I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

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mekender
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I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by mekender »

ok, so I want an AK. I will be starting an AR build soon so it is only proper to give my AR a counterpart.

The problem, there are eleventymillion choices and I have no idea what they are.

So, I ask for help from those that might be more experienced.

I want a rifle that looks like this.

Image

I do not like the pistol grip front end that I see on some of the AK's. Just a simple, classic AK.

Now, caliber is not too important, I am willing to go with 7.62 or even 5.56... I've even thought about a 5.45 gun but I am afraid that the ammo supply isnt all that steady and I would hate to buy a gun that was going to be hard to shop for.

So, any advice?
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Kommander
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Kommander »

The pic you have there is of a milled AK, which is going be be more expensive and harder to get then the usual stamped AKM type. Anyway here are some sites that sell AKs and should have what your looking for.

J&G

Atlantic Firearms

Remember gunbroker is your friend too.
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Darrell
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Darrell »

I'm sure the Romy defenders will show up, but I'd say to spend $550 or so and get a good one.

ETA: Wow, I hadn't checked prices in a while. I went over to Atlantic's website and looked around, the $550 AKs are now $650-850. Consider a Saiga conversion (made by Izhmash, the real AK maker), a Lancaster, Vector or Bulgarian. Some would say Yugo, though they generally don't have chrome lined barrels.

Go over to ak47dotnet/ar15dotcom and read up in the AK pages to learn about the different makes:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/board.html?b=4

Personally, I don't like cheap AKs, though some say that's what the AK should be... hence Romys and such. I have a Russian one and a Bulgarian, both quality firearms; both are accurate and run like tops. I'm not a fan of the slant brake/compensator, I prefer a muzzle brake or flash hider, or nothing at all.

For caliber, 7.62x39 is of course the standard. Ammo is cheaper than .223, but more expensive than it used to be. .223 would be your best choice for availability down the road. the 5.45x39 is still cheaper than the other calibers, though I'd say to buy it cheap and stack it deep while you still can. Much of the cheap 5.45 out there is corrosive, so you'd need to clean the gun right after use. Any AK should happily digest the steel cased stuff, so no worries there.
Last edited by Darrell on Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Eppur si muove--Galileo
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Kommander
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Kommander »

The Rommys are not bad, but the aren't the value they were 5 years ago when they could be had for $300. If you do decide to get a Rommy buy it locally so you can check for problems. (cant, loose magwells, etc) If I was to buy one mail order from the two pages I listed I would go with the Vector Arms AK 47 Classic Wood Style or the AK47 Rifle Russian Red by Lancaster Arms. The Vector has a longer butstock, whereas the Lancaster has a better finish, Gun-Kote over parking vs. just parking on the Vector.

My personal AK is a Bulgarian similar to this one (and available with wood at both sites) but I am reluctant to recommend it since it has a thicker 1.6mm receiver that makes it incompatible with standard AKM type furniture.
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FelixEstrella
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by FelixEstrella »

I second a the Saiga conversion choice. You can even do the conversion yourself and gain valuable kow-how and experience.
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Darrell
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Darrell »

I'll probably sound like a broken record, but since this is a new forum I get to say it once more: My VEPR II in 7.62x39 absolutely rocks. It's a pity they're not available anymore, maybe down the road they'll be imported once more, though I doubt Robinson will ever do them again... A friend has a VEPR II in .223, it is probably the best AK type I've ever shot. He wouldn't sell it to me, so I got an Arsenal (Bulgarian) SLR 106 FR .223 AK, it's a very good gun, but it doesn't quite measure up to the VEPR. If you're willing to buy used, the VEPRs are on the various auction sites, though you'll pay through the nose for them.

One thing to consider about .223 AKs, magazines aren't standard as they are with the x39 AKs. Not all .223 mags will work with all guns, as far as I know.
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Kommander
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Kommander »

For a first AK I also recommend that you get it in 7.62x39. You will have absolutely no problems with ammo or magazine availability if you do.
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Darrell
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Darrell »

This thread inspired me to take out the AKs for some shootin' today, so thanks! :) I was picking off clays at 100 yds with both, the VEPR with iron sights, the SLR with the PK-AS sight. The PK-AS on the VEPR got knocked off zero somehow, so I just shot it with the irons.

I took a gander at a couple of interesting guns for sale while at the range, one a .223 AK; it was a "Golani" Galil, looked very nice, they were asking $850 for it. I gather it's actually a Century make, they just tag the Golani name on it. If it's a Century, I'd be leery of it, though it did look and feel good. And the Galil is an example of .223 AKs needing particular magazines. The other was a DSA FAL, wow! Very nice, but it had a $2,400 price tag on it. Too rich for my blood.
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AZMARK
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by AZMARK »

The pic in the OP looks pretty much like a Lancaster, so I'll second them.
My favorite story of his ended with "...and so he went out the back door in his bathrobe, flipped the AK to 'Afrikaner', and started hosing the baboons off his tennis court." - Tam
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Kommander
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Re: I want an AK... help!!! too many choices

Post by Kommander »

While many century guns can be ok I have head tons of bad things about their Galil rifles. I would stay away.
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