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Cheap vs. Expensive AK-47

HighNoonHighNoon Member Posts: 444 ✭✭✭
edited September 2002 in General Discussion
Another question for the panel of experts which you may have answered in the past for others.

With limited funds, I am thinking about buying an AK for a little "high-powered" plinking, and in the unlikely event of being outnumbered, a little more backup than a handgun.

I know that milled is better than stamped, that VEPR is stamped but has 50% more steel to stamp with. Are the Romanian SAR-1's decent enough to have or should I save up and get a Bulgarian or Russian version? If the SAR-1's don't have parts fall off every time you pull the trigger it would be ok with me.

AK owners, your experience would be greatly appreciated. Especially those of you that have the SAR-1.

Thanks.

HN
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Comments

  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    HN: Get a Bulgarian SLR-100H. It's a bargain and the very best below a Valmet or Galil.

    Why does man kill? He kills for food. But not only for food; frequently, he must have a beverage.
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  • hdwrenchhdwrench Member Posts: 954 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    i'm not an exprt , just a shooter .have an sar-1 . it shoots great . never broke , jammed , or had anything fall off . the price was rite also . wrench .
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  • HighNoonHighNoon Member Posts: 444 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    DWS,
    Thanks for the info. I looked up the specs on a Galil......WOW, pretty impressive. Then I searched GB for one.......WOW $3700. If only Anna Nichole's husband had left ME a few bucks.
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  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Bulgy has a chrome-lined Steyr barrel with the same half-life as plutonium. Plus it's a pre-ban configuration gun (minus lug) with a nice threaded muzzle for adding an optional brake.

    Why does man kill? He kills for food. But not only for food; frequently, he must have a beverage.
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You don't say how limited your funds are, but if you are even slightly cash strapped you can forget about the top of the line rilfes: Valmet, Galil, or Yugoslavian (Mitchell or American Arms).
    These, along with Steyr imported Egyptian rifles from the early 1980's
    and the hand full of preban Kassnar Hungarian's brought in have become collectors pieces and are not used much for shooting these days. Many preban Chinese rifles have achieved the same status.
    I have mixed opinions on the Romanian and Misr Egyptian rifles since quality seems to vary A LOT depending on who imported them. Among my dozen or so I have two Egyptian rifles, each brought in at differnt times by different importers; You'd never know they were supposed to be the same make of rifle! Much can be said along these lines about the Romanian rifles: One has a fine finish and hardly even a tool mark anywhere on it. The other is so rough that the front sight assembly can tear your shirt if it rubs against you. You'll have to see the rifle...or at least some good pictures before you buy.
    The two makes that have always maintained excellent quality are the Bulgarian rifles and the post ban FEG Hungarian (thumbhole stock) guns. Since the FEG Hungarian's (not the Kassnar rifles) were not available in preban (unless you want to change the parts over yourself) I'd say the Bulgarian rifle is the way to go and I will echo DancesWithSheep's opinion on those hammer forged barrels- top quality. The milled receiver, although heavy, also sets the Bulgar apart from the rest. Take a look at that make and I think you'll be very happy.


    "Trust me, I know what I'm doing!"

    Mark T. Christian
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nothing wrong with a stamped receiver per se. Kalashnikov designed the AK to be stamped. They had some problems with early stampings and switched to forged receivers for a while, but solved the issues and went back to stamping, and most if not all of the exported technology, including the Chinese guns, went back to the stamping method, which turns out a significantly lighter gun. Ironically, Russian forged receiver guns started bringing a premium later on as being more 'true' AKs. Some may like a heavy forged receiver better, but in actuality the AK is probably more authentic, and just as good a weapon, stamped. Which has nothing to do with the merits of a forged barrel, by the way.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:


    I know that milled is better than stamped,
    Thanks.

    HN




    From my personal experience I think that the stamped recievers seem to disipate the heat better... But it could just be coinsidences.

    If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

    The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !
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  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:
    DWS,
    Thanks for the info. I looked up the specs on a Galil......WOW, pretty impressive. Then I searched GB for one.......WOW $3700. If only Anna Nichole's husband had left ME a few bucks.






    check out hesse arms new stuff, they are making a galil type rifle, don't really now much past it that that, and its alot cheaper than $3700...

    If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

    The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !
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  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I sure wish they didn't have to litterally destroy the rifles before they imported them, for once I would like to have an all original military rifle, not a "sporterized" civilian version... Just one Soviet AN-94, just one, and thats it...

    If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

    The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !
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  • smokinggunsmokinggun Member Posts: 590 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Check out the Arsenal AK's made here in the USA by Bulgarians. They are around $600 and I think they are better than the Vepr.

    BNRVA@aol.comwww.vcdl.org
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  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    IMO, spending in upwards of $600 for an AK-47 variant is just insane. If you are looking for a reliable plinker (especially as you state "With limited funds") get the Sar-1 and you will not be sorry.Use those hundreds of extra dollars saved from not buying a pre ban /Gal./vepr and buy a case of ammo and some 30 round mags. Don't buy into that stamped versus milled nonsense, in the case of an AK-variant you are not looking at a tackdriver in either case. As long as you do not abuse your AK(such as using it as a shovel or as a bridging device) you will never notice the difference from stamped/milled. Besides all this you can still find SAR-1, AK-variants in shotgun news for $279 which come with extra 30 round mags.



    Edited by - josey1 on 09/11/2002 07:21:07
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When I mentioned that the forged receiver sets the Bulgarian rifle apart from the rest I meant only that it offered a slightly different look to the basic rifle itself. This in no way implied that it is supperior to the stamping. The stamped receivers are both lighter and just as strong and have been in use for most of the Kalashnikov production life. The original design called for a stamped receiver but was changed to a forging due to production difficulties. I am afraid that I'm one of those guys who just likes to have something a little bit different and in my collection, the forged receiver of the Bulgarian rifle makes it stand out from its AK brothers.

    Mark T. Christian

    Edited by - mark christian on 09/11/2002 20:02:53
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  • pikeal1pikeal1 Member Posts: 2,707
    edited November -1
    I have an egyptian maadi and I don't have a single complaint about it. You can find all sorts of parts for it and it is very reliable.

    if you want more info on the different types of AK's there is a forum that is solely dedicated to the AK.

    http://www.gunsnet.net/forums


    Edited by - pikeal1 on 09/11/2002 10:53:43
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    mark --
    Sorry, at times I comment on a topic in a general way. I was not casting any aspersions on the forged receiver, or disagreeing with anything you contributed. It just reminded me of the matter of stamped, forged and milled when it comes to these rifles. I have the Chinese type 56 pre-ban with stamped receiver and am happy with it. I have no doubt the others are good too, and that there are better examples out there than the Norinco I have. I'm pretty sure Kalashnikov himself prefers his gun with the stamped receiver. Even that doesn't make it the strongest.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • HighNoonHighNoon Member Posts: 444 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Josey1,

    Thanks for your practical info. I certainly wouldn't use it for a shovel, but what about an extended TV antenna? If I add a bayonet I can probably pull in even more stations.

    Actually, I think I will go less expensive so I can buy more ammo and magazines. I live in the mountains with nothing but national forest next to my 70 acres so it should be fun. I need to find a stock large enough so as not to make me feel "cramped."

    Thanks.
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  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ironwood designs makes and excellent stock set with a rubber butt pad. It is big enough to just feel good when shouldered, of course you will have to sacrifice the trapdoor in the buttstock but for a bigger guy it's worth it.

    "If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • garandfangarandfan Member Posts: 271 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I were you, I would go with the sar-1, that's what I did. Great shooter and they are an absolute blast to shoot. I have a lot of fun working on them too. But don't worry, nothing needed to be fixed, I just like adding to it. Came with an ungly stock set though, what I did was strip that gunk off it and sprayed the stock down with some truck bed coating. Gave it a real nice rubbery black stock for about 6 bucks. Also took another stock set and refinished it. Since you want it longer, you can just buy the rubber butt pad. Trust me you need the extra money for mags and ammo especially if you learn to bump fire it. That'll eat your ammo quick but boy is it fun.

    "To be prepared for War is one of the most
    effectual means of preserving peace"-George Washington
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