AK Sponsor
Posted: 2/6/2011 2:18:30 PM EDT
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I am in the market for a underfolder and am hoping someone could pass on some good information about Vector. They have a nice Vector underfolder at Atlantic with a new bulgarian heavy barrel. But what brand receiver does Vector use? Are they good to go? And what type of quality could I expect from one of their builds? Thanks. |
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They use who ever's receiver they have in stock when they build the gun. NDS, Global Trades, & possibly OOW a while back. Some kits used are #'s matching, some aren't. Some guns have US barrels, some are original imported. You have to ask the seller what each particular gun was made from. GARY N4KVE
I am in the market for a underfolder and am hoping someone could pass on some good information about Vector. They have a nice Vector underfolder at Atlantic with a new bulgarian heavy barrel. But what brand receiver does Vector use? Are they good to go? And what type of quality could I expect from one of their builds? Thanks. |
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Hope I am not too late, but have had 2 vectors in 4 years and nothing but trouble not even in use yet. The new one is made on a "vector reciever" not only has the criminals building gone to hell now they are making their own recievers.
Not a good outfit, by their own admission they can't get and keep people who know what they are doing. Stay away, if not I hope you get a good one as it must be possible. Good luck Edit: New one has canted block and other issues. No one answers the phone and won't return calls.... A warranty is only as good as the company. If you have trouble make sure to let Blaine at Atlantic know about it . He is getting some surgery or something now and maybe won't help but I know he has some pull as he buys most of them from Vector not edited... i hit the wrong button.... sorry tbs... |
| We are a distributor for Vector and probably ship 6 of their AK rifles each week and have had great feedback on the AK rifles . The rifles also have a 5 year warranty and Vector has great customer service if you have a issue they will take care of the problem or exchange the item. mac1911 we have never had any issues getting them via phone if you need our help please feel free to email our office all your contact info. [email protected] |
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i had an issue with my rpd a few months before the problems they had. They bent over backwards to make me happy. it wasn't 100% when i got it back so they rebuilt and refinshed the gun from the ground up. the gun i got back was a showpiece and ran like a top. They paid shipping both ways, both times and i had it turned around in under 2 weeks both times. EVERY time i got a phone call telling me what they did, a letter in the box detailing the fixes and emails with tracking numbers.
if glock had been that responsive i might still buy them. |
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I have to say I'm not so excited about them making their own receivers. Why not just use Elk River or NDS? The only reason might be to save money. I can't see a business making their own more expensive receiver when there are better alternatives out there. Maybe Atlantic has some SGL's in stock. I have the feeling the only way to get a good underfolder is to acquire the parts yourself and have Arizona Response, Krebs, or Red Jacket build it for you. Edit: Also, I emailed them about their receivers and haven't gotten a response. I'll post any information they might give me. If they respond. |
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I just got off the phone with Vector Arms. They answered right away. The information I got was that the barrel and receiver are both straight from Bulgaria. The receiver is made by ISD Bulgaria and the barrel is a Bulgarian chrome lined heavy barrel. The muzzle brake, trigger group, furniture and spring sets inside are all U.S. made keeping the rifle in spec with 922r. I'll be making the purchase and updating with a review and range report as soon as I am able to. Edit: Purchase made. Now the waiting for shipment begins. |
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So my Vector Underfolder arrived today. I haven't had a chance to take it to the range yet and probably won't be taking it. More on this later. The fit and finish appear excellent. The parkerizing is a nice dark color. http://i.imgur.com/zjeXJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/MuZXs.jpg Takedown was very easy and the action was nice and smooth. I foresee no problems with function or firing to be honest. The inside appeared to be relatively clean except for the bore and gas tube. They have a bit of dust and possible carbon buildup although it is hard to see from the pictures. http://i.imgur.com/I7G6D.jpg http://i.imgur.com/60S9I.jpg http://i.imgur.com/IpysV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/yJncZ.jpg And this is where the mostly positive ends and the irrritation begins. One would think that for 700+ dollars "Jn" at Vector could at least make sure the front sight post is not canted as if one were buying a Century bargain bin piece. I also don't understand how Atlantic Firearms would accept merchandise like this for their inventory. It makes no sense. My question now is how to get this rectified. The following picture doesn't show how much it is off but I tried to get a good picture. Several times. It's harder than it looks to get a good photo. It could also be because the excitement washed right off and my heart just wasn't in it. Ridiculous. http://i.imgur.com/Ywn4c.jpg Hopefully Atlantic Firearms will make this right. |
In before someone says " as long as it can be zeroed, it is within spec" I agree with you, this isn't a wasr were you could over look a few flaws given the price. There is no reason this should have ever left the shop, although I am sure they will make it right for you. Still a major let down for sure, good luck! 
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SirGuapo
Sorry to see about the canted sights of course both Atlantic & Vector will make sure the problem is dealt with however you are comfortable with and will pay any return ship . The first step Should have been to contact our firm or Vector not to contact the Internet ..... We have not heard from you about the issue so please email and we will be glad to assit , We would also like to address the comment of >>> I also don't understand how Atlantic Firearms would accept merchandise like this for their inventory. It makes no sense. We sell tons of Vector AK rifles nad have had no complaints the rifles arrive in a box and leave in a box so we do not persoanlly inpect each rifle. We ship out 200 -300 rifles a week and can not hand inspect each rifle Quality control is the job of the factory producing the product not our guys in shipping. If we had numerous issues with a prodcut line yes we would look at them more closely but since this has not been a issue with Vector we have no reason look each rifle over. Our firms reputation has always been good about taking care of issues like this so ,,,Please contact our office so we can discuss the issue and help you out . |
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In before someone says " as long as it can be zeroed, it is within spec" I agree with you, this isn't a wasr were you could over look a few flaws given the price. There is no reason this should have ever left the shop, although I am sure they will make it right for you. Still a major let down for sure, good luck! That looks canted so bad that I really doubt you will be able to adjust the windage enough to zero it. |
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In before someone says " as long as it can be zeroed, it is within spec" I agree with you, this isn't a wasr were you could over look a few flaws given the price. There is no reason this should have ever left the shop, although I am sure they will make it right for you. Still a major let down for sure, good luck! That looks canted so bad that I really doubt you will be able to adjust the windage enough to zero it. shoot it first. does it shoot POI? |
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What is it with canted sights and AK builders? It seems like something obvious to spot let alone have some type of jig for. I wonder how many Russian, Chinese, Hungarian, etc AKs leave their respected armories with canted sights. Rant over carry on. The factory sight on my Saiga 5.45 was slightly canted. No big deal as now it's cut in half and replaced with a 74 front sight. |
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Quoted: Well true. I can't argue with that logic. My only excuse, even though lame, is that it seems pretty simple to just make sure the front sight post is aligned properly before sending it out. I guess the rant came from having to remove the quality control tag from the front sight post that was obviously canted pretty bad. lolWhy do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem  I'm going to give Atlantic a call today and I have every confidence it will be worked out with no problems. And as far as my comment directed at Atlantic goes- I had really no idea the volume of orders they deal with. So it makes sense that they just fill orders by taking the boxed rifles off the shelf and send them out without first seeing them. Although I suppose I really should have known that. (note to self: think first. type later. the internet carries no tone of voice and one can easily come off as "that guy") So my apologies to Atlantic. Sincerely. |
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Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. |
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Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. this... i didn't take his comment as anythiing more than some frustration with a crappy build. that rifle is not a reflection on the reseller but on the builder. So long as he would followup with comments regarding the resolution i'd have no issue with it. i see nothing wrong with posting about issues as they occur, so long as the coverage is fair. |
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I agree, I wasn't bitching by any means. It just seems like a lot of folks tend to vent before calling the dealer/manufacturer.
I'm sure Vector or Atlantic will make it right. As far as it being boxed like that.... who knows. I'm a mechanic, and 99% of the time my work is top notch, amd I am very picky about how my work looks. But sometimes mistakes are made. 
I know my Vector rpd was made with love.. it shows, from the finish work on every piece internally and externally. I would love it even if it didn't work 
I'm sure once you get it back it will be A+ |
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While it was a different industry I worked as a buyer of sporting goods for many years. Everything from camping equipment to ski and snowboard stuff. We used to have all of our vendors sign a vendor agreement with our company. If they did not adhere to our requests we actually charged them back in the form of credits on future purchases. You would be amazed how quickly vendors changed their packaging, shipping, etc so they wouldn't have to pay out.
Seems like the firearms industry could learn from this. I know that not all retailers can inspect every product going out the door, but maybe something like above would change some vendors ways. In the end little things like canted sights cost everyone money; the builder, the retailer and the customer in one form or another. Atlantic's has a fantastic reputation in customer service. I'm sure they will do everything in their power to fix this. |
I talked to Blaine at Atlantic just now and just to make it clear the issue with the canted sights is being well taken care of. Just let me reiterate- it honestly never occurred to me the volume they deal in. (Although that should have) Let me quote Blaine- "We're sort of like the Best Buy of guns. It isn't that we don't care, we just can't look over every rifle individually unless it comes from a dealer with known quality issues." And that is understandable. Much like some, I only ever deal with gun stores that are much smaller and usually see every item they sell as it comes in. *SO* with that being said I should be hearing from Vector as soon as possible courtesy of Atlantic Firearms. I think it is pretty fantastic I am not being stuck with having to deal with this all by myself. +AAA to Atlantic and Blaine. I'll be sure to update this thread once Vector handles it. I'm sure that will be smooth also. |
| I had a Vector Polish underfolder in 2005. It was not that great of a rifle. It was built alright, but the trigger spring had to be replaced and the parkerizing just didn't seem right for an AK. I don't really consider them to be any different than a century build. |
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Quoted: I had a Vector Polish underfolder in 2005. It was not that great of a rifle. It was built alright, but the trigger spring had to be replaced and the parkerizing just didn't seem right for an AK. I don't really consider them to be any different than a century build. Strange. Those are two of the things I was very impressed with. The trigger was nice and crisp with no gritty creep or annoyance factor. And the parkerizing was nice and dark. I've seen bad park jobs and this rifle was really great in that respect. I know the standard mil-spec finish for an AK is black moly or paint over park giving that dead black look but this park was close to that. Kinda nice to not have to baby the finish since it's just park. |
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Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. +2. People get on here all the time and post initial impressions of rifles they've just received. And I'm glad they do. I want to hear it all...the good, the bad and the ugly. I don't want anything swept under the rug, for the reason dskeet cited: if no one ever pointed out that a rifle they just received had a problem, that might delay revealing a builder whose quality is slipping. True, the OP shouldn't have blamed Atlantic (and he has since acknowledged that), but I think he did the right thing by pointing out a grossly canted site on a gun that shouldn't have a grossly canted site. I wish Atlantic, and other companies, would offer a $10 or $20 "certified" or "hand select" option with every gun they sell. This would more than pay for their time to check for cant, mag lock-up, and other obvious problems before shipping. I think a lot of buyers would pay the extra money for the extra peace of mind. It would be a win-win deal: customers would get a good rifle, Atlantic might make a few extra bucks out of it, and Atlantic and its vendors wouldn't have to pay for return shipping and time dealing with problems that were discovered once the gun is in customers' hands. The gun industry is one of the few industries I've dealt with where defective merchandise is routinely shipped with a collective shrug of the shoulders. And yes, I consider a canted site to be a defect. I don't care if it's "within original Soviet specs". I'm a U.S. consumer in a competitive market...not a third-world conscript. |
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Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. +2. People get on here all the time and post initial impressions of rifles they've just received. And I'm glad they do. I want to hear it all...the good, the bad and the ugly. I don't want anything swept under the rug, for the reason dskeet cited: if no one ever pointed out that a rifle they just received had a problem, that might delay revealing a builder whose quality is slipping. True, the OP shouldn't have blamed Atlantic (and he has since acknowledged that), but I think he did the right thing by pointing out a grossly canted site on a gun that shouldn't have a grossly canted site. I wish Atlantic, and other companies, would offer a $10 or $20 "certified" or "hand select" option with every gun they sell. This would more than pay for their time to check for cant, mag lock-up, and other obvious problems before shipping. I think a lot of buyers would pay the extra money for the extra peace of mind. It would be a win-win deal: customers would get a good rifle, Atlantic might make a few extra bucks out of it, and Atlantic and its vendors wouldn't have to pay for return shipping and time dealing with problems that were discovered once the gun is in customers' hands. The gun industry is one of the few industries I've dealt with where defective merchandise is routinely shipped with a collective shrug of the shoulders. And yes, I consider a canted site to be a defect. I don't care if it's "within original Soviet specs". I'm a U.S. consumer in a competitive market...not a third-world conscript. +1 A hand select option sounds like a great idea!
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Quoted: I can see why Atlantic doesn't since that would almost be a sign saying that without paying extra you should count on having a problem rifle. And unless it is a Century or another obviously questionable manufacturer a customer should be able to buy with confidence. Blaine said that they make sure to look over the Century rifles since those are known to have certain issues. Vector along with some other well known manufacturers usually never have problems. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. +2. People get on here all the time and post initial impressions of rifles they've just received. And I'm glad they do. I want to hear it all...the good, the bad and the ugly. I don't want anything swept under the rug, for the reason dskeet cited: if no one ever pointed out that a rifle they just received had a problem, that might delay revealing a builder whose quality is slipping. True, the OP shouldn't have blamed Atlantic (and he has since acknowledged that), but I think he did the right thing by pointing out a grossly canted site on a gun that shouldn't have a grossly canted site. I wish Atlantic, and other companies, would offer a $10 or $20 "certified" or "hand select" option with every gun they sell. This would more than pay for their time to check for cant, mag lock-up, and other obvious problems before shipping. I think a lot of buyers would pay the extra money for the extra peace of mind. It would be a win-win deal: customers would get a good rifle, Atlantic might make a few extra bucks out of it, and Atlantic and its vendors wouldn't have to pay for return shipping and time dealing with problems that were discovered once the gun is in customers' hands. The gun industry is one of the few industries I've dealt with where defective merchandise is routinely shipped with a collective shrug of the shoulders. And yes, I consider a canted site to be a defect. I don't care if it's "within original Soviet specs". I'm a U.S. consumer in a competitive market...not a third-world conscript. +1 A hand select option sounds like a great idea! Also, I was called back by Vector on my cell phone a little while ago and the rifle is being corrected at no cost to me. I have no reason to believe it won't be. |
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I can see why Atlantic doesn't since that would almost be a sign saying that without paying extra you should count on having a problem rifle. And unless it is a Century or another obviously questionable manufacturer a customer should be able to buy with confidence. Blaine said that they make sure to look over the Century rifles since those are known to have certain issues. Vector along with some other well known manufacturers usually never have problems.
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Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. +2. People get on here all the time and post initial impressions of rifles they've just received. And I'm glad they do. I want to hear it all...the good, the bad and the ugly. I don't want anything swept under the rug, for the reason dskeet cited: if no one ever pointed out that a rifle they just received had a problem, that might delay revealing a builder whose quality is slipping. True, the OP shouldn't have blamed Atlantic (and he has since acknowledged that), but I think he did the right thing by pointing out a grossly canted site on a gun that shouldn't have a grossly canted site. I wish Atlantic, and other companies, would offer a $10 or $20 "certified" or "hand select" option with every gun they sell. This would more than pay for their time to check for cant, mag lock-up, and other obvious problems before shipping. I think a lot of buyers would pay the extra money for the extra peace of mind. It would be a win-win deal: customers would get a good rifle, Atlantic might make a few extra bucks out of it, and Atlantic and its vendors wouldn't have to pay for return shipping and time dealing with problems that were discovered once the gun is in customers' hands. The gun industry is one of the few industries I've dealt with where defective merchandise is routinely shipped with a collective shrug of the shoulders. And yes, I consider a canted site to be a defect. I don't care if it's "within original Soviet specs". I'm a U.S. consumer in a competitive market...not a third-world conscript. +1 A hand select option sounds like a great idea! Also, I was called back by Vector on my cell phone a little while ago and the rifle is being corrected at no cost to me. I have no reason to believe it won't be. Not necessarily. Atlantic offering such an option would just be an acknowledgement of the facts at hand: they ship 200-300 rifles every week, and don't have time to look at all of them. By spending a few extra dollars, they will take the time to look them over closer than they'd otherwise be able to do. Ideally, it would reduce the chances of getting a problem rifle to almost 0%. It wouldn't mean their other rifles have problems. It would just mean they'll look yours over with an extra measure of attention to ensure nothing got missed at the factory, potentially saving everyone time, money and frustration. While it's true a customer should be able to buy with confidence regardless, its been my observation that the gun industry in general (and AK's in particular) haven't reached a point where a particularly high level of confidence is warranted. As you mentioned yourself, there was a quality inspection tag attached to your canted site! I would pay $10-$20 extra for a bonafide closer look at the gun before it is shipped to me. I'd bet a lot of other people would, too. And while I have no insight into Henderson's business, I have noticed that they often tend to be out of rifles that are commonly in stock elsewhere. It wouldn't surprise me if this is because they do a brisk business from people who would prefer to have their rifles looked at prior to shipping. As of right now, and as far as I know, Henderson has the market cornered on offering that particular service. You'd think savvy dealers would pick up on that and start offering their own "certified" service to increase sales. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I can see why Atlantic doesn't since that would almost be a sign saying that without paying extra you should count on having a problem rifle. And unless it is a Century or another obviously questionable manufacturer a customer should be able to buy with confidence. Blaine said that they make sure to look over the Century rifles since those are known to have certain issues. Vector along with some other well known manufacturers usually never have problems. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Why do people "rant first, ask questions later"? Give Atlantic a chance to fix the problem I'd rather he post about it. Before or after trying to get it resolved doesn't matter to me. I think it is good that he posted about it because how else would any of us know that a particular builders QC could be slipping if people don't post about it. +2. People get on here all the time and post initial impressions of rifles they've just received. And I'm glad they do. I want to hear it all...the good, the bad and the ugly. I don't want anything swept under the rug, for the reason dskeet cited: if no one ever pointed out that a rifle they just received had a problem, that might delay revealing a builder whose quality is slipping. True, the OP shouldn't have blamed Atlantic (and he has since acknowledged that), but I think he did the right thing by pointing out a grossly canted site on a gun that shouldn't have a grossly canted site. I wish Atlantic, and other companies, would offer a $10 or $20 "certified" or "hand select" option with every gun they sell. This would more than pay for their time to check for cant, mag lock-up, and other obvious problems before shipping. I think a lot of buyers would pay the extra money for the extra peace of mind. It would be a win-win deal: customers would get a good rifle, Atlantic might make a few extra bucks out of it, and Atlantic and its vendors wouldn't have to pay for return shipping and time dealing with problems that were discovered once the gun is in customers' hands. The gun industry is one of the few industries I've dealt with where defective merchandise is routinely shipped with a collective shrug of the shoulders. And yes, I consider a canted site to be a defect. I don't care if it's "within original Soviet specs". I'm a U.S. consumer in a competitive market...not a third-world conscript. +1 A hand select option sounds like a great idea! Also, I was called back by Vector on my cell phone a little while ago and the rifle is being corrected at no cost to me. I have no reason to believe it won't be. Not necessarily. Atlantic offering such an option would just be an acknowledgement of the facts at hand: they ship 200-300 rifles every week, and don't have time to look at all of them. By spending a few extra dollars, they will take the time to look them over closer than they'd otherwise be able to do. Ideally, it would reduce the chances of getting a problem rifle to almost 0%. It wouldn't mean their other rifles have problems. It would just mean they'll look yours over with an extra measure of attention to ensure nothing got missed at the factory, potentially saving everyone time, money and frustration. While it's true a customer should be able to buy with confidence regardless, its been my observation that the gun industry in general (and AK's in particular) haven't reached a point where a particularly high level of confidence is warranted. As you mentioned yourself, there was a quality inspection tag attached to your canted site! I would pay $10-$20 extra for a bonafide closer look at the gun before it is shipped to me. I'd bet a lot of other people would, too. And while I have no insight into Henderson's business, I have noticed that they often tend to be out of rifles that are commonly in stock elsewhere. It wouldn't surprise me if this is because they do a brisk business from people who would prefer to have their rifles looked at prior to shipping. As of right now, and as far as I know, Henderson has the market cornered on offering that particular service. You'd think savvy dealers would pick up on that and start offering their own "certified" service to increase sales. Well you have a point. It certainly would have saved the extra time and cost in this case. Plus I could have gone to the range right away(fun times!) and been able to include a range report along with a positive review. I can't say I wouldn't have taken advantage of paying a little extra to make sure things were good to go right from jump street. LOL @ quality inspection tag tied to the canted sight.  It could have been avoided but at least it is being handled. You know what they say though- and ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.  |
| The bottom line is we should not have to check each & every rifle out it should be good to go from the factory , we do not want to charge the customer anymore money than is necessary to Certify that they will get a good gun they all should be good . If we have a product line that ships in volume with no issues why would we waste time inspecting each rifle ? If we have a line with more frequent problems that we are aware of then they are usually checked out once they arrive from the factory. Given the volume we ship we really run into very few problems and when this does happen we go out of our way to resolve the issue as quickly & painlessly as possible. We spoke with the customer and offered him several options including a full refund , He was a hell of a nice guy and we had a very nice discussion ! After that we contacted Vector and explained the situation and asked that they touch base with the customer ASAP to work on the best resolution . We do appreciate all the suggestions and feedback it all helps our firm improve our operation . |
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Quoted: +1 For truth. Most often the case is once you purchase a product you are left with two options if there is a problem- Deal with the manufacturer yourself or return it for a refund where you purchased it. Atlantic went out of their way to contact Vector for me. I had several options and Vector did in fact contact me on my personal phone only 30 minutes after I talked with Blaine from Atlantic. Vector is taking care of the rifle at no cost to me. So in the very near future I should be having a nice time at the range and documenting it for anyone interested. Sure, no one wants to receive a rifle with defective sights but I can honestly say I am not mad. It'll work out. Don't read through this thread thinking Vector or Atlantic aren't stand up companies. From my experience so far they are for sure. The bottom line is we should not have to check each & every rifle out it should be good to go from the factory , we do not want to charge the customer anymore money than is necessary to Certify that they will get a good gun they all should be good . If we have a product line that ships in volume with no issues why would we waste time inspecting each rifle ? If we have a line with more frequent problems that we are aware of then they are usually checked out once they arrive from the factory. Given the volume we ship we really run into very few problems and when this does happen we go out of our way to resolve the issue as quickly & painlessly as possible. We spoke with the customer and offered him several options including a full refund , He was a hell of a nice guy and we had a very nice discussion ! After that we contacted Vector and explained the situation and asked that they touch base with the customer ASAP to work on the best resolution . We do appreciate all the suggestions and feedback it all helps our firm improve our operation . |
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So I thought I would update this dust covered thread with an update . I ended up exchanging the Vector underfolder with a SGL 21-62 and it arrived yesterday afternoon courtesy Atlantic Firearms. It seems a person in customer service at Vector completely neglected to make any mention that there was a rifle with a warranty issue for a solid week, even after emails from myself and calls to them from Atlantic. Atlantic Firearms eventually had to contact Vector again to get them to accept the rifle back. Vector did offer to make things right but my gut feeling was to just make an exchange. Especially after I inspected the underfolder and decided that the barrel wasn't just dark from carbon but most likely not chrome lined. Vector admitted in a phone conversation with me that they indeed had sent a rifle to Atlantic without a chrome lined barrel. Both rifles were at the top of my list for purchase so after my dealings with Vector I decided to make an exchange with Atlantic for a Arsenal SGL 21-62 since it was already one of my top choices. Atlantic had no problem with that and sent my rifle as soon as they recieved their shipment from Arsenal. I'll be going to Atlantic for my future purchases since I know from experience now they are trustworthy and customer service oriented. I hate that I had to find out first hand this way but it is what it is and it turned out great in the end. She came with a test fire target, the usual printed materials and is fantastic and mint as expected. Takedown was a breeze and if she fires as nice as she looks she will be one heck of a rifle. I'll write up a range report this Friday or Saturday weather permitting. http://i.imgur.com/yBHhK.png http://i.imgur.com/RIue4.png |
I think you made the right choice by exchanging for an Arsenal, but that's my opinion. It really is too bad about the underfolder. I like how they installed Type III parts on it, e.g. the vented gas tube/block and the front sight. I think you will be glad with the solid stock vs. the underfolder. Much more comfortable to shoot. 
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I hope it all works out for you. I can only say that in a class last year, I had a chance to shoot 1/3 with a Vector, 1/3 with an Arsenal, and 1/3 with an LWRC (none mine- I'm a teacher, not a money tree) and the Vector was AT LEAST as high in quality as the Arsenal, and both were on par with the LWRC (given the format differences). The Vector will most likely be my next AK (and I'm not just biased because I live in Utah).
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Quoted: Don't get me wrong the Vector minus the issues it had was great. ISD Bulgaria makes the receiver, the barrel is a heavy profiled bulgarian hammer forged and new. The little details are right on. BUT- if I had the money right then I would have purchased both it *and* the Arsenal. I hope it all works out for you. I can only say that in a class last year, I had a chance to shoot 1/3 with a Vector, 1/3 with an Arsenal, and 1/3 with an LWRC (none mine- I'm a teacher, not a money tree) and the Vector was AT LEAST as high in quality as the Arsenal, and both were on par with the LWRC (given the format differences). The Vector will most likely be my next AK (and I'm not just biased because I live in Utah). So it came down to a few factors outside of the underfolder itself that helped me decide to just make an exchange. 1. Vector managed to send out a rifle for this price in the shape it was in. Kinda the principal of it. I know that canted sights can happen with almost any AK manufacturer but there were things in addition to that which were really weird. For instance, the gas tube was really really dirty. Although the pics don't show it the carbon was really crusty. A post test fire sloppy wipedown would have taken care of that and for the level the folder was supposed to be on I was a bit surprised by that. A new rifle shouldn't be in used condition in areas like that. 2. Vector let a non-chrome lined rifle ship to Atlantic. So even if everything else had been fantastic that was a send it back deal breaker. If it were a yugo then it would be no big deal seeing as they don't ever have chrome lined barrels. But if you pay for one you should get it. And if Atlantic never orders non-chrome lined Vectors it shouldn't have shipped to them. They messed up Atlantic as well as me with that move. It's not an unforgivable sin but it just piles on. 3. How on earth does a boutique rifle (and I'm using that label since Vector is a small shop making a top tier product for it's class) leave the shop with a quality inspection tag tied to a sight that badly canted? I really wish I had taken a pic of the tag still hanging off of it but trust me - it looked ridiculous with that tag where it was. 4. After being contacted by myself and also Atlantic the warranty issue sat out in the cold ignored for a week. And since I'm sparing no details here- the person on the end of the phone at Vector was obviously annoyed. Whether it was because they had let this rifle out the way it was and were annoyed with themselves or they were annoyed with me I don't know. But come on- don't give a polite customer who has an valid need the attitude voice. Not cool. 5. After calling Atlantic back to let them know that no forward motion was happening Blaine at Atlantic told me he would take care of it. I know from phone conversations with him that he was in fact doing what he could. Then a person from Vector emails me completely out of context with what I was told from Atlantic. So, thinking the run around was starting to happen I call Atlantic who is just as confused as me. I'll admit after the email from Vector which made no sense given the context of the dialogue between myself and Atlantic, I called Atlantic a bit miffed ready to just call the whole thing off and take a full refund. Thanks for making me look foolish Vector. Blaine assured me that things were still on track. 6. Now considering that this purchase was being made on the internet, and that Vector had already shown me reason to be skeptic of them, the person representing Vector really shouldn't send me an email that has one name in the email address and address themselves with a different name in the message body and closing. Tinfoil hat or not it just doesn't look professional at all. Just add that unprofessional look to everything else and it's easy to see why I went with the Arsenal. For me anyway. Grain of salt recommended but I have no reason to exaggerate. Edit: Range Report coming as soon as my sight adjustment tool arrives. |
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So my sight adjustment tool finally made it's way into my mailbox yesterday and I was able to hit the range this morning for some zeroing and testing. Good times, really good times. I was able to have it zeroed for 200 meters in four groups of four from the 25 yard line. Out of the box this SGL was pretty close to zero before any adjustments were made. I didn't use any type of official bench rest and just set up for shots across my range bag. This has always worked for me.   After I had it zeroed in for 200 meters with the rear leaf set at 100, I took the opportunity to unload on some of the cans and plastic bottles left at the base of the backstop before moving down to the 100 yard to verify the zero. That range detritus paid severely for its transgressions and was fiercely mangled by the 7.62x39 Wolf Military Classic ammunition. At the 100 yard range I was able to get on paper and in the black using a 100 yard target that simulates 200 yards with a series of four shots. I was satisfied the zero was correct for my SGL. The range was moderately busy so scoring for four shot groups was a long wait in between range clear/cold times. I spent quite a bit of time waiting to score my shot groups for the initial zero and didn't feel like spending the rest of the day verifying what I knew to be true.   After I scored my simulated 200 yard target I decided to fire a series of rapid fire, standing unsupported shots on a new target a bit closer. I went through four 30 round mags and had one hot barreled rifle afterwards.  After four magazines of Wolf Military Classic fired within four or five minutes there was a target peppered with holes and not a single failure of any sort. Accuracy was superb and it is a joy to shoot this SGL21-62.  All in all I'd say a great day was had. I kind of already knew the rifles performance was going to be flawless and it proved to be. As the saying goes- If you do your part the SGL21-62 will do its part. |
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I had a Vector AK and it was excellent. Sad to see one with a canted sight. I just bought a Century Yugo underfolder and it is also excellent. I did buy it from a dealer, so I inspected it before I bought. It has the cleaning rod and everything looked good. And I zeroed it and it is excellent. I would expect better from Vector. |
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