MAK-90

V

VIEJO

New member
The Norinco AK-47 modified to fit the 1990 mandate regading the pistol grip and threaded muzzle. Do I have good info so far, Gentlemen?

I put one on layaway yesterday.A disabled vet had bought it and stashed it in 1990 in unfired condition. I compared it to several other ComBloc AKs and the materials and workmanship equalled a Russian AK for half the cost. It comes with two 30 rd. mags, two 5 rd., tools, a tool pouch, new canvas sling and cleaning kit. It has a wierd thumbhole stock that I will have to do some reshaping on to get a better handful.

I did look in the search mode for info and nothing came up on this particular model. Do any of you AK owners have this particular model and can you tell me about it? I'm reading that the AKs are very dependable for the most part. I am expecting battle rifle accuracy and no more as I am not the greatest rifle shot to begin with, but ammo seems to be cheap enough so I can practice a LOT.

Re the 30 round magazines for sale: Are there any that are better than others or is it a crapshoot like any other aftermarket mags? Any brands I should especially avoid? I've heard that the Norinco factory 30s and the East German 30s are best, is that true?

I am grateful for any responses regarding this rifle. And it IS a BAD lookin' devil with that 30 in the well.

Viejo
 
Check out: http://webarmory.ixworld.com/manuals/akmanuals.html for a manual, if you didn't get one with the rifle.

And, spend a little time at: http://www.ak-47.net/akboard/ultimatebb.cgi for lots of info on AK's.

AK's do have a great reputation for reliability. The 7.62x39 doesn't have the power of a .308, and the AK does not have the accuracy of an AR, but ... it is certainly a handy rifle. Do a search on TFL, and you'll also find a ton of discussion about AK's. Pick up 'Bostons Gun Bible' for some very interesting discussion and analysis of main battle rifles and carbines.

The Wolf ammo, although steel-cased, seems to do just fine in these rifles. And, they are easy to clean. Check out Tapco ( http://www.tapco.com/store/ ) and K-Var ( http://www.k-varcorp.com/ ) for parts.

See if you can find a Tactical Carbine course in your area. If not, buy a Tactical Carbine video from Gunsite, GunVideo or another source.

You'll enjoy that rifle. Everyone should learn how to use the ubiquitous AK. Good luck with your purchase.

Regards from AZ
 
I have a MAK 90 just like that..I can say that they are very reliable. Is yours long-barrleled, bayonet lug, etc?
As far as accuracy goes they are really not all that bad, but they were never intended to be tack drivers anyway.
Overall I like them and the trigger is nest on the mak 90 rifles. They are easy to shoot rapidly and aftermarket Dragunav (hope I am spelling it right) stocks are available if you dont like the origional thumbhole stock.
Yes the German mags tend to be better quality.
 
Just keep it 100% original Chinese, I mean do not put any
U.S.-made "gizmos" inside your AK. That would be the best way to have trouble-free AK. In regard to magazines - absolutely any East Block or Chinese magazines are just fine. Have Russian, German, Hungarian and Chinese AK mags -
all are 100 %, no noticable difference in performance or appearance. although Russian and Chinese seem to have better bluing. Of course, stay away from any AK U.S.-made mags - any rat knows it's a pure crap.
 
The MAK-90 is a very good AK version. I really like the double hook trigger, large magazine paddle, and hardchromed bolt/carrier. Mine has been completely reliable and more than acceptably accurate.

The things I don't like about the MAK-90 is the odd cut at the rear of the receiver that makes fitting a standard stock look funny and the rather thin blued finish that tends to rust if grossly neglected.

The only AK mags that should be avoided is the Chinese made Bakelite (red plasticy stuff) 7.62x39 30-rnd versions. These are relatively rare and pricey at about double the rate of steel mags. They have a tendency to crack at the feed lips (mine is).

Otherwise, all foreign made steel magazines are very robust (ever see that picture of a soldier sitting on the mag, using his AK as a chair?) and reliable.
 
Some of the MAK-90s have the angle cut receivers, some don't. Both types will accept the standard buttstocks, but the angle cut receivers will have an annoying gap. Maybe someone out there can point you in the right direction for obtaining a metal filler piece for the gap. I seem to remember seeing a product made specifically for that purpose.

Every MAK-90 that I have shot has been 100% reliable. They have the nicest triggers, too.

Noban
 
I have a Norinco MAK-90 as well. The trigger is one of the nicest I've used on an AK variant -- much better than my Egyptian Maadi ARM. Despite the good trigger, I find that it's EASIER to do the "bump" method! :)

Justin
 
Ummm.... doesn't the F-troop take a dim view of putting proper pistol grip and buttstock on a rifle that originally had a butt-hole stock?
 
I have a Mak90 which used to be an underfolder and now has a Choate stock. Has to use the screw from the original Chinese stock because the one that came with Choate was too short. The new stock was a great improvement as was Williams aperture sight that replaced the V-notch (no elevation adjustments but with 100m near zero it isn't needed). I also put an orange front post in place of the regular black. Nice, 100% reliable gun (don't put a recoil buffer in). Any mags work, can go lower with 75rd Chinese drums.

Practical accuracy: sporting clay at 100m.
 
Thanks, Fellas.
As usual, the forum members at TFL come back with a lot of really good, usable information.

Hats off to y'all.

Viejo
 
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