This is my first post on this forum.

I just received my first AK today from AIM. I've been doing as much research as possible the last few months regarding the pro's / cons of these Century builds. Due to my budget and desire to finally own an AK, I decided to roll the dice. (This was also in large part due to local gun shops in Atlanta selling the same rifle without the extra's for $150 more than AIM!) I came home at lunch to open the box and was dumbfounded to find that when I shouldered the rifle, it appeared to curve to the left.

I honestly did a double take! I was fully prepared to find the fsb to be canted, or one of the other "typical" issues from Century, but not an angled barrel????  I kept checking the butt stock to make sure it hadn't warped somehow.  

I put the rifle butt on the floor, stared down the barrel trying to fine a line of sight from the front sight post, across the rear sight post down to the butt stock with no luck. The design of the AK makes it nearly impossible to do this. I laid it on it's side on the counter and it wont lay flat enough to get a good visual perspective. BUT, when you shoulder it and look down the boltcover across the sights, they dont align. The best way to describe it is that if you look down the bolt cover across the rear sight and then straight, you're to the right of the front sight. To align the two sights requires canting your head to the right and then it's apparent that the receiver and barrel are not on the same plane.

Has anyone ever experienced this? I emailed AIM's customer serive with no response yet. I'm giving them until around lunch tomorrow to reply before I call to complain.

I knew it was a gamble, but honestly wasn't expecting this! I'm assuming this isn't something that can easily be fixed? I've read enough to be somewhat familiar with how to break it down, but past that, I'm lost when it comes to the finer details of the AK.

This page should help , www.gunsnet.net/Linx310/cant.htm

Thanks for the link.  Unforunately, it's not the front site block that's canted.  That is straight up and down.  It's the entire barrel and gas tube at about a 5 degree angle to the left fo the receiver.  

This morning, I took the steel rod from my sons model rocket launcher and laid it across the rear sight and centered it on the front site post.  Where the end of the rod fell across the end of the stock was roughly 2/3 of the way between the 2 screws on the rear plate and the edge of the stock.  

To double check, I did the reverse and centered the rod on the butt stock across the rear notch.  The rod falls completely to the right of the front site!  It's that much out of alignment!  WOW!  I'm really surprised this company (Century) manages to stay in business!  I guess they put out just enough good samples to make people like me think that maybe they'll get lucky!  I'm 50/50 at this point with their products.  It's unlikely that I'll take another chance.  

Quoted: This morning, I took the steel rod from my sons model rocket launcher and laid it across the rear sight and centered it on the front site post.  Where the end of the rod fell across the end of the stock was roughly 2/3 of the way between the 2 screws on the rear plate and the edge of the stock.

Is the front sight post centered?
The lateral adjustment of the sights on an AK is accomplished by moving the front sight in the base. Often, it is necessary to move the front sight left or right to get the rifle to shoot to POA. That would cause what you are seeing.

In order to check the alignment of the barrel and receiver, remove the front handguards and put a good straight edge on the receiver extending out towards the muzzle. Any misalignment will be obvious.

BTW: Century does not build WASRs. They import them. Century modifies the magazine well to accept standard AK magazines and adds required U.S. parts. Removing and reinstalling the barrel is not part of that process.

When I laid the steel rod from the center of the buttstock, across the V-notch of the rear sight it's about 5 degrees to the right of the entire barrel, gas tube and front sight post.  

I really wish it were just the front sight post being canted!

Quoted: When I laid the steel rod from the center of the buttstock, across the V-notch of the rear sight it's about 5 degrees to the right of the entire barrel, gas tube and front sight post.

Which doesn't necessarily tell you anything about the alignment of the barrel and the receiver. The stock could be misaligned, the sight leaf could be misaligned etc., etc., etc.
If you want to check the barrel and receiver alignment, you'll have to use the straight edge on the receiver.

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If you want to check the barrel and receiver alignment, you'll have to use the straight edge on the receiver.

Good point!  I'll do that when I get home!

I ended up sending it back to AIM.  
They were very friendly and willing to work with me.

Instead of swapping, I think that I'm going to go with an AR as I'm at least familiar with that platform.  I read through the AR-15 section and it appears that Del-Ton has a pretty decent reputation.  

thanks for the help guys!

Quoted: Instead of swapping, I think that I'm going to go with an AR as I'm at least familiar with that platform.

Was the barrel misaligned with the receiver?

BTW: Why do you refer to an AR rifle as a "platform"?