Oh my yes. It’s basically a way to run .300 AAC in a platform designed for it. I’ve got 3 AKs right now and one of the is currently my go-to competition/ tactical rifle.
I’ve had two in my lifetime. Sold them both.
Why? Airplanes are expensive. And I’d much rather have my vacuum driven gyros overhauled than keep a gun around that is less useful than my existing AR-15s.
Yeah, who wants a rifle in .30 caliber piston driven that is WAY more reliable than a .22 caliber mattel jam-O-matic? Who wants surplus ammo at .18-.22 cents a round? You might want to look into a Tazer Pulse, I read somewhere that they are pretty cool……
Zing!!
Proof that mixing vodka and koolaid is a bad idea.
“mattel jam-O-matic”….
Wow! I haven’t heard that one in a while.
Wow where can I get ammo at .18 to .22 cents pet round?
SGAmmo.com. case special over the weekend was 189.00 shipped
Just bought local for .23 per. this week.
I was being facetious, it was written as .18 – .23 cents, so less than 1/4 of a cent.
I do appreciate your reply in earnest though.
I must be named Nick Leghorn, as I have done the exact same thing.
However, I’ll have another one soon. I love the AK.
No, decided to build a 300BLK AR instead. Similar ballistics in supersonic, easier to suppress, already have magazines, etc.
If someone wants to give me one I’d be open to it!
No. My intro to AKs was at the wrong end, so they’re still the enemy rifle.
Just haven’t got around to it yet, just like a lot of other guns out there I want.
Nope. Hopefully some day, though.
I’ve lost a few. Slipped jumping over a crevice high in the Rocky Mountains. Lucky to get out alive.
ONE WORD N.Y.
The only AK available in my current anti-gun state of residence is a neutered one with reduced capacity mags. I’ve saved up coin over the years for a celebratory “Assault rifle” binge purchase once I move to greener pastures. I much prefer the 5.45×39. The only 7.62 rifle I like is the Yugo M70. I will probably do a Soviet-Afghan inspired AK-74 and call it a day, I’m a dedicated FAL/G3/AR-15 fanboy.
An old Norinco Hunter might be right up your alley. They’re cool.
The only “sporting purposes” combloc rifle I’d consider buying is a VEPR in 7.62x54R, because I’d rather dress it up like an SVD than have a legit one I’d be too afraid to fire. Lol at the Norinco Hunter, I once saw one of those in Class III transferable MG format lurking around the internet.
Hey Minka you’re talking about the SKS right? I was around SKS four dollars and they were the bomb. And an akm Norinco was $229 I believe and a case a Norinco ammo was $149 for I want to say a crate a 1500 rounds copper washed steel brass door casing rather with a copper jacketed lead bullet with a berdan primer. I personally only own two AK-47 and they’re both a km out of sheet metal I have an original Romanian SAR 1 in 7.62 NATO and I had it redone by definitive arms here in st. Pete Florida it’s probably the nicest sar-1 I’ve seen it’s super super clean. Then I have a Yugoslavian rpk and it’s at definitive arms getting redone as we speak LOL. But those are the only two AKs I have.
Not nearly enough AK’s. AK is life.
no, why would i evsr want to be in Alaska? cold as hell, everything is expensive, did i mention ITS COLD AS HELL
OH…… ooooh
no, no AK-47…yet
Why don’t I have an AK? Money. Literally only reason I don’t have several of them…. had to sell most of my guns after a medical driven money issues.
an sa- 85m with butthole stock.
lives in another state. i visit often.
want vz 58, but that only looks like an ak.
A butthole stock? I think JWM might want to talk to you about getting one of those for his Moist Nuggets.
sadly, he will be disappointed by the neutered fore- end.
I don’t…I go hot and cold on them. I may buy one on a whim one day, but I keep thinking I need to rent one at the range first just in case it’s not for me. Too many other things interest me more at the moment. Who knows, one day perhaps.
Good plan. The gun doesn’t fit me the best, kinda like Glock. I can shoot them well, but why when I can shoot an AR and a number of other pistols better/just as well as those, and be more comfortable doing so.
who knew Steven Hawking was a gun nut
Good video.
Yes. Why not?
I use to be into Chinese AKs. Still have two Norincos, but they got expensive. Still my favorite by far. I also have a Polish underfolder and an older Milled Bulgy. For AK74s I have two Bulgys. One is a cool Krebs with shorter barrel, welded muzzle device and nice trigger.
I do prefer ARs over the AK in almost every single way. Parts available, conversions, reliable, accurate and weighs less. AKs are difficult for parts because of the differences from one country to another. If you ever needed a part. The only reason to use an AK is if you were going to storm a salt water beach. I live in Florida so it could happen…
I’d be “scared” to shoot an AR DI after being submerged without draining it. The piston in that scenario makes sense. You can shoot an AK under water not that the bullet goes more than a couple feet. You could pop your gas tube in the first shot with a DI if not drained. I’m guessing on that. I’ve never tried to shoot a submerged AR. I’ve seen people drain and shoot wet ARs.
I don’t really want or need one, but I feel obliged to get one simply to balance out my ARs. I’m having a hard time justifying the expense based on whim alone.
I love my SKS though!
nope, closest relative I even care to try to own is an sks. I have yet to find any other AK variant I thought was even half-assed comfortable. plus I like pissing in my bro-in-laws ak loving wheaties haha
Yes, several of the Arsenal SAM7 series ones. I only buy the good/overpriced stuff.
No, because I haven’t gotten to it yet.
The fact that this video was not the linked video makes me very sad.
Yeah, I built mine. All in with tools, kit, receiver and compliance parts, I probably could’ve bought two, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in having built it myself
No, I do not have an AK-47 rifle.
The first time I held one, it felt cheap and loose so I did not buy it.
At this point I would love to have one anyway … but I refuse to pay $700+ for a rifle that has a cheap receiver made of stamped sheet metal. If I could buy one for $350, I would be all over it. If prices come back down, I will look into purchasing one.
right there with you. too much money for a cheaply made rifle.
I assume its the costs of basically re-manufacturing a imported AK to meet requirements. If you can get a $450 savage that will drive tacs, a AK should cost no more that $350-400. The AK is one of those weird rifles where the assembled gun is worth more than the parts to make it, most ARs i have seen would sell for less that the cost of the parts used to build it.
You do realize that AK vary even more in build quality between companies than ARs do? Right?
A modern AK available in the US is unlikely to be like the rattle trap that you first saw. My go-to AK is a customized DDI system with a 14.5″ barrel and a trigger most AR owners would kill for. Inside 300 yards, the AK can be just as accurate as an AR and in some ways much more reliable.
As for “cheap receiver made of stamped sheet metal”… there are guys paying thousands of dollars for guns like that. Though they do tend to have an HK stamped on the side.
“Though they do tend to have an HK stamped on the side.”
Coffee snort.
I agree 100% I have a Allied Armorment matching polish underfolder on a Nodak Spud 1.5 mil receiver and it is a solid sub 1 moa all day. Cold hammer forged non chrome lined barrel and the action is butter smooth…I have a Stag arms AR I like very much, and a PTR .308 and if I could only take one its my Polish.
I was the only guy running a .30 caliber rifle at a two gun class last weekend. Still managed to generally outshoot most of the guys running top shelf ARs. When properly built the AK can be one of the best intermediate cartridge rifles on the planet. I’m ~2000 rounds into the rifle I’m running these days, and have had a grand total of two malfunctions. (Both ammo related FTFs as the primer cup was almost completely caved in by the firing pin.)
Pwrserge,
Actually, I have never taken the deep dive on the AK platform and had no idea there was so much variability. This sounds like a great topic for a TTaG article.
Can someone provide a detailed article giving us a sense of the quality levels that are available, who makes them, and roughly what those levels would cost? For ease of writing and understanding, I recommend three simple quality levels along the lines of cheap, decent, and exceptional.
The thing is, with AKs a little money gets you a lot of value. A top shelf AK will generally require a gun smith to add the final touches (trigger tuning, barrel re-threading or muzzle device welding) but will still set you back less than $1500 grand total. Similarly, a $600 sporterized import can have major issues. (Canted gas blocks and sights, bad magazine well cuts, etc…)
A few tips.
1. For imports, stay away from anything with a pre-2000 manufacturer stamp. Those tend to be kit guns built on export recievers and sometimes have drunken monkey build qualities.
2. If you want a true mil-spec import AK, get an Arsenal. They can be had for less than $900 and are generally very well built rifles. Their triggers can be of debatable quality along with a com block finish, but the former is easy and cheap to fix and the latter is only a cosmetic issue for high round counts.
3. For US manufacturers, I have had great luck with DDI. They also use Green Mountain barrels with a nitride coating which gives you top shelf barrel performance. Their newest models use a gas block mounted front sight which allows you to easily cut down and re-crown the barrel so that you can add the muzzle device of your choice. (I went with a .30 caliber ASR flash hider that will let me mount .30 caliber silencerco cans and allows me to have a 14.5″ barrel with a 16+” barrel length.)
Overall, expect to spend ~$800-$1000 plus optics and mounts.
General tip… stay away from underfolders. They handle about as well as an HK style collapsible stock. (Aka face, meet rebar)
Holy Cow! I don’t see myself spending something like $1200 for an AK platform. Thanks for the information though! Now I know what the price points are.
One thing to keep in mind is that an AK is no more a “cheap” rifle than an AR is. A top shelf AK can run head to head with the best short stroke piston .300 AAC AR with a $2000 price point.
These days, a good entry level AK costs about the same as a good entry level AR. (~$700-$800) Junky AKs can be had for less, but so can junky ARs. The nice thing about the AK in this comparison is that it will last far longer before you need to start replacing parts and will will be far cheaper to feed. For practical purposes, the rifles have will have more or less the same mechanical accuracy. (Better than 90%+ of shooters.)
I think that people need to get the idea that the AK has to be a cheap “beater” trunk gun out of their skulls. The AK platform is just as capable of delivering top shelf performance as the AR platform when built right with quality parts, and the price points reflect that.
To give you an idea MAC just reviewed a .308 “PMAGunov” based on a .308 Vepr chassis that was reliably delivering sub-MOA groups at extended ranges using match .308 ammo fed from PMags. (Hence the name.) All this, without negating the near legendary AK reliability.
The days of the cheap surplus AK are done and it’s a good thing. These days, the platform is getting some serious after-market support that makes it a viable alternative to the AR.
Addendum:
One reason many of my gun-owning friends now shun the AK is because they are no longer cheap rifles (for the most part), and for a couple hundred dollars more they’d rather go build an AR. That said, there’s been a rise in customizability and dedicated competition use of the platform. It’s no longer the semi-auto equivalent of the once $99 Mosin you blasted broken kitchen appliances with and then haphazardly tossed into the back of your truck.
Nope. I have a vz58, though, and it’s as good or better.
Good choice.
I like being able to pull both apart and show folks how they differ from one another (AK vs vz58).
Ich, that’s the gun that killed Eightball and Cowboy!
Did Joker ever get his Congressional medal of Ugly?
Same here. Who needs an AK when there are Vz. 58?
Lighter, shorter, more accurate + milled receiver.
Used to, didn’t really have any problems with it, I decided I would rather have a house (I sold several guns to help finance a down payment). Eventually I will probably buy another, but there are quite a few guns higher up in the list.
Same story here. Limited budget combined with way too many bills. Damn tools. And guns way higher on my priority list. This year’s looking like I might finally get my hands on an AUG though so that’s kinda neat I guess
Fired an AUG a couple years ago. Range neighbor let me fire his AUG, I let him fire my RFB. That was one nice shooting bullpup. It’s on my list of things to buy, right after the custom Henry case hardened big boy Carbine in 44 mag.
No. Don’t care for them.
My AK-pattern firearms fall into the category of “I can” guns. I have them because they are interesting, and “I can”. I’ve got lots of firearms in the “I can” bucket. I’d like to have lots more. 🙂
I’m in the small “other” catatgory. A non Ak and non AR fan. My M-1 carbine filled that military auto itch till, I sold it 10 years ago. Spending a grand on a gun that will spend 99% of is life in the closet; is not a option money wise right now. Also for my 46 years, the AK has had the reputation as, “the bad guy gun.”
I have a WASR 10/63, that I put an Arsenal Polymer Forearm, Arsenal NATO length stock, an AK74 pattern Muzzle break and later a Magpul MOE pistol grip.
Why? 2012 consolation prize.
And I have a Century VZ58 clone. Why? I watched Strike Back and it was under 400 dollars. no regrets on this purchase.
What is it with these videos and their synthetic narrations? Is it so hard just to read into your computer’s built-in mic?
Had an AK-74 which some poor soul sold on Gunbroker for $100 Buy It Now. He was mad it jammed so much. I cleaned it, rehabilitated some parts to fix the jams, and eventually resold it. It was a decent shooter, but all things being equal, I prefer ARs.
Yes. Two so far and another being built. I was first just interested in building one, but then started actually shooting it.
I’ve only got maybe 12,000 rounds between the two of then, but I really enjoy them. I’ve noticed that, unless its a night hunt, I rarely take out my ARs anymore. I like 7.62×39 ballistics for the area I’m in and I’ve taken deer, pigs, and rams with them. I actually like the way they feel, both in handling and recoil, and I find putting out fast follow up shots to be easy. I very much appreciate the simplicity of the manual of arms.
I just ran my first ever tactical style course with an AK, and absolutely loved it.
Plus, they look neat.
Nope. Don’t see any reason to waste money on a .30 caliber that’s weaker than a .30-30 squib.
Using bullets of the exact same weight, the difference in energy is only 2 foot pounds between my AK-47 and my Winchester model 94 at 100 yards.
Yes, picking the least aerodynamic loads in .30-30 does help even the two downrange. Or you could use Hornady’s Leverevolution loads and hit with 1000 ft/lbs+ at 300 yards. Many other loads will get that at 200. 7.62×39 doesn’t come close at those ranges and nowhere near at the muzzle. Although it does have a little more beef than .300 Blackout.
I was picking a 150gr soft point, the most common round loaded for the .30-30 for the last 100 years.
But lets take at look at your 1,000+ftlbs at 300 yards from the Hornady lever revolution round. It’s a great round, really a game changer for the .30-30, but it does not deliver that kind of energy at that distance, at least not according to Hornady http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-Win-140-gr-monoflex-Leverevolution/ So let’s use Hornady’s published 858fps of energy, and then note that it is from a 24″ barrel, a full 8 inches shorter than the 16″ barrel on the AK, and we get all the way down to 673ftlbs of energy at 300 yards. Cheap surplus ammo is getting 594ftlbs of energy at that range from the AK, and 644ftlbs if we use better 150 grain rounds.
They are ballistic twins, even with the best of modern ammunition.
I don’t know where you’re getting 150gr. 7.62×39 loaded ammuni tion. I searched ammoseek and only found a 154gr. load from Tula. Hornady, Re mington, Federal, Winches ter, Fiocchi – none of them have a 150gr. load and I couldn’t even select 150gr. on ammoseek.
Anyway, pointy bullets are more aerodynamic than flat-nosed bullet and long bullets are more aerodynamic than short ones, so in typical loadings the two are pretty much a wash except the 7.62 gives up about 400 ft/lbs of muzzle energy to the .30-30 (from equal length barrels). And trajectory isn’t any better either. And it’s not like I compared it to .30-06 or anything, there are (ignorant) people out there who think .30-30 is insufficient for white tail deer.
When I was in Vietnam, I developed a distaste for AR-style rifles – they had fixed the ammo problem, but they were still tempermental, made by Mattel, took a lot of time to clean, were unreliable if dirty, and the little 55-gr bullet was easily deflected by grass, bamboo shoots or twigs. We noted that Nguyen the farmer (of the VC at night) could hide his AK under a shitpile and when needed take it out and it would work just fine. Not so the AR. I finally swapped my AR for an M-14 w/selector and pods and kept it until I rotated, when I swapped it for an M-16A1 to turn in. Worked great! I would liked to have had an AK then, but we noted that Marines who had and used one (especially at night) drew friendly fire due to the difference in tracer color and the sound of the report. I have a Bulgarian AK, 10 Russian mags and 2K Russian ammo under the bed in case the SHTF or zombies come…it will do what I want it to do out to 300 yd, and that’s all I ask for.
Thank you for your story, it’s one I have heard repeated many times. 55 and even 62 gr. projectiles are too small to be affective through any kind of heavy brush, I couldn’t imagine having to try to hit anything through thick jungle.
I understand completely. The original M-16, as delivered by McNamara and the “Wonder Boys” was simply not combat ready.
As I wander around the local gun shows, including the Crossroads shows (they are the bigger ones here), I see many, many tables of AR parts, both add-ons and repair parts. I do not see such for the AK, and the reason is obvious; it’s not because they aren’t (or can’t be) made, it’s because they just aren’t needed.
My gun purchases are sometimes limited by ammo considerations; I can only stock so many different calibers. 7.62×39 is a caliber I have three guns for, while I have no .223 guns, which means I don’t need to stock that ammo.
Mi AK is a Romanian of fairly ancient parentage (I bought it many years ago, and for little $$$). I’s had a fer thousand rounds through it, and it just keeps shooting.
Yes, it’s crude compared to a $1500 AR, but it functions as well (and more importantly, as reliably), is extremely effective at close range (which is what it’s designed for, so it’s not surprising at all), and ammo is still cheap. It’s also heavier that an AR, but I’m a big guy (I liked the M-14, heavy as it is) and it really doesn’t matter to me.
It’s not for everyone; some don’t like that it is a gun associated with our enemies, some just don’t like that it’s not a precision instrument. That’s OK, there’s no requirement that we all like each and every gun out there.
Nope. Tried several AK-47’s, never really clicked for me like AR’s & bolt rifles. Came close to getting an AK-74 but didn’t bother cuz it was around what “wondrous” time when Barry and his cadre of whiny libtards made it impossible to find 5.45×39mm ammo that wasn’t 5 bucks/round.
Only have one rifle, an AR, and choose that mainly because I was already familiar with it. When you don’t hunt, compete, or collect your rifle collection can be pretty small.
Nah.
– Stamped out of sheet metal
– Rock ‘n’ lock mag
– Something about the broad side of a barn getting away
– Commie gun
I actually like the rock and lock magazines. It’s much harder to have a magazine fall out of an AK than an AR. This weekend I saw two guys dump their magazines less than an hour apart because they forgot to push-pull. It the AK had a manual bolt hold open, it would actually reload just as fast as an AR and far more reliably.
I don’t want a bolt hold open. One of the things I like about the AK is that it’s the same every time. I have found that I am fantastically stupid in a gunfight. I like simple things.
I’m a fan of that as well, but the point is that a rock and lock magazine is not harder to change than a straight-in magazine if you train on it. For me, the hardest part is the AK reach around as I have a fairly large body and it’s difficult to do in armor. I have to either take the gun from my shoulder and rotate it or use my right hand while supporting with my left. (One of the down sides of being a big stocky guy rather than tall and lanky.) It’s why I always try to do a tactical reload in competition. A Spetsnaz reload is a lot easier for me than trying to get a full 30 round GI magazine to seat reliably.
Best peice of advice I have ever been given when it comes to AK mags is to have at least your shit n git mags loaded with the last two rounds tracers, that way when your brain farts when the poop is getting thick you know without a doubt when its mag change time.
I actually have done this with my AR mags too…its a good way to not get caught with your pants down.
I once had a chance to shoot a few full-auto rifles ($80 for 25 rounds). I shot an M4 carbine, produced a reasonable size group, all things considered. Then I shot an AK-47 and had trouble keeping it on target. In short, I didn’t like it and the experience certainly didn’t make me want one.
Far as I can tell, the only reasons a civilian would want a Kalashnikov would be
1) Cheap mil-surp ammo
2) Cheap mil-surp ammo
Ok Curtis. Let me give you my reasons.
1. Very wide clearances and beefy over engineering on components making the rifle far less prone to breakage.
2. The ability to deliver a .30 caliber round in an intermediate platform.
3. A very simple manual of arms.
4. Respectable accuracy with decent ammo and a decent rifle (1 MOA is quite achievable sub-300 yards)
5. The ability to run sub-sonic ammunition suppressed with no part changeouts or gas block fiddling. (The ammo is expensive, but it exists and packs as much punch as .300 AAC.)
dude, you have got to roll your own. You are missing half of what the AK can do with store-bought rounds.
With the price of 7.62×39 brass and bullets, it doesn’t save a lot of money and it takes more time than I have to spare.
Curtis, that’s why there are so many different styles of guns: There are so many different styles of guns! 🙂
When I went through AIT, I was issued the M-14 E2 for the squad, because I could hold a 4″ group with three rounds in auto. Quite simply, being 6’4″, about 250 lbs, and with good upper body strength to match, I could keep it on target. Most simply can’t.
But then, automatic fire isn’t about keeping the tenth round on target; it’s about keeping the enemy’s head down. While it sure is fun, accuracy simply isn’t the goal.
But the AK is very capable of hitting the target, especially if the target is within 200 yards, one shot at a time.
I’m not telling you t hat you should get one, that’s entirely up to you. But I am saying your experience shooting automatic fire just isn’t comparable to shooting semi-auto.
I actually enjoyed shooting an M-60 from the hip, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the average guy. The experience would put most people off. Firing an AK on auto is similarly not the kind of experience that would make one think a semi-auto AK is much good. But actually shooting a semi-auro AK is very different from shooting an automatic AK.
But then, a lot don’t like a semi-auto AK either. And that’s OK.
Have an AR and a spare lower already. Don’t really feel like another long gun. I would trade up my extra lower for an AK but it’s a buyer’s market right now.
I’d get a 223 one if I did. I like to avoid the fuss of needing different calibers.
Nah. An AK’s 2 on my “to purchase” list (1 is a new 22 rifle), but prices seem to be dropping pretty far on them (PSA has a full rifle for 800 last year, now the parts are going for sub 600) so I’m not in a hurry for that one.
PSA has package deal specials on AR+AK for 900-1000 depending on furniture (magpul vs stock)
Problem is I already have an AR.
Can an FFL break these bundle up and transfer them to two people and avoid it being a straw purchase if I split it with another person?
Of course. Because AKs are cool.
You just look a fool if you are holding an AR while you shout “Wolverines!”
Yep. Bought an Arsenal in 7.62×39 (Russian) when they were still plentiful and reasonably priced. I could probably sell it for a nice profit but it is way too much fun to shoot and my only AK.
Yes, yes, no, and yes.
I inherited an AK, been shot at by a few AKs (hate the tool, not his equipment), said inherited AK was taken by the ex-wife (while I was being shot at by other AKs), but still have an inked AK, which means it can’t happen again without being disarmed.
And I aways wanted an AK as a kid, while all my friends wanted an Uzi (though I’m still trying to sell them on my AKUzi idea).
No, NY SAFE act, I’m looking at you.
Truth be told, every AK I ever shot had some kind of weird quirk, and the standard Commie furniture always seems to be made for a guy with arms like an Oompa Loompa and shoulders like a gorilla. So, I guess I wouldn’t likely buy one even if I could.
Saiga Sporter.
Nope. Working on my 1st AR. As mentioned by action PM earlier I don’t hunt or compete or collect.
U guys are nuts. Ak’s are the best. As the ar market is in the dumps, ak prices are going up. But com block, or dont buy at all.
New York legal Saiga Sporter in 7.62×39. Crappiest piece of junk I own. Looks like it was made by monkeys. Front sight is on so crooked you can’t even use irons.
Yet with a rail adaptor and a cheap red dot, it’s my favorite gun to shoot.
Nope. However, I recently parted with my SKS to upgrade to a VZ2008. I went with one because, as compared to the AKM the safety is a little more ergonomic, it has a last round bolt hold open, its lighter, and can accept stripper clips. So far, mine hasn’t been hampered by the issues which seem to plague Century Arms.
I’ve got nothing against AK in general, but I’m not a huge fan. Ergos suck, zero ambidextrous anything, accuracy’s spotty at best past 200m, and the myth of AK-uber-reliability is just that. If you want an AK, God bless and go for it. I prefer ARs. It’s what I’m issued, more familiar with, and meets all my requirements in a weapon.
1. The ergos “suck” because you’re trying to run an AK like you would an AR. Stop. The weapons have completely different manuals of arms.
2. All AKs are 100% ambi. Believe it or not, it’s actually easier to run an AK as a leftie if you know what you’re doing.
3. Accuracy to ~400 meters is just as good as an equally well built AR. The round goes sub-sonic at ~450 meters, but inside that range a good AK can reliably hold 1 MOA.
4. While I respect Karl and Ian quite a bit, their mud test is just one data point. Exactly one long gun has ever passed it and only because, by some miracle, no mud got into the hole under the trigger group. If you submerge both an AK and an AR is soupy mud, both will fail. The AK, however, can be brought back into action with a handy puddle of water or a canteen.
You are 100% correct sir. There is even a unproven rumor that Kalishnikov himself was a leftie. Being a southpaw myself I can reload and recharge my AKs without ever breaking my sight picture or taking my hand off the pistol grip. MUCH more efficent than even my leftie AR.
As far as ergonomics go, AKs have short stocks due to the primary operating conditions in Russia and much of europe taking into account heavy coats would be worn…stocks can be changed on most AKs rather easily, except the underfolders and the N-pap I believe…
I’ve got two, unless you count the Vepr in 54r.
I bought them because they were cheaper than ARs, and go bang. The Vepr came later, when I had more money for something fancier.
I’ve got an 80% folded lower and almost enough parts to build a rifle that I picked up a couple of years ago in cash deals and trades. The paranoia was (and probably still is) strong. The AK would probably be on the top of my list for a “bury it someplace in PVC pipe” ghost gun. I’ve been looking at some built up AKs just for my collection, but I have a problem with paying six or seven hundred bucks for a three hundred dollar rifle.
PTR32, because I wanted to start with an inherently more accurate rifle. Runs Magpul AK mags just fine, eats steel case without a hiccup. Just kinda porky. But that is because they build the 32 on the same receiver as the 91. Made in USA.
it’s a really neat gun that is high on my list yo purchase, great history too.
Yes.
I own 9 (if you count the Galil as an AK since it practically is)
Russian, Chinese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Egyptian, Israeli, and East German.
I prefer shooting them over my AR’s.
No. Hell No
Also No Zaporozhets, Trabant, Lada, etc.
What if I said that you could get a milled receiver AK in 7.62×39 for under 400.00 USD (prices shooting up fast)? And suppose that this AK was “improved” with a better safety and last shot hold open? What if I told you that this rifle’s design was a few years older than the AK, inspired it in many ways, and is called an SKS?
My first rifle was an SKS; I bought it to piss off my parents, who were very anti-gun. It did that very well.
Still have it, it’s a blast to shoot (so to speak). Cost $79, plus tax.
More accurate than my AK, but only holds 10 rounds, which is fine, because I don’t intend to use it for anything but fun.
Yes, because of its elegant simplicity that can work quickly, won’t break, and can still wear wood.
There are lots of after-market upgrades and fixes that you can do to them, and with a bit of wet-dry sand paper, a file, and a daube of hope they may even be made to fit your gun.
How about an “AK” that’s accurate with a milled receiver and 20 inch barrel? The old Norinco Hunter is my only AK variant, and I dig it! $350 right before stuff got weird several years ago. It looks like a hunting rifle and an AK had a baby.
Not yet.
Nothing against them, for all the reasons Sergei and jwt mentioned, they just never gave me wood.
If one drops in my lap cheap enough, perhaps, have to see how it goes…
I dont, I do have my late fathers Ruger Mini 30 however, and i got my 150 grain 7.62×39 rounds from Corbon, for some reason i couldnt respond to the Gov;s post.
I paid way too much for a Norinco milled receiver AK in the early days of the panic. I went AK because:
1) my wife owned one when I met her and I like commonization
2) .30 caliber I believe is more versatile and can be stretched into hunting duty
3) cheaper ammo (at the time)
Still like shooting it. Still plan to buy an AR.
My only complaints: …that safety just sucks! And I wish there were better options for an optics mount.
Don’t have one. Why not? Just haven’t bothered yet. It’s on the list, but there’s plenty ahead of it.
10/63 WASR stamped 1964 in a Tapco adjustable stock with G-2 trigger and fore grip. The barrel is not in quite straight and the front sight is slightly canted. I adjusted the front sight until at 100 yards it hits fine with the cheapest junk ammo. The longest range in my area is 100 yards and the most likely non-target use of the rifle is home defense at well under 100 yards. I paid $400 for the rifle plus a load of magazines in a private sale and was told by a reputable dealer of AR’s and AK’s that I got a good buy. This was soon after Sandy Hook when entry level AR’s were $750. I like the AK (and a similar SKS). I like the leaf sight because most of the time I shoot handguns and the sight picture is similar to a 3 dot. I like that as an amateur, this rifle (and the SKS sitting beside it) was designed for amateurs, requires less cleaning and is easier to clean than the AR. With the AR price drop, I also have an entry level AR, which I am still not used to, even though I can tell that when I get it set up, it will be more accurate, and it sure is lighter. I am sure that people who trained with an AR in the US military probably prefer it. Millions of peasant soldiers, cadres and terrorists have used the AK, and I am not embarrassed to say I understand why.
YEs, an inexpensive Century Arms RAS, and I love it. I shoot it a lot, never a single problem. Love the simplicity and ease of use. And cheap ammo. It’s great to throw it over my shoulder, hop on the 4-wheeler and “patrol the perimeter,” bust a coyote if you see one. Or at least scare the hell out of him. Really tough, easy, accurate enough for me.
YEs, an inexpensive Century Arms RAS, and I love it. I shoot it a lot, never a single problem. Love the simplicity and ease of use. And cheap ammo. It’s great to throw it over my shoulder, hop on the 4-wheeler and “patrol the perimeter,” bust a coyote if you see one. Or at least scare the hell out of him. Really tough, easy, accurate enough for me.
I love my $50 AK (and the others).
Because it’s a piston rifle with a forward assist built into the charging handle.
Ak-47…accept no substitutes!
https://youtu.be/gDyXbcu2RXg?t=2m17s
2:17
I have a Galil ACE. Close enough?
Oh my yes. It’s basically a way to run .300 AAC in a platform designed for it. I’ve got 3 AKs right now and one of the is currently my go-to competition/ tactical rifle.
I’ve had two in my lifetime. Sold them both.
Why? Airplanes are expensive. And I’d much rather have my vacuum driven gyros overhauled than keep a gun around that is less useful than my existing AR-15s.
Yeah, who wants a rifle in .30 caliber piston driven that is WAY more reliable than a .22 caliber mattel jam-O-matic? Who wants surplus ammo at .18-.22 cents a round? You might want to look into a Tazer Pulse, I read somewhere that they are pretty cool……
Zing!!
Proof that mixing vodka and koolaid is a bad idea.
“mattel jam-O-matic”….
Wow! I haven’t heard that one in a while.
Wow where can I get ammo at .18 to .22 cents pet round?
SGAmmo.com. case special over the weekend was 189.00 shipped
Just bought local for .23 per. this week.
I was being facetious, it was written as .18 – .23 cents, so less than 1/4 of a cent.
I do appreciate your reply in earnest though.
I must be named Nick Leghorn, as I have done the exact same thing.
However, I’ll have another one soon. I love the AK.
No, decided to build a 300BLK AR instead. Similar ballistics in supersonic, easier to suppress, already have magazines, etc.
If someone wants to give me one I’d be open to it!
No. My intro to AKs was at the wrong end, so they’re still the enemy rifle.
Just haven’t got around to it yet, just like a lot of other guns out there I want.
Nope. Hopefully some day, though.
I’ve lost a few. Slipped jumping over a crevice high in the Rocky Mountains. Lucky to get out alive.
ONE WORD N.Y.
The only AK available in my current anti-gun state of residence is a neutered one with reduced capacity mags. I’ve saved up coin over the years for a celebratory “Assault rifle” binge purchase once I move to greener pastures. I much prefer the 5.45×39. The only 7.62 rifle I like is the Yugo M70. I will probably do a Soviet-Afghan inspired AK-74 and call it a day, I’m a dedicated FAL/G3/AR-15 fanboy.
An old Norinco Hunter might be right up your alley. They’re cool.
The only “sporting purposes” combloc rifle I’d consider buying is a VEPR in 7.62x54R, because I’d rather dress it up like an SVD than have a legit one I’d be too afraid to fire. Lol at the Norinco Hunter, I once saw one of those in Class III transferable MG format lurking around the internet.
Hey Minka you’re talking about the SKS right? I was around SKS four dollars and they were the bomb. And an akm Norinco was $229 I believe and a case a Norinco ammo was $149 for I want to say a crate a 1500 rounds copper washed steel brass door casing rather with a copper jacketed lead bullet with a berdan primer. I personally only own two AK-47 and they’re both a km out of sheet metal I have an original Romanian SAR 1 in 7.62 NATO and I had it redone by definitive arms here in st. Pete Florida it’s probably the nicest sar-1 I’ve seen it’s super super clean. Then I have a Yugoslavian rpk and it’s at definitive arms getting redone as we speak LOL. But those are the only two AKs I have.
Not nearly enough AK’s. AK is life.
no, why would i evsr want to be in Alaska? cold as hell, everything is expensive, did i mention ITS COLD AS HELL
OH…… ooooh
no, no AK-47…yet
Why don’t I have an AK? Money. Literally only reason I don’t have several of them…. had to sell most of my guns after a medical driven money issues.
an sa- 85m with butthole stock.
lives in another state. i visit often.
want vz 58, but that only looks like an ak.
A butthole stock? I think JWM might want to talk to you about getting one of those for his Moist Nuggets.
sadly, he will be disappointed by the neutered fore- end.
I don’t…I go hot and cold on them. I may buy one on a whim one day, but I keep thinking I need to rent one at the range first just in case it’s not for me. Too many other things interest me more at the moment. Who knows, one day perhaps.
Good plan. The gun doesn’t fit me the best, kinda like Glock. I can shoot them well, but why when I can shoot an AR and a number of other pistols better/just as well as those, and be more comfortable doing so.
who knew Steven Hawking was a gun nut
Good video.
Yes. Why not?
I use to be into Chinese AKs. Still have two Norincos, but they got expensive. Still my favorite by far. I also have a Polish underfolder and an older Milled Bulgy. For AK74s I have two Bulgys. One is a cool Krebs with shorter barrel, welded muzzle device and nice trigger.
I do prefer ARs over the AK in almost every single way. Parts available, conversions, reliable, accurate and weighs less. AKs are difficult for parts because of the differences from one country to another. If you ever needed a part. The only reason to use an AK is if you were going to storm a salt water beach. I live in Florida so it could happen…
I’d be “scared” to shoot an AR DI after being submerged without draining it. The piston in that scenario makes sense. You can shoot an AK under water not that the bullet goes more than a couple feet. You could pop your gas tube in the first shot with a DI if not drained. I’m guessing on that. I’ve never tried to shoot a submerged AR. I’ve seen people drain and shoot wet ARs.
I don’t really want or need one, but I feel obliged to get one simply to balance out my ARs. I’m having a hard time justifying the expense based on whim alone.
I love my SKS though!
nope, closest relative I even care to try to own is an sks. I have yet to find any other AK variant I thought was even half-assed comfortable. plus I like pissing in my bro-in-laws ak loving wheaties haha
Yes, several of the Arsenal SAM7 series ones. I only buy the good/overpriced stuff.
No, because I haven’t gotten to it yet.
The fact that this video was not the linked video makes me very sad.
https://youtu.be/dgpEuCUm6SE
I don’t understand this world.
Yeah, I built mine. All in with tools, kit, receiver and compliance parts, I probably could’ve bought two, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in having built it myself
No, I do not have an AK-47 rifle.
The first time I held one, it felt cheap and loose so I did not buy it.
At this point I would love to have one anyway … but I refuse to pay $700+ for a rifle that has a cheap receiver made of stamped sheet metal. If I could buy one for $350, I would be all over it. If prices come back down, I will look into purchasing one.
right there with you. too much money for a cheaply made rifle.
I assume its the costs of basically re-manufacturing a imported AK to meet requirements. If you can get a $450 savage that will drive tacs, a AK should cost no more that $350-400. The AK is one of those weird rifles where the assembled gun is worth more than the parts to make it, most ARs i have seen would sell for less that the cost of the parts used to build it.
You do realize that AK vary even more in build quality between companies than ARs do? Right?
A modern AK available in the US is unlikely to be like the rattle trap that you first saw. My go-to AK is a customized DDI system with a 14.5″ barrel and a trigger most AR owners would kill for. Inside 300 yards, the AK can be just as accurate as an AR and in some ways much more reliable.
As for “cheap receiver made of stamped sheet metal”… there are guys paying thousands of dollars for guns like that. Though they do tend to have an HK stamped on the side.
“Though they do tend to have an HK stamped on the side.”
Coffee snort.
I agree 100% I have a Allied Armorment matching polish underfolder on a Nodak Spud 1.5 mil receiver and it is a solid sub 1 moa all day. Cold hammer forged non chrome lined barrel and the action is butter smooth…I have a Stag arms AR I like very much, and a PTR .308 and if I could only take one its my Polish.
I was the only guy running a .30 caliber rifle at a two gun class last weekend. Still managed to generally outshoot most of the guys running top shelf ARs. When properly built the AK can be one of the best intermediate cartridge rifles on the planet. I’m ~2000 rounds into the rifle I’m running these days, and have had a grand total of two malfunctions. (Both ammo related FTFs as the primer cup was almost completely caved in by the firing pin.)
Pwrserge,
Actually, I have never taken the deep dive on the AK platform and had no idea there was so much variability. This sounds like a great topic for a TTaG article.
Can someone provide a detailed article giving us a sense of the quality levels that are available, who makes them, and roughly what those levels would cost? For ease of writing and understanding, I recommend three simple quality levels along the lines of cheap, decent, and exceptional.
The thing is, with AKs a little money gets you a lot of value. A top shelf AK will generally require a gun smith to add the final touches (trigger tuning, barrel re-threading or muzzle device welding) but will still set you back less than $1500 grand total. Similarly, a $600 sporterized import can have major issues. (Canted gas blocks and sights, bad magazine well cuts, etc…)
A few tips.
1. For imports, stay away from anything with a pre-2000 manufacturer stamp. Those tend to be kit guns built on export recievers and sometimes have drunken monkey build qualities.
2. If you want a true mil-spec import AK, get an Arsenal. They can be had for less than $900 and are generally very well built rifles. Their triggers can be of debatable quality along with a com block finish, but the former is easy and cheap to fix and the latter is only a cosmetic issue for high round counts.
3. For US manufacturers, I have had great luck with DDI. They also use Green Mountain barrels with a nitride coating which gives you top shelf barrel performance. Their newest models use a gas block mounted front sight which allows you to easily cut down and re-crown the barrel so that you can add the muzzle device of your choice. (I went with a .30 caliber ASR flash hider that will let me mount .30 caliber silencerco cans and allows me to have a 14.5″ barrel with a 16+” barrel length.)
Overall, expect to spend ~$800-$1000 plus optics and mounts.
General tip… stay away from underfolders. They handle about as well as an HK style collapsible stock. (Aka face, meet rebar)
I’m no AK expert by any means, but Arsenal makes some of the best out of the box AKs you can buy, especially if you go with the SAM7 series which employ Bulgarian made milled receivers. They are built like tanks. I own several. Pricey? Absolutely!
http://www.k-var.com/shop/SAM7-Series-7.62×39-Caliber-Bulgarian-Milled-Receiver-Rifles/
Holy Cow! I don’t see myself spending something like $1200 for an AK platform. Thanks for the information though! Now I know what the price points are.
One thing to keep in mind is that an AK is no more a “cheap” rifle than an AR is. A top shelf AK can run head to head with the best short stroke piston .300 AAC AR with a $2000 price point.
These days, a good entry level AK costs about the same as a good entry level AR. (~$700-$800) Junky AKs can be had for less, but so can junky ARs. The nice thing about the AK in this comparison is that it will last far longer before you need to start replacing parts and will will be far cheaper to feed. For practical purposes, the rifles have will have more or less the same mechanical accuracy. (Better than 90%+ of shooters.)
I think that people need to get the idea that the AK has to be a cheap “beater” trunk gun out of their skulls. The AK platform is just as capable of delivering top shelf performance as the AR platform when built right with quality parts, and the price points reflect that.
To give you an idea MAC just reviewed a .308 “PMAGunov” based on a .308 Vepr chassis that was reliably delivering sub-MOA groups at extended ranges using match .308 ammo fed from PMags. (Hence the name.) All this, without negating the near legendary AK reliability.
The days of the cheap surplus AK are done and it’s a good thing. These days, the platform is getting some serious after-market support that makes it a viable alternative to the AR.
Addendum:
One reason many of my gun-owning friends now shun the AK is because they are no longer cheap rifles (for the most part), and for a couple hundred dollars more they’d rather go build an AR. That said, there’s been a rise in customizability and dedicated competition use of the platform. It’s no longer the semi-auto equivalent of the once $99 Mosin you blasted broken kitchen appliances with and then haphazardly tossed into the back of your truck.
Nope. I have a vz58, though, and it’s as good or better.
Good choice.
I like being able to pull both apart and show folks how they differ from one another (AK vs vz58).
Ich, that’s the gun that killed Eightball and Cowboy!
Did Joker ever get his Congressional medal of Ugly?
Same here. Who needs an AK when there are Vz. 58?
Lighter, shorter, more accurate + milled receiver.
Used to, didn’t really have any problems with it, I decided I would rather have a house (I sold several guns to help finance a down payment). Eventually I will probably buy another, but there are quite a few guns higher up in the list.
Same story here. Limited budget combined with way too many bills. Damn tools. And guns way higher on my priority list. This year’s looking like I might finally get my hands on an AUG though so that’s kinda neat I guess
Fired an AUG a couple years ago. Range neighbor let me fire his AUG, I let him fire my RFB. That was one nice shooting bullpup. It’s on my list of things to buy, right after the custom Henry case hardened big boy Carbine in 44 mag.
No. Don’t care for them.
My AK-pattern firearms fall into the category of “I can” guns. I have them because they are interesting, and “I can”. I’ve got lots of firearms in the “I can” bucket. I’d like to have lots more. 🙂
I’m in the small “other” catatgory. A non Ak and non AR fan. My M-1 carbine filled that military auto itch till, I sold it 10 years ago. Spending a grand on a gun that will spend 99% of is life in the closet; is not a option money wise right now. Also for my 46 years, the AK has had the reputation as, “the bad guy gun.”
I have a WASR 10/63, that I put an Arsenal Polymer Forearm, Arsenal NATO length stock, an AK74 pattern Muzzle break and later a Magpul MOE pistol grip.
Why? 2012 consolation prize.
And I have a Century VZ58 clone. Why? I watched Strike Back and it was under 400 dollars. no regrets on this purchase.
What is it with these videos and their synthetic narrations? Is it so hard just to read into your computer’s built-in mic?
Had an AK-74 which some poor soul sold on Gunbroker for $100 Buy It Now. He was mad it jammed so much. I cleaned it, rehabilitated some parts to fix the jams, and eventually resold it. It was a decent shooter, but all things being equal, I prefer ARs.
Yes. Two so far and another being built. I was first just interested in building one, but then started actually shooting it.
I’ve only got maybe 12,000 rounds between the two of then, but I really enjoy them. I’ve noticed that, unless its a night hunt, I rarely take out my ARs anymore. I like 7.62×39 ballistics for the area I’m in and I’ve taken deer, pigs, and rams with them. I actually like the way they feel, both in handling and recoil, and I find putting out fast follow up shots to be easy. I very much appreciate the simplicity of the manual of arms.
I just ran my first ever tactical style course with an AK, and absolutely loved it.
Plus, they look neat.
Nope. Don’t see any reason to waste money on a .30 caliber that’s weaker than a .30-30 squib.
Using bullets of the exact same weight, the difference in energy is only 2 foot pounds between my AK-47 and my Winchester model 94 at 100 yards.
Yes, picking the least aerodynamic loads in .30-30 does help even the two downrange. Or you could use Hornady’s Leverevolution loads and hit with 1000 ft/lbs+ at 300 yards. Many other loads will get that at 200. 7.62×39 doesn’t come close at those ranges and nowhere near at the muzzle. Although it does have a little more beef than .300 Blackout.
I was picking a 150gr soft point, the most common round loaded for the .30-30 for the last 100 years.
But lets take at look at your 1,000+ftlbs at 300 yards from the Hornady lever revolution round. It’s a great round, really a game changer for the .30-30, but it does not deliver that kind of energy at that distance, at least not according to Hornady http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-Win-140-gr-monoflex-Leverevolution/ So let’s use Hornady’s published 858fps of energy, and then note that it is from a 24″ barrel, a full 8 inches shorter than the 16″ barrel on the AK, and we get all the way down to 673ftlbs of energy at 300 yards. Cheap surplus ammo is getting 594ftlbs of energy at that range from the AK, and 644ftlbs if we use better 150 grain rounds.
They are ballistic twins, even with the best of modern ammunition.
Wrong Leverevolution load; http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-Win-160-gr-FTX-LEVERevolution/
I don’t know where you’re getting 150gr. 7.62×39 loaded ammuni tion. I searched ammoseek and only found a 154gr. load from Tula. Hornady, Re mington, Federal, Winches ter, Fiocchi – none of them have a 150gr. load and I couldn’t even select 150gr. on ammoseek.
Anyway, pointy bullets are more aerodynamic than flat-nosed bullet and long bullets are more aerodynamic than short ones, so in typical loadings the two are pretty much a wash except the 7.62 gives up about 400 ft/lbs of muzzle energy to the .30-30 (from equal length barrels). And trajectory isn’t any better either. And it’s not like I compared it to .30-06 or anything, there are (ignorant) people out there who think .30-30 is insufficient for white tail deer.
When I was in Vietnam, I developed a distaste for AR-style rifles – they had fixed the ammo problem, but they were still tempermental, made by Mattel, took a lot of time to clean, were unreliable if dirty, and the little 55-gr bullet was easily deflected by grass, bamboo shoots or twigs. We noted that Nguyen the farmer (of the VC at night) could hide his AK under a shitpile and when needed take it out and it would work just fine. Not so the AR. I finally swapped my AR for an M-14 w/selector and pods and kept it until I rotated, when I swapped it for an M-16A1 to turn in. Worked great! I would liked to have had an AK then, but we noted that Marines who had and used one (especially at night) drew friendly fire due to the difference in tracer color and the sound of the report. I have a Bulgarian AK, 10 Russian mags and 2K Russian ammo under the bed in case the SHTF or zombies come…it will do what I want it to do out to 300 yd, and that’s all I ask for.
Thank you for your story, it’s one I have heard repeated many times. 55 and even 62 gr. projectiles are too small to be affective through any kind of heavy brush, I couldn’t imagine having to try to hit anything through thick jungle.
I understand completely. The original M-16, as delivered by McNamara and the “Wonder Boys” was simply not combat ready.
As I wander around the local gun shows, including the Crossroads shows (they are the bigger ones here), I see many, many tables of AR parts, both add-ons and repair parts. I do not see such for the AK, and the reason is obvious; it’s not because they aren’t (or can’t be) made, it’s because they just aren’t needed.
My gun purchases are sometimes limited by ammo considerations; I can only stock so many different calibers. 7.62×39 is a caliber I have three guns for, while I have no .223 guns, which means I don’t need to stock that ammo.
Mi AK is a Romanian of fairly ancient parentage (I bought it many years ago, and for little $$$). I’s had a fer thousand rounds through it, and it just keeps shooting.
Yes, it’s crude compared to a $1500 AR, but it functions as well (and more importantly, as reliably), is extremely effective at close range (which is what it’s designed for, so it’s not surprising at all), and ammo is still cheap. It’s also heavier that an AR, but I’m a big guy (I liked the M-14, heavy as it is) and it really doesn’t matter to me.
It’s not for everyone; some don’t like that it is a gun associated with our enemies, some just don’t like that it’s not a precision instrument. That’s OK, there’s no requirement that we all like each and every gun out there.
Nope. Tried several AK-47’s, never really clicked for me like AR’s & bolt rifles. Came close to getting an AK-74 but didn’t bother cuz it was around what “wondrous” time when Barry and his cadre of whiny libtards made it impossible to find 5.45×39mm ammo that wasn’t 5 bucks/round.
Only have one rifle, an AR, and choose that mainly because I was already familiar with it. When you don’t hunt, compete, or collect your rifle collection can be pretty small.
Nah.
– Stamped out of sheet metal
– Rock ‘n’ lock mag
– Something about the broad side of a barn getting away
– Commie gun
I actually like the rock and lock magazines. It’s much harder to have a magazine fall out of an AK than an AR. This weekend I saw two guys dump their magazines less than an hour apart because they forgot to push-pull. It the AK had a manual bolt hold open, it would actually reload just as fast as an AR and far more reliably.
I don’t want a bolt hold open. One of the things I like about the AK is that it’s the same every time. I have found that I am fantastically stupid in a gunfight. I like simple things.
I’m a fan of that as well, but the point is that a rock and lock magazine is not harder to change than a straight-in magazine if you train on it. For me, the hardest part is the AK reach around as I have a fairly large body and it’s difficult to do in armor. I have to either take the gun from my shoulder and rotate it or use my right hand while supporting with my left. (One of the down sides of being a big stocky guy rather than tall and lanky.) It’s why I always try to do a tactical reload in competition. A Spetsnaz reload is a lot easier for me than trying to get a full 30 round GI magazine to seat reliably.
Best peice of advice I have ever been given when it comes to AK mags is to have at least your shit n git mags loaded with the last two rounds tracers, that way when your brain farts when the poop is getting thick you know without a doubt when its mag change time.
I actually have done this with my AR mags too…its a good way to not get caught with your pants down.
I once had a chance to shoot a few full-auto rifles ($80 for 25 rounds). I shot an M4 carbine, produced a reasonable size group, all things considered. Then I shot an AK-47 and had trouble keeping it on target. In short, I didn’t like it and the experience certainly didn’t make me want one.
Far as I can tell, the only reasons a civilian would want a Kalashnikov would be
1) Cheap mil-surp ammo
2) Cheap mil-surp ammo
Ok Curtis. Let me give you my reasons.
1. Very wide clearances and beefy over engineering on components making the rifle far less prone to breakage.
2. The ability to deliver a .30 caliber round in an intermediate platform.
3. A very simple manual of arms.
4. Respectable accuracy with decent ammo and a decent rifle (1 MOA is quite achievable sub-300 yards)
5. The ability to run sub-sonic ammunition suppressed with no part changeouts or gas block fiddling. (The ammo is expensive, but it exists and packs as much punch as .300 AAC.)
dude, you have got to roll your own. You are missing half of what the AK can do with store-bought rounds.
With the price of 7.62×39 brass and bullets, it doesn’t save a lot of money and it takes more time than I have to spare.
Curtis, that’s why there are so many different styles of guns: There are so many different styles of guns! 🙂
When I went through AIT, I was issued the M-14 E2 for the squad, because I could hold a 4″ group with three rounds in auto. Quite simply, being 6’4″, about 250 lbs, and with good upper body strength to match, I could keep it on target. Most simply can’t.
But then, automatic fire isn’t about keeping the tenth round on target; it’s about keeping the enemy’s head down. While it sure is fun, accuracy simply isn’t the goal.
But the AK is very capable of hitting the target, especially if the target is within 200 yards, one shot at a time.
I’m not telling you t hat you should get one, that’s entirely up to you. But I am saying your experience shooting automatic fire just isn’t comparable to shooting semi-auto.
I actually enjoyed shooting an M-60 from the hip, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the average guy. The experience would put most people off. Firing an AK on auto is similarly not the kind of experience that would make one think a semi-auto AK is much good. But actually shooting a semi-auro AK is very different from shooting an automatic AK.
But then, a lot don’t like a semi-auto AK either. And that’s OK.
Have an AR and a spare lower already. Don’t really feel like another long gun. I would trade up my extra lower for an AK but it’s a buyer’s market right now.
I’d get a 223 one if I did. I like to avoid the fuss of needing different calibers.
Nah. An AK’s 2 on my “to purchase” list (1 is a new 22 rifle), but prices seem to be dropping pretty far on them (PSA has a full rifle for 800 last year, now the parts are going for sub 600) so I’m not in a hurry for that one.
PSA has package deal specials on AR+AK for 900-1000 depending on furniture (magpul vs stock)
Problem is I already have an AR.
Can an FFL break these bundle up and transfer them to two people and avoid it being a straw purchase if I split it with another person?
Of course. Because AKs are cool.
You just look a fool if you are holding an AR while you shout “Wolverines!”
Yep. Bought an Arsenal in 7.62×39 (Russian) when they were still plentiful and reasonably priced. I could probably sell it for a nice profit but it is way too much fun to shoot and my only AK.
Yes, yes, no, and yes.
I inherited an AK, been shot at by a few AKs (hate the tool, not his equipment), said inherited AK was taken by the ex-wife (while I was being shot at by other AKs), but still have an inked AK, which means it can’t happen again without being disarmed.
And I aways wanted an AK as a kid, while all my friends wanted an Uzi (though I’m still trying to sell them on my AKUzi idea).
No, NY SAFE act, I’m looking at you.
Truth be told, every AK I ever shot had some kind of weird quirk, and the standard Commie furniture always seems to be made for a guy with arms like an Oompa Loompa and shoulders like a gorilla. So, I guess I wouldn’t likely buy one even if I could.
Saiga Sporter.
Nope. Working on my 1st AR. As mentioned by action PM earlier I don’t hunt or compete or collect.
U guys are nuts. Ak’s are the best. As the ar market is in the dumps, ak prices are going up. But com block, or dont buy at all.
New York legal Saiga Sporter in 7.62×39. Crappiest piece of junk I own. Looks like it was made by monkeys. Front sight is on so crooked you can’t even use irons.
Yet with a rail adaptor and a cheap red dot, it’s my favorite gun to shoot.
Nope. However, I recently parted with my SKS to upgrade to a VZ2008. I went with one because, as compared to the AKM the safety is a little more ergonomic, it has a last round bolt hold open, its lighter, and can accept stripper clips. So far, mine hasn’t been hampered by the issues which seem to plague Century Arms.
I’ve got nothing against AK in general, but I’m not a huge fan. Ergos suck, zero ambidextrous anything, accuracy’s spotty at best past 200m, and the myth of AK-uber-reliability is just that. If you want an AK, God bless and go for it. I prefer ARs. It’s what I’m issued, more familiar with, and meets all my requirements in a weapon.
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FZyxTY_R43Y0%2Fmqdefault.jpg&f=1
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fjn17MwQT8DI%2Fmqdefault.jpg&f=1
Ok… let’s talk about a few things.
1. The ergos “suck” because you’re trying to run an AK like you would an AR. Stop. The weapons have completely different manuals of arms.
2. All AKs are 100% ambi. Believe it or not, it’s actually easier to run an AK as a leftie if you know what you’re doing.
3. Accuracy to ~400 meters is just as good as an equally well built AR. The round goes sub-sonic at ~450 meters, but inside that range a good AK can reliably hold 1 MOA.
4. While I respect Karl and Ian quite a bit, their mud test is just one data point. Exactly one long gun has ever passed it and only because, by some miracle, no mud got into the hole under the trigger group. If you submerge both an AK and an AR is soupy mud, both will fail. The AK, however, can be brought back into action with a handy puddle of water or a canteen.
You are 100% correct sir. There is even a unproven rumor that Kalishnikov himself was a leftie. Being a southpaw myself I can reload and recharge my AKs without ever breaking my sight picture or taking my hand off the pistol grip. MUCH more efficent than even my leftie AR.
As far as ergonomics go, AKs have short stocks due to the primary operating conditions in Russia and much of europe taking into account heavy coats would be worn…stocks can be changed on most AKs rather easily, except the underfolders and the N-pap I believe…
I’ve got two, unless you count the Vepr in 54r.
I bought them because they were cheaper than ARs, and go bang. The Vepr came later, when I had more money for something fancier.
I’ve got an 80% folded lower and almost enough parts to build a rifle that I picked up a couple of years ago in cash deals and trades. The paranoia was (and probably still is) strong. The AK would probably be on the top of my list for a “bury it someplace in PVC pipe” ghost gun. I’ve been looking at some built up AKs just for my collection, but I have a problem with paying six or seven hundred bucks for a three hundred dollar rifle.
PTR32, because I wanted to start with an inherently more accurate rifle. Runs Magpul AK mags just fine, eats steel case without a hiccup. Just kinda porky. But that is because they build the 32 on the same receiver as the 91. Made in USA.
it’s a really neat gun that is high on my list yo purchase, great history too.
Yes.
I own 9 (if you count the Galil as an AK since it practically is)
Russian, Chinese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Egyptian, Israeli, and East German.
I prefer shooting them over my AR’s.
No. Hell No
Also No Zaporozhets, Trabant, Lada, etc.
What if I said that you could get a milled receiver AK in 7.62×39 for under 400.00 USD (prices shooting up fast)? And suppose that this AK was “improved” with a better safety and last shot hold open? What if I told you that this rifle’s design was a few years older than the AK, inspired it in many ways, and is called an SKS?
My first rifle was an SKS; I bought it to piss off my parents, who were very anti-gun. It did that very well.
Still have it, it’s a blast to shoot (so to speak). Cost $79, plus tax.
More accurate than my AK, but only holds 10 rounds, which is fine, because I don’t intend to use it for anything but fun.
Yes, because of its elegant simplicity that can work quickly, won’t break, and can still wear wood.
There are lots of after-market upgrades and fixes that you can do to them, and with a bit of wet-dry sand paper, a file, and a daube of hope they may even be made to fit your gun.
How about an “AK” that’s accurate with a milled receiver and 20 inch barrel? The old Norinco Hunter is my only AK variant, and I dig it! $350 right before stuff got weird several years ago. It looks like a hunting rifle and an AK had a baby.
Not yet.
Nothing against them, for all the reasons Sergei and jwt mentioned, they just never gave me wood.
If one drops in my lap cheap enough, perhaps, have to see how it goes…
I dont, I do have my late fathers Ruger Mini 30 however, and i got my 150 grain 7.62×39 rounds from Corbon, for some reason i couldnt respond to the Gov;s post.
I paid way too much for a Norinco milled receiver AK in the early days of the panic. I went AK because:
1) my wife owned one when I met her and I like commonization
2) .30 caliber I believe is more versatile and can be stretched into hunting duty
3) cheaper ammo (at the time)
Still like shooting it. Still plan to buy an AR.
My only complaints: …that safety just sucks! And I wish there were better options for an optics mount.
Don’t have one. Why not? Just haven’t bothered yet. It’s on the list, but there’s plenty ahead of it.
10/63 WASR stamped 1964 in a Tapco adjustable stock with G-2 trigger and fore grip. The barrel is not in quite straight and the front sight is slightly canted. I adjusted the front sight until at 100 yards it hits fine with the cheapest junk ammo. The longest range in my area is 100 yards and the most likely non-target use of the rifle is home defense at well under 100 yards. I paid $400 for the rifle plus a load of magazines in a private sale and was told by a reputable dealer of AR’s and AK’s that I got a good buy. This was soon after Sandy Hook when entry level AR’s were $750. I like the AK (and a similar SKS). I like the leaf sight because most of the time I shoot handguns and the sight picture is similar to a 3 dot. I like that as an amateur, this rifle (and the SKS sitting beside it) was designed for amateurs, requires less cleaning and is easier to clean than the AR. With the AR price drop, I also have an entry level AR, which I am still not used to, even though I can tell that when I get it set up, it will be more accurate, and it sure is lighter. I am sure that people who trained with an AR in the US military probably prefer it. Millions of peasant soldiers, cadres and terrorists have used the AK, and I am not embarrassed to say I understand why.
YEs, an inexpensive Century Arms RAS, and I love it. I shoot it a lot, never a single problem. Love the simplicity and ease of use. And cheap ammo. It’s great to throw it over my shoulder, hop on the 4-wheeler and “patrol the perimeter,” bust a coyote if you see one. Or at least scare the hell out of him. Really tough, easy, accurate enough for me.
YEs, an inexpensive Century Arms RAS, and I love it. I shoot it a lot, never a single problem. Love the simplicity and ease of use. And cheap ammo. It’s great to throw it over my shoulder, hop on the 4-wheeler and “patrol the perimeter,” bust a coyote if you see one. Or at least scare the hell out of him. Really tough, easy, accurate enough for me.
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