Question by L: What is the best AK-47 on the civilian market?
I’m looking to add an assault rifle to my collection of semi auto’s, revolvers, and shotguns.
I don’t want to spend more than $ 700, but I want a quality AK-47, or a clone of one.
I heard that the Yugoslavian and Romanian AK’s are good, but what do you think?
I want an Ak-47 that’s chambered for the 7.62 x 39 round.
Answers and Views:
Answer by HunterFisher444
The one you are going to buy.
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
DJ says
By far the best available AKM you are going to find in the US today is made by Arsenal Bulgaria. They are more expensive than the cheapies from Romania and Yugoslavia but a side-by-side comparison will show why they are more and why they are better in fit, finish and function.
Also, the Chinese NORINCO guns that were imported before Clinton stopped them in 95 are of outstanding quality if you can find a used one.
Good luck finding one……you may need to just settle for what you can find as opposed to what is best.
Just so you understand the facts: AK-47s were replaced by the better AKMs in the 1950s and were no longer made, so any Kalashnikov-style rifle sold today is actually an AKM and not an AK-47. Ones sold in the US are not "assault rifles" they are "semi-automatic carbines".
Straight Shooter says
quality and ak-47 don't go together, and i'm sure you mean sks as the ak is a class 3 weapon. spend some extra money and get a quality weapon, not something made for insurgents.
rotorhead says
I have an older Chinese model probably imported by Norinco. I say probably because all it has is the country of manufacture on it, no importer. It's an under-folding metal stock paratrooper model. I bought it used in a pawn shop about 13 years ago. It looked like it had never been cleaned but otherwise had no rust. I gave it a good going over and have never had a problem with it. I have fired military AKs from various countries while in the Marines and except for being fully automatic, didn't have any that were any better than the one I have.
I have not fired any of the other civilian versions other than the one I have but I don't see how any could function better.
Here's what I have. I really like it.
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Meanie says
exactly what TJ said, and also check what ammo you are getting because when i was in iraq we ran into problems where we used —say a china 7.62 round and it wouldnt fire correctly with certain makes of ak's, after tearing everything apart over and over we realized that brand of ammo wasnt workingwith that country's ak. switched ammo and bam, problem solved. now for in america like TJ said, ur most likely going to get a "pieces" rifle, try to get all one country's rifle.
check out: <a href="http://www.ak-47.net” target=”_blank”>www.ak-47.net for just about everything you would need to know
TJ says
Yugoslavian and Romanian AK's are both good choices. And most AK's are chambered in the 7.62 x 39 round.. However you're going to have to do some looking around, for one that you really like, because most of these guns are "piece guns" which means all of the different components that make up the gun were at one time separated in many different boxes, and then reassembled and sold in the US. Note: you can get different color variations with these guns. That is why if you look at all of the serial numbers on each component they don't match. If you do find one with all matching numbers then you have quite a find! and It would be worth a lot more money. Otherwise you should expect to pay around $ 300 dollars for one in good condition . P.S. also their should be a cleaning kit in the but stock which makes the gun a little more desirable.
vangion says
For $ 700 you don't get to decide
WASRs are now selling for that
They are bottom rung and the cheapest made or available
It wasn't that long ago that the VEPRs (that really are the best) were going for that
I would hate to see what they are running now
bryceadamprescott says
VEPRs, pure and simple. They are purposefully overbuilt and the accuracy approaches that of an AR15 when purchased in .223. The manufacturing plant for VEPR shutdown, but you might be able to find a leftover at a distributor. Most other AKs are rough and overpriced. Saigas seem to be one of the OK cheaper versions.