The Closest AK

[Panzerschwein]

Hey all!

Well the time comes in every mans life, were he must decide which AK-47 he is going to buy.

SO many choices!!! I'm sitting on a MOUNTAIN of 7.62x39mm left over from my SKS escapades the last few years. But, I've sold all my SKS's. Good guns, just not my style.

So enter the AK-47.

My bud back in high school had an AK-74. I LOVE that gun. LOVE it. But I am more interested in the 7.62x39mm round due to greater availability and also since I've got so much on hand.

So I need to ask you guys, the AK experts, for some advice.

What I'm looking for, is simple. I am wanting the closest (newely made, not used) gun I can get to a first generation AK-47, or a very early AKM. It does not necessarily need to be milled, but it does need to be as close to a proper Russian original AK or early AKM.

That being said, I want wood furniture. If I need to buy a surplus Russian wood stock set, so be it. If it comes with wood, it must be a close match to how the original AK-47 or AKM wood looked.

That's it.

I just want as close as I can get to an early AK/AKM, in terms of looks and construction. I also want a well made gun, not something cheap.

So guys, what do you recommend for this AK newbie?

Thanks so much!!

 

[Crowcifier666]

WASR

 

[bannockburn]

Cooldill

Atlantic Arms have a lot of new AK47s to choose from including a decent AK copy by way of their Polish AK47. If you want a truly authentic AK clone you could look for a used Chinese AK47S (Type 56 copy), or the Steyr imported Egyptian Maadi.

 

[mshootnit]

For 922r you might need US wood.
The arsenal SGL are saiga based which is actually a russian rifle with a russian barrel.

You could convert your own saiga too.
an investment grade polytech would be pretty close to the vietnam configuration.

The closest to the current AK74 (fyi) was the sgl 31-64.
I am partial to these
http://www.arsenalinc.com/usa/SLR-101S_7.62x39mm-Caliber-rifle.html
Ive owned around 15 different AK and my current slr107 is probably the best. Ive got an sm13 scope mount with a vxr patrol firedot on top, and with wolf ammo it will hit a 6" steel plate at 200 yds with every shot. That is the smallest plate on our range the coyote shooters use to "prove" their zero. I am fairly certain this 107 is the most accurate ak I have had. After looking at Atlantic it looks like they have some cool kit builds. The DDR 4150 rifle looks interesting but is out of stock. I am partial to the guns with combloc receivers and chf chromed barrels assembled in their home countries.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

If money's not an issue, I'd go for a MAK-90, and replace the thumbhole stock.

I don't know how close it is to the real-deal Russian guns (off my head, I remember it had a hooded front sight that the originals didn't) but I've shot it and WASRs, and the MAK-90 is head and shoulders the better gun. Much tighter, much more accurate, much better fit and finish. Given that WASRs are going for $600 nowadays, ~$900 for a MAK 90 wouldn't be a terrible deal.

 

[kozak6]

A very large number of AK's are rebuilt and refinished from cut up parts kits since the intact automatic rifles weren't importable. Is that an issue?

Type 1 and Type 2 AK's are collector's pieces and should run at least several thousand dollars. There might be as few as a several dozen in the States.

Type 3 prices are going to be more reasonable. They are generally built from PLO kits. They are hard to come by these days, though. Some of the older Bulgarian rifles are about right, but you have to do some looking to find one with a 45 degree gas block.

The Chinese AK's have at the very least top cover, trunion, sight, and barrel differences.

The Saiga series are great rifles and are actually Russian, but they are closer to the more modern AK100 series.

Maadi's are about right, but the Egyptians made them very roughly and some builds have issues.

Depending on what kit they were built from, some of the Polish rifles can also be about right.

 

[Delmar]

Just bought the better half a Century C39V2 and so far pretty impressed with the fit and finish. The wood is plain, milled receiver 4140 steel with a nitrided finish, no bayonet lug, nice factory trigger, comes with wolf springs. Pretty accurate. Comes with 2 30 round mag puls.
Cabelas has them for $650

 

[Snowdog]

I couldn't be happier with my Atlantic Arms Polish "classic". It looks old school which I was wanting. It appears to be a quality build.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I couldn't be happier with my Atlantic Arms Polish "classic". It looks old school which I was wanting. It appears to be a quality build.

Just checked it out. DANG!!! That's just what I'm looking for!

But $839? For an AK? That's more than what my PTR-91 GI cost... is it really worth it? If so, why?

 

[Snowdog]

In this video one of the AK gurus strips the Polish AK from Atlantic Firearms and give his take on it. Overall, he seems pleased.

I really can't tell you if it's worth the money because I don't know a whole lot about the AK. I am quite happy with mine though, and the trigger is amazing.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Oh WOW!!! What a Buet!!

How does she group?

 

[agtman]

Snowdog: is that an Atlantic Arms Polish AK in your pic? If not, what make/model is it? That's a real nice looker there ...

I'm not an AK guy either, being heavily invested in and trained on ARs, but lately I've been eyeballing this particular 7.62x39 market. Back in the day, I owned a couple of SKSs that didn't see much range time, but sold them quickly when that market got hot.

Seems to me, unless you're an AK-expert or guru, it's hard to tell the crapola from the quality builds. I've read complaints on various boards about "new" AKs with canted front sights, loose stock/receiver fits, rough mag-wells causing sticky mag changes, et. al.

Personally, I'd like to get a quality AKM-type that's reasonably priced, ... so I'm open to suggestions as to what and where to look.

 

[Girodin]

I also want a well made gun, not something cheap.

Good news!!! The days of cheap AKs are long gone.

It does not necessarily need to be milled, but it does need to be as close to a proper Russian original AK or early AKM.

That is going to cost you a fair amount. I may incorrectly assume you are not dead set on any particular 100% accurate clone. Assuming you want something russian and traditional looking, the closest you can get to a a Russian AK is to buy a Russian AK (or at least one whose heart and sole is Russian but that has enough US parts to be 922r compliant.) There are two main options for Russian AKs and then subsidiary options within each.

The first set of options is either a Saiga based gun or a Vepr based gun. I can explain this statement more at length if you like, but the saiga is probably closer to what you are asking for.

The bad news is Saigas are no longer imported and prices have jumped up, a lot. The days of standard saigas for $270 out the door are unfortunately a distant memory. An unconverted saiga probably cannot be found for less than $550. Here is one at Atlantic (which doesn't necessarily have the best prices in my experience) for $625 http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/com...saiga-ak-47-rifle-iz-132-detail.html?Itemid=0

You need to add to that the cost of the parts to convert it back to the style and look you are after. Just the parts would be at least a few hundred dollars. That assumes you do the work yourself. It is not terribly difficult work and can yield a very good gun.

Unconverted Vepr rifles are typically the same price range. Depending on the model there can be added complications with converting them to a more traditional look.

It makes you understand why they want nearly $1400 for something like this:

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/com...russian-rak-ak47-classic-detail.html?Itemid=0

Although its still a mind blowing price to me particularly given that it doesn't look like they even went to the effort to weld up the old FCG holes from the sporter format gun.

You can buy already converted saigas but don't expect them to be cheap. My guess is for one with the front end done you will be over $1000.

If you don't have to have a Russian gun, but rather are just after the traditional look, there are some other less expensive options. Pay attention to what you are actually getting though. There are a lot of guns out there that I would not be particularly interested in owning. Some of them are pretty expensive guns too.

Honestly, if all you want is something to go bang that has the traditional AK look, a Wasr 10 that you can inspect before buying is probably one of the better values. For how I use an AK, 0-300 Yds from field positions, I don't know that you see a lot of difference between a Wasr 10 and a saiga/Vepr/etc. I have owned both Saigas and Veprs FWIW. You can probably find a better price but I'm using the same vendor for apples to apples comparison.

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/com...-wasr-10-7-62x39mm-rifle-detail.html?Itemid=0


If you want something really close to a true military AKM and that is a good value, an SBRed Draco is a nice choice. Personally unless one couldn't or really didn't want to own an SBR, I think this is a great choice for a shooter. Barrel length is ideal for the 7.62x39 round IMHO. They can be had for $450. You need to add $200 for the stamp and then the rest of price depends on what exactly you are going to do and whether you can do it your self or not.

But $839? For an AK? That's more than what my PTR-91 GI cost... is it really worth it? If so, why?

Like I have said a few times the price of AKs have gone way up. It is kind of interesting given how soft the AR market is. Whether it is worth it or not is largely subjective. That said, I like AKs and I understand the desire to own one just to have an exemplar if nothing else. That said, for the money ARs are much better buys in the current market, particularly for a gun meant to be used and not a collection piece.

If you want a shooter with the AK look, a WASR that is inspected prior to purchase will make most people happy. From there it is just a matter of what exactly more you want and what you are willing to pay for.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

It took me awhile to decide on what AK to get but I finally decided on getting an Arsenal. I was planning on getting a 7.62x39 until I realized how much I missed my AK74 Tantal. Now I'm getting a SLR104FR.

It does annoy me that now cheap AKs are more expensive than cheap AR15s.

 

[Snowdog]

How does she group?

Thanks Cooldill. This rifle really is a nice looking AK. I opted for the "classic" over the "premium" (the premium has a perfect stock whereas the classic may have some "character") The wood on the one I received looks pretty nice to me.

As for the group, the only opportunity I've had so far to shoot mine was at a 25 yard indoor range. At 25 yards, this is the group I received by firing at a rate of about 1 round a second (as fast as I could shoot while reacquiring the front sight).
I wasn't expecting a good group, but it actually was better than I was expecting.

Below is that group. I had a far better group where I took my time but didn't put it in my range bag so unfortunately no picture of it.

Snowdog: is that an Atlantic Arms Polish AK in your pic? If not, what make/model is it? That's a real nice looker there ...

That's the picture I took of mine the day I brought it home. Yesterday, a buddy of mine who unlike me is knowledgeable about the AK said he was impressed with it. He said it has "has no slop" which I didn't ask him to elaborate and can only assume it means it's tight (it doesn't rattle at all when shook) and he was all over the rivets saying they were done right.

All I know is it's made from a Polish kit with the fewest parts needed to make it 922R compliant... and I really like it. It looks good and just feels right. I even bought Polish steel mags for it (shown in the picture).

 

[Panzerschwein]

OH BOY!!! I'm about to have a stroke over here. That Polish AK really is rattling by branches in a most POSITIVE way!!!

I'd love to see some other factory options like that guys, and maybe some more input on this Polish gun. Is it quality? Worth the money? Because it sure is pretty!!!

 

[dekibg]

Zastava N-PAP , brand new , around $600

 

[Snowdog]

The folks at AK Operator's Union, local 47-74 have a thing or two to say about Atlantic Arm's Polish AK. In this video, it is spoken about in detail.

Click for video: Click here

 

[hso]

http://www.arsenalinc.com/usa/SA_M-7_CLASSIC.html

 

[UltimateGuns]

Cooldill,

Welcome to the sickness!

The closest AKM you're going to get to a "real" one is a Saiga. They're made in the Izmash plant where the actual Soviet and Russian military AKs were built. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Obama has banned import of these because of Putin's involvement in Ukraine. However, there are plenty of them out there. Check Gunbroker.

The ones imported to the US have been "sporterized". To get them to full Russian-spec is going to require some work. You'll need to correct the trigger group, add "furniture", and make this U.S. Code 922r compliant. Basically, for an AKM, you'll need to replace the factory parts with 6 US-built parts. You can replace whichever parts you want, as long as there are no more than 10 foreign parts on the rifle.

Check this website and enter AK-47 at the top of the form.

http://jobson.us/922r/

Having said that, the easiest way to 922r compliance is changing the fire control group and a stock/ grip set.

Converting the fire control group will give you 3 parts towards compliance. Personally, my favorite US trigger is ALG Defense's AKT. It costs around $50.

For stocks and grips, choose whatever you like. For a Russian look, order the Russian Red set from TimberSmith.

Lastly, most Saigas will require the muzzle to be threaded and the addition of a muzzle brake. To be accurate to Soviet spec, choose a Tapco Slant brake.

Good luck!

 

[barnbwt]

"But $839? For an AK?"
We can do better;


Haven't gotten to the MG15 mag-mod like this chopper has on mine (yet), but I do have the matched ZRAK scope

TCB