Wasr-2?

[thelittlestchipmunk]

I am thinking about AK-74 for plinking and maybe a little bit of hunting. This will be my first AK-74. I will probably be buying it online @ Atlantic Firearms for $439. Is that price OK? Are the WASR-2's worth the money? I would get a Tantal or something else but I live in CT so my options are pretty limited.

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

I recommend an Arsenal SGL 31. They are a little pricey, but you will get the highest quality rifle that will hold it's value. A WASR does work well as a beater rifle that you won't mind scratching up.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I've cleaned up this thread in hopes the OP will get some advice from people who have had some experience with the rifle in question.

 

[il_10]

It should do you just fine. I have little experience with the wasr-2, but I do know the wasr-10, as do many here. Make sure you check out your local hunting regs first though, a lot of states don't allow .23 or smaller for big game.

If your heart is set on 5.45x39, you may also want to consider the Saiga. They tend to be a little cheaper, and if you like to tinker, you can convert them to the AK style trigger group later.

 

[ball3006]

I have a Wasr 2, single stack mag, that I bought back in 1999 when they were the only game in town. It has been 110 percent reliable over the last 12 years. Besides, I like the 10 round mag, I also have 5 round mags too, because when you take someone shooting, they don't blast all of you ammo up with hi cap mags. I am a good shot so I can hit what I am shooting at so I don't have to carry around all that heavy ammo.....chris3

 

[henschman]

I bought a WASR 2 that took standard capacity double stack mags back in 2001. I put a lot of rounds through that rifle and it always worked flawlessly. It has near zero recoil. I sold it to some guy with a Russian accent outside of a gun show for $300 a few years later, but I kind of wish I had kept it.

Functionally I doubt you'll notice a difference between a WASR and a higher end rifle. Though at that price, I would be tempted to just buy a Saiga instead, seeing how they are under $400. You could do the conversion, or not.

I think the conversion would be a fun project that isn't too hard but would make you very familiar with your rifle... and when you're done, you would have a product equal to the top-notch Arsenals. Of course the Saiga is perfectly useable the way it comes out of the box, so you could accumulate the parts for the conversion piecemeal, as your budget allows.

 

[Chopdoktor]

I have a WASR-2, and it's been a dream to shoot. It has very little recoil, uses cheap ammo and cheap mags, and is solidly accurate. I have shot 3,000+ rounds through it without a single cleaning, other than an occasional bore-brushing. It never malfunctioned a single time. Finally, I cleaned the filthy sucker... took me 2 hours and a Dremel tool with a wire brush bit, but I finally got it clean again! I highly recommend them.