Which AK-47 to get?

R

RetiredMajor

New member
There's a gun show coming up and I want to buy an AK-47. In general, it will be lightly used at the range and be kept for home defense. I want to stick with the 7.62 X 39 caliber. I prefer short stocks and might even like a folding stock on this for portability. I have about $600 to spend on the rifle.

Any advice on what to get or stay away from?

Thanks in advance,
Major
 
About your only choice in that price range is one of the offerings by Century Arms. If you want as close to a military spec AK as you can get with a chrome lined bore (advisable) then the WASR 10 is your best bet. It will leave you a little extra left over for some mags and some ammo.

When you're looking at WASR 10's, make sure the front sight block isn't canted. You can do this by sighting down the bore of the rifle as you normally would and look for any visible cant.

Put a mag into the rifle and check it for fit. A little wobble isn't bad, it's actually preferable to a super tight fit.

Rack the bolt a few times to make sure things move smoothly and nothing sticks or hangs up.

Give it a good once over and if it looks good, it should be a fine shooter that will serve you well.

They're not pretty, but they're about the only true military grade AK on the market in the price range you're looking at.

If you can afford $200 more, I would definitely tell you to look at an Arsenal SGL21. It's a true Russian AK built in Izhmash, the home of the real AK rifles using mil-spec parts and a cold hammer forged chrome lined barrel.
 
Last edited:
I have a wasr 10 and can speak for it personally. Its a very good rifle. Don't expect good groupings at 100 yards, (or even 50 yards :D) but it will shoot every time you pull the trigger. I have shot well over 2k rounds through mine, not one jam. I don't ever recall cleaning this gun either, it really isn't necessary. the wasr 10 shouldn't dissapoint you, and its very affordable. I bought mine for about 350, but it might be higher now.
 
For $600, get a 1960 Polish AK with a milled receiver. There are several websites that sell them for that price or a little less. IMO, that's just about the most sturdy and well built AK you can get in the US for that budget.


Everything Sturm said above is spot on as far as inspecting WASRs. Especially pay attention to that front sight. I mean, if who ever assembled the parts kit can't line up a front sight, what else is misaligned on that thing? I'm guessing the receiver... Also, the SGLs are a very high quality AK variant for $200 more but I understand not wanting to drop $800 on an AK. To each his own.
 
Sturmgewehre, Thanks for the advice. I enjoy your MAC channel and recently bought the Lucid HD7, partly based on your review of it. It's a nice optic.

Given your response on the WASR 10, I take it you wouldn't have any hesitation buying one, if everything seemed OK with it?

Major
 
Major,

If the rifle checks out, there is nothing wrong with WASR 10s. I have a couple Romanian AKs that I shoot often and they are every bit as accurate as more expensive AKs I own and function 100%. They aren't as pretty, but they do what they were intended to do quite well.
 
For $600, get a 1960 Polish AK with a milled receiver
Click to expand...

Or 2 saigas! Lol.

Get a Saiga and use the leftover $ to put the pistol grip configuration on it yourself (it's EASY). Then buy ammo.

The VZ58 is nice too but is not an "AK."
 
If shipping a gun isnt a problem then check out classicarms.com :-) decent prices really. 450 for a wasr, 4mags, and a carrying case
 
HallAustin, thanks for the advice. Classic Arms has some good specials. I may get a Romanian AK-MV. The shooters package looks nice.
 
My 14 year old's WASR 10/63 was his first rifle, and still gets loaded in the bag for every range trip. It'll shoot within 2-3 minutes consistently with Wolf Precision, and like any other rifle I'm sure it would do better with more expensive ammo or handloads. We outfitted it with a POSP 4x and ring steel with it at 200M routinely. Fun rifle to shoot.

I second the WASR 10 as mentioned, get the /63 if you can, it has a beefed-up front trunnion with more support for the bolt carrier.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLLgfEzmtlirqLm13JGjM7SI8UnO0_zuB9nxNbmbWqtNOg8gi7TgNLR1F_
 
+1 saiga

its the same rifle that the Arsenal SGL series is made from, except its about $400 cheaper. If you have the proper tools and a little time (few hours), do the conversion yourself. Nothing better than a real Russian AK and the satisfaction of a job well done.

plus you get to choose all the stuff for your rifle, and your not stuck with the wood furniture.

Edit: just saw your last post. They come in a variety of calibers, including 7.62x39.

Edit #2: not only is the rifle that Arsenal modifies, its also the rifle that KrebsCostom, OneSourceTactical, AK-103.com, and counless others modify and sell.
 
Last edited:
i have another vote for the saiga, it's brand new, you can set it up the way you want. they're great. i have the 5.45 and the .410 shotgun. i have no complaints about either. so i just ordered the 7.62.
 
I picked up an AKMS, Century built (everything is straight and centered, I inspected first) Polish Underfolder about 6 weeks ago for $500. I've cycled 860 BrownBear rounds thru it, no failures, accurate. It's been a joy to shoot.

img_4950.jpg
 
Well, I decided! I bought the Romanian AK MV Shooter's Package from Classic Arms. It's on the way. Overall, it will be lightly used for plinking and range fun. It could pull duty as a home defense gun, but I have other choices.

It's about halfway down the page on this link:

http://www.classicarms.us/semi-auto rifles.htm

I realize the Romanians are considered lower quality, but I've read good reviews on them.

Anyone else own one of these or have purchased this package?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top