Gabe Suarez stops development of AKs, looks to other rifles

[esrice]

Anyone familiar with Gabe Suarez or Warrior Talk knows that he's been a long-time proponent of the AK platform, and has worked hard to optimize the weapon system.

Recently it looks like his efforts have come to a halt, as he's now taken interest in other rifles like the PTR-91 and Sig 556R.

More on his decision here: Gabe Suarez Is A Sell-Out!!!!

 

[Que]

Sounds like a good business decision.

 

[Slow Hand]

Gabe is an intersting person....

He has some good ideas and points but he's very 'all or nothing' and he doesn't take well to folks disagreeing or questioning him.

I have to agree with Que, now all of his disciples will have to spend a couple grand to buy his new 'perfect battle rifle'. I read a lot of his stuff when he 'discovered' the sbr Uzi and quickly started marketing add ons for it.

I only scanned the link posted but it reminded me of Oprah Winfrey, having her own magazine so she can be on the cover every month. Gabe puts up a post and the first several responses were his! I wonder how many dissenting opinions he scrubbed so he could get his point across...

 

[Fordtough25]

Sounds like a good business decision.

Yup, money money. He's done a lot of cool things with the AK, I doubt he's done with them totally though. I get the emails and read them but like I said before, I study a wide variety.

 

[esrice]

Gabe puts up a post and the first several responses were his! I wonder how many dissenting opinions he scrubbed so he could get his point across...

I believe the first several posts are all one response, separated into several posts. Their forum software might have a character limit. It doesn't appear that he's replying to himself.

 

[Fordtough25]

I believe the first several posts are all one response, spread into several posts. Their forum software might have a character limit. It doesn't appear that he's replying to himself.

Yea he said it would be a "closed for now" thread, he wants all his speech out first.

 

[Slow Hand]

Ok, makes sense. Like I said, I didn't read much of it. I'm sure I'll get to it later on.

 

[esrice]

Here is a video on his "new" project.

The SIG 556R

I gotta say, as an AR guy myself, I find the SIG offering more interesting than the AK stuff.

 

[Sailor]

More value in a cheap AK and a lot of classes for the same cost.

 

[Hookeye]

So he's going to team up with Red Jacket?

 

[turnandshoot4]

You guys don't rmember our very own member doing a video on these?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrObcZb_CCI[/ame]

 

[millsusaf]

This ranks VERY low on my give a crap meter, very low indeed. Who cares that much to get their panties in a bunch like that, really do so many have so little to do that they worry about what rifle someone decides to use.....that by the way effects them zip, nada, not at all?

 

[Stainer]

I'm still confused as to why the 556r is 7.62x39.....doesn't seem right to me. Why not call it the 762r? I don't think I would throw my money at one of these. As stated above there are many better AK manufacturers out there. This is an AK with an M4 safety.

 

[Que]

I love all guns. That way I'm not tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. I can chew the meat and spit out the bones, so this doesn't bother me even one bit. I need to look up some of his old AK stuff, though.

 

[Clay]

You guys don't rmember our very own member doing a video on these?

the one Gabe is reviewing is the "new and improved" 556R, not the 'old and busted' 556R

 

[cedartop]

So he's going to team up with Red Jacket?

Already did that, didn't take long to figure where that was going out.

 

[cedartop]

More value in a cheap AK and a lot of classes for the same cost.

This is not an unwise position. One problem here is that most of the "cheap" Ak's you can get these days are junk. I am still of the opinion that it isn't tool, but the person using it that is important. That being said, I still like to have the best tool available.

 

[TheRude1]

I like Gabe

In some aspects it is an AK

And WT is a good site, VERY LITTLE BS

And it sounds like some of the problems have been solved ??

 

[88E30M50]

You have to keep in mind his perspective. He is not saying that the AK does not get the job done any longer, but simply that the level of rifle he is trying to sell is hampered by the spotty quality coming out of the AK supplier world. He comes right out and states that he is not satisfied with the 'good enough' weapons and is trying to deliver a top notch product. His suppliers are changing specs and it's getting tougher to build what he wants with what he is getting, so he is changing to a set of suppliers that are more consistent in what they send him.

I think a lot of folks are seeing this as his saying the AK is no longer good enough. I don't see that at all, and see him simply saying that the AKs that are being delivered are suffering quality issues that are impacting his ability to deliver a quality product to his customers.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Interestingly enough the "small board" he's commenting about is mine. This is the second thread he started on the topic and locked soon there after.

I locked the thread a few days ago since I figured it had run its course.

For reference, this is the thread that's prompted the response by Gabe: Military Arms Channel • View topic - Suarez ditching the AK?!

Yes, I had one of the early 556R's and it was by far one of the cheapest built and horribly unreliable rifles I've ever owned. It was poorly designed, had toyish stocks, non-chromed or nitrited barrel and lacked a steel shelf for the mags to log into. It malfunctioned with anything you fed it and came with a cheap red dot sight I wouldn't use on a airsoft gun much less a fighting rifle.

Apparently Sig heard the complaints of myself and countless others and made an attempt to improve the rifle. I don't believe they are marking the new rifles any differently than the old ones (so you have to look for the changes to identify a new rifle vs. an old one). I've not tested one of the second generation rifles. I'm reluctant spend money to test one given the extremely poor quality of the original and the less than helpful customer service at Sig. If you go shopping for one, be very careful and at least make sure you're getting a new second gen rifle vs. an original.