Let me preface this by saying I am 70 years old, and not a Mall Ninja, Keyboard Komando, or Wannabe operator.  While I have 20+ years as an LEO, 7 years military, and even a couple as a domestic Security Contractor on a Homeland Security gig, I am NOT expecting to have to fight a war, and don't expect TEOTWAWKI or WTSHTF before I die.  

I got my first AK in about 1984 or 85, a Poly Tec "spiker", and since then have had at least a dozen and a half AKs of different flavors (Yugo, WASR, Hungarian, Saiga, East German, and Riley Defense) in the last 40 years.  I think the AK is a fabulous piece of engineering, and a great piece of combat kit.  

The problem is, I'd rather shoot my Mini-14 and Mini-30 (MUCH more accurate than any AK I have had, my AR15, or even my USGI WW2 M1 Carbine!  I keep trying to feel the love for the AK, but never can quite "love" the AK!

With that said, Atlantic Firearms has Pioneer Arms Polish AKs for $629, so I pulled the pin and got one, mostly "just because" an AK in the safe is a good thing!  I still have all my pre-ban and freedom week mags, a bunch of spare parts including a bolt assembly, and several thousand rounds of ammo, so I am set.

I know they have some cast stuff, but if I shoot 1,000 rounds in the next 5 years, that would be a lot.  Ruger Mini 14s and 30s are cast receivers and bolts, as do most 1911s on the market, as well as Auto Ordnance long guns., but they keep running!

Anyway, forged is better, but for me, the cast will be good enough.  At less than $700 delivered, it will be nice to have as a back up (I shoot my Mini-30 ALL the time).  Being as I work at a gun shop, I'll work off the dealer transfer fee and DROS in half a day.

Outstanding

holy freaking A...people are still buying those POS Pioneers?

Yep, you bet.  I am 70 and NOT a weapons snob!  I did a whole bunch of research, and could not find a single FIRST hand report of a Pioneer failing in the last couple years.  Lots of internet FUD about "I know a guy, who knows a guy" BS.  Having been a professional firearms evaluator (armorer, range master, and firearms evaluator for a large PD, I can Ski's review from 4 years ago was less than objective, and was not current production.  Anyway, I'm happy with it, (and I carried a weapon for a living for 27 years).  It will sit in safe mostly, and my Mini-30 would be grabbed first.  Basically, I really don't give a f*ck about to pooh-poohers.

holy yikes. Ok man, you do you. But yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes. Only one AK on the market is worse than these... I.O.

but in all seriousness. buy a 7.62x39 field guage and test that mother every time you shoot it. An ak losing headspace is VERY dangeious.

Picked it up and installed a Commiefornia legal Phoenix Arms palm swell grip on it.  Much easier to use than a fin grip.  Sort of a Commie Mini-30!  Shown with Type 81 4 cell chest rigs, and Chinese "flat back" mags from the 1980s Poly Tech Type 56 Spiker RAW I had.

Got a lot of flak on some AK sites about the cast trunnion. Even though Ruger casts all their bolts and receivers, with zero failures, I have seen lots of bad things have happened with Century and other cast trunnions.   It niggled at me, then I tripped on a sale at PSA for a G3 "Forged Classic" with all forged bolt, carrier, and trunnion.  The good part is I only paid $50 more than I did for the Pioneer, AND I have someone locally that will give me more for the Pioneer than I paid for it.

Yeah, its not an Arsenal....Oh Well, I have better thing to do with my money (like buy more ammo!)

So you went from you "did a lot of research and couldn't find anything", to now you've "seen lots of bad things have happened with cast trunnions"?

Here it is.  aMy brand new Made in the USA.  PALMETTO STATE ARMORY GF3 Forged Classic AK. (forged Trunnion, bolt, and carrier..  Wearing new Polish laminate furniture, a Polish sling, East German bayonet, Bulgarian poly 40, and Phoenix Industries Palm Swell AK grip.  FSB is dead straight, and fit and finish is awesome.  I can see why Rob Ski liked it!

Yep, I dug a little deeper, so what's your point????

My point is maybe hold off on calling people "weapon snobs" or "internet FUD" when they try to warn you about a specific maker of AKs. Maybe "dig a little deeper" before making an ass of yourself by listing all of your career accomplishments in each OP as if that makes you an expert in AK specific manufacturing techniques (hint: it doesn't). I guess so much for the "Basically, I really don't give a f*ck about to pooh-poohers" when you decided to look deeper and buy a rifle with forged components because people weren't praising your purchase decision and jerking you off over it. Oh well, another one to the ignore list.

Again, what's your point?  I'm 70, have had at least a dozen AKs through the years (since my first in 1985 or 1986), and decided I wasn't comfortable with cast trunnions, so I got one with forged, that I could afford on my retirement.  There is FUD on the internet, and if I believed it, I would have three Mini-14s and 30s.  I really don't care about what everyone else does or believes.  BTW, please do ignore me, I really don't care!

Did you forget the part where Ruger designed their parts to be cast, and switching how the front trunnion is manufactured from forged to cast without redesigning the dimensions is going to make it prone to failure?

Robski taught me to knife hand everyone.  And it works.  It was his job interview advisor opinion.

Thanks Rob!!




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