Which is the best quality AK?  And what about those VEPR AK's?  I thought THOSE were the shiznit?

That weird tapered .223-type cartridge looks interesting...

Geez, I don't know crap about these things.  Any help?  CAMPYBOB?

Addendum:

Went to the ROBINSON ARMS sight...wow those VEPR look kick ass and the pricec are cool (about $550 for one in 7.62x39).

Hungarian SA-85M, for a 7.62x39 caliber AK. Saw 2 from one dealer at the last gunshow here in Houston for $490 each, a good deal for the way prices are nowadays.

Mike

urban,

      I have quite a few AKs, I was teethed on the M16A2 system and the AKs have always lacked ergonomics....

      That being said, I have Chinese, Romanian, and Bulgarian milled AKs...the Bulgarian are suppose to be the cream of the crop, but I like my VEPR K more than any of my AKs...for me the ergonomics are far better than the standard AK, the fit and finish is far superior, and it cycling is much smoother than any other AK I've ever shot....

       The main complaint I've always heard is the stock....I liked the stock set on the VEPR much better than the standard AK, so this wasn't an issue for me...The only down side to the VEPR is it's heavier than the standard AK...

       All of my shooting buddies that have shot my VEPR have all bought one, I think that speaks for it's self...in my opinion you can't go wrong with a VEPR K in any caliber....

So what's up witht he VEPR's stock?  Is is the length?  The design?  What?

Quoted: the vepr II amd IIk series from robarms are very nice...perhaps the nicest ak's going in many respects. if you can live with their buttstock, the cost/quality ratio is as good as it gets. the bulgarian ak's being built by arsenal kazanlak usa in las vegas are also superior. heavy milled ak's with outstanding quality and finishes. for a cheap thrill, the sar series from century/romania are currently the best bang for the buck. ugly and crude, they make great shooters and a good start for a custom project.

Can you provide a link to these guys, CampyBob?

Okay, so you guys are saying the 7.62x39 sux?  But that the 5.45 kicks ass?  But, like some of the arguments i've seen, isn't 5.45 HARD to come across?  Are its ballistics kinda close to m193 performance.  

Quoted: Okay, so you guys are saying the 7.62x39 sux?  But that the 5.45 kicks ass?  But, like some of the arguments i've seen, isn't 5.45 HARD to come across?  Are its ballistics kinda close to m193 performance.

I have heard that the 5.45 round relies on a specific bullet design to be lethal, and you aren't going to find this exact bullet manufacture process in ammo available to civilians in the US, just like only some 5.56 ammo will fragment, but cheap target 5.56 ammo will fragment far less, and just be good for plinking.

There can be a huge debate about ammo lethality here, on the con side, people can site the Hollywood bank robbery a few years ago, where the robbers shot tons of 7.62x39 and critically wounded many, but no one died, and on the plus side, I have read that some Russian Special Ops guys favor 7.62x39 as it has far better obstacle/vehicle penetration than their newer 5.45 round.  Also have read about plenty of people taking deer with 7.62x39 without problems, but good shot placement is the key with any mid-power round.

I have an SAR-1, it was a dirt cheap AK, and I chose 7.62x39 as it was the "classic" AK round, made for AK's by the multi-million around the world.  

I mainly shoot to enjoy the historical significance of the gun, so 7.62x39 is the only real choice for an AK in my case.

I was just at the range today with both my AR and my SAR-1, and always notice that the 7.62x39 AK round reflects a bigger mess out of the dirt mound behind the backstop, making a distinct smacking sound and throwing up a ton of dirt with each shot, whereas each 5.56 round gets absorbed into the dirt with relatively little reaction. This action always made me have a bit more faith in 7.62x39 as a decent round, though not a scientific fact.

One last quick tidbit, stick to either 7.62x39 or 5.45 for an AK, have read and heard much that many 5.56 AK's (like the SAR 5.56 model) are much more sensitive to bad mags, due to the smaller rim.  Though 5.45 is smaller than 5.56, they designed the rim to be much greater in diameter, and thicker, which reduces the chance of an ejector tearing through the rim compared to a 5.56.

Quoted: Another alternative would be to go with a custom build.  The 5.45 Bulgarian kits are an absolute must right now - beautiful and cheap.

Where are these kits being sold?

Thanks for your response, ED_P.  I would also stick witht the 7.62x39 in an AK, cuz, well, it's an AK! They just go together...LOL.

At any rate, how do they "kits" work?  Is a complete rifle just in parts, or what else do you need?  Can you just buy them already slapped together, or what?  And where the heck does one get them at?

CampyBob, what's up with that Las Vegas place you mentioned?  What kind of parts do they use?

Quoted: CampyBob, what's up with that Las Vegas place you mentioned?

www.arsenalinc.com