So a while ago I sold my Arsenal SAM7R to get a Galil ACE.  I had wanted the Galil for a long time because I love the AK platform/operating system but hated the ergonomics.  I stupidly sold the SAM7 and got the ACE.  While the ACE was a great gun in regards to ergonomics and accuracy, I just didn't love it.  The recoil impulse was strange and the gun was really overgassed to the point it almost felt like I was shooting .308 out of it.  I'm not recoil shy as I own and enjoy a few big bore rifles (416 Rem and a 458 Lott) but I do not like when a gun recoils more than it needs to.  Even a muzzle brake didn't seem to do much.  I remembered my SAM7 being such a smooth shooting rifle for an AK.

I ended up selling it and based on current prices figured it would be quite a while before I got another SAM7 (if at all as I wasn't willing to pay over $2,000 for one).

Well just recently some guy was liquidating his collection and he was selling a few Arsenal SLR-101S rifles on Gunbroker that were unfired.  Ended up grabbing one for $1,700 which seems like a deal for an unfired milled Arsenal in this climate.

From what I've read it's the exact same gun as the SAM7, it was just rebranded as the SAM7 by KVAR or something around 2014 or so.

I'm just glad to have another high quality milled Arsenal AK again.  Waiting on it to arrive to my dealer.  Just ordered some new 30rd Bulgarian steel mags and some more 7.62x39 ammo.

I love mine. Its a beast, very reliable. It does not have the cleaning rod attached, I think the SAM might.

Interesting.  The one I bought has the cleaning rod like the SAM7.  Maybe it's something they started adding to the later models right before they redesignated it as the SAM7?

Zeebz- ha!  I should be receiving one of that same trio of 101s today. ( mine is the slightly modded one being offered)

Have you gotten to the range with yours yet, and how have those mags worked for you?  Why did you not use circle 10s?  I see GMW has both.

Haha that's awesome!  I remember seeing that one on there and even thought about bidding on it early on!

Haven't shot it yet, my FFL just texted me a bit ago and said it arrived.  Based on what I've read our guns are late production SLR-101s and the exact same as the current SAM7 rifles.  I've had a SAM7 and the Bulgarian mags were excellent in them.  I got the Bulgy mags just because I prefer the classic all steel design and they're pretty cheap as well.  CDNN had them for like $14 a mag or so when I bought them.  The Circle 10 mags are really, really great mags but they're super pricey and way more than I prefer to pay for a mag (I'm spoiled by surplus AK mags, cheap AR mags, etc)

If it shoots anything like my SAM7 did I can guarantee it will be really smooth shooting for an AK.  My Galil ACE in 7.62x39 wasn't near as smooth shooting.