What AK brand?... Help decide.

[TacWick]

Ive wanted an 7.62 X 39 AK for along time. Ive beeb back and forth with this and could never decide. I just saw an amazing AK pic thread and I want. Ive got the budget right now. Just ordered two handguns and want another rifle. I would like that to be an AK.

So what are good brands. Ive seen krebs custom and I like. But thats it. For those with AKs please share.

Pics welcomes

[Timberwolf]

Arsenal Makes some fine AKs. Atlantic firearms has a wide variety, including Russians.

[anthony1]

I'd also go with arsenal or saiga if you want to do it yourself (same rifle arsenal does the work for you). Arsenal/saigas are new, factory assembled rifles. Many other ak's will be built from surplus parts kits by unknown builders. I'd go arsenal/saiga over anything else.

[diving dave]

+1 for Arsenal.

[Arik]

How much are you looking to spend? The problem is that 1) AKs have been gaining in popularity so they are no longer all that cheap and 2) This being an election year, everything is going up in price.

There is always the Saiga convertion, which will be the cheapest option but you'd have to convert it to standard AK look from its original sporting import look. This requires moving the fire control group forward and using enough US made parts to be legal.

Next on down the line are your Romanian WASRs. They arnt total crap but not the greatest either. They still function like an AK and all but their finish is crappy and they tend to come with canted sights. This is a great beater/trunk gun and one that I would only buy if I saw it in person first. Since they are imported as singe stack and their magwell is opened up here, to accept double stack mags, sometimes you'll get mag wobble. Usually its only a cosmetic issue and will not efect function.

The New Yugo PAP seems good. (no personal experiance) Pretty much the same idea as the WASR. Single stack, opened up here. The Yugos dont have chrome lined barrels if that matters to you. So if you shoot corrosive ammo you'll need to clean a little better.

Century made Polish 1960 AKMS is actually a well built AK (for Century) They use a milled reciever an a Polish parts kit. No mag wobble problems but its possible to have canted sights. (no manufacturer is imune from canted front sights)

Norinco/Polytech/MAK90 - are Chinese variants that are good quality AKs. Polytech being the most expansive one. They came in lots of sonfigurations. Underfolders, side folders, fixed wooden stocks 5.56 and 7.62 cal. All have a stamped 1.5mm reciever (the norm is a stamped 1mm), thicker barrels, blued. Generally very well made rifles that were nothing more then the semi auto version of their military rifles. The MAK90 is the Saiga of the bunch. Stands for Modified AK 1990. In 1990 by law they had to be "sporterized" to be imported. This ment cutting off the bayonet lug, taking off the barrel threads and adding a thumb hole stock. Like the Saiga you can change it back to the AK config by adding US made parts. The problem now with the Chinese AKs is that they were autlaw'd in 1994 there for none have been imported in the last 18 years and a lot of whats out there has been Bubba'd to hell and back. What hasnt been Bubba'd now costs a pretty penny ($1K range) but you can still find them for around $700 but you have to look HARD. I just picked up a preban underfolder still new in wrapper for $599.

If you do go this route look for 2 things. First, some were imported by B-West and some were made by B-West using parts kits. Those that were MADE BY stay away. They used poor quality soft steel recievers. Second, some MAK90s came in with the 3rd pin. Thats the full auto sear. Big nono. The pin will be right above the mag release and will look like an inverted rivet. They are still floating around out there and are illigal.

Krebs does good quality work but you'll pay $$ for that.

Arsenal, although they've been catching some heat lately for shitty QC and CS.

There are also other smaller companies that built AKs using Polish and Bulgarian parts kits


Here's my MAK90


My Norinco 5.56x45 converted to 5.45x39


My Norinco Underfolder 7.62x39


And my Arsenal 7.62x39

[Moose-Knuckle]

OP your in luck, Arsenal just got in a new batch of their SLR-107s (7.62x39) in their various incarnations. They go fast and who know if and when they will be in stock again. Atlantic firearms and K-VAR corp. have them in stock currently. They go fast.

[SteyrAUG]

OP your in luck, Arsenal just got in a new batch of their SLR-107s (7.62x39) in their various incarnations. They go fast and who know if and when they will be in stock again. Atlantic firearms and K-VAR corp. have them in stock currently. They go fast.

That's is the one I just got recently.

[Moose-Knuckle]

That's is the one I just got recently.

Yeap, I picked up a SLR107-21 for under a $1K once I got the email notifing me they were in stock.

I am really trying hard not to buy an SLR107-61 to SBR.

[DeltaSierra]

there is only one brand to buy - arsenal.

[EBAM1A]

I have had Arsenal and chi-com AKs in the past, now I only have Krebs AKs. After having the Krebs nothing else will compare.