The "finer" Ak47s

[indykid]

tradertator, these days the "run of the mill" Poly Tech fixed stock with folding bayo has been going for between $1200 and $1500 with no box or accessories.

Double underfolders are around $2000 and ChrisK found out, Legends are in the "you gotta be kidding" range.

 

[pwoller]

The best one? The one you build!

 

[vitamink]

A good resource will be coming out in the next couple of months.

I never miss the guns and ammo "complete book of the AK"

 

[0750turbo]

I've had a norinco milled Mak-90 since new that I bought when working at a gun store in college (around 1990 or 91?). It does have the slant receiver which makes it more challenging to put a pistol grip stock on if you desire to do so but frankly I like the feel of the thumb hole stock just fine. It originally came with a dark chocolate brown finish on the wood. I sanded that all off and sealed the wood and it looks great.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Some of the old pre ban stuff is among the finest to ever make it into the US. For $1500 and some luck, you should be able to find a Polytech or Norinco pre ban. Personally, the Chinese stuff is my favorite.

Funny that came up here... I was just talking about this today... my dad bought one at an auction (pre-ban Chinese AK47 with full fixings as issued) back in Oct/Nov timeframe for $800... after the hammer fell he heard the skuttle-butt and scoffing in the crowd about how a stupid AK47 wasn't worth that much and the idiot that paid that much is going to be kicking himself tomorrow when he finds out he overpaid... he just kept his mouth shut and grinned widely inside that he was the only one knowledgeable enough at the auction to realize that it wasn't your ordinary AK47 (I may or may not have imparted that knowledge on him)...

I've looked it over and it's a real fine beauty... I haven't fired her though so I can't say for sure on operation.

Another decent AK if you can find one is a Vector. They went out of business a few years ago but they used to make some real fine AK's. I have 2 of their Polish underfolders and they are fine pieces of work... although one does seem a bit picky on magazines (it doesn't like the Yugo BHO mags).

 

[tradertator]

Funny that came up here... I was just talking about this today... my dad bought one at an auction (pre-ban Chinese AK47 with full fixings as issued) back in Oct/Nov timeframe for $800... after the hammer fell he heard the skuttle-butt and scoffing in the crowd about how a stupid AK47 wasn't worth that much and the idiot that paid that much is going to be kicking himself tomorrow when he finds out he overpaid... he just kept his mouth shut and grinned widely inside that he was the only one knowledgeable enough at the auction to realize that it wasn't your ordinary AK47 (I may or may not have imparted that knowledge on him)...

I've looked it over and it's a real fine beauty... I haven't fired her though so I can't say for sure on operation.

I paid $700 for my like new one Looks like me and your old man did alright Funny, because people read "Made in China" on them and instantly walk past.

 

[indykid]

Want to add that of the current generation, the ones build after the sunset of the clinton stupidity, the Vector ones are among the better builds, and amazingly even Century had to get one right when they had the Yugo M70s built for them.

The SAR series from during the clinton stupidity were really nice as they were 100% AKM in semi-auto, with standard size magazine wells. Their finish wasn't the greatest because they were originally destined for the Romanian military. ATF wasn't happy when they were told to inforce the sporting purpose clause of the 1968 GCA, or as I like to call it the sporting purpose clause of the new ATF second amendment, and banned the SAR series as being imported in an "unsporting" condition, and only after importation were they converted which ATF deemed was not the way the law was written. How sad because they were and still are nice rifles. Not the prettiest, but the only true military issue AKM ever imported into the land of shall not be infringed.

This thread has turned into a really nice listing of many ideas on how to get caught up in the AK-addiction!

 

[C.M.Burns]

all i am going to say is..... once you get one, you're gonna want more. they are very fairly priced for battle rifles and their reliability is unmatched.

i want a scar 16s, but for the price i can get up to 3 more arsenals lol.

but seriously, i dont think anyone has regetted an ak they purchased (other than wasr which i have no experience with)

 

[tradertator]

all i am going to say is..... once you get one, you're gonna want more. they are very fairly priced for battle rifles and their reliability is unmatched.

i want a scar 16s, but for the price i can get up to 3 more arsenals lol.

but seriously, i dont think anyone has regetted an ak they purchased (other than wasr which i have no experience with)

I dabbled in cheap AK's for years, but it wasn't until I purchased my Arsenal SGL31 that I really took an interest in them. If I had to put my life in my rifles hands, I'd grab it over any of my AR's that cost me several times more money. They can be much more accurate than they get credit for, and as you pointed out, the reliability is unparallelled to most anything out there.

 

[snorko]

Here is my problem with the CR, it's long enough to be pointless to SBR and short enough to look odd with a pinned muzzle device...i'd just get a 107UR

Unfortunately that train has left the station. If I could find a 107ur under $1,500 I would probably buy it on the spot.

 

[Max Volume]

I like that wood.

TMI ! j/k..........

 

[TEK]

unimaginable that one would pay more than a yard for an ak.

I got an egyptian maadi a couple decades ago for $600 with a long barrell, and a planet of the apes stock, that looked like hell and shot like a dream

 

[FireBirdDS]

It's an AK, there is nothing "finer" about any of them. We're talking stamped metal. It would be like searching for a "luxury" Honda Civic. Both are reliable, but cheap and mass-produced nonetheless.

 

[FireBirdDS]

Also, there aren't really any AK "brands" like we're used to. Only companies who import from the same former Soviet blocs (who didn't believe in copyright) and reassemble them with their name on the box as the importer and assembler of the parts.

 

[indykid]

FireBirdDS, you obviously have never held a Poly Tech Legend.

 

[snorko]

unimaginable that one would pay more than a yard for an ak.

I got an egyptian maadi a couple decades ago for $600 with a long barrell, and a planet of the apes stock, that looked like hell and shot like a dream

Based on the CPI index, you paid $984.80 in todays dollars

 

[CountryBoy19]

Also, there aren't really any AK "brands" like we're used to. Only companies who import from the same former Soviet blocs (who didn't believe in copyright) and reassemble them with their name on the box as the importer and assembler of the parts.

There most certainly are "brands". I understand what you're saying, but these days almost all AK variants are de-milled then reassembled in the US. The re-assembly in the US with US parts is the big difference in quality. You can have CAI imports that are really the bottom barrel in most cases, or you can have Vectors, Arsenals and the offerings from many of the smaller shops that have a great deal of attention put into every detail during the re-building process...

So while you're right in that most of the basic parts are coming from the same handful of com-bloc countries, the US parts and the craftsmen putting it all together are not the same.

 

[tradertator]

It's an AK, there is nothing "finer" about any of them. We're talking stamped metal. It would be like searching for a "luxury" Honda Civic. Both are reliable, but cheap and mass-produced nonetheless.

There's a huge difference in the cheap AK's and the "finer" ones. If you can't tell the difference between a cobbled together WASR and Polytech, you need to get your eyes checked. One could make the same argument using a Corvette or Chevette. Both are cars, mass produced, and will most likely get you from point A to B. Hamburger or fillet mignon. Both are beef. DPMS or Noveske. Both are AR's.

 

[Gordy]

The Gordon Technologies SLR100 milled receiver rifles were built here in Indiana with Indiana craftsmanship and many parts made in Indiana by local companies. Many SLR95, SSR99, and K101 were also built here in Indiana. All are milled receivers. If you want to know if it was made here in Indiana, remove the lower handguard and look for a "G" stamp on the barrel.

 

[Clay]

You can have CAI imports that are really the bottom barrel in most cases, or you can have Vectors, Arsenals and the offerings from many of the smaller shops that have a great deal of attention put into every detail during the re-building process.

lets not confuse things.

CAI both imports complete rifles, and builds rifles from parts kits. WASR and older PSLs (and more) were complete rifles. CAI simply made them US legal (open up mag well, and made the parts count right), but things like the Yugo underfolders, tantals, Bulgy ak-74s were built from kits.

Vector primarily builds from kits.

Arsenal imports complete rifles, and makes them US compliant. No kit builds here.