One of our members just got issued this Bulgarian Type III AK-47 from the early 80’s.
I came across those… awesome handguards, cheesy buttstock.
That receiver looks milled. Nice!
I didn’t realize they were making the TypeIIIs into the 80s.
The Bulgarians never adopted the AKM, they kept their milled receivers, and still manufacture an updated version that uses a milled receiver but an AKM weight barrel and an AK-74 gas system.
They kept making these up through at least the very early 90’s.
This may be a noob AK question but are the hand guards real wood or a plastic knock off? The woodworker in my loves the look of the grain and hopes they are real wood.
They are bakelite, which has also been used in the past by Romania and East Germany in the forends of their AK’s, and for making the grips of WWII era Walther P-38’s and Combloc Makarov grips.
Could have done a whole lot worse. If it had an optic rail, it would be passable IMO.
Needs a red dot, perhaps the Ultimak or the US Palm railed forend would fix that with a Micro.
Mabe when this individual comes home on leave in three months, he could get one if it is who I think it is, on of our mutual Facebook friends.
Genuine something I am not going to mention-bone grips.
If it had an optic rail, it would be passable IMO.
Say What!!! It’s perfect the way it is. 
For a collector, yes. Not for a Afghanistan-based Social Worker.
Point well taken. Templar. I can see the bakelite forend but the grip and buttstock I thought were E. German. Do the bulgarians use this combo or is this something an individual did?
Actually uniquely Bulgarian. That nipple pink pistol grip is something only the Bulgarians did, and that polymer buttstock is also purely Bulgarian.
You can get a parts kit of this style of AK from www.gunthings.com, click on the AK hot link on the left side of the screen.
KevinB found crates of these in Iraq, posted some pics of them here, but I haven’t been able to find them, it was several years ago.
Interesting. I thought about Bakelight for my SAS-M7 Classic. I’ve had it a lot of years and just can’t bear to shoot it. Need an SGL to go to the range with. Thanks for the info.
Arsenal Inc. actually released a special run of 40 SAS M-7 Classics with that bakelite forend and pink grip.
Bulgarian trooper with the military underfolder…
Nice AK. 