AK-47 choices?

[CSACANNONEER]

With no disrespect toward your skills and knowledge in this hobby, just happen to disagree.
AK was never meant to be some sort of artwork especially with a stamped receiver, it's simplicity and cost affective manufacturing is it's high point.
AK's (Saiga's) that are mass produced in Russia are pretty much the perfection of a stamped receiver AK, there's none that can make this design any better in terms of fit & finish and function. Factory made barrels & receivers are made with the same process as military rifles and after many decades or century of producing firearms, they do a better than a good job.
Yes, many U.S manufactures could not get it right and some still can't but I'll leave them out of this as you for sure can build one better.
As far as paperwork trail..... It's not a handgun so it's no big deal and even if some agency/dealer did have a record of it, it's not something most people would loose sleep over it.
Cost of buying a rifle (Saiga) and properly converting it is cheaper or nearly the same than building your own and this is the biggest factor for most people. Used, sometimes not so nice shape kits cost as much as new rifles. So unless one gets great excitement/hobby in building one, I don't see how it's a superior rifle in any-way, if anything the probability of something going wrong are much higher in individual case vs a factory gun.

How come this is the only site that feels Saigas are "the best AKs"? Really, they are slapped together as cheeaply and quickly as AKs are at any other AK factory. WASRs are true AKs with military barrels which are produced at an AK factory in Romainia. Yet, most here don't speak highly of WASRs. I have to say that, in my opinion, Saigas aren't the Holy Grail of AKs. They are not even close.

[FiveSeven]

^
Not sure about others or other sites, I state what I know and think.
Romanian AK's I've seen over the years have had problems with fit and finish and a few with other issues and it's the reason for the bad rep.
What makes Romanian AK barrel true military vs Saigas non? Threading? Front sight block? This is nonsense to say the least, Saigas hammer forged barrels are made from the same steel and with the same chrome lining as military rifles, they are made in the same factory by the same people with the same machines/tools.
Yes, in my opinion properly converted Saiga would be the "Holy Grail of AKs"

[nicoroshi]

Fair enough, and I can respect your 'opinion'.

My main reasoning for building rather than buying is I love to build things. The other deciding factor is I can build things most gun shops won't carry. Milled Yugos, m92 krink, a true Russian Tula krink ( granted it has a us made receiver, and East German barrel but so would any other you
Might find for private sale), ak105, etc.
I still have to say that one you built yourself does have more care, and time put into things like sights that are straight, '0' mag wobble, a smooth trigger that brakes clean, etc.
Of course these are things you could do when/ if you convert a sporterized AK (saiga) but by that point you might as well have built one from a kit.
Also if you figure in the cost of conversion to a saiga you are about what it would cost to build
One from a kit.
I recently got an AMD65 with all numbers matching, and original barrel for $259, and a numbers matching Egyptian with virgin Romy barrel for $250.
When you add $100 to either of those I believe they will be cheaper to build than buying a sporterized saiga paying DROs, and waiting 10 days. Add in the cost, and time to convert and you're way over what it costs me to build .

To each his own I guess.
I am glad that some still buy instead of build truthfully. It leaves the good kits for me

With no disrespect toward your skills and knowledge in this hobby, just happen to disagree.
AK was never meant to be some sort of artwork especially with a stamped receiver, it's simplicity and cost affective manufacturing is it's high point.
AK's (Saiga's) that are mass produced in Russia are pretty much the perfection of a stamped receiver AK, there's none that can make this design any better in terms of fit & finish and function. Factory made barrels & receivers are made with the same process as military rifles and after many decades or century of producing firearms, they do a better than a good job.
Yes, many U.S manufactures could not get it right and some still can't but I'll leave them out of this as you for sure can build one better.
As far as paperwork trail..... It's not a handgun so it's no big deal and even if some agency/dealer did have a record of it, it's not something most people would loose sleep over.
Cost of buying a rifle (Saiga) and properly converting it is cheaper or nearly the same than building your own and this is the biggest factor for most people. Used, sometimes not so nice shape kits cost as much as new rifles. So unless one gets great excitement/hobby in building one, I don't see how it's a superior rifle in any-way, if anything the probability of something going wrong are much higher in individual case vs a factory gun.

[klikoman]

Converted saiga cause I have one hehe. Can't go wrong with a russian build ak.

[2shotjoe]

With no disrespect toward your skills and knowledge in this hobby, just happen to disagree.
AK was never meant to be some sort of artwork especially with a stamped receiver, it's simplicity and cost affective manufacturing is it's high point.
AK's (Saiga's) that are mass produced in Russia are pretty much the perfection of a stamped receiver AK, there's none that can make this design any better in terms of fit & finish and function. Factory made barrels & receivers are made with the same process as military rifles and after many decades or century of producing firearms, they do a better than a good job.
Yes, many U.S manufactures could not get it right and some still can't but I'll leave them out of this as you for sure can build one better.
As far as paperwork trail..... It's not a handgun so it's no big deal and even if some agency/dealer did have a record of it, it's not something most people would loose sleep over.
Cost of buying a rifle (Saiga) and properly converting it is cheaper or nearly the same than building your own and this is the biggest factor for most people. Used, sometimes not so nice shape kits cost as much as new rifles. So unless one gets great excitement/hobby in building one, I don't see how it's a superior rifle in any-way, if anything the probability of something going wrong are much higher in individual case vs a factory gun.

One of these days I am going to back you convert mine. Your brother said 100+parts, that still on?

[NorCalK9.com]

I wanted to share my experience with an IOINC CASAR from Turners. It was visibly bent to the left. The iron sights worked OK but with my eyesight in my right eye I need to use optics. I tried 3 different optics, including a 2X red dot. As close as i could get to zero it was 6 inches left and down with the optics against the stop.

I sent it back to IOINC and after a few months it came back looking pretty straight but the issue with the optics remained.

I wrote them a long explaination and sent it back in March along with my scope mount. Turners called yesterday and said it was back. When I went to pick it up, I found out IOINC replaced it with a new one. The new one seems to be of substantially better quality, particularly the receiver. The old one had very square edges, a poor finish and seemed to be of very thin sheet metal. The new one has much better fit, thicker receiver metal and looks awesome. It also came back with a new 10-30 magazine.

I just wanted to share. I'm happy they stood behind the rifle, and the new one looks awesome. The bad news is that, because it's a new serial number, it needs to be re-DROSed, so it won't be coming along for my big range day this weekend. I'll let you know how it shoots, when it gets out of jail. I'm pretty jazzed...

[QUOTE=nicoroshi;6862609]Fair enough, and I can respect your 'opinion'.

My main reasoning for building rather than buying is I love to build things. The other deciding factor is I can build things most gun shops won't carry. Milled Yugos, m92 krink, a true Russian Tula krink ( granted it has a us made receiver, and East German barrel but so would any other you
Might find for private sale), ak105, etc.
I still have to say that one you built yourself does have more care, and time put into things like sights that are straight, '0' mag wobble, a smooth trigger that brakes clean, etc.
Of course these are things you could do when/ if you convert a sporterized AK (saiga) but by that point you might as well have built one from a kit.
Also if you figure in the cost of conversion to a saiga you are about what it would cost to build
One from a kit.
I recently got an AMD65 with all numbers matching, and original barrel for $259, and a numbers matching Egyptian with virgin Romy barrel for $250.
When you add $100 to either of those I believe they will be cheaper to build than buying a sporterized saiga paying DROs, and waiting 10 days. Add in the cost, and time to convert and you're way over what it costs me to build .

To each his own I guess.
I am glad that some still buy instead of build truthfully. It leaves the good kits for me [/
QUOTE]

Haha I have the same amd65. Lets see whos is cooler when we're done niko. Lol

[nicoroshi]

Building mine this Sunday with Supervillan.
I think they will both be really nice (seeing as the bores on both are original, and pristine) but I am wagering mine will be throwing lead downrange before yours will

[NorCalK9.com]

Building mine this Sunday with Supervillan.
I think they will both be really nice (seeing as the bores on both are original, and pristine) but I am wagering mine will be throwing lead downrange before yours will

Lol hecka not fair I bought mine first. Lol

[stormy_clothing]

the best you can get for a reasonable price is the polish milled ak's from atalantic for 650 - read the reviews on the other ak dedicated forums.

[pyro3k2]

How come this is the only site that feels Saigas are "the best AKs"? Really, they are slapped together as cheeaply and quickly as AKs are at any other AK factory. WASRs are true AKs with military barrels which are produced at an AK factory in Romainia. Yet, most here don't speak highly of WASRs. I have to say that, in my opinion, Saigas aren't the Holy Grail of AKs. They are not even close.

After bouncing around on other AK forums i've noticed this as well. Kind of an odd group think compaired to the rest of the internet's AK community. I can understand this groups anti-Arsenal stand point and to argue that would be pointless. But really after looking into AK variants I would have to conclude if there was a "Holy Grail" of AK's it would be a Milled chrome lined Yugo M70 underfolder. But thats my free state holy grail, in Kalifornistan it would be a featureless RPK nick named "The Pelosi" that shot unicorns with rainbow tracers.

[NeuTag]

After bouncing around on other AK forums i've noticed this as well. Kind of an odd group think compaired to the rest of the internet's AK community. I can understand this groups anti-Arsenal stand point and to argue that would be pointless. But really after looking into AK variants I would have to conclude if there was a "Holy Grail" of AK's it would be a Milled chrome lined Yugo M70 underfolder. But thats my free state holy grail, in Kalifornistan it would be a featureless RPK nick named "The Pelosi" that shot unicorns with rainbow tracers.

Buy one and put the obligatory 20 rounds through it and place it into the safe...AKs are safe queens. They are a neat hobby and have history....but the the design is junk...A rasheed is so better made. And the amount of Egyptian sand I cleaned out of mine while it was still functional, makes my mak 90 a safe queen.

[pyro3k2]

Buy one and put the obligatory 20 rounds through it and place it into the safe...AKs are safe queens. They are a neat hobby and have history....but the the design is junk...A rasheed is so better made. And the amount of Egyptian sand I cleaned out of mine while it was still functional, makes my mak 90 a safe queen.

I own:
2 AK 47
1 Saiga 12
1 FPK
1 AK 74

I would have to disagree with you about the design and infact with your entire statement, history is against you. Infact if your Mak 90 is that loathed, i'll take it off your hands.

[CSACANNONEER]

Buy one and put the obligatory 20 rounds through it and place it into the safe...AKs are safe queens. They are a neat hobby and have history....but the the design is junk...A rasheed is so better made. And the amount of Egyptian sand I cleaned out of mine while it was still functional, makes my mak 90 a safe queen.

While I don't really care for AKs (I like a slightly more precise rifle and some AKs are uncomfortable to shoot), I enjoy building and helping others build them. I really have to disagree with your opinion that the design is junk. I feel that the design is what makes an AK the legend that it is. It is a simple, inexpensive, easy to build, rugged and exceptionally reliable firearm that is so easy to build, even a drunken turboelky can build one. It's so easy to operate that almost any chimp that wanders into camp can operate one.

[luchador768]

I think he's being sarcastic, I've never heard an AK called a safe queen before!!

[CSACANNONEER]

I think he's being sarcastic, I've never heard an AK called a safe queen before!!

A lot of members here have overpriced AKs which are safe queens. Just look at the classified and you'll find a lot of AKs for sale which were purchased a couple years ago and have zero to 20 rounds through them.