Does anyone shoot an AK?
- Thread starter Jessie
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Arik
Member
Yes lots!
What do you want out of it? What do you want it for?
If you don't sight it in and use bad ammo you'll get bad results. Property sighted I can keep a solid 3 moa off hand all day and hit targets out to 350 -400 yards.
It's a battle rifle. As long as you don't expect sniper rifle accuracy and except center of mass hits you'll do fine.
What do you want out of it? What do you want it for?
If you don't sight it in and use bad ammo you'll get bad results. Property sighted I can keep a solid 3 moa off hand all day and hit targets out to 350 -400 yards.
It's a battle rifle. As long as you don't expect sniper rifle accuracy and except center of mass hits you'll do fine.
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Ak's
I have been shooting, building, training with and instructing the AK platform since the early 70's.....I have shot tens of thousands of rounds thru several dozen different Chinese, Russian, Egyptian, Romanian, Yugo's, etc. and home built AK's.
As Arik pointed out, they are intended for battle, not precision target work.....they are extremely functional under adverse conditions, accurate enough for their intended purpose, and extremely versatile as far as how they can be configured.
I have them in the 7.62x39, 5.45x39 and the 223....I have carried them in harm's way and trained other's to do so. I have a couple that are my "go to" rifles if I have the need. The AK is one of the true "classics" in the combat rifle world and will be on the scene for years to come. The AK will serve you well.
I have been shooting, building, training with and instructing the AK platform since the early 70's.....I have shot tens of thousands of rounds thru several dozen different Chinese, Russian, Egyptian, Romanian, Yugo's, etc. and home built AK's.
As Arik pointed out, they are intended for battle, not precision target work.....they are extremely functional under adverse conditions, accurate enough for their intended purpose, and extremely versatile as far as how they can be configured.
I have them in the 7.62x39, 5.45x39 and the 223....I have carried them in harm's way and trained other's to do so. I have a couple that are my "go to" rifles if I have the need. The AK is one of the true "classics" in the combat rifle world and will be on the scene for years to come. The AK will serve you well.
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I love my ar chambered in 7.62x39, made by bushmaster. It has been priblem free for the years I have owned and it more accurate than either aks or skses. I have heard about bolt action rugers but have never seen or shot one. Fun round
Arik
Member
I've never been to combat with one but I have been shooting them for years. Most countries of manufacturing, in 7.62 and 5.45. Have a few that are my "go to". In a SHTF I wouldn't leave home without one
loc_n_load said it, they're great rifles for their intended purpose. Stone cold reliable, easy to work on and fun to shoot.
"Darn, I dropped my ham sandwich in my AK again !"
These guy are a bit biased, but it's a hoot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGih7eWI3E
"Darn, I dropped my ham sandwich in my AK again !"
These guy are a bit biased, but it's a hoot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGih7eWI3E
Jessie,
I will address each of your questions.
Yes. 7.62x39 ammo is relatively inexpensive and is readily available. You can stock up cheaply. The cheap Wolf and Tula ammo is reliable, consistent and accurate for plinking.
A good AK surprises most folks on how accurate it is. I agree with Arik that out to 350 yards you can hit a 12" x 12" target over 50% of the time but I cannot do it off hand. I need a wobbly bench.
Is it a waste of money? I think it all depends on what you want. Anyone who is interested in semi-auto battle rifles should try an AK-47 at least once.The world of AK rifles is as diverse as the realm of various revolver makers and their configurations. You will have a lot of decisions to make if you decide to look for an AK-47. There are a bajillion different "parts guns" out there with various imported parts on a U.S. receiver and you want to be careful about the reputation of the maker if you choose a parts gun. I prefer Chinese pre-ban AK-47's to all others but a pre-ban one is relatively expensive. You can get the same 1.5 mm receiver and quality build in a post-ban Chinese MAK-90 for a lot less but it has a sportster stock that some people don't think are very cool. Quality beats cool. European AK-47's, all original, are generally very good. I like the Bulgarian AK's and Arsenal in the U.S. basically builds the Bulgarian AK and it's a good product. Egyptian AK's (Maadi) are supposed to be good but I did not like the one I had.
Good Luck,
John
Scoundrel and Ne'er-Do-Well in Training
Arik
Member
mc5aw
Member
During the frenzy of 2013, I divested myself of both AR rifles and every round of .223/5.56 I owned. I kept both Kalashnikovs, and have never looked back. The AK platform is reliable like no other, and is globally universal. The 7.62x39 caliber is extremely versatile, and still can be had in bulk for a reasonable price. An added bonus is whatever an AK eats, an SKS will digest also.
Worth mentioning is the cost differential of ammo ...
At the 2013 peak, .223/5.56 hit a high of ~ $1.50/round, with a steady $1/round dominating the market for months, when ammo could be found. x39 peaked at ~$350/case, up from an average of $250/case pre-panic. Though supplies have been restored, and prices have moderated from a year ago, x39 is still more cost effective than .223/5.56.
Worth mentioning is the cost differential of ammo ...
At the 2013 peak, .223/5.56 hit a high of ~ $1.50/round, with a steady $1/round dominating the market for months, when ammo could be found. x39 peaked at ~$350/case, up from an average of $250/case pre-panic. Though supplies have been restored, and prices have moderated from a year ago, x39 is still more cost effective than .223/5.56.
OIF2
Member
I liked mine. Wish I could have brought it back.
Bob
Bob
Rick_A
Member
I've got a big one, and it makes a fine target gun.
gregintenn
Member
I have a much maligned WASR. I enjoy shooting it as much as any rifle I own. The Tapco trigger is great, the chrome lined barrel is accurate and easy to clean, and it will fire and cycle any ammo I've found marked 7.62x39.
Current production ammo can still be had for less than a quarter a round. That isn't much more than 22lr these days. I see no downside to owning one.
Current production ammo can still be had for less than a quarter a round. That isn't much more than 22lr these days. I see no downside to owning one.
gregintenn
Member
I also have a couple of SKSs. a standard and a paratrooper. I believe the SKS is a better made rifle than an AK, the Ak just looks and feels better to me.
Although a commie design, what's not to like? They're capable (depending on build), most are affordable and ammo is comparatively inexpensive.
Politics aside, I think they're great and we all should have one.
And if you're so inclined in burning through ammo, get a bump fire stock (surefire or fostech) plus someone to help load mags, and have at it.
Politics aside, I think they're great and we all should have one.
And if you're so inclined in burning through ammo, get a bump fire stock (surefire or fostech) plus someone to help load mags, and have at it.
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My AK and one of my SK's are Romanian, my other SK is Very cherry Russian.
I met a gentleman at my gun range who claimed to have worked as an engineer in the Romanian factory where my rifles came from. He examined my rifles a claimed that I had two very good examples. He proceeded to assist me in sighting in my AK. He knew the tricks of the trade. Very hard to understand speaking very broken English but I listened closely and learned a lot that day!
Back when we could legally own them here in CT I found that the best one I had was a Bulgarian made one. Shot the heck out of it and never had a problem. The Chinese & Romainian ones worked as well but did not have the quality of the Bulgarian. Glad that you are in a state that can buy them, we cannot buy Aks or Ar15s anymore.
Arik
Member
The guy on the left has on of the most popular Tabuk rifles to come out of that war. The guy in the middle has a lovely used Chicom .....Although the pic is hard to tell and I'm going off of the front sight. ..I liked mine. Wish I could have brought it back.
Bob
I got one from Iraq!! Romanian RPK used by contractors (security guards). They were built as semi auto and a batch of RPK, WASR and night vision optics just came in from import
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italiansport
Member
Here's my Hungarian Model AMD 65 cased up and ready to go.
The folded up paper is a copy of the registration.
Jim
The folded up paper is a copy of the registration.
Jim
mc5aw
Member
That was probably a SLR-95 from the original Arsenal plant. I had one when I lived in CT as it was the "loophole" AK ... it did not have AK nomenclature, thus it was not on the prohibited list. The SLR-95 is generally regarded as one of the best Kalashnikovs built in the recent past, and commands ~$1K when one can be located on the open market.
Arik
Member
Is it the wire folder?
They are ok. Made in Radom NOT to be confused with FB Radom. I'm sure in your reviews you've read that it was made in the famous Radom factory. It is not. FB Radom is the factory that makes the famous Polish military AK. The factory is named after the city of Radom in which the factory is located. FB stands for Fabryka Broni. Fabryka means factory. The AK you are looking at is made in a civilian factory called Pioneer Arms and is imported by IO Royale Tiger. Basically it's like comparing Springfield Armory of the 30s and the one today. 2 different factories that share a common name
The rifle isn't bad, has the original cold hammer forged barrel. However those wire folder stocks don't have the greatest cheek weld and being new to AKs I doubt you'll like it. If it's a 1mm stamped reciever that stock can be swapped for any fixed stock that is also made for the 1mm stamped receiver, which is like 75% of AKs. Changing them out takes 2 minutes and a screw driver. Take out the guts, unscrew the old stock, install the new, screw it back in and re install the guts
They are ok. Made in Radom NOT to be confused with FB Radom. I'm sure in your reviews you've read that it was made in the famous Radom factory. It is not. FB Radom is the factory that makes the famous Polish military AK. The factory is named after the city of Radom in which the factory is located. FB stands for Fabryka Broni. Fabryka means factory. The AK you are looking at is made in a civilian factory called Pioneer Arms and is imported by IO Royale Tiger. Basically it's like comparing Springfield Armory of the 30s and the one today. 2 different factories that share a common name
The rifle isn't bad, has the original cold hammer forged barrel. However those wire folder stocks don't have the greatest cheek weld and being new to AKs I doubt you'll like it. If it's a 1mm stamped reciever that stock can be swapped for any fixed stock that is also made for the 1mm stamped receiver, which is like 75% of AKs. Changing them out takes 2 minutes and a screw driver. Take out the guts, unscrew the old stock, install the new, screw it back in and re install the guts
Arik
Member
Saiga are no longer imported. Price on existing ones went up to stupid and it would still need a proper conversion
Arik
Member
Another thing to note is make sure the sights are straight on whichever one you get. Generally they are but sometimes the builder is careless. Don't worry about the center post, that's adjustable for windage and elevation. Look at the actual sight, the whole thing. Sometimes they can be canted to either side. A little cant is ok since you'll most likely have to sight in the front post anyway.
Flip the rifle with the stock at your face and the barrel pointing to the ground. Look down the rear sight like your aiming. You will see the ears of the front sight. If you see one more than the other it means that sight is canted either to the left or the right
Flip the rifle with the stock at your face and the barrel pointing to the ground. Look down the rear sight like your aiming. You will see the ears of the front sight. If you see one more than the other it means that sight is canted either to the left or the right
Arik
Member
Yes its owned/partially owned by IO/Tiger but it's not FB Radom which is a military production. What they bought was part of the older plant that was not used when FB moved/expended.
Should be a decent rifle for the money. Any AK surplus mag will fit regardless of country of origin. Stay away from US made mags, they tend to be only good for ....well I dunno but they don't hold up. Beat up, used up, worn out surplus mags keep on working.
Should be a decent rifle for the money. Any AK surplus mag will fit regardless of country of origin. Stay away from US made mags, they tend to be only good for ....well I dunno but they don't hold up. Beat up, used up, worn out surplus mags keep on working.
Arik
Member
Chinese are generally considered one of the best if not the best of the AKs. There certain features you might or might not like but as far as quality they were hard to beat. Original military made rifles, just missing the full auto features. In fact that is why they were banned, some execs in the company decided to illegally import full auto ones to sell out the "back door". Some are still floating around and are 100% illegal despite the fact that you nor the gun shop were not aware. They will instantly get you a 10 year vacation courtesy of the fed gov. If anyone sees one with a "3rd pin". Looking at the profile of the reciever, by the front of the trigger guard you will see 2 pins. If there is a third, close to the bottom of the receiver ...Run fast and far
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