AK-47 question

[indobos72]

If I was going to have one AK for the foreseeable future. Would this be a good one to get for the price?

http://sgcusa.com/rifles-2/century-arms/century-arms-ak-47-polish.html

It's a stretch money wise but if it's worth it might make the plunge. Any help appreciated.

[zfields]

Im just gonna come out and say it. Saiga is my favorite way to go. New russian production, no US parts. No extra weight from a milled reciever. 299 from J&G then another couple hundred on conversion parts from carolina shooters supply.



Flame suit on.

[tacticalcity]

Century is hit an miss quality wise. Barrels are not always straight, and the converted preban receivers tend to offer a sloppy magazine fit (but you might bet a new receiver so you would be OK). IO is also a very sloppy finish. So if it is an option you want to inspect them first.

Not being a big fan of the AK I would not invest much money into one. So century would be in the price range I would look at. I would just make sure the barrel was straight, magazine fit was right, and look for fit and finish issues like bad rivits and the like.

I've owned a couple AKs, wasn't all that impressed. Didn't live up to the hype. Nothing particularly wrong with them. They have some quirks I didn't care for. Hard to use sights, comparatively slow magazine changes, safety designed scratch the heck out of the finish, not the most accurate, and had just as many malfunctions as any other rifle out there including ARs. But they look cool and are fun to shoot.

I'm not saying they suck. I'm just saying they are not the next best thing since sliced bread like the fanboys make them out to be.

Would I own an AK again? Sure. Is it a huge priority? No there are other things that are higher on the list. What AK has my eye at the moment? I like the Draco AK Pistols. Looks like fun. Plus as far as the rifle pistol conversions (for lack of a better term) it is very affordable. If we could have SBRs here I would rather have a stock, but that's not an option here in CA.

[Inquirer]

I'm sure somebody who owns both would be better qualified to answer this, but from what I understand if you're on a budget the upgrade to a milled receiver isn't really worth the extra dollar. You can get a Century AK for about $200 less than the price listed there. Also, if you want to go the route of converting your own from Sporter-style to AK, Saigas are on sale right now for $299.00 at J&G Sales. Then a conversion kit will run you $125 at Carolina Shooter's Supply. That'll give you among the best AKs you can get (somewhere between Century, which has a bad although partially undeserved reputation, and Arsenal, which is the anointed brand) for $425.

--Inq

[NorCalK9.com]

Its nice but the wasr10/63 is a better buy for the monet imo. As for tacticool guy up there bashing ak in his subtle way. I'll tell you this my ak74 that I built will out do any of your so called better rifles! My ak47's heck even my wasr 10,000+ rounds not a single problem with the rifle itself!
+ he sells AR stuff so he wants people to buy ar's so that maybe they'll one day buyparts from him.
AK's are my number 1 and I use to be an ar fanboy owned 8 different ar's all mid to highend in the end they weren't as good IMO as ak's!
With that said I am in the process of gettung another ar to play with.
And the saiga route is a good choice too

[zfields]

Century is hit an miss quality wise. Barrels are not always straight, and the converted preban receivers tend to offer a sloppy magazine fit (but you might bet a new receiver so you would be OK). IO is also a very sloppy finish. So if it is an option you want to inspect them first.

Not being a big fan of the AK I would not invest much money into one. So century would be in the price range I would look at. I would just make sure the barrel was straight, magazine fit was right, and look for fit and finish issues like bad rivits and the like.

I've owned a couple AKs, wasn't all that impressed. Didn't live up to the hype. Nothing particularly wrong with them. They have some quirks I didn't care for. Hard to use sights, comparatively slow magazine changes, safety designed scratch the heck out of the finish, not the most accurate, and had just as many malfunctions as any other rifle out there including ARs. But they look cool and are fun to shoot.

I'm not saying they suck. I'm just saying they are not the next best thing since sliced bread like the fanboys make them out to be.

Would I own an AK again? Sure. Is it a huge priority? No there are other things that are higher on the list. What AK has my eye at the moment? I like the Draco AK Pistols. Looks like fun. Plus as far as the rifle pistol conversions (for lack of a better term) it is very affordable. If we could have SBRs here I would rather have a stock, but that's not an option here in CA.

Its normally the gas block or sights that are canted, not the barrel. Also, its the newer, converted single stack receiver which *tend* have more slop. It really matters what drunken monkey is on the magwell cutting line that day.

As for reliability, I think you are lying to yourself on that one.

[Nathan Krynn]

I don't think he was bashing them, he just doesn't like them as much.

I know guys who can run AK's as good or better then most people who run AR's.

Personally I agree though I don't like them as much but still own a few AK's. I think it boils down to I have a lot of training on the AR platform and not much more then range time on the AK's. I also think other platforms have much more ergonomics.

It is kind of like I don't run striker fired pistols, but they are still good guns. I just prefer 1911's and wheel guns.

As for the OP don't get a milled. They are cool and all but much heavier and no real benefit. I have an old arsenal milled SAM-7 (from before they were just converted Saigas) and while the rifle is awesome it is a heavy SOB and never shoot it. If I grab an AK its my stamped one. For AK's I like simple light weight that I can abuse

[SJgunguy24]

To be honest, i'd take a Romy G kit build done by somebody who knows WTF they're doing over that milled us barreled century build.

[ns3v3n]

+1, but only because I have a converted one as well and I love that thing to death.

Im just gonna come out and say it. Saiga is my favorite way to go. New russian production, no US parts. No extra weight from a milled reciever. 299 from J&G then another couple hundred on conversion parts from carolina shooters supply.



Flame suit on.

[Rekrab]

I don't think he was bashing them, he just doesn't like them as much.

I know guys who can run AK's as good or better then most people who run AR's.

Personally I agree though I don't like them as much but still own a few AK's. I think it boils down to I have a lot of training on the AR platform and not much more then range time on the AK's. I also think other platforms have much more ergonomics.

It is kind of like I don't run striker fired pistols, but they are still good guns. I just prefer 1911's and wheel guns.

As for the OP don't get a milled. They are cool and all but much heavier and no real benefit. I have an old arsenal milled SAM-7 (from before they were just converted Saigas) and while the rifle is awesome it is a heavy SOB and never shoot it. If I grab an AK its my stamped one. For AK's I like simple light weight that I can abuse

Feel free to send your SAM-7 on over to me. Heck, I'll even pay for the barrel extension and shipping.

[indobos72]

Thanks guys for all the response. While I like my AR. I still want to have an AK to round out my collection. I asked about the milled, because it looks pretty good but I have never handled one before. Heck I have only fondled one WASR at Turners and that is about the extent of my AK experience. I would definitely love to build one but I just do not have the time right now. I am at $500 currently but was willing to put out some more for a better AK. Apparently not this one. Hmm, I know there are fanboys of AK's, AR's and Saiga's which I think would guess none of us would turn one down. I just want something to compliment my SKS since I am about to purchase a bunch of 7.62x39 and want something else to use with it. I am in the I.E. Any recommendations of somewhere to get a good deal near me? Don't really care which as I know I will most likely own one of each. Thanks

[Speedpower]

WASR's at Turner's goes on sale almost every 2 or 3 weeks, might not be surprised that it might go on sale this Thursday, I bought mine from them, and it's a shooter, very reliable and precise, it hits the steel plate at a 100 yards with the original Iron sights

[zfields]

Thanks guys for all the response. While I like my AR. I still want to have an AK to round out my collection. I asked about the milled, because it looks pretty good but I have never handled one before. Heck I have only fondled one WASR at Turners and that is about the extent of my AK experience. I would definitely love to build one but I just do not have the time right now. I am at $500 currently but was willing to put out some more for a better AK. Apparently not this one. Hmm, I know there are fanboys of AK's, AR's and Saiga's which I think would guess none of us would turn one down. I just want something to compliment my SKS since I am about to purchase a bunch of 7.62x39 and want something else to use with it. I am in the I.E. Any recommendations of somewhere to get a good deal near me? Don't really care which as I know I will most likely own one of each. Thanks

No one ever says bad things about saigas, take the hint : )

[tujungatoes]

No one ever says bad things about saigas, take the hint : )

The finish is "meh", In stock configuration they look like a half completed abortion of a rifle, the trigger pull sucks a big hairy one, if you're very lucky you will only have to cut off a cover to thread on a muzzle brake(and it still doesn't look right half the time), non standard magazines...the need to convert...I could go on.

There's plenty of bad things about saigas. Still good rifles though. It just depends on what you wanna do with it, and how mechanically inclined you are.

[LBDamned]

If you don't mind single stack 10 rd mags, check out the Zastava PAP... quality made, accurate, zero hickups for me so far - very fun to shoot.

Zastava is a reputable manufacturer in Serbia (Yugo)... price is a little higher lately (since it hasbecome a bit more popular, mostly in other states) but its still as cheap as any other AK variant... the fit & finish and overall quality is much better than any Romanian or polish AK that I have handled.

For the price the saiga imported by RAA and TGI seem worth considering too