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Posted: 10/8/2009 10:18:14 PM EDT
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So,
As cliche as it sounds, i want a no bullshit weapon that will always shoot no matter what kind of ammo or conditions. I have an AR and as we all know they are finicky.... I figure an AK or some variant is the way to go. Thats where you guys come in, i have zero ak experience. I was looking at ak's (way too many types based on countries), SKS's, and a bullpup AK caught my eye. If i want an ultimate zombie killing doom machine, what do i need to buy? thanks guys |
| Ak all the way. Forget the bullpup, If you want something compact SBR it or get a krink if you can, if not then go underfolder. Arsenal of Bulgaria is my personal brand of choice but they are generally on the higher end of the market close to the $1000 mark and higher but a Chinese Norinko Mak 90 or even Romanian WASR will serve you just as well for about half the price. So much to learn but about AKs but they are so easy to operate and maintain |
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Get a Norinco pre-ban 56S .. Hard to beat. and did I say 100% commie made?
You just can NOT beat the Norinco brand.. or PolyTech (even better) These rifles are always 100 % on the money as far as functionality and dependability. Can't say that about the American made models 100% of the time. |
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Any properly assembled AK used with a mil-surp magazine in good condition and given minimal maintenance will be extremely reliable.
Spending more for an AK might get you a better looking rifle, but won't necessarily get you a more reliable or more accurate rifle. If at all possible, shoot a few and buy the one that feels the best to you. |
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Stay as close as possible to the original configuration. Resist the temptation to bolt crap onto an AK. If you can't imagine a 16 'soldier' in Africa carrying it, it probably doesn't belong on your rifle.
Good mags. Commie steel mags work and are cheap. Run the rifle and test it. Everybody cranks out a lemon here and there. Good vendors will make a dud right. Maintain your rifle. Even the AK will quit working if abused enough. It'll work without lube but it will wear faster without lube too. BSW |
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Quoted:
So, As cliche as it sounds, i want a no bullshit weapon that will always shoot no matter what kind of ammo or conditions. I have an AR and as we all know they are finicky.... I figure an AK or some variant is the way to go. Thats where you guys come in, i have zero ak experience. I was looking at ak's (way too many types based on countries), SKS's, and a bullpup AK caught my eye. If i want an ultimate zombie killing doom machine, what do i need to buy? thanks guys What has been finicky about your AR? All of mine run 1500 rounds or more without maintenance. Maybe we can help get your AR running like it should. But buy an AK too 
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Not to poo in the thread, but my AR's have both been better than my Mak 90. I still love the Mak for what is is tho. It is very reliable with hp or fmj, but chokes on sp about every 3rd round. I have also had one of the little arms on the trigger spring come off and get underneath the trigger, making it impossible to reset the trigger. I had to break it down real quick and fix it with my pocket knife. That has only happened to me once.
AK's are great and so are AR's, but don't get too wrapped up with the whole "AR's are finicky". Get the one that you like best and invest in some good training. This will pull you through more than your selection of a rifle. |
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haha good stuff guys...
Ive always heard to stay away from the wasr's, but you guys say go for it? And no word about an SKS? Are they about the same reliabilty wise as a wasr or other AK? And as far as my AR goes, its a bushy, and the only thing its finicky with is wolf ammo. It used to shoot it with out a probablem but now it will FTE and FTF about everyother round with it.... not very fun but it cycles brass perfectly. Any advice would be welcome |
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Certainly the AK is no magical weapon - they can and do misfeed/misfire occasionally, as well. At the end of the day, it's still a mechanical tool. It just has different tolerances than AR's do. Both the AR and AK will perform superbly if maintained well.
On the practical/economic end of the spectrum, the WASR can be a fine rifle. |
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Quoted:
And no word about an SKS? Are they about the same reliabilty wise as a wasr or other AK? An SKS in good condition will be reliable so long as you retain the original fixed magazine. Most of the large capacity "duckbill' magazines are junk. I have no experience with the TAPCO SKS magazines so YMMV. |
| Whenever we are talking "reliability" we are talking "relative reliability" because no weapons system is %100 reliable. BUT...some get close, and alot depends on maintenence and the environment. In general all piston driven weapons are more reliable...Galil, Valmet, AK, FNC, Sig 550 series, Daewoo and so on are all extremely reliable, especially in horrible environments. Russian weapons were DESIGNED to be reliable in arctic conditions, and the same type also seem to work well in the sand. HK G3's work great in all environments. FAL's work well in the cold, heat and humidity, but not so good in the sand. Having said all this AR's are still better than 95% reliable...M1's and M14's are not considered "unreliable" but if you use them extensivley, you know that heat and friction are their weakness. You can get an M1 SO hot that it will quit working...but that is after 2 or three hundred rounds...I personally have seen some completely worn out Garands, and M16-A1's that still functioned pretty reliably...not real accurate anymore, but they worked. The AK is just a great design, with perhaps the best magazine ever created, so AK variants like the Valmet or AK "crossovers" or hybrids like the FNC and SIG 550 seem to get the best of both when correctly manufactured. My personal choice: the Valmet M-95...and now someone will chime in and say that spare parts are hard to get: true...but after umteen thousands of rounds through several Valmets, and some abuse, I have yet seen one need a serious repair, though I'm sure they also break at times. I would imagine that several other AK types are just as good, (like Arsenals or Saigas) but I just don't have the personal experience with them. Chinese AK's are extremely well made. |
| I would go with an SGL, 7.62 or 5.45 is good to go, but if you wanted to stay with 5.56 then I would go with a SLR106FR. My WSAR that I have had since I was a kid has been more reliable then any M16/M4 that I was given while in the military. Now, every firearm will fail at one point or another, but it has been my experience that an AK can take more abuse then an AR. I hate the SKS, and I wouldn't get one if I could get an AK. |
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Quoted:
haha good stuff guys... Ive always heard to stay away from the wasr's, but you guys say go for it? And no word about an SKS? Are they about the same reliabilty wise as a wasr or other AK? And as far as my AR goes, its a bushy, and the only thing its finicky with is wolf ammo. It used to shoot it with out a probablem but now it will FTE and FTF about everyother round with it.... not very fun but it cycles brass perfectly. Any advice would be welcome Send me a PM, I just noticed we are in the same state. What area do you live? I'd be happy to let you shoot my AK. I have a couple of ideas for you too. |
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Quoted:
Snip...snip... And as far as my AR goes, its a bushy, and the only thing its finicky with is wolf ammo. It used to shoot it with out a probablem but now it will FTE and FTF about everyother round with it.... not very fun but it cycles brass perfectly. Any advice would be welcome Not to sound like a smart ass but don't use steel then, use brass 
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I have been an AR guy most of my life since I carried one for a long time. I am now an AK guy (use to think they were the nasty POS commie crap) . IMO, the best of both worlds is the SIG 556. Think of it as a hybrid. It is more accurate than my HBAR (no shit sub MOA) and after you either manually cycle it 100 times or fire 30 rds through it (tighter tolerances than AK), it has that boring AK reliability. They are pricey but, you get everything a combat weapon should be. Kinda like a Rolls Royce that runs an 8 second 1/4.
Now, I personally would buy an SGL-31. Less bucks for the gun and stock up (10K) on ammo. 5.45x39 is half the cost of 5.56 and IMO, just as good as long as it is surplus. I have old (30 years) 5.56 surplus that it semi reliable at best. Warrant |
| In my experience, ARs are not nearly as unreliable as they are said to be and AKs are not nearly as inaccurate as they are said to be. These latest AKs on market now with their inflated price tags and shitty finishes are shit, if you ask me. I had a couple of SAR-1s when they were cheap. One in particular was very accurate, for what it was. I could shoot 5" inch groups with it and it never jammed. It is one of about three rifles I have kicked myself for selling. None of the M-16A2s I was issued were unreliable and neither are my current ARs which are a mix of BCM, Colt, and Bushmaster. A good AR upper (BCM) with a quality BCG (BCM) will be reliable with most any lower. Also, I have a Polish underfolder built on a Arsenal USA rx that was built by Josh Newton that is an absolut fantastic rifle. It is accurate, dead nuts reliable, and looks good to. |
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its not ar's cant use wolf.... some bushmasters cant shoot them. THats about it. I got one that loves wolf but yours doesnt. Just bushmaster, pretty much every other ar company shoots them fine. bushmasters are known for this I've personally seen two RRA rifles that wouldn't shoot it well either. It depends on the chamber of the weapon, too tight, and when it gets hot, the coatings on the steel will melt and stick to it, especially if you chamber a round in a hot weapon, and then let it cool with the round chambered. That causes extraction problems in some guns. |
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Most extraction problems on an AR can be cured by the extractor upgrade from BCM.
The AK has looser tolerances than an AR which gives it greater reliability and less accuracy. The sights on an AK are also to blame for accuracy problems. But an AK is a combat weapon and is absolutely combat accurate. If I had to choose in a fire fight, I'll take the AK. Works when it's dirty. Works without enough lube. I can tell you for a fact, my AR's will not run without enough lube. I love my 1911's. But again, if I have to choose in a SHTF situation, I'll take my Glock. Not as accurate but reliable, dirty or not, lubed or not. My choice for an AK would be my 14.5" Mak90 with ACE folder. Short enough to be manueverable, long enough barrel to reach out to distances I need it for. |
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