Hey all - title says it all - stumbled across a decent deal (to me given the climate) on ammo and some mags

Looking at adding an AK to use said mags and keep as a caliber diversifier. AKs are a whole subculture and these move so quickly when they come up it’s hard to know what’s what. This BFPU says it can have trench art on a stock and that just speaks to me at a weird level. Trying to make sure I’m not enamored for the wrong reasons and make an uninformed purchase. Looks like the prices are higher than pre Covid but I have no basis on this- I just see ammo that’s still cheap and I wants to shoot it all.

I’m a 11B vet - I know guns decently well - I don’t know the intricacies of these guns. I understand the manual of arms, how they shoot and now to clear one. That’s about it. That being said - I think I only want one - for not at least

Does anyone have any firsthand experience good bad or different?

With them being rebarreled parts kits - what could I realistically expect for accuracy? I have heard 3MOA is common for AKs and just want to set my expectations correctly.

If you recommend something diff for your only AK - I’m all ears - I have put down two WASRs because they were really rough and overpriced. I liked a Zastava ZPap but can’t find one and I’m not committed to that. I’m also not throwing down on an arsenal - I want an AK because it can shoot cheap ammo. I’m keeping this simple and hopefully indestructible.


TIA!

No experience with that gun but its going to be hard to find anything in stock right now and the prices on the secondary are absolutely absurd.   That being said, 8m not sure what year the wasr was you were lookimg at but mine is from 2017 and its flawless

Welcome to the sickness that is AK addiction, fellow grunt. If you want simple, less expensive, and durable, you want a WASR. Yes they are ugly, but functionally they are one of the best AKs you can buy. Battlefield Vegas has killed AKs from every country, Russian, Chinese, Bulgarian etc...and they have killed Romanian guns as well, but they have never 'shot out' a Romanian barrel--even with zillions of rounds fired at full auto. Those Romanians make ugly guns, but those barrels are as durable as any in the world.

Anyway, Atlantic can assemble AKs well enough, but what 'AK guy' typically prefers is a rifle made in a military arsenal with an original CHF/CL barrel. The BFPU AKs that Atlantic has been selling recently use US receivers, US nitrided barrels, and US FCG. There's nothing wrong with that necessarily, it's just not mil spec and will never be as desirable / collectable.

There's no cheap AKs right now. In the good old days MAK90s, unconverted Saigas, and WASRs, were inexpensive and easy to find...now there's a mad scramble to grab imported guns before they are banned. If you can't afford, or just don't want to spend, the $ necessary to get a good imported rifle, you might consider the PSA GF3/GF4/AK103/AKE rifles. All are well made and backed by a lifetime warranty. Some come with FN CHF/CL barrels and seem to be really good guns. I don't have one myself, but I've heard lots of good things.

You might want to subscribe to the Mishaco and AKOU YouTube channels. Lots of good tech and info. A good place to start would be Misha's hour+ long 'history of AK imports' videos. So much good info that helps orient people new to the AK.

Those Romanian kit builds from Atlantic are solid and priced reasonably given the current market conditions, but it looks like it already sold out. AK's are a really hot market right now and if it's listed at a decent price you have to jump or it will be gone before you know it.
Right now WASRs are priced pretty crazy, looks like they are going for $1000-$1200, I would not personally buy one at that price.
IMO, the best buy on the market right now are the Zastava rifles, far better fit and finish than the WASRs, less expensive, and still coming from a military factory.
Honestly, even PSA isn't a bad choice. Their current generation AK's all have have forged trunnions and bolts and you can get them with FN barrels as well. They do have the occasional lemon, though not bad considering how many they move, but they also have a lifetime warranty.

Ah, 3moa 4moa 5moa, its all good.. It's  a weapon that was designed to hit human sized targets at 2 to 300 yards. As long as you understand that going in, you'll be just fine. It doesn't matter which one you buy first. I can already tell, you'll probably add another one to you collection sooner than later. Maybe I'm a bit of a kook, but I think these guns seem to pick you rather than you picking them. I would  just steer clear of most of the American offerings,  with the exception of maybe psa. I myself have been eyeing the zpap m70. I believe it's somewhat undervalued at the moment and will eventually be sought after as a quality ak. Especially if imports end up being banned. Good luck! And happy hunting!

For what it's worth I have been very happy with the 3 or 4 Atlantic Firearms Aks I've owned/own in the last couple years, whoever they have build them out or if it's them they do a great job. I shoot them alot.


Generally speaking the barrels are actually mechanically capable of quite good accuracy, the "weak" link being the cheap blaster ammo, just don't expect it to be a benchrest rifle, you can shoot a point target out to reasonable distances.

Dupe...

At 5moa your likelihood of hitting human targets (which tend to move) at 300m isn't all that great. Not saying AKs aren't accurate enough, I'm just saying that range is pushing it.

I appreciate all of the feedback - I did not except that to be gone so quickly. I have been watching Rob Ski’s videos now - guy is a wealth of info. I do like the idea of having a “mil spec” AK but in all honesty, I’m not shelling out that kind of coin because it’s original  I also intentionally do not buy things that are collectible because I find it hard to beat the piss out of them. I know there’s some purist out there wishing they had it and they would be a better steward of the gun than I am.

I think the Zastavas and PSAs are all in the running for me. They have all of the forged bits to not make it blow up and good warranties if I get a bad apple. If I could find a WASR for less than 1k that would be what I would grab but it seems I missed that window.

I get the ammo being the limiting factor - I’m good with this as I’m intentionally seeking out this because the ammo is relatively cheap.

Nice thing about the Zastava, you get the price you want AND they are milspec.

Zastava makes a good quality AK.

The only cautionary advice for a new AK buyer is to remember that Yugo/Serbian guns proprietary in several ways. They are not clones of the Russian/Bulgarian/Hungarian/E.German/Polish/Romanian patterns
-Handguards are unique and not interchangeable with AK47/74
-Stock patters and method of attachment are unique(Aside form underfolders)
-Krink FSB threads are different(26m IIRC)
-OEM guns never had chrome lined bbls other than their 5.56.(New stuff might be different)
-GB with shutoff for rifle grenades are a sometimes present
-Though long dimmed, there are often provisions on front and rear sights for flip up "Night sights"
-At times thicker receivers and trunions have been offered.

I apologize if some of this needs corrections or additions. My collections has been fairly static and standardized on the more widely used Ak47/74 patter. My only Serb's are Tokarevs
*unfortunately surplus parts and accessories are less available and certainly more expensive than 10yrs ago.
If going new, a factory built Zastava would probably rate higher to me than a US made rifle even though PSA has made some good progress in the realm of US made Ak's. All things equal, I would grab a WASR if if you can find one.

HTH

I have a Hungarian AMD65 with a short barrel that has a welded "flash hider" mounted on it to make it to legal length.

It has been surprisingly accurate.  I think the reason that is the case is the barrel essentially ends at the gas system, which means it is at the stiffest point.  I suspect barrel harmonics are a good part of AK inaccuracy, so you may want to consider an AK with a short barrel.

It does make for one loud critter, though.  Big bang, much flash.

Alright - so I have a small plot twist - the wife ok’d me up to 2k. This got me to what seems like are good tier, non collectible Ak’s - which is what I’m aiming at

After watching AKOU it seems that I would want a folder option from the jump.

I’m eyeballing this

Zastava Zpap folder - with a few small upgrades if needed
Arsenal SLR folder - run as is

I am not huge into changing thing but like the 103 brake aesthetically

Would this change anyone’s recommended direction?

All the new rifles that Zastava is importing have chrome lined barrels, 1.5mm receivers, and bulged trunnions.

Zastava is just now releasing a "factory" triangle folder. It's really just a triangle stock on an Ace/Stormwerkz hinge.
Arsenal does not import SLR folders anymore, your only option for a new Arsenal factory folder is the SAM7SF.
Palmetto offers their 103 with a 4.5mm folder, good option when you can catch it in stock.
Riley Defense also has some offerings with a 4.5mm hinge.

Aside from that, you can always find a used folder or you can buy any fixed stock AK and either use an aftermarket folding stock (Magpul Zhukov, Bonesteel, etc) or purchase a 4.5/5.5 folding trunnion and stock and have an AK gunsmith install it for you.

Personally, I'm a big fan of folders so I think you are going the right direction.

If you want something that may increase in value I've been told to get an import. I probably wont be around to collect so I wanted a shooter. I got PSA's ak-e, 103, 74, and gf5. The ak-e isn't really being made yet, its like a unicorn. The ak-e, 103, and gf5 has a chf cl FN barrel which is desirable. Robski gives the 103 great reviews. If you are and the fence get an import and a psa.

If you're able to spend $2k I would absolutely get an Arsenal SAM7SF from K-Var which is in stock right now for $1800. It's about the only top tier AK still in production and being imported. The milled receivers are indestructible. Battlefield Vegas has documented that stamped receiver AKs tend to bite the dust between 80-100k rounds (which is still pretty good), but they have yet to lose a milled receiver AK, and we're talking hundreds of thousands if not millions of rounds. They're also just plain smoother and nicer, and the Cold Hammer Forged Chrome Lined barrels are pretty accurate for an AK. It is a dead ringer for the military AR-M9F that Arsenal offers to military clients, and they're not at that collectible/unobtanium status you want to avoid.

Arsenal hasn't been offering any SLR folders for several years with the exception of a small batch of SLR107UR's that seem to have trickled in recently, but those are "Krinkov" short barrel with short gas system guns with a funky pencil barrel extended to 16", and you'd be paying more than your allotted $2k most likely.

To me and a lot of others including Mishaco (who has forgotten more about AKs than any of us will ever know), when it comes to Arsenal, milled is where it's at. Arsenal AD in Bulgaria was never enthused about stamped receivers. They do the milled guns and they do them very well. It's their passion; their bread and butter. If you go to Arsenal AD's website, you'll see that they don't even have stamped AKs in their lineup anymore, leading many to suspect that the currently-imported stamped SLR's are outsourced to ISD in Bulgaria.

If you think $1800 is expensive right now, just wait to see what they'll be going for within the next few years...

Imports are going the way of the dodo, and they are preferable to US domestic AKs. As much progress as PSA has made, there is no comparison to the proven imports. If you want one, get one now, because all imports come to an end. Especially when there's a president in office who has vowed to ban imports.

Considering China Joe and his anti gun fantasies among other things I decided to buy another AK last week. Considering what I could find I decided to get a PSA GF5 because I don't have one and with the threats to imports I wanted to help solidify an American builder. First PSA anything I've bought, I'm normally kind of a gun snob. A friend has a gen 3 that looks prettier than any of mine and seems to run well so I'm confident it will be a good rifle. Just adding to the thread

After reading all of the feedback and watching more videos for AKOU and torture tests - it made this a bit easier. I really went back to my base goal of cheap ammo = more better

I really like the Arsenal but it didn’t speak to me in any way. It may be collectible/valuable in the future but that’s not my jam.

The Zastava side folder ticks all of my boxes, is relatively cost effective and if that side folder isn’t my jam - it seems like there are options.

I’m not a favor of the cherry red grip so that will be ditched ASAP and I’ll add some padding to the tube to prevent getting my molar fillings knocked out. If anyone has a line on that I’m all ears.

Thanks everyone for the help with this decision. I need to do some research on a few parts - trigger, pistol grip that’s not cherry red, padding for the triangle folder and maybe a mount for a red dot.

An interesting option would be a VEPR in 6.5 Grendel. Shooting Surplus still has some for $1200. CSSpecs makes good 20 and 30 round mags for them.

Could be a collectable rifle in the long run, I doubt we will see any more approved for import and not that many of them came in.

very well made guns; hammer forged chrome lined barrel, heavier RPK style receiver and barrel.

I have one and currently its my absolute favorite rifle.

I agree with this...but it's possible that at some point in the future US manufacturers will 'catch up' and they can offer some things that the imports don't...at least 'as imported'. Factory bayo lugs, factory mag wells, pistol grips / stocks, and perhaps most importantly: the possibility of clones of some variations that were never imported into the USA at all. PSA already uses FN barrels and they say they will start making bulged trunnion guns at some point. If they start making 5.45 RPK 74 clones it will be fawking awesome.

OP, keep in mind that by the time to do the research and decide which to get, it may likely be sold out. Sometimes it's better to just decide on a whim and then you can trade or sell if it turns out not to be your liking. Good choices come from experience, which comes from bad choices...Immediate action: A bad decision is better than no decision (also former 12B and 11B).

I recently got a Zastava ZPAP M85 pistol in 5.56. A very neat little AK and the quality is solid mil-spec. I assume that other current Zastavas will be equal.I would strongly consider one of their M70's.

Another thing to remember is the price and availability of ammo. How much ammo do you have set aside? The cheapest I'm seeing X39 ammo is $500 a case of 1000 (Global Ordinance) and that doesnt include shipping, tax, etc. Most places are sold out. I'm sure shipments are on the way but I doubt prices will go down. Also a quick EO from Xiden and no more imported ammo. Try finding Federal or Remington X39 ammo.

Oh yeah - I hear you all. Bird in the hand. I did order a Zastava side folder - it was there, in stock and Rob Ski really sold me on them with his torture testing of the M70. If I hate the side folder - I’ll swap it for something else.

It should be at the FFL Friday. I know I overpaid but I got my AK

Awesome man post some pics up. I almost ordered one myself but I’m recovering from the SAM7SF.

[






Per Rob Ski -
Checked all the rivets - they are uniform
Checked for any metal shavings
Checked for fitment and to ensure everything was tight
Field strip and clean
Adjusted the safety - it was extremely tight and I had to completely break my grip to move it

The finish is beautiful and really cleaned after hitting it with some Ballistol. I’ll get a photo of it cleaned off.
The gas tube was extremely tight and I had to review a few videos to ensure it was not me incorrectly reassembling.

I really do like a lot of things about this rifle - I got 100 rounds through it today at the indoor range. For anyone considering the sidefolder - it bites into you pretty good but it’s stout. No weird wobbles or shakes. It definitely needs a paracord wrap but I’m a fan.

After years of shooting Geissele SSA-E triggers I’m not sure how I feel about the stock trigger. It has a rolling break which felt weird but it is completely serviceable and would do fine. I have an ALG trigger on its way - I’m a trigger snob fwiw.

It really liked the mag it came with - does Zastava supply Yugo mags or something else?

Very clean rifle. What mag did it come with?

Not sure - has a USA marked baseplate and a Weapontech follower - I like this one as it latches smooth and positive

Interesting, hope my blacked out zpap comes with it instead of a pmag.

In the same boat, OP!  Good to see some pics and experience with the new Zastava folder.

Been thinking about this version, just to save some cash.  I’m not sure how I feel about the adjustable stock look...I go back and forth:

Attached File


I like the folder, but I also want to be able to go to a fixed stock and I’m thinking this one might allow that more easily.

My problem is I don’t have any ammo...so I’m looking at another $500 out the gate just to have a semi-reasonable amount of ammo.

Sounds like they are using two US made mag parts to meet the 6 US parts count in lieu of a us made (3 parts) magazine.  I am not familiar with weapontech but that sounds like a US part.  That's a beautiful rifle.   Enjoy!

@atlantic-firearms

Any word on when you might get a restock of the standard wood stocked ones?  I've been seeing a lot of the fancier and modernized ones come in but I'm just looking for a basic one that looks like the original design with the blonde wood.

Could Zastava bring in an m92 with 12-12.5 inch barrel? Love that length and it just sucks that only the high end aks and the dracos have 12 inch barrels. They would make a killing with 12.5s