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Whats the BEST AK to get? What would you buy and why?

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  • 2fast4u
    Member
    • Apr 2005
    • 416

    Whats the BEST AK to get? What would you buy and why?

    Whats the BEST AK to get thats well made and looks good ? ? ? ?
    Looking for something well made that will be good to keep around for years. Maybe something
    with nice wood or Black set up.

    What Round would you pick for your AK?

    Someone told me the Arsenal AK's are very nice?

    Any info on Brands,models,deals would be great.

    Thanks.
  • #2
    strangerdude
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2009
    • 1762

    Arsenals are good but hard to come by in CA. I would avoid WASR and Polish tantals. Get Lancaster, Vector, or your best choice is to buy a Saiga and convert it. Converted Saiga sometimes make it to the private firearms saled thread on here. If you can find a HUngarian, bulgarian, Russian, or Chinese AK that's not on the ban list get it.

    Comment

    • #3
      xrMike
      Calguns Addict
      • Feb 2006
      • 7841

      Originally posted by 2fast4u
      What Round would you pick for your AK?
      7.62x39, since almost all of the 5.45 stuff is military surplus corrosive.

      Comment

      • #4
        Kendo671
        Member
        • Apr 2009
        • 163

        Arsenal SGL series are the best AK rifles you can find in the US imo. I was lucky enough to get on that last group buy by KVAR for $499, with middleman FFL (thanks freakshow-adam) I was OTD @ $650. The finish on their rifles is impressive, and clean. The bullet guide done by arsenal looks really nice.

        I believe Atlantic Firearms has them for sale to Kalifornia. The price has increased a bit, but I think you still are able to get one of these beauties.
        Last edited by Kendo671; 01-25-2010, 10:52 AM.

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        • #5
          Jayruta
          Senior Member
          • Aug 2009
          • 1099

          Arsenal is the best.. however they will not; and their distributors will not ship to CA (Breach of Contract), so you will have to go through a middleman.

          I personally will not buy an AK from a company that will not support us. So arsenal is out for me. Atlantic Firearms does have some nice Non-Arsenal AK's which imo are just as good I believe they sell a Lancaster Rough Rider. Lancaster, Converted Saiga, Vector, etc. all good companies that support CA.

          Wasr are hit and a miss. If you do go that route be prepared to fix a few things. I personally do not have issues trying to fix a few things for the WASR price.

          Comment

          • #6
            djleisure
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 2008
            • 4734

            I have seen a couple people suggest Lancaster's and they are the only ones I would NOT recommend. I paid them for an AK over three months ago and still have not received it - go with ANYONE BUT THEM.

            Definitely recommend Arsenal for high quality and Atlantic Firearms is good to go.
            ------------------------------------------------------------
            iTrader protip: When I buy something from you and I immediately pay, then my part is done. That's all I have to do. You can leave me iTrader feedback and go on with your life. When I get the item, I will leave you iTrader feedback, assuming you've already done your part. See how that works?

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            • #7
              Trendkill
              Veteran Member
              • Jul 2008
              • 3492

              Hey....I just checked my UPS tracking number....My SGL20-41 just got to CA.


              Yeah..!!!!!
              "I am the bastard son...The expendable one...
              ...War is in my blood ...Rage is in my heart."


              Originally posted by oaklander
              I didn't miss the bend-over-party every time a friend wanted to get in my back seat. . .
              Originally posted by ChrisO
              .......No not a Knights In Satans Service rifle lol.

              Comment

              • #8
                hkdad
                Veteran Member
                • Nov 2008
                • 3112

                +1 for arsenal!
                ˙ǝuılƃıs ʎɯ uı ʇnd oʇ ɹǝʌǝlɔ ƃuıɥʇʎuɐ ɟo ʞuıɥʇ ʇ,uɐɔ I

                "I see an empty magazine, I think it needs to be loaded." -hickok45

                Comment

                • #9
                  JeffM
                  Veteran Member
                  • Sep 2007
                  • 4359

                  There aren't too many factory anythings that are the "best"

                  The only way to accurately answer that would be to know your budget and try to get the "best" within that range.

                  Like others have said, avoid WASRs and Century built Polish Tantals. Professionally built Tantals are great but Century used barrels with an oversized bore to save money. They are known for cutting corners and for putting out a marginal product at best. I won't own one.

                  Arsenals are good but CA money isn't green enough so f*ck 'em. And I've seen the $500 SGL-21 next to the $1000 SGL-20 and the fit and finish on the cheaper one was not the same high quality that Arsenal was know for in the past. I won't own one.

                  Lancaster has had QC issues recently and some SERIOUS customer service issues as well. I won't own one.

                  I've got a Bulgarian AKS-74u pistol build in the works from PRK Arms in Fresno. I might also have them do a Polish underfolder AKM and a Khyber Pass AKM (using the AKS-74u stock) for me too. PRK Arms is likely the best custom AK shop west of the Mississippi. Their work is impeccable and their customer service is top notch. They are expensive and the wait time for a build is fairly long. IMHO it is worth it if you truely want the best.

                  Saiga rifles are great for what they are. Cheap, reliable, and CA legal right out of the box. If you want to convert one to a more standard AKM format it's relatively easy if you're mechanically inclined. The cost can add up if you want it done right - US parts for 922r, refinishing the exposed metal from removing the original parts, etc.

                  If you can find a lightly used Hungarian SA85m they are probably one of the best, affordable factory AKMs out there. Out of all the AK's I own it is my favorite factory built AK. They haven't been imported for a while so they are getting hard to find. You might be able to get one for around $800-900. Again, well worth it.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    C_1
                    Senior Member
                    • Jun 2008
                    • 1504

                    Best is subjective and AKs arent really known for being pretty. When you talk about good looks, what are you referring to? Rivet heads? Paint finish? Wood finish?

                    Stay away from WASRs and Century built guns. Like JeffM said, they cut corners. You cant really get Arsenals because they are CA haters. Arsenals are nice but a lil expensive, considering you can get a Saiga for fairly cheap, and convert it yourself.

                    I say get a custom AK built by a reputable builder. So then you can have the color paint you want, the right furniture, and you know it'll be nice and will function.

                    7.62x39mm FTW!

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Trendkill
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jul 2008
                      • 3492

                      If you want an Arsenal enough....you can get one.

                      Plus...it makes it all the more satisfying to get one here knowing that they didnt want it that way.

                      "I am the bastard son...The expendable one...
                      ...War is in my blood ...Rage is in my heart."


                      Originally posted by oaklander
                      I didn't miss the bend-over-party every time a friend wanted to get in my back seat. . .
                      Originally posted by ChrisO
                      .......No not a Knights In Satans Service rifle lol.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Chatterbox
                        Senior Member
                        • Apr 2009
                        • 1243

                        Best is probably a custom built rifle from somebody like Jim Fuller or Marc Krebs.
                        sigpic

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Super Spy
                          Veteran Member
                          • Mar 2009
                          • 3461

                          Saiga 7.62x39 they are inexpensive and completely CA legal, if you want to convert it later fine, I like not having to BS around with a bullet button so I'm leaving mine alone. I do plan on getting another down the road that looks like a classic AK, but my go 5.45 on that one.
                          Originally posted by Daytripper63
                          "Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were an Obama truck, the seats would blow smoke up your *** year-round. I had to walk back to the dealership. The guy had no sense of humor."

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                          • #14
                            Aleksei Vasiliev
                            Senior Member
                            • Nov 2008
                            • 1409

                            Originally posted by djleisure
                            I have seen a couple people suggest Lancaster's and they are the only ones I would NOT recommend. I paid them for an AK over three months ago and still have not received it - go with ANYONE BUT THEM.

                            Definitely recommend Arsenal for high quality and Atlantic Firearms is good to go.
                            I came in here to disrecommend Lancaster.

                            They are utterly terrible. I'm not sure how their gun is (it's my first AK) but it took them more than half a year to send me a prototype model of their 3060M.
                            No, I did not order a prototype.
                            sigpic
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                            • #15
                              Lagduf
                              Senior Member
                              • Aug 2009
                              • 675

                              Originally posted by Jayruta
                              Arsenal is the best.. however they will not; and their distributors will not ship to CA (Breach of Contract), so you will have to go through a middleman.

                              I personally will not buy an AK from a company that will not support us. So arsenal is out for me. Atlantic Firearms does have some nice Non-Arsenal AK's which imo are just as good I believe they sell a Lancaster Rough Rider. Lancaster, Converted Saiga, Vector, etc. all good companies that support CA.

                              Wasr are hit and a miss. If you do go that route be prepared to fix a few things. I personally do not have issues trying to fix a few things for the WASR price.
                              Why wont Arsenal ship to CA?
                              Originally posted by Gio
                              It is so nice to drop mags freely even though I do that now with my featureless AR and AK it is not the same as the real thing. Like Coca Cola here in the US compared to Mexico with real sugar not corn syrup!

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