I am in the market for a decent AK…I don’t mind spending about 800 bucks. I have always heard good things about Arsenal AKs. Any thoughts on the SGL21?
Also…for ammo availability and magazine availability…is it smarter to go with 5.45 right now? Thanks, guys
If I wanted to spend 800 in an AK that is the one I would buy. You can get a SGL-21 for less than 800 though. Hard to beat the features on that one.
I can’t say enough good things about my SLG-21. Out of the six AKs I’ve got it is one of the nicer ones.
Based on ammo alone I’d go with the 7.62x39 if you are only going to have one AK. Personally I have both calibers and like them both.
I second the SGL21
SGL21’s are nice rifles.
SGL series is in my opinion the best thing going in AKs.
All the AKs in the US are made from the same lots of parts kits. It’s how well they are assembled. I’ve never shot one, since I’m not an AK guy, but the several dozen I’ve transfered and sold have been fit/finish excellent.
The SLR and SGL are not built from parts kits.
They are fully functional rifles that enter the country with a single stack magazine accepting receiver and neutered front sight block.
Arsenal Inc. then opens up the magazine well to accept military magazines and then replace the front sight block and gas block with ones that are threaded and have intact bayonet lugs.
The barrel, recevier, bolt and bolt carrier are all assembled from new parts in either Bulgaria (SLR) or Russia (SGL).
They are not assembled from parts kits.
I love my SGL21. I’ve had good luck with the circle 10 polymer mags. The rifle shoots like a champ and was inexpensive (relative to my Arsenal 107CR). Plenty of ammo and mags around. Plus Made in Russia has a certain cool factor. Gunbroker has a couple in the low $700s before shipping and transfer fee. I have a Yugo underfolder and a WASR-10 and neither of these come CLOSE to the quality of the SGL21.
Excellent rifle and great chance to own a nice Russian AK… IMHO the best value out there!
I prefer the SLRs to the SGLs personally, but the SGLs are great AKs.
The SLR isn’t likely to be had for 800 or less though.
As for caliber, unless you have a specific reason to go 5.45 I’d just recommend going with the 7.62x39. You can readily find it, and while 5.45 has some interesting traits, I prefer the 7.62. My non-7.62 AK is an SLR in 5.56 so it’s one less caliber I have to stock. The only issue with 5.56 AKs is there is no set standard, so all mags (among other 5.56 specific parts) are gun specific. K-var has a good supply of the 5.56 mags/parts for Arsenal 5.56 AKs though, so it isn’t a huge problem.
That’s not what Kvar told me at SHOT last year.
That’s not what they’ve said for years.
The SA-M7 and M5 series were/are assembled from new parts that were imported from Bulgaria onto US made forged receivers by techs brought over from Arsenal Bulgaria. The same techs do the retro fit on the SLR and SGL rifles that are imported as ban-legal rifles.
Call up Vartan @ Arsenal and get the straight scoop.
Thanks I will do that.
What about the barrellls on the SLR and SGL? Who makes them and are they chrome lined?
The SLR barrel is made in Bulgaria, and the SGL barrels are from Russia.
Both are chrome lined.
As mentioned, the barrels are NEW, cold hammer forged, hard chrome lined.
Arsenal Bulgaria manufactures the SLR series, Izvehsk/Izmash of Russia manufactures the SGL series.
Thanks I will do that.
Don’t poke the Wookie.
The SLR barrels and internals are manufactured by Steyr as well–saw that on an Arsenal press release a while back.