Is this a good deal on an AK-47?

W

Warm Bore

New member
Got the flyer today for one of our local shops. They are advertising a limited quantity of these rifles. The ad reads as follows:

ROMANIAN
AK-47-SAR-1

-Wood Stock
-Pistol Grip
-Web Sling
-2 magazines
-Will accept all conventional mags
-$349.99

This would be my first military rifle purchase. I don't really know that much about AK's but I do know I've always wanted one. Is this a good deal?

Thanks to all,

Warm Bore
 
Yes. I own one. They are banned from further importation. Just check for 2 things. When looking down the sights, if the front sight tower or the tube above the barrel (gas tube), seem at all canted to one side or the other, ditch the deal. An easy way to tell is by looking at the little, horizontal drum near the top of the front site. If it seems pushed all the way to one side, your sight is probably canted. Some early ones had problems like that, but after about a year, they got that straightened out. You can expect about 2-5" groups at 100yds, which is ok for an AK style weapon. Essentially, it shoots as well as 90% of shooters can with iron sights. Ammo is dirt cheap-$80 for 1k rounds. The SAR's are utterly reliable, and have many customizable features. Mine has never failed me. They take all of the regular military double stack mags. For more info, check out and ask at the AK forum at http://www.assaultweb.net
 
I bought one and am happy with it. And ammo is cheap like Poodleshooter said. I bought five magazines from ammoman.com for $50 and haven't had the slightest problem with reliability.
 
I've heard before that SAR's were banned, but I called century arms, who imports these rifles, and they know nothing of an import ban. In fact, they state they are legal to import.

The ATF's site doesn't have any mention of a ban, and I searched for quite some time.

Any links to governement documents, or is this one of those internet rumor things?
 
You can no longer import AK system rifles or receivers. Thats why you are seeing so many of the 'converted' rifles on the market now (ie,,WASR's and so forth).. The SAR-1 is a very nice rifle. You will be very pleased with it. Just be sure to look it over as the above post stated.
 
maby so but you can get a norinco mak 90(ak-47)for that at most gunshows.the norinco is a superior AK-47.SOME PEOPLE DONT LIKE THE THUMBHOLE STOCKS BUT THE TRIGGER AND QUALITY OF THE NORINCO CANT BE BEAT OR MATCHED FOR 350 BUCKS.
 
VEPR II's are being imported new as we post. OF course, they are retrofitted with the PC USA upgrade, btu they are still AK (actually PRK) receivers. I think the deal is they come from one of two Russian factories that were exempted from the ban.
 
Mak 90s, and perhaps other AK clones may show better workmanship (I've never made a detailed comparison), but I have two SAR-1s and am very happy with them. I think the SAR-1 is preferable to the SAR-2 and SAR-3 because the 7.62x39 is more readily available and cheap, and I don't see much reason to go with a small, high-velocity caliber on a rifle that isn't full auto, and isn't especially accurate for long-range shooting. A couple of significant advantages of the SARs over the Mak 90s and many other AK clones is that the SARs come with a pistol grip, and enough US parts to make it legal to use imported AK magazines. I think that if you want to do this with most other AKs, you would have to buy and install several more US parts (or live with the thumbhole stock, etc.). Also, the SARs come with the AK receiver scope mount installed - that makes it a snap to install any of the AK-style scopes or red dot sights, and it it is more solid and "authentic." I have a Russian Military-style Cobra red-dot sight that mounts on my SARs easily. I also added black plastic Bulgarian-style stocks to one of mine. It looks very nice, is legal, and works very reliably (as does my other SAR-1). I think $350 for one of these is a good price - you'd have to work pretty hard to beat it, and if you could it wouldn't be by much. I ordered mine for $320 each a couple of years ago - but by the time I added shipping and FFL fee, it comes out to more than $350.

Doug
 
Hey Warm,

Just bought a SAR-1 for 299 including shipping, 1 30rd & 1 10rd mag, sling, cleaning kit, from aimsurplus.

Tony
 
sar 1 7.62x39 sar2 5.45 sar3 nato 223. i think or i have them mixed up.
to install a pistol grip pn a mak you need 5 usa made peices.simplest way without messing up the wonderful trigger group would be like this
3 us part would be the pistol grip and the 2 forward hand gaurds 4 th us part can be the magazine followers and 5 th piece can be the mag floor plate.on all you mags of course.this is leagle.go to ak.com their loaded with this topic all the time.
i think if you mess with the trigger group you defeating the purpose of having a factory made norinco.the reason the sar are not as sweet is due to this very fact that the trigger groups and other internals are us made so they are in fact parts rifles.every serial number will match on a mak -90.and finally the thumbhole stock aint that bad ,i refinished mine and left it natural.looks very good.
 
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