O/T AK-47

It recently occured to me that I wouldn't mind owning an AK-47, if I could find one reasonably priced.

There's a large semi-annual gun show coming up locally in a couple of weeks, so I'm doing a bit of homework in advance.

I'm aware that there are a s**tpot full of knockoffs from the original AK-47, but one in particular intrigues me. From the info I've gleaned so far, the model is SAR-1. I believe it's assembled here in the States of Romanian parts, except for about six major parts that are manufactured here in the States, to qualify it as domestically manufactured.

The info I've come up with so far is that it's accurate, reliable, and reasonably priced in the $300-$500 range.

Do any AK-47 enthusiasts out there have any info on this, or maybe a more desireable option?

for that price range I think you've got it right

I have a friend here at work that is a huge gun nut and if you want a new AK-47 that will run rings around the SAR-1 check Budsgunshop.com and check out this link to the one he owns.


He really likes the weapon.

Leonard
Budsgunshop.com

I had a buddy back in the early 90's that had a Norinko AK and it was a pretty nice rifle with good accuracy. Several years back I bought a Norinko SK and it too is a nicely built rifle. I know they are two different guns/designs so the only comparison I'm really able to make is in regard to the fit and finish of the brand. That said, I haven't got anywhere to really 'reach out' with it around here but like it is I can usually hold a decent grouping at around 75 yards, standing, unsupported, with iron sights, and using military surplus FMJ ammo. I figure if I need any better than that to either just play with or for defense purposes in an emergency situation, I'll start looking for something else. I figure pretty much the same reasoning would apply for someone buying an AK also....

As far as pricing goes I gave $350 for my SK about 3 1/2 years ago, from a pawn shop. At the time that was a pretty good price for one as others I'd seen were running closer to the $700 range. Prices may have come down some since that was in the pre external_link days when everyone was buying. At the same time an AK was running closer to the $1000 mark at the low end. Like I said prices may have dropped since but regardless of you can find a quality AK in the $300-$500 range jump on it.

One last thing. While i'm no AK expert by any means, I have read about some of them being chambered in .223 vs the standard 7.62. While I didn't see anything in regard to them being a bad rifle, per se, the jist of most of it was that they were harder to buy clips, etc for than the standard ones. Good luck and have fun with your new toy when you get it.

I have only shot 2 AK's several years ago.
Both fed, functioned, and ejected reliably, but were terrible in accuracy. One would hold a 8"
group at 50 yards, the other one was much worse.

I have sighted in close to 30 SKS's for other people when I did work for a gunshop. The ones I shot would hold a 3-4" group at 50 yds. The original design has a non-detachable magazine that has to be loaded one at a time or from a stripper clip. I have one that uses AK magazines that works for me.


Its good to hear that some newer AK's have improved accuracy. IMHO they needed it.

I stopped in at a local pawn shop yesterday where I've bought guns before, and they had a nice used AK (I forget the brand) for $569, with 10% off 'cause they're having their annual sale.

I thought about going for it, but then decided to see what happens at the gun show.

I stopped in at a local pawn shop yesterday where I've bought guns before, and they had a nice used AK (I forget the brand) for $569, with 10% off 'cause they're having their annual sale.

I thought about going for it, but then decided to see what happens at the gun show.

Goose the AK design is about bullet proof as has been proven in both the military market and in civilian hands. It is fairly accurate in the sense of the assault rifle/carbine type rifle with the max range being about 440 yards. The originals had sights marked out to 800 but it's thought that was done to boost the soldiers moral. About the best anyone can expect is a 1 to 1.5 inch group supported from a bench at 100 yards with the average shooter getting somewhere around 3.5-4. Being practical and knowing that most people don't shoot enough to consistently shoot a 1 inch group, I have to say that for hunting about 200 yards would be max. Thats because it's considered that a deer has about an 8 inch kill zone. AT 200 yards the average shooter will have an 8" MOA and that covers the kill zone with iron sights.

IMO no assault rifle is a good home defense weapon except for the scare factor (you can get the same scare factor by working the action on a 12 GA pump in the dark). Far too powerful with the ability to shoot through a human and still go through several walls at close range.

They are a great plinker and inexpensive to shoot.

Best time to buy at a gun show is near closing time when a lot of dealers are looking to make a few last sales. I know that in my area most of the time the prices are a bit over regular prices.

Rick

Goose, the link to Bud's that Leonard posted looks
like a terrific rifle, but I wouldn't recommend any older AK unless you shoot it first.

Wayne, I haven't shot any Norinco AK's, but the SKS I have that takes AK magazines is a Norinco and I have shot 2 or 3 other Norinco SKS's that were excellent.

East German AK magazines are very good. Maybe others are too. Your mileage may vary.

Mel---do you know anything about why some of the Norinco"s had the bayonets and others didn"t.

It seems when they first hit the US markets, they came with the bayo"s and later on you couldn"t find any...any ideas?

Are the ones with the bayo"s worth a lot more?

Thanks, Tim

years ago a gun shop owner told me that the reason the norincos had the bayonetts removed is to comply with a new gov regulation on assult weapons, being de-milled, somehow the gov thought if they took off the frog sticker but left the gun otherwise original it made it qualify as de-milled, dont know how accurate that is, i had one of those years ago but sold it when i got broke, got almost what i paid for it back then

I believe the ones with the bayonets are considered 'pre ban' rifles. I can't remember all of the details but somewhere around '89 or so their was a ban on importing 'military' style weapons, which meant the ones with the bayonets. From what I've seen the preban rifles aren't really worth more for the average shooter than the ones made after, but they can be worth more to a collector who want's one that retains more of it's military styling like the bayonet.

The desserts are full of them. I'd think someone would be bringing them in at a cheap price ? But that does not seem to be.

Maybe Eric Holder can hook you up with a good deal. "fast and furiious"

That was under Clinton. He created the assault weapon ban then made loop holes when China yelled. The way the ban was written at first described and assault weapon as having a bayonet mounting system. They had to modify that because that in the original writing it made a Revolutionary/Civil war musket an assault rifle and therefore banned. Was kinda funny.

Rick

I hear ya. I use gun shows as much to simply gather information as to buy. The prices do tend to be a bit inflated, but I have made a few good purchases at a show.

I got a heckuva buy on a Dan Wesson .357 mag once about a half hour before the show closed. 'Nother time I bought a pristine Super Blackhawk .44 mag from a dealer I know for $300. I'd looked at the very same piece at a different show a few months before priced at $400. MSRP was around $550.

Seems to me different dealers go to shows with different motives. One dealer might go to a show with the intention of playing P.T. Barnum, while another may be down on cash flow and want to make a bunch of sales even if he doesn't get top dollar.

had one for a day or two 40 some years ago

Never owned an AK47 yet but have looked at a good number of them and I do own a pair of SKS rifles and the son has an SKS which pretty much where the for runner of the AK very good rifles and cheap to shoot and if you can hold a tight pattern they will deliver a tight pattern. Looked at a couple a couple weeks ago in the $400 price range with a number of types of stocks. Nice thing about them is you can drop them in a pond come back a month later pull it out shale it off and load it up and it will fire

Buy yourself a "Shotgun News" and check their pricing. AKs have come down lately - some dealers are pricing according to that - others still act like its November 2008.

Most AKs out there a solid shooters with reasonable accuracy. They are not AR or bolt action accurate but most will match a Ruger Mini 14 or Mini 30 or 30-30 carbine.

AK's are great weapons. I have three AK style weapons myself. I have a yugoslavian RPK a Norinco Mac 90 and a romaninan ak. All great weapons that are fun to shoot and very reliable. Your price range of 3-500 is about average for ak. Aks can either have a stamped or a milled reciever which guys argue which are better. The SAR-1 which is what I have is stamped and ive put hundreds of rounds threw it with no problems. My mac 90 is milled and never had a problem with it either. Milled aks are a lot heavier and built with a solid piece of steel where stamped are a thin piece of metal stamped out to make a reciever. Milled aks are harder to find and usually more expensive being that all of the milled aks were pre ban rifles. Basically all variations of the ak are similar and really only vary on what they are called in what part of the world your in. The best and most sought after are the rewsky aks but are difficult and expensive to find. Roamy and yugo aks are the most common to find here in the states followed by the galieel which is the israeli version of the ak. Mac 90s are the chineese version of the ak and seem to be gettin a little harder to find around here were I live. My honest opinion is aks are all very good reliable fun weapons that are farily accurate for what they are. Your not gona shoot a quarter inch group at a hundred yards but when your throwin that kinda lead down range your not worried about that. And an Sks and an ak are only similar in they shoot 7.62x39. Other than that, they are completely different rifles. Both are good rifles but not close to bein the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHyixxEat6c

I'm no expert, by the way.

Hard to beat. I've cleaned my Mak-90 twice thoroughly in almost 20 years and it will shoot all the time with any kind of ammo, no hiccups. It will devour the cheap steel wolfie ammo by the clip and will eat as much as you give it. I don't know the specifics but my Norinco Mak-90 has a thumbhole stock and looks like an AK. An SKS is definitely a good alternative too.