Polish AK-47 Underfolder

[Maple_City_Woodsman]

I have a Vector that was built with a Polish underfolder kit. I think its a great gun.

No, you wont get a nice target cheek weld... But the gun still shoots just fine.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

i wouldnt believe there is a 1" ak, unless I shot it myself.... even then i would have to do it again, to prove it wasnt a fluke..... And I like AKs. A 2" at 100yds ak would be the BEST Ak i've ever seen, not because they are bad, but the typical russian or surplus ammo adds 1"+ to a rifle capable of 2"+ (On a good day)

I typically see 2-4" on mine, some arsenal owners swear they do better.....

BUT, thats like hitting a clay pigeon at 100 yards. Sounds easy, but try it. The AK sights are not a thing of precision, but it can be done.

BUT the AK shines when you really get into it. Rock in a 30 round magazine, pull the bolt back, and let fly with 8-10 rounds and hit 5-6 relatively small targets in very rapid sucession. The steel cases are flying & the ak has a thump sound with the fairly large .30 cal bullets impacting down range = FUN! Like no other!

While a lot of fun, the I also have trouble shooting as well with the underfolder.

 

[JHenry]

IO's have been spotty in terms of quality if my manufacter names arnt getting mixed up. Interarms are a tad more pricey but thats what i plan on buying, it also has a lifetime warranty and a much better track record of reviews

 

[Rob G]

The IO AK-47 listing says it can shoot 2" groups @ 100 yards. Is this about par for the course with an AK-47 in this price range?

All properly built AKs shoot 2-4 MOA regardless of price/manufacturer. The Soviets specified that it should be able to do minute of torso out to 300 meters and that's basically what they do. A lot of that has to do with the looser tolerances of the gun and some of it is becaue of the relatively cheap (but effective) ammo that's typically used. The factory sights are also somewhat to blame. You're not really going to do better in a factory AK at any price range. That having been said it may be possible to tweak it to do a little better.

i wouldnt believe there is a 1" ak, unless I shot it myself

Marc Krebs has one in 6.5 Grendel that shoots sub MOA groups. Unfortunately it's a one off that he's testing so not much chance that you'll get to shoot it yourself just yet. My understanding though is that he plans on selling it to the public once he's gotten it squared away.

 

[Atlantic Firearms]

The IO Rifles do not have chrome lined barrels and you do not need a chrome lined barrel despite the general internet gossip . Chrome lined barrels were initially installed on rifles to help against coorosive military ammo however there is not much of this in circulation. There are tons of AK74 rifles in use with non chrome barrels shooting surplus coorosive ammo with no issues because they clean them after use. All of this being said if you can get a chrome lined bbl and it does not cost dramatically more then why not !!

 

[Armchair Bronco]

The IO Rifles do not have chrome lined barrels and you do not need a chrome lined barrel despite the general internet gossip . Chrome lined barrels were initially installed on rifles to help against coorosive military ammo however there is not much of this in circulation. There are tons of AK74 rifles in use with non chrome barrels shooting surplus coorosive ammo with no issues because they clean them after use. All of this being said if you can get a chrome lined bbl and it does not cost dramatically more then why not !!

Thanks for the info, Atlantic Firearms. First impressions count...great to see that you guys are monitoring threads on this site. I'm impressed.

 

[Rob G]

The IO Rifles do not have chrome lined barrels

Well I guess not then.

All of this being said if you can get a chrome lined bbl and it does not cost dramatically more then why not !!

^^This has always been my take on it. I like AKs with chrome lined barrels and I generally encourage people to buy them. But it wouldn't be a deal breaker. Just make sure you clean it if you do shoot corrosive.

 

[Armchair Bronco]

My son and I were doing some research on red dot scopes and scope rails to use with the AK-47. It seems like the Underfolders don't have the scope mounts that you see on the left-hand side of conventional AK-47 receivers.

This is probably a deal-breaker for us in terms of buying a Underfolder unless there are other options for mounting a red dot. There are some quick release rails for wooden-stocked AK's that look pretty neat and that hold zero quite well. I don't think I'd want to have something for an Underfolder that attaches to the dust cover.

 

[A_Matthew]

Your best bet for a good mount would be the Ultimak system. Extremely sturdy, and if you get a low enough red dot, you can co-witness the iron sights.

 

[Telekinesis]

+1 to the Ultimak. I have heard nothing but good things about them and am looking to put one on my UF as soon as I can afford some good optics for it.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

I am not an AK guy, and I don't know the difference in quality between Yugo and romanian, but if all you want is a cheap AK for fun, check out these guys:
http://classicarms.us/semi-auto%20rifles.htm
Yugo underfolder $799 Romanian underfolder $479 WASR-10 standard AK $399

They have a lot of different types, generally for the best prices that I have seen on the web.

Also, here's and easy way to mount a red-dot: http://www.tapco.com/products/ak/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=3

 

[mortablunt]

Rule of Thumb: Century arms is a gamble at best. Some of their arms are okay to good, but their AK's are especially infamous for being bad.
Rule of Your Other Thumb: Don't but it unless you get to pick up, handle, and examine it to your desire. Make sure that the gun you buy is the one that checks out.
Rule of Your Friend's Thumb: Cheapo AK's costing less than $350 are cheapo for a reason.
Rule of Your Friend's Other Thumb: AK's are pretty hard to mess up.

I never had issues with underfolders because I let myself adapt to the peculiarities of the variant rather than trying to use it like a fixed wooden stock AK, and I like the traditional type AK stock. It fits me really well. An underfolder might be troublesome with fully automatic fire, but some anything you can put out with a civilian semiautomatic weapon, it's not going to make a different.

 

[Rob G]

If you're looking to mount a red dot but don't have a side scope rail then you do have a few options.

1. An Ultimak rail. Lots of guys use these and love them. I personally don't like how far forward your optics sit with these but that's personal preference.
2. Midwest Industries Mini Dot Mount. These basically replace your rear leaf sight with a new sight that incorporates a mounting surface for a red dot. I think they're limited in which red dots you can use but the system is really solid, gives you a dot mounted a little closer to the rear, and allows cowitnessing with the iron sights.
3. Texas Weapon Systems Dog leg scope rail. This is basically a very well built dust cover replacement that incorporates a standard rail. They hold zero with optics and allow you to mount a peep sight near the rear of the rifle to increase your iron sight radius.
4. Parabellum armament AKARS mount. Very similiar in concept to the TWS dog leg scope rail. It's a new product but is getting pretty good reviews.

I don't think I'd want to have something for an Underfolder that attaches to the dust cover.

Any particular reason why? It's your rifle of course I'm just curious what your reasons are. Either way if you're really serious about this then you should consider options 1 and 2. If you go to primaryarms.com they sell AK red dot packages which include the MI MDM mount and a red dot for right around $150. It's a pretty solid value.

 

[Armchair Bronco]

Rule of Thumb: Century arms is a gamble at best. Some of their arms are okay to good, but their AK's are especially infamous for being bad.
Rule of Your Other Thumb: Don't but it unless you get to pick up, handle, and examine it to your desire. Make sure that the gun you buy is the one that checks out.
Rule of Your Friend's Thumb: Cheapo AK's costing less than $350 are cheapo for a reason.
Rule of Your Friend's Other Thumb: AK's are pretty hard to mess up.

I never had issues with underfolders because I let myself adapt to the peculiarities of the variant rather than trying to use it like a fixed wooden stock AK, and I like the traditional type AK stock. It fits me really well. An underfolder might be troublesome with fully automatic fire, but some anything you can put out with a civilian semiautomatic weapon, it's not going to make a different.

Do you have any more rules of thumb for good builders and/or online vendors? I agree that I should try to handle the gun I'm buying, and this is my plan.

But Plan B is to rely on the combined reputations of a good builder and a good vendor and hope for the best, sight unseen.

Regarding the question about not wanting to attach something to the dust cover, my thinking was that since this piece can move around (e.g. it's not permanently affixed to the receiver) then it might cause the zero to drift. If there are dust cover options for attaching a red dot to an AK Underfolder, then I'm open to suggestions. I was just assuming that I'd want something more stable for a sight mount.

 

[mortablunt]

^ I've never bought from online, or requested a build. I've done all my shopping from owners at gun shows.

 

[flyskater]

I'd go with a Saiga and convert it. The quality of Saiga are excellent. I can't say that about CAI.

 

[Rob G]

If there are dust cover options for attaching a red dot to an AK Underfolder, then I'm open to suggestions. I was just assuming that I'd want something more stable for a sight mount.

Ahh, that makes sense. Well then you'd be good to go with either the TWS dog leg scope rail or the Parabellum AKARS. Both of those modified dust covers have been tested extensively and they don't move or lose zero when the weapon is fired, disassembled for cleaning, etc. The actual engineering takes a bit to explain but in short both of them bolt in where the rear leaf sight is which provides a strong stable base. From there they're different. The Parabellum AKARS mount free floats over the dust cover so it's not affected by any dust cover movement. The TWS mount actually uses a modified dust cover that is designed to put pressure down on the receiver and locks the dust cover in place. In short it doesn't move, at all.

 

[dillontjernlund]

I own a Polish underfolder imported by Century Arms, and it rocks the house.

A lot of people will say that the underfolder stock is uncomfortable to shoot and isnt very stable, I believe the complete opposite. I love the wider stock, and mine has very little wobble (like it would matter anyway). I wrapped some paracord around the left rib and butt of the stock and now it is very comfortable to shoot folded or unfolded.

If you do purchase an underfolder, I'd definitely recommend the Century Arms AKMS, or the Polish underfolder, I love it.

 

[JHenry]

The yugo m70's are probably the best underfolder available, although be sure to clean it after you shoot it because the barrel isnt chrome lined and you can get corrosion pretty quick with surplus ammo.

If you get the polish, id steer clear of CAI and do research on whatever other company your considering. And lifetime/limited lifetime warranties are always a good sign. 5 years are usually good as well, but steer clear of 1 year warranties because chances are its voided before you recieve it

 

[yingxuy]

I have been very happy with my Interarms build quality, I do not think Arsenal give me any extra 200-300 dollars to improving the quality, I think parkerized finished will hold up better love taps and Arsenal completed.

 

[az_imuth]

I own one of the Yugo M70AB2 underfolders and have never had an issue with the stock. It is a little different, but that's what makes it interesting. I haven't experienced any of the 'problems' I keep reading about in these threads in regard to shooting it in the extended position. Will the stock feel as good as a finely crafted piece of walnut on a M70 Super Grade? No, but ultimate comfort wasn't the priority when it was being designed. It was designed to be maneuverable in tight spaces, compact and safe when making jumps, and easy to store without taking up much space. Choose the rifle you really want, whatever that may be, and don't be dissuaded by those who are overly fussy and finicky.