I am a Gun Dealer and looking some info for myself and some of my friends who are ask me to buy some AK-47 for themselfs and their sons to buy and Plinking with at targets. I very a lot about AR15 and M4 and what are the Top Shelf name brands and don't crap about AK-47's. I could kick myself for selling new Norinco Mak 90 back in 1993. I want Norinco AK-47, But no more inports Norinco's AK-47.

"Top shelf" should be reserved for custom makers.

Regarding new production and the sanctions;
"Best off the shelf": Arsenal
"I can live with that": WASR
"Yeah I own one, but I don't shoot it so it doesn't matter": everything else

Bottom shelf: IO

You're welcome.

US manufacturers are stepping up their game slowly, some are awesome some not so much, and the good ones haven't been around long.

Foreign factory manufactured rifles are generally considered "the best", just remember that they will usually have communist style finishes. And with AK's sometimes what people call "the best" isn't imported anymore and they command collectors prices.

I have an AES10B (romanian) that I got for $425 shipped a while back, it had crooked sights and the gas tube almost needs to be hammered on and off, but it has not let me down and can hit what I aim it at.

Atlantic Manufacturing's Polish built rifles are good to go.

How would you rate Arsenal AK-47? One of my Gun Distributors selles them.