I’m thinking about buying either 2 WASR AK-47’s plus a case of ammo or putting together a BCM mid-length rifle. The purpose of this is for Home Defense, Training, and range time to hone skills.
What do you think would be the better option?
Thanks.
P.S. The 2 WASR’s are good to go as far as the sights and magazine wobble.
As an owner of a BCM midlength, they get my vote.
Interesting question.
Having two identical carbines and a case of ammo right off the bat is a nice thing. There is high-quality training out there for the AK. There are enough good accessories out there right now that you can (eventually) put an optical sight and a light on with little fuss. There is good defensive ammo available in 7.62x39mm now.
Most on here would tell you get the BCM, and quite frankly you would be well-served doing so. But if you are serious about the AK as your choice, you would be off to a good start. Just make sure the damn things are put together and run right.
Thanks for the responses so far.
I do like the idea of having the 2 AK’s and am very familiar with both platforms, just hard to say no to the BCM though.
Any other thoughts on this would be great.
My feelings pretty much match Katar’s. There’s a lot to be said for having two carbines.
No, they’re not the same level of quality as the BCM, but to paraphrase Comrade Stalin…quantity has a quality all it’s own.
If they run, and the sights are aligned, then you can definitely do anything you listed in your initial post with an AK.
With all due respect to my knowledgeable friends who already posted here, get the BCM. It will be a source of pride.
Here is my .02 cents worth: As far as AK’s go, the WASRs are pretty low in the pecking order, however you do run across good ones. I certainly wouldn’t get one without putting my hands on it first, Century builds lots of these and quality is hit or miss at best. If my memory serves me correctly, the WASR 10s came to the US with stamped recievers milled out for single-stack low capacity magazines and were basically machined out to accept high-capacity mags. The only real issue with this is that the reciever is missing the dimples that stabalize the mag in the reciever and are more prone to mag issues such as mag wobble.
On another note, there are lots of great AKs that can be purchased for what you would spend on 2 WASRs. Also, if you are into Kalashnikovs, don’t forget to look at the AK-74 packages. 5.45X39 is as cheap as you will find right now, and is a more modern cartridge with better range/accuracy and less recoil than the 7.62X39. But, if you are like me, there is just something about the silhouette of a 7.62X39 mag that gets your heart racing more than the 5.45 mags.
On the other hand, as far as ARs go, the BCM is something to be proud of. The mid-length is a great choice, and there are tons more options with the AR platform than with an AK platform.
Do whatever floats your boat. In the end it’s all about what makes you happy and fits your wants/needs. You’ll have fun regardless.
I’d rather have some wobble in my mags than tight-fitting mags.