 
With a Yugo M70 ab2 underfolder why would you want a side folder? The Yugo's metal stock is prefect. It doesn't have any cheek slap, your eye lines up with the iron sights better than on any solid stock AK, any the whole rifle is built like a tank. If I could only have one AK-47 it would be a Yugo underfolder. And if you have to bet your life on a bullet, bigger is better, 7.62x39 beats the hell out of 5.56x45 or the 5.45x39.

He’s got it right.

I have the humble solid stock M70 and it’s been outstanding.
 
5.45 is a really good alternative for my uses. And I disagree with these other posters, but then my life may be different than theirs. Seems many of these guys shoot at other people. This is something I don't do. I shoot at targets such as clay pigeons, tin cans, paper plates, things like this.

For this sort of shooting, I find the 5.45 to be amazingly accurate, low in recoil, and completely reliable. If a hunting bullet is something I want, I pull the military bullet, and seat a resized Vmax. Excellent on small game. I've seen photos of hogs and such taken with the steel core military round. Looks quite effective on medium sized game.
 
it's not shooting people as it is having something that is all-purpose

I personally like AKs because they shoot 7.62. If i'm getting something bigger than my hand, I want it to have power. Personal preference for all, I guess.
 
This is only a 2-cent opinion, but contact Jon at www.anvilarms.com

For short money, you can get a complete AR-15 lower, (under $200 clams) and build it up over time the way you want to. I am glass broke until the wife graduates, so piecemeal has kept peace in the family and still satisfies my EBR urges...:cool:

Building up an AR-15 is a no brainer and I get to not sleep on the couch - it's a win-win.... ;)
 
I am wondering the same thing: which caliber to choose.
The 7.62 is nice and it just says AK. But the 5.45 is cheaper to own and use. Can't decide on which to pick.
 
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