First AK?

General Firearms Other Semi-Automatic Rifles
1

What do you guys recommend?

Arsenal SGL21 is what i have heard.

2

Certainly can’t go wrong with an Arsenal.

3

First things first:

  1. Caliber desired/needed?
  2. Fixed/folder?
  3. Modern/classic?
4
  1. 7.62x39
  2. fixed
  3. classic
5

For me, I want,

5.45

Fixed

Modern

6

How much are you willing to spend? Do you mind waiting? Rifle Dynamics builds some of the best AKs in the world. You can start off with a WASR, play with it for a while then send it to Jim Fuller and when you get it back you won’t recognize it. You can pick up a used Fuller AK for a great deal and wouldn’t have to wait. I know of a couple for sale. The Arsenals and Saigas are about the best deal going for an off the shelf production AK. Check out K-Var for a good line-up. BTW I think the right folders are great on AKs, one of the strong points of the system. The OAL is very short, great for transpo and concealment (think tennis racket case or folding beach chair bag). An AK100/SLR106, Bulgarian Side Folder or ACE folder are the best and just as solid as a fixed stock. Romanian/East German Wire Side Folders are the cheapest of the “good” folding stocks for AKs. Of course fixed stock are even cheaper. 5.45 is dirt cheap to feed but is often corrosive and requires extra care. If you not mind spending the extra cash, EXO Nickel Boron is the perfect finish for an AK shooting mostly corrosive ammo. It makes a tough low maintenance system even more so.

7

This ones easy: SGL-31 from Aim Surplus.

8

Ok - couple more questions:
Intended use?
Legal length/desired length?
How “authentic” to a Russian AK?
Milled/stamped?

9

http://www.k-var.com/shop/product.php?productid=17015&cat=353&page=1

If you want a “classic” styled AK in 7.62x39mm, are you talking about an AK-47 with a milled receiver, an AKM with a stamped receiver?

“Classic” is usually going to raise the price of the weapon unless you’re willing to accept a Romanian WASR that does not have the “classic” dimples on the receiver that an AKM has. Or, a used Egyptian Maadi, Hungarian SA-85, or Romanian (SAR-1)…or roll the dice on a rifle built from a parts kit on an US receiver.

For out of the box reliablity, I’d go with the Arsenal SGL series, which are very close to the modern Russian “Century” series AK’s.

Have you read any of the stuck threads up top?

10

Whatever you decide on be sure that it has the side rail to mount a scope on.
Your eyes are not going to be as good as they are now in 5 to 10 years.
You will want to mount a scope on your rifle, and the side mount rail makes that easy.

11
  • Intend to use it when i am not using my AR
  • 30 inches
  • Not super authentic
  • Stamped… a cost thing
12

I’ve been very happy with my SGL-20 (same as an SGL-21, only without the accessory lug).

I don’t run an optic on my AK, at least not now. Just use the irons.

13

If your after cost as a main target get a WASR 10/63 - if your after ultimate modern 30 cal get an SGL-21 and throw some Ironwood Designes wood on her.

14

7.62x39:

http://www.bhigear.com/saiga-ak-47-762x39mm.aspx

5.45x39: SGL-31

http://www.k-var.com/shop/product.php?productid=17038&cat=354&page=1

15

I’d highly recommend against the “NATO” length stocks, it’s like running an A2 stock on a M16.

16

I was running a NATO stock on one of my guns. The LOP wasnt bad; but the side sling mount gave me fits. I eventually pulled the stock and mounted a VLTOR adaptor and IMOD in its place.

17

I have the NATO stock and it fits me just fine (5’10, 34/35" sleeve). I don’t recall the exact measurement but I’m pretty sure it’s not as long as the A2 on an M16.

18

My suggestions since your looking for a stamped factory AKM ( it is the modernized version over the -47 milled :stuck_out_tongue: )

Check out the Romanian SAR-1’s for a cheap plinker. They tend to have a rougher finish, buy in person to make sure front sight base is not canted. The Wasr’s are also not bad if you dont care that they dont have dimples.

Also check out the post-ban Hungarian sa-85’s ( one with the regular size gas-tube/piston ) These are damn fine AKM rifles and heads above in terms of finish and quality than anything to come out of Romania.

If you run across an Egyptian ( Maadi) one, try to find the ARM model as most of those did not have their barrel threads turned down, just a muzzle nut was welded on there ( legal purposes as they were post-ban imports) Their fit and finish is not something to write home about but they were built on Russian tooling as the Soviets set up their factory in the 70’s.