I finally ran into a maintenance guy at work that everybody knows is a huge AK guy. I got to talking to him about his AKs and ammo.
In a nut shell, his current shooter is a WASR (I didn't ask what series...and wouldn't have known the difference had he told me) and he told me it has near or over 10,000 rounds through it. This is his truck gun, and bumpfire gun. Anyway he told me much the same as you folks have here. Check the magwell, check the front sight, check the stock and barrel alignment. He also told me that he changed to Silver Bear several years ago and is happy with it. (the fmj round) He told me to stay away from any laquer finished ammo as the laquer has a tendency to build in the the chamber over time and is a bitch to clean out. So that's the way I'm leaning. Anyone else have any input on Silver Bear? Good or Bad? Specifically 7.62X39 caliber.

He also mentioned as a newbie it might be worth my time to buy a certified gun, We ran out of time before I could get an explanation on that. Any help? And to clarify Newbie, I'm new to AKs. Been shooting ARs for about 35 years and been shooting for near 45 years.

WTF is that?
Yeah he knows not what he says.....I'd stay away from anything that "ak guy" has to say

But yeah SB ammo is fine

So your saying laquer finished ammo is good to go? And that there is no such thing as a certified AK? And I don't doubt your advise, but have to ask why I shouldn't listen to the guy at work?

"but have to ask why I shouldn't listen to the guy at work?"

Because he's wrong and therefore talking out his rear end. As suggested, do some homework/research and don't rely on any one person's "expert" advice.

Henderson defense sells a certified WASR. They check and make sure the sights are straight and other things.

http://www.hendersondefense.com/store/pc/Century-Certified-AK47-w-bayonet-and-two-magazines-50p10.htm

Also nothing wrong with shooting lacquer coated ammo. Matter of fact I shoot the cheapest I can find and have never had a problem.

It's all I shoot.

In my experience with several different calibers of Russian steel case, mainly the green lacquered-case .223, it isn't the lacquer that gums up some shooter's guns. The cause is the red primer and case-mouth sealant which can get sticky after it flakes off of the casing, especially when it mixes with hot LSA or other gun oils. I've never seen it gum up a chamber on any firearm I've fired it through, and that includes almost 10,000 rounds fired in an old Colt SP-1. What I've found is that the sealant and hot oil can sometimes congeal in the bolt carrier of an AR, forming "boogers" which like to try to clog things up. A quick wipe-down with an oily cloth and they are gone.

There is nothing wrong with lacquered steel cased ammo in an AK. Period, end of story. The AK was NOT "designed around the lacquered steel case". The original 7.62x41mm and later 7.62x39mm cases, as adopted in 1949, were copper-clad steel. Lacquered steel case finish did not appear until 1960 or so. In the USSR, 7.62x39mm Lacquered steel cases and copper-clad steel cases were both produced side-by-side through the end of the Cold War, with lacquer becoming the predominant case finish for 7.62x39mm by the late 1980s. ALL 5.45x39mm made by the Russians and their friends are/were lacquered steel...apparently they never thought to use anything different by then.

I once got an AKM so hot from doing mag dumps that the varnish on the lower handguard started to bubble and melt. Was shooting lacquered steel cased Russian ammunition. Zero lacquer residue in the chamber. Never heard of a "certified" AK, but then again I hav enot been in the market for one in a long time...

1DD