View Full Version : AK-47 quality question.
habanero
09-27-2003, 10:38
At my favorite gun shop, they have a whole rack of AK-47's. I look at them every time I go to that store, and they really tempt me. You see, I use to live in California, where these things are NOT legal, so you never see them. So you could imagine my suprise when they were just laying on this rack, with price tags. The guy at the store showed me one which he called a "Romanian", which was priced at $269 (they have excellent prices on most of their guns). Everything looked great on it, but I needed to do a little more research before I threw the cash on the table. Anyone know how I can find out more, or what my experience might be with this type of gun? I think it would just be so cool to show up at the range and blast away with something like this.
What do you want to know? In general Romanian SAR1 or a WASR10 are excellent starter AK's. I own one of each. They are rough around the edges compared to a Bulgarian or Russian AK but they will work reliably. Here is a link for the AK newbie. If you have a specific question, post it.
http://linx310.nothingbutguns.com/
Messiah Jones
09-28-2003, 13:43
The SAR series of AK rifles is probably the most popular in America. The reason is that they are the cheapest AK you can get but still function well. They come in three calibers including 7.62X39, 5.45X39 and 223. At that price you will be happy with a Romanian SAR. They are cosmetically a little rough around the edges as stated above, but many people buy them with the intention of spiffing them up. It's way better than paying $600 or so for a different model.
On the other hand you can get a Saiga for around $225. They are of top notch quality both cosmetically and in functionality. They come with the "sporter" style stock and 10 round magazine, but are built on the same AK reciever as any other AK. They can easily be converted to accept high capacity magazines and the traditional pistol grip of the AK.
So on one hand the SARs are already set up in traditional AK style. They accept high cap mags and have a pistol grip. But they cost more and have cosmetic issues.
On the other hand, Saigas are flawless in design and looks and cost less. The Saigas also are available in many MANY calibers. And can be converted easily.
The SARs have recently been banned from import to the US so I'd expect the prices to go up on those. One of the most desireable versions of the SAR is the SAR2 which fires the Russian 5.45X39 round. The round is accurate and in current use by Russia BUT... it is not made in the US and is harder to find. And with the recent SAR ban there's no telling how hard it's gonna be to find the ammo for it.
I have several SARs and Saigas. They are both great but I have to say that since I've learned to convert the Saigas myself there's no better way to do it. Some SARs may have misaligned sights and most have poor trigger components that need to be replaced eventually. That is usually a minor ordeal, though it will really frustrate you. Check here for all you need to know about SARs...
http://linx310.nothingbutguns.com/
The Saigas unfortunately have no really good website. But over the past year I have gathered a lot of info and organized it into a Saiga Conversion CD that I sell. If you're interested let me know and I'll give you more details.
boogeyman
10-01-2003, 09:43
The SAR1 is my first AK and I would not trade it for the world! I got a good one with good wood and straight FSB. Check every one out though.
Originally posted by boogeyman@Oct 1 2003, 10:43 AM
The SAR1 is my first AK and I would not trade it for the world!
YOU have never picked up an SLR-95 or a VEPR-k!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:D :D :D
Originally posted by quadfan+Oct 1 2003, 08:16 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (quadfan @ Oct 1 2003, 08:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-boogeyman@Oct 1 2003, 10:43 AM
The SAR1 is my first AK and I would not trade it for the world!
YOU have never picked up an SLR-95 or a VEPR-k!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:D :D :D [/b][/quote]
How about emptying a 30 round mag in 2.5 seconds. Huh!!! :rapid:
one good cop
10-02-2003, 12:03
I'm with quad fan on the bulgarian and vepr are two of the finest ak-47's ever built. No comparison on any others all else pale in quality and durability if i had it to do all over again I would have saved my money on a bulgarian or vepr :D ........me and quad are always on the same page......... :D
Originally posted by Easyl@Oct 2 2003, 09:12 AM
How about emptying a 30 round mag in 2.5 seconds. Huh!!! :rapid:
UUUUUUUUH..........OK!
All I was saying is that there are lots of AK variants out there,and some of them are lots better than the sar's. Me and onegoodcop have discovered this over time and lots of hands-on comparison. I myself have owned AK's in 3 different calibers and 6 different makers.While I don't consider myself the knowitall, I do encourage people to compare for themselves.
habanero
10-04-2003, 16:16
Hey, you guys have provided me with some nice information. I think I will do some more browsing before I lay my money on the table. Either way I go, I cant wait to show up at the range with some new sweet gun. I actually enjoy the modification of my guns, so the trigger issue wont bother me too much.
Thanks for your ideas!
Quadfan & OneGoodCop are right on target, just like your new VEPR K or II will be compared to the other AK variants. There is a reason that the VEPRs are called "The HK of AK".
You can check them out at Robinson Armament Website (http://www.robarm.com)
DocWagon
10-09-2003, 07:37
I bought a SAR-1 for one reason and one reason only. Cost. Cost to buy, cost to shoot, cost to maintain. Is it the best? Obviously not. It is good enough for what I want to do with it? Absolutely. It does indeed have that "3rd world feel" and has a little rattle if you shake it hard enough. However, it goes bang when it's supposed to, is accurate enough for my purposes, and I won't care if I sratch it, bang it up, etc.
Just like buying a golf club or a car. Think of what purpose you want it to serve, and buy accordingly.
mak90 for 350 cant be beat.i think the norinco ak is the ak to have....imhobut any ak is a good buy.
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