hey guys, i am well educated in handguns, but i have no idea what im doing w and ak purchase. i have done some research here lately but i was hoping that you guys could help me choose my first ak.

heres what i am looking for:
i know that they all are somewhat accurate with the vepr being a little superior, but i am looking for accuracy (i mean "ak" accuracy. haha), quality and dependability.

i wanna tac it out a little (ie: swivel butt stock, universal mags, quad or tri rail w/ red dot, etc) and dont wanna put 500 bucks worth of accessories on a turd.

bsaically, i wanna get the most bang for my buck and i would like to spend between 400-600 dollars for the base package.

i was going to get a wasr 10/63 but i saw an article stating that they were made from military reject parts that scared me away. i dont want a p.o.s. (plz correct me if im misinformed.
but then i saw the certified wasr from http://www.hendersondefense.com/store/pc/home.asp
all in all, i am on the fence w the wasr model

intended use: home defense, small game hunting and 100-200yd target practice.

any suggestions?

4-600 isn't going to get you a good base IMO, unless you go with a Saiga in .308 and build up from there. Go VEPR, spend the $ now for a product you will get what you're looking for out of. My opinion of course.

You should do a little more research on WASR's. They absolutely are not made of military reject parts. The reason they are made into parts kits then reassembled in the US with some US parts is due to US imports restrictions.  They aren't top notch, but they work. Some better than others. When I decided to buy an AK, I knew I wanted a well made, nicely finished, relatively accurate rifle. I also did enough research to know that's going to be hard to find in the price range your at, at least not these days. I went with an Arsenal. High quality with a high price to boot. Did I get what I paid for, I think so.

What's a universal mag?

by universal mag, i meant one that would take mags by different ak manufacturers.

I've been looking at this one pretty hard.  Its also from a site sponsor.

Atlantic

Seems pretty good overall.  Looks like you could build off of this and still have good wood to go back to with a little refinishing if you wanted.  They also have many of the other guns mentioned here.

A word of advise, Century guns can be hit or miss.  Probably a good thing to see it first before paying good money for it.  They'll all work (its an AK).  You just many not be happy with the look and feel.

ETA: I'm also a fan of dimples. The Romy's have rails internally to manage mag wobble.  Stick with surplus steel mags and you will not have any problems in almost any AK.
ETA2: Site sponsors will usually work with you on free shipping or the like.  Talk to them before you order on line and let them know you are are a member here.  Some do restrict to Team Member level or above.

Just get a WASR and tapco it out until your heart is content.

The breaking point for AKs is about the $600 price range.  They all work equally well, but above $600 will get you a prettier rifle.  If you're looking for a workhorse to beat on, a WASR will serve you just fine.

WASRs aren't made from military reject parts.  They are made from actual demilled military weapons then were reassembled in a way to make them legal to import into the US.

Any AK which accepts a standard magazine will work with any standard mil-surp AK magazine.

For about the 1,000,000 time WASRs are NOT assembled in the United States. That is why each and every one is clearly marked "Made ... in Romania"on the receiver. The original donor rifles are demilled in Romania. The new rifles are assembled in Romania (using a new receiver and barrel) and converted to accept standard magazines and to comply with US law in the US.
WASRs are not made of reject parts for a very simple reason: No one in their right mind would have left enourmous piles of reject parts lying around for several decades. Therefore, there was never such a supply of such parts. The myth was started by a known innernet bullshitter who's imagination stretched from Romania to China.

So it is. Hmph.