I've been into ARs for years now and always sort of wanted an AK. I finally bought one last week and just picked it up today. It is an AK74 by Interarms and I picked it up for around $550.00 from Atlantic firearms. It seems to be assembled very well and I can find no obvious faults it it's construction. The finish is a little more grey than I had imagined, but whatever. I also picked up 600 rounds of 5.45 from SGammo, a Tapco sight tool, and 4 metal mags from 44mag.com.





I shot 300 rounds today at the range. It recoiled much less than I expected and was really fun to shoot! It was a really nice change of pace from shooting almost nothing but ARs for years. I had trouble with the sights. I was able to keep all my shots in a pie plate sized group at 100 yards, but I just couldn't seem to keep my elevation consistent. Windage wasn't really a problem though. Took it home and cleaned it out. Boiling water through the internals, Hoppes #9 scrub-down, more boiling water, then a lube job. You guys really weren't kidding about it being corrosive! I swear, it was like my gun knew it was supposed to start turning orange, so it just went ahead and did so!





Overall I am VERY pleased with the rifle and I will being buying a metric shit-ton of 5.45 ammo this year.







 

Very nice! , try to find non corrosive ammo , thats what I try to use.

Very nice. I have had a couple of 74's and always shot corrosive ammo. I kept a bottle of windex in the truck and when done shooting I sprayed the internals down with it. When I got home I just cleaned it normally and never had any problems.

I was thinking about one of tgose for tge price cant go wrongis it chrome linned? Very good looking wood on those all you need now is some bakelite mags!!.

glad you like your 74. As you've pretty much found out the 5.45 cartridge really makes the AK platform shine. As to the elevation issue, was it stringing?

Asidr from the corrosive surplus ammo, also take a look at the newly made Wolf and Silver Bear. Since I don't really care for running corrosive ammo in semi-autos I usually run Silver Bear.


as to the Polish Tantal mags that you picked up from 44Mag, how well do they function in your 74?

Yeah, I really need some bakelite mags, but they are too expensive at the moment. Maybe next year...



And YES! It is a new chrome lined barrel and US made receiver.



 

Not sure what that is.



Yeah, I'm going to use wolf or silver bear for the range from now on and stockpile the Russian stuff.



Flawlessly.





 

Be Careful. They tend to multiply....

stringing typically happens with light barrel sporter hunting rifles when the barrel heats up, the group's windage stays the same, but the elevations tends to rise. This is usually do to the light barrel heating up quickly

awesome, a metric shit ton is a good beginning! FYI, that parkerized finish makes an excellent base coat for duracoat.

Don't think that's what's going on. I think I'm just having problems keeping the FSP aligned horizontally with the rear notch.



 

ok, so it sounds like your getting used to AK/ SKS style sights

Nice rifle! You will get used to the sites, im glad you like your new toy! Besides duracoat also you can use cheap engine enamel paint or really whaatever you want and get a nicer finish. Like Nictra said that park on your gun makes a.great basecoat. Brownells even sells spraycans of gunkote and its easy to do. You would end up with a really nice finish like that.

Shh this is a secret.....http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=MAK74C30&name=Surplus++30rd+AK74+5.45x39+Magazines&groupid=15








 

Polymer. Been sold out for over a months as well.





 

I got two East German Bakealite mags local. I think Copes Distributing has them

I have a few extra I just picked up local, what are good to very good shape east german bakelites worth? I was thinking of selling a few (got 20 or so of them and a few polish)

about 30-40 bucks.