[SteveMO]

Too many choices and not enough experience knowing much about them. Is there a big difference between all the foreign models ? I was looking at J&G Sales and they these listed, but I don't know what would be the better choice. Any suggestions ?

 

[charlie501]

Probably the Yugo, then Bulgarian, Hungarian, and then the Romanian. The Romanian is probably the lowest quality, but still works pretty well. The Yugoslavian is probably the highest quality of the ones listed.

 

[~Ace~]

Bulgarian will prob be the most expensive, and have the best fit / finish. Yugo's will be a lil cheaper. The AMD (Hungarian) is a matter of personal pref, they are high quality, goofy looking critters to me. The Romaks are tried and true,,, they are the most common, and cheapest.

If your not trying to Standardize the rifle with any others.. it's 6 of 1 1/2 doz of the other. I prefer the Yugo's myself, the bulged trunnion, 1.6 mm receiver and over all beefed up for launching grenades rifle make it a tad more durable..... if your getting run over by trucks

You should really just suck it up and get 2 of each, and a Suchka just for good measure. If you decide you don't like a particular brand... sell them and buy more ammo. AK's are going extinct in the wild. Kits are drying up, with the new regs barrels have to be cut when imported, so that drives the price of a build up... and of course the threat of another AWB. Across the board Kits have doubled in price in the last 6 months, and finished guns have gone up 20- 30%, get all you can while you can, think Kids and grankids also

 

[Peter]

I like the Yugo's, At the time I bought mine I figured they were the best quality for the buck. Even the Romainian AK's which are known for having rock bottom prices, are carrying an increasingly hefty price tag.
Peter

 

[Prep]

Bulgarian FTW.

Also realize that while the Yugo's are built more sturdy (as if a normal AK is not), they don't come with chrome lined barrels. This is due to a complete lack of chromium deposits in that country, or so I've been told. Anyway, an AK without a chrome lined barrel is just a shame. I would go bulgarian hands down unless you're going to be making a career launching grenades, in which case go with the Yugo.

Looking at J&G Sales, I would personally choose either the very first AK on the list, or the second. The second is not an AK, but arguably better than one. It will be generally lighter and more accurate. Also, those prices are retail. I can point you in the direction of lower prices if you like. Your dealer is going to make his very small commish either way, may as well get it from a major wholesaler.

 

[DeadHorrorFan]

Bulgarians always top my list, along with the Chinese Mak90. They're equal in my book. Then Yugoslavians/Hungarians. I hold them in the same regard. Then Romanian.

 

[skifast]

Russian, Saiga or VEPR

 

[GMDSS]

My Romanian has a chrome lined barrel, good one too! Go for the chrome, whatever you decide to purchase. It is said that milled rather than stamped recievers are better, but not really that much better at the end of the day. Get it now before the election also, who knows what prices and availability will be afterwords.

 

[Brew]

Maks (And other Chicom) been goin at 800+ when(if) they come along. If you get used at 350-400 its a steal with low miles.

Chicom drums are the best but 250 and up from reputable dealers. 200 from gunbroker unknowns....lots are still around in original plastic bags.

If you got an ak then pick up an RPK if you got chicom drums, and then a PSL as another fine choice.

Romys on the wall around here are 595 with the front wood pistol grip, more for the reg style.

 

[lilc]

Too many choices and not enough experience knowing much about them. Is there a big difference between all the foreign models ? I was looking at J&G Sales and they these listed, but I don't know what would be the better choice. Any suggestions ?

Yugos, despite being built by Century, are reliable and have good quality (as they are built on new US receivers instead of remachined ones like Romanian WASRs); they represent a very good value for the money. (Be aware that the gas tube and certain other parts are unique to Yugos.)

Even if you have to go in on a budget, an AK is still an AK; a bottom-of-the-barrel AK is much closer to a top-of-the-line AK than a bottom-of-the-barrel AR is to a top-of-the-line AR. There's nothing wrong with a Romy WASR as long as you can hand-select it; there are some important things to look out for (e.g., magwell machining, gas block and front sight alignment), and I wouldn't buy one mail order, but they are serviceable, time-proven tools none the less.

 

[corvidae]

For what its worth, I have had an old Chinese? SKS and a just recently a Yugo and I am very impressed with the Yugo. It is rugged and shoots a bit better. Not a big fan of the grenade launcher and bayonet though.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

personaly i wouldnt get any of the new imported slaped together AK's. most are of low quality even for an AK. the only new AK i would get would be a saiga (http://www.raacfirearms.com/rifles.htm )or a vepr and they dont have any importer slap together parts. they are straight from the factory. or i would go to pawn shops, gunshows or gun broker and look for an MAK-90,MAK-91, or NHM-90. here is a good link for you to read up on the differant AK's that are out there. http://www.ak-47.net/ak47/index.html

 

[SteveMO]

Bulgarian FTW.

I can point you in the direction of lower prices if you like. Your dealer is going to make his very small commish either way, may as well get it from a major wholesaler.

That would be great. I don't know that many places to shop around online. I would like to know some reliable spots to go look and compare.

 

[Darkness]

love my bulgarian arsenal

 

[SteveMO]

the only new AK i would get would be a saiga (http://www.raacfirearms.com/rifles.htm )or a vepr and they dont have any importer slap together parts. they are straight from the factory. or i would go to pawn shops, gunshows or gun broker and look for an MAK-90,MAK-91, or NHM-90. here is a good link for you to read up on the differant AK's that are out there. http://www.ak-47.net/ak47/index.html

Well, I did just that today. I didn't expect the shop to have one, but he had a Saiga 7.62x39 in stock today. Almost $150 cheaper than the WASR10 that he also had in stock and seemed like a better built rifle, so I bought the Saiga. I had to come home and cut the grass, so I haven't gotten to try it out yet.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

Gratz, now you need to stock up on ammo before the price hits the roof . the trigger is a little differnet than other AK's but it works just fine with the stock they are made for, but it is a little odd at 1st but once you get use to it it is just fine.

 

[test]

I've been in the same boat as SteveMO. Way too many models, makes, calibers, styles and colors. But this is what I've gleened so far. The reciever is what lies at the heart of the gun, so a reciever milled/machined from a solid piece of steel is stronger than a stamped receiver. A 1.6mm stamped reciever is better than the 1mm stamped reciever. Also, you have the new American machined recievers, just what kind are they? Are they the best built of all? Then there are the kit guns and fully assembled guns. You have to watch to make sure that is high capacity in order to be able to use all magazines. Some are scary because they say WASR-10, then give you a 30 round magazine. Were they modified? It doesn't say. You have to watch to see if the barrel's are chromed. Bulgarian's seem to be one of the better current model's of AK's sold. But you have to be careful with those as well. I saw one AK listed as Bulgarian if you did not read it closely. If you did read close, it was an unknown AK with Bulgarian furniture. Then there is the choice of 7.62x39mm (AK-47), 5.45x39mm (AK-74), .223 (5.56mm NATO) and .308 (7.62x51mm NATO), not forgetting the 7.62x59r. Also, there is the 7.62x25mm Tokarev, which is for a cz -52 Czech pistol. Which of the rifle rounds are the best to stick with. I want to stock up on ammo for the final guns I choose and also I plan on reloading and casting bullets for myself so I can afford to shoot a lot. I'll need unprimed casings too, so that has to be thrown in the mix. Lastly, we have the choice of either wood, plastic or steel furniture as well.

So my question now is, which gun? AK-47, AK-74, SKS, SAIGA or a Dragunov (clone?)? Plus which calibers should I be looking at seriously? I know if I pick the 47 or 74 that my choice is made for me.

What I'm reading so far is that the Bulgarian with the chromed barrel, with the synthetic black furniture and a folding solid butt stock. I'm leaning towards that in an AK-47 so I can have the 7.62x39mm. I am also thinking about getting at least two guns and have 3 mag's each (5 each would be best). I'm neutral on if I get a bayonet lug and bayonet, but I want the suppressor. Last, I want to get two SKS's and 20 stripper clips or one SAIGA with 2 10 round magazines and 2 30 round mags.

Any thoughts on this? Any better places to get a deal on these? I'm going to look in Dallas and try to make the next gun show to see what I can find. I've never looked at or held an AK, so I'll be learning. I'm also looking at books thinking maybe I should get some and read more on the AK's, types, styles and manufacturers. There is ALOT to look at and think of.

I'm not locked into what I have said up above, but I am thinking it looks like the best and longest lasting with the least break downs. I know I'll have to buy parts to set aside after I get the guns, but I still want the best for the money. I might still have to get one AK-74 for my wife to use and I'm still getting another cz-52 and .45. Shotgun's aren't hard to decide on. I just need a more input on my main questions on the AK's.

If this sounds confused, I is. heheheh.

Hi Poopus

 

[~Ace~]

90% of the Select fire full auto Military AK's are 1mm Stamped receivers... in 7.62X39

You can Not go Wrong with ANY Ak... the dif between the Best and the worst is minimal and mostly cosmetic. For a Defensive caliber again human / deer size zombies, I'd want nothing less than a .30 caliber. The .223 is a Varmint round.

Unless your wife is Very Very fragile, she will be Just fine with a AK, 8 - 9 year old boys, 110 lb wife all shoot them with no prob.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

the saiga 308 22' kicks just a little harder than an AK you can shoot 300-400 rnd in a day out of a saiga 308 no problem. what caliber hmm depends on how much you can afford i lean to the saiga 308 or the vepr.(308) for more firepower BUT the cost of ammo will be higher and if you want alot of 25 rnd mags it will be high ($50 ea). (vepr have no 30rnd mags) a friend of mine got at the last gunshow, a new unfired MAK90 (milled) for $700 which at the time was a fair deal and can get mags for like $10-$20 ea.and ammo for 1/2 the cost of 308. if you monitor gunbroker you can catch good deals i got 1 that had only been posted 45 mins, and i "bought it now" got it for 1/2 the going price. i wouldnt get any clone look at the link i showed in an earlier post. you got the right idea to do your home work before you buy .dont think you got to buy a brand new weapon, really the best thing is to buy one that has been well kept and has had around 300-500 rnd fired from it ,that way you dont have to spend money (ammo) to break it in.its already been broken in

but i dont own any weapons anymore