AK on a budget???

Monofletch

Monofletch

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
9,929
I have wanted an AK for a long time. I recently put a deposit on a VEPR in 7.62x54R, but the shop couldn't deliver at the agreed price. I just want the best AK for my $$$. I have read good things about the C39. A local store carries the I.O. Incorporated M247-C witch gets good reviews as well. Plus it is 100% made in the USA.

Someone with more experience with these rifles point me in the right direction.
 
I don't know a lot about AKs but I know like ARs folks are building them up to a blank lower receiver. Then you can build it any way you like probably for less money.
 
With I.O.'s you need to check it out closely for the front sight being canted, and make sure the mag well is holding mags securely. As billym said you can build your own how you want it as well. It requires a few more tools than an Ar does, but a parts kit including barrel and a Nodak spud receiver for the kit and you can pretty much build what you want. I usually just build what i want. Currently my favorite is a AMD65 that I built, very tight and matching number kit.
 
I have a Romak and love the Heck out of it. I bought it brand new and when they were at the kill-yer-wallet price of $325.00 :D

So far it has 18000 [yes that's 18 thousand] rounds through it and never cleaned [internally]. I'm trying to see when I'll get my first stoppage.

I've used several different brands of magazine in it, feeding 3 different types of ammo [brands] and they all function flawlessly. I see now they go for about $800 or so.

I consider it highly recommended.

EDIT: Mine's 7.62 x 39 though.......not 54R.
 
Monofletch said:
I have wanted an AK for a long time. I recently put a deposit on a VEPR in 7.62x54R, but the shop couldn't deliver at the agreed price. I just want the best AK for my $$$. I have read good things about the C39. A local store carries the I.O. Incorporated M247-C witch gets good reviews as well. Plus it is 100% made in the USA.

Someone with more experience with these rifles point me in the right direction.
Click to expand...

Its been a few years but the best built AK-47 Rifle platform I ever owned was the Valmet M-76 Folding stock in 7.62 x 39 and that thing was very accurate for an AK & a folder. I also had M-76 in fixed wooden stock in 7.62 x 51. Not only was it accurate but I had fast shot follow up with it. Better than with mi M1A 308 Springfield. Due to the bigger cartridge the Valmet in 7.62 x 51 it got the nick name of Thumper! http://valmetweapons.com/Valmet_Rifles.html

I really don't know of any bad AKs'? Even the cheap chinese ones were reliable! I worked in gun store during the 80's when all the real rifles were available in CA. I got to fire and hear about most every firearm around at the time.
 
The Finnish Valmet/Sako made rk62/M76 rifles and later rk95 rifles are indeed fine guns. You'll have a hard time finding one today though. They were predominantly made for the Finnish armed forces and are out of production today. A few were exported in earlier years but have probably already been snapped up by collectors. You will likely pay a premium to get one today.

The Israelis derived their Galil weapon family from licensed Valmet specs if memory serves. As their main arms supplier is the US most were chambered in 5.56x45 although some variants where chambered in 7.62x39 as well. The Galil is no longer widely used by the Israeli military because of subsidized AR imports but they saw use in some of the earlier wars of the region. It is a quality battle tested design and as such might be worth a look. It will almost certainly be easier to find than the Finnish AK. The current one is the Galil ACE.

[video=youtube;xjaCI3eoVxI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjaCI3eoVxI[/video]

As a side note the 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R Cartridges are completely different animals. Specify which you want. :D
 
Well, I WANTED the VEPR in 54R, but it seems they a e a bit pricey. Then I tried the same in x39, but it was even more. The VEPR is based on the RPK reciever and is suppose to be better (from what I have read).

My local dealer has the WASR 10s and the I.O. Inc. for almost the same price and the I.O. says 100% MADE in the U.S.A. which got my attention.

To answer your question....7.62 x 39 I yes, I know they are different. :o
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
I really don't know of any bad AKs'? Even the cheap chinese ones were reliable! I worked in gun store during the 80's when all the real rifles were available in CA. I got to fire and hear about most every firearm around at the time.
Click to expand...


There are some gawd aweful AKs, some Maadis look freaking terrible and they are junk. Century is very hit or miss, mostly swinging away and missing a lot. They're a terrible company overal, if there's a gun run they'll jack dealer cost of a WASR over $800 and if the market is soft they'll make a bunch of shady backdoor deals to places so they can sell them at stupidly low prices. That being said, the new WASRs are for the most part acceptable and consistant (front sight posts being straight).

IO.....I've heard hit or miss things about them.

Those cheap Chinese AKS, Norincos and Polytechs and B West (importer) are now pretty collectable and were good quality. The finish on them were actually blued instead of spray paint.

I bought a M+M M10 a couple years ago because I knew my rep for them pretty well and he said they were very solid and the next big thing. It's been reliable but the finish on it is very cheap and they cut the threads by hand using a die and they have no tools to measure concentricity which sucks if you want to put a suppressor on an AK.

I've given AKs a chance in the past couple years, but I'm selling one to fund a POF upper in 7.62x39, I'm keeping the Saiga 12 but AKs just don't float my boat.


For most AKs, I'd buy them fron a LGS first just so you can inspect them and check them out. Certain brands I'd buy sight unseen through the internet but that's me
 
What's your budget? I picked a Zastava NPap m70 up for $675 after tax brand new and the thing is insanely accurate. A little bigger than a normal AK but they're also built like a tank. In fact, this weekend I was hitting stuff at about 60 yards with iron sights that guys with 30/30's couldn't hit(I'm talking small spray paint cans and gallon jugs not the hardest shot tho). There's tons of videos on them and I've put probably 600 rounds through it without a problem. And it takes Pmags, tapco, and surplus mags just fine.
 
M67 said:
There are some gawd aweful AKs, some Maadis look freaking terrible and they are junk. Century is very hit or miss, mostly swinging away and missing a lot. They're a terrible company overal, if there's a gun run they'll jack dealer cost of a WASR over $800 and if the market is soft they'll make a bunch of shady backdoor deals to places so they can sell them at stupidly low prices. That being said, the new WASRs are for the most part acceptable and consistant (front sight posts being straight).

IO.....I've heard hit or miss things about them.

Those cheap Chinese AKS, Norincos and Polytechs and B West (importer) are now pretty collectable and were good quality. The finish on them were actually blued instead of spray paint.

I bought a M+M M10 a couple years ago because I knew my rep for them pretty well and he said they were very solid and the next big thing. It's been reliable but the finish on it is very cheap and they cut the threads by hand using a die and they have no tools to measure concentricity which sucks if you want to put a suppressor on an AK.

I've given AKs a chance in the past couple years, but I'm selling one to fund a POF upper in 7.62x39, I'm keeping the Saiga 12 but AKs just don't float my boat.


For most AKs, I'd buy them fron a LGS first just so you can inspect them and check them out. Certain brands I'd buy sight unseen through the internet but that's me
Click to expand...

My reference is from the 80's. There very well could be shabby ones now, The Maadi is or was from Egypt. I shot one in the 80's that was crude looking but reliable. All of the former eastern bloc ones were great back then in the 80's. The dealer I worked for had a class III importers lics to sell to LE and Military. I had the chance to shoot all kinds of cool stuff.

The Chinese were very reliable and more than accurate for what the AK was designed for.
 
Buy a romanian ak mini draco pistol fromJ&G add a sb47 brace and a 75 round drum and have fun!
 
lazy otter said:
Buy a romanian ak mini draco pistol fromJ&G add a sb47 brace and a 75 round drum and have fun!
Click to expand...

Loading the drums are kind of a pain because there's a certain way it has to be done. If not, they won't feed properly. There are several good YouTubes on how to do this, I suggest watching them.
 
Most Ak aficionados do not like IO for a multitude of reasons Century quality has gotten better over the years I reccommend going to akfiles.com they have a lot of good info .
 
Monofletch said:
Well, I WANTED the VEPR in 54R, but it seems they a e a bit pricey. Then I tried the same in x39, but it was even more. The VEPR is based on the RPK reciever and is suppose to be better (from what I have read).

My local dealer has the WASR 10s and the I.O. Inc. for almost the same price and the I.O. says 100% MADE in the U.S.A. which got my attention.

To answer your question....7.62 x 39 I yes, I know they are different. :o
Click to expand...

By the way, in this case made in the good ole USA doesn't mean its any better, matter of fact. I would be more confident in Czech, Polish, East German, Romanian, Chinese that are build on the cold war machinery and their Military armories. Battle Rifles.
 
Monofletch said:
Someone with more experience with these rifles point me in the right direction.
Click to expand...

Stay away from IO products, too many issues with build quality and poor CS. The new Century C39 millled receiver rifles are getting very good reviews and the couple I have fondled looked very nice. The Yugo Zastava N-PAP rifle are very strong AK platform rifles and are relatively inexpensive for the quality you get.

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/com...a-n-pap-fixed-wood-stock-detail.html?Itemid=0
Atlantic does a QC check on there rifles before they ship to check for canted sights and other general QC issues.

Take some time and look at some of the reviews on this site. The owner of this site, Rob Ski (former Polish SF) knows AK platform as well as anybody around.
http://www.akoperatorsunionlocal4774.com/author/robert60446/

 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top