I just picked up a Mitchell M90 underfolder.  It has had a few owners, so the history of the rifle is vague.  It is in very nice shape.  I do NOT know much about these rifles.  I have read all I can find, but somehow I want to know more...  I'd appreciate any insight you might have on my rifle.  Here are a few questions for now.



1.  The muzzle device does not seem correct.  Any idea what it went to?



2.  What would the going price be for one of these? (seems like I paid a fair price, but I haven't seen one sell for awhile)



3.  Where these made out of demilled rifles in Yugoslavia?  The serial number on the sheet metal receiver and the electro penciled numbers do not match on the various parts (gas tube, receiver cover, recoil spring guide, bolt and carrier), which all match each other.



4.  Why are the trunnions so large?

Wow, that's a beautitful rifle you got there. Lucky you picked one up. Yes, the muzzle device is not correct. A slant compensator would be more correct. They are easy to find.  These rifles usually go 1,500 and up. I don't know if they are demilled rifles or not. I'm going to guess they are completely new. The trunnion is large because it's reinforced trunnion like those found on a RPK. Typical on the yugo and Serbian AK's.

good looking AK, sorry I can't help with any info though.

Looks great.  I should have called on it earlier.  The price you paid was good, maybe worth a bit more.  $1500 is high even if were a full pre-ban version, not the M-90 post ban version.  Slant brake would be correct.  Electro pencil numbers should match each other but will not match the reciever serial number.   Trunion is just a Yugo design, I believe built heavier because the military version had the grenade launcher gas block, Mitchell Arms versions have a "standard" gas block.  I believe they were made from new parts, the non-chrome lined Yugo barrels on the ones I have are perfect,  indicating new parts since Yugo ammo is highly corrosive.  The bayo that was in the ad is not correct.  It is the early type made for milled Type 3 AK's.  Are the bayo lugs ground off the gas block?  Let me know when you want to sell it.

Edit:  It would have come with a certificate when new like the one shown below.  It also gives a bit of an explanation about the M-90 versions.

Hard to believe it took almost 20 years to import another Yugo AK, the PAP. They don't make it easy to convert to a military style AK sadly.

Brand new factory rifle, not a demill.



Yugoslavians had a fetish for grenade launching, hence the 1.6mm receivers, bulged trunnions, heavy barrels.  They are the tanks of the AK world.



My personal favorite Yugo muzzle devices are the M95 flash hiders, 3 of my Yugos wear them.



Nice rifle you have there.

First of all, the original brake is a straight narrow brake, not a slant brake.  Not the one that is on there, but that one on there is close to the original.  I have heard it said that only 500 were imported.  Last I checked they were going for $1,500 on Gunbroker.com.  Mine is my favorite of all my AKs and will never leave my collection as long as I am alive.  The barrel is heavier and a 1 in 7 twist rate which allows the use of heavier rounds with outstanding results down range (less than 1 MOA).  Your sights probably have expired tritium vials in them, they are easier to replace than you would imagine and I did mine for around $30 about 2 years ago.  I hope this helps answer a few things about this fine AK.  Ask more if you want to know, otherwise enjoy.  The one thing I noticed is the selector is different.  Mine has a notch in it for holding the bolt open which I have copied in other AKs of mine.  

As for the question regarding the different serial numbers is most likely due to the importing process.  Military rifles are known for being arsenally rebuilt but this particular model probably was not rebuilt rather assigned new serial numbers when it was imported.  Also the things that don't make sense (like the muzzle brake) are probably the result of making it compliant for import at the time.  

*PS I too am in Utah, that's 2 Yugo M90s for Utah!

Actually, make that at least 4 in Ut.  


I've only ever seen the 7.62 x 51 come with the notched selector lever.  And my 7.62x39 came with a slant brake. Who knows?

This is not correct information for this gun. I think you have this gun confused with a factory built and designated M-90/95. This is indeed a factory built Yugo but its not an M-90. In this case the electropenciled applied "M-90" refers to the year, Model 1990. This gun is a Mitchell import that was ceased by customs right after the 89 ban took affect. In order to be released the "evil" features had to be corrected and they had to be redesignated as a post 89 i.e. 1990 model. This is/was a brand new Zastava built, US marketed, version of the Zastava model M70 in 7.62x39. The correct muzzle device as it left the factory on this rifle as well as any M-70 is a slant brake. It has a 240mm twist which equates to about 1:9.45 to stabilize the Yugo M67 7.62x39 round.

There were 1400 folders imported by Mitchell. 400 entered prior to the 89 ban so this rifle is one of the 1000 post ban folders. You dont see them for sale too often so I think you are right on in the $1200-$1500 ball park for one depending on condition. A true pre89 gun will be over $2K.

The marking or "serial numbers" on the parts are just inspectors marks. The Yugos were quite anal and inspected a lot of thier stuff. No big deal that they dont match the actual rifle serial number, they arent supposed too. If you find or see an original in the box with the original magazine you will see that the mags have a serial number inspection mark on them as well. The gun is not a parts gun and was not a rebuild. Factory new for the commercial market built without the grenade launching GB and sans the plastic pistol grip. All the Yugo imports had the fat M-76 style wood grip. The wood BTW is Beech, not Teak as you will read in some post. The Yugos NEVER used Teak in any of their rifles.

The factory built and designated M-90 rifle does have a 185mm twist or 1:7 as it is chambered in the NATO 5.56x45. The short flash hider is also correct for a factory built 5.56 M-90. There were a lot of parts kit brought into the country so you do see 5.56 "Yugo" builds but Mitchell never imported a factory built 5.56 chambered rifle for commerical sale.

The only Mitchell import gun that used that same short flash hider is the 7.62x51/.308 rifle that was imported. It would have had a factory designation of M-77 for military sale but was marked AK-47 or RPK-47 just like the 7.62 guns for commercial sale. The ones caught in customs by the ban were also marked M-90 as well.  Hope this helps.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the M90 is not a 7.62x39.  At least mine is not, it is a 5.56x45 and according to the barrel it is a 1 in 7 twist.  It has the standard black Yugo pistol grip you see on the M70s and the selector is unaltered with a bolt catch on it.  

OPs rifle is 7.62x39.  The lack of a gas regulator valve on the gas block (and the fact that you can read the caliber on the receiver in the pics) should be a dead giveaway.





What chawkpilot is saying, is that Mitchell re-designated all the rifles caught in customs as M-90s, regardless of model or caliber.  A Mitchell M-90 and a Zastava M90 are not the same thing.





 

A lot of good information on this!  Thank you for helping me out. My rifle is the 7.62x39 that had the original model scratched off and electro penciled model of M90 scribed on it.  She is beautiful and I feel very lucky to have found her for a nice price.

I have purchased a few parts to deban it, but I'm not sure if I should?  I found a gas block, slant brake and black plastic pistol grip.  Will I devalue it by doing so?

Slant brake is fine, black plastic pistol grip if you like the feel (save the orignal wood grip).  Don't change the gas block, that will devalue it.

You are correct, but you are comparing your apple to his orange...:)  You have a US built M-90A replica built from a demilled Zastava M-90A parts kit. Your gun isnt a factory built gun. The gun here is a factory built Zastava AK-47, military designation M-70 in 7.62x39. This isnt the first time I have seen confusion over these model numbers. I think when Mitchell decided to mark the guns as "M-90" they had no idea that the Zastava factory would be releasing an updated version of the Zastava M-85 designated as the "M-90". Once all of the demilled M-90 parts kits started flowing into the country and folks started building rifles out of them the confusion and comparison to Mitchell M-90s started happening.

Still learning after all this time.  I would take my M90 any day over an M70 (which I also have).  

 

That is a really old school optics mount.

".308 Nato Cal"



I wonder why all the other labels use metric except that one...



 

 

M77 rail.