Quoted:
Another biased vote for the AK. SAR-1s are a nice example of an AK.
This. I've got 2- a MAK90 that I debanned and put a Romanian side folder and the necessary US parts on and a bone stock SAR-1 with a fixed stock. Of the two, the SAR is my favorite. Simple, reliable, effective and accurate enough and as accurate an example of an Eastern European or Soviet AK as the common person can get, without spending a bunch of cash anyway. Although I'm not a great rifle shot, I can shoot my SAR (or the MAK, for that matter) as well as I can shoot my AR, out to the ~100 yds that the range I normally shoot at goes out to. Not to mention, it's FUN and pisses off the Libs, which is also good!
As much as I like my AKs, if I had to get them now, I doubt I would. When I bought my MAK, you could still get mags and ammo dirt cheap. I bought it cheap and stacked it deep when you could get Wolf ammo for $75.00/case and I still have ~10,000 rds. Mags, then, were also dirt cheap and you could pick up new ChiCom and Eastern European mags for ~$5.00, and I stocked up on them, too. Ammo, mags and parts are more expensive now, so I don't think I'd do it, myself. But, if you've got the cash and want one, they are a LOT of fun and can be surprisingly effective out to almost any effective range you'd ever use them at. I'd say to go for it! As long as you get a good AK, you WON"T regret it!
Bub75