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Posted: 4/17/2003 9:37:33 PM EDT
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I have contemplated picking up an SAR-2 now for sometime and just never have. But I have been looking at buying a good, used one and replacing the stock with one of those sweet looking black KVAR stock sets. I also would probably add one of those pin on AK-74 brakes. This should give me a good functioning and good looking 74 clone. I have the SAR-1 and like it, although I don't love it by any means. But it's simple and works. I figure the SAR 2 might have a tad less recoil and be more accurate. So, should I get one? How do you guys rate your SAR 2's and would you recommend them? What kind of groups could I expect with them? Is there any magazines that are black in color (if I have a black gun I don't want any of those fugly bakelite mags) that work well? And finally, what ammo do you like best....59 gr Barnhaul, 55 gr Barnhaul SP's or the stuff from Wolf? |
| No. If you want good looking, buy a Bulgarian kit from K-VAR and have a good gunsmith put it together for you. You'll come out with a better rifle for the same price by the time you make a SAR-2 look pretty. Trust me, I dropped a lot of money into my SAR-2. It's on the way back and I'll post a full report once I get to play with it. |
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If you're considering the SAR-2 then consider, above anything else, getting the Red Star Arms trigger and trigger pin retaining plate with it. Do the AK-74 brake the right way, forget the pin on brake. Someone will chime in eventually on how to do the conversion. Then get a Kobra site from Tantal or if you really want to spend some $$$, get the Russian "Elcan" PO3.5x21 Those Fugly Bakelite mags can be found for as low as $5 each. Yes you can get them in black but at double the price. I'm going for more mags. Ammo...whatever is cheaper, I like the Barnaul. |
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my sar-2 is STILL my favorite rifle. i own some pretty nifty rifles, but the sar-2 is on my shoulder more often than anything else. after more than 15k rounds, it is still accurate and reliable as my cheap timex wristwatch. i urge you to install the GENUINE romanian threaded front sight base and brake to yours. the original commie brake is the most efficient i have ever used. most of the copies are just so much junk. only the one that rs39 had me install on his sar is even close to the original commie design (trust me here, not all ak-74 brakes are created equal!). definitely...add the redstararms fire control parts. they really help your shooting. the po 3.5x21 belarussian (made by zenit) scope also makes a perfect addition to the sar-2. |
What he said. |
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Get it and a case of Barnaul FMJ. You can hunt down Bulgy black mags or get a big pile of cheap bakes and paint them. When the bottom briefly fell out of the SAR2 market a few years ago, mine became the very best $238 I have ever spent on anything. Mine normally gets 3" groups, with occasional 2 1/2" groups of 5. This is 1" better than my SAR1. My Bulgy build from Magnum Gunsmithing is a damn fine piece of equipment, but the groups only average 1/2" better than the SAR2 for a gun that is twice the price. Depends on your goals, but either hand pick a SAR (avoid the occasional bad apple) or have a Bulgy built. The only bad decision is to do neither. |
| Best bang for the buck is the SAR 2 with minor mods. Next logical progression is the Bulgy 74 from kvar and have a smith build it for you. Price differences between the two routes would be about $250 more for the bulgy. You would not be too disappointed in either route. |
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Which brake do you recommend and where can I get one???? usmc, i strongly suggest you buy the genuine romanian brake (22x1.5mm threading to match your romy fsb). it is mil-std. hard chrome lined...and get this!!! since the threads are specific to romanian ak's only...and since no known sound or noise suppressor has ever been manufactured for those threads...YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PERMANENTLT ATTACH IT! the batfe has a letter to that effect floating on the web. |
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CAMPY, I checked over at K-VAR and talked to get guy that I purchased the SAR-2 from (bought it from a buddy about a year and a half to two years ago) and he told me that he got the AK74 muzzle brake and the threaded front sight post from K-VAR... It appears that I have the Romanian AK74 muzzle brake...The exit hole on the brake looks a little large to me, like it was possible made for the 7.62. Could you tell me if they made this brake for the 7.62 or not...I noticed on K-VARs website that they did not list a muzzle brake for the 7.62 or the 5.45 like Krebs and AKUSA does... (Cringing as I make this next statement) The reason that I originally asked about the AKUSA muzzle brake is because I noticed that they made one for both the 7.62 and the 5.45....That being said both the guy that I bought the SAR-2 from and I have noticed that the braked on the SAR-2 doesn't do as good of a job at reducing muzzle climb and felt recoil as the AK brake on my Bushmaster, so I just assumed that he had purchased a brake for the 7.62 because the hole in the brake seemed a little large for the 5.45 and didn't do that great of a job at reducing muzzle climb....I know you are not an avid fan of the Bushmaster AK brake, but I think it's a great break and have tested it against numerous other brakes and it out performs most thing on the market made for the AR15....So I think we can agree to disagree on the Bushmaster AK brake, but would still like some info concerning the Romanian AK74 muzzle brake...Thanks in advance |
When you say exit hole, are you talking about the LAST hole or the hole inside of the chamber? The one on the left or the right? Both are chrome outlined obviously. If you mean the last hole (the one on the right), then that's normal. The hole on the left is what matters. The Romanian brake is the older version of the AK-74 brake family (like the very first model, and perhaps even more primitive than that). Campy says it does its job well (I don't know yet, I haven't gotten my SAR-2 back yet), despite the fact it lacks the latest baffle (half-moon cuts) and zig-zag designs that the newer AK-74M type brakes have. I don't think AK-USA makes a brake for the Romanian 22.5 mm outer threads (Chris Butler at AK-USA could probably make you one for a price though). You may be able to screw on an adaptor to the current FSB and then put a Bulgarian copy brake AK-USA makes over that. I don't know if you'd have to weld it or not. I mean, the Romanian brake is pretty damn good to begin with. I'd leave it as is, unless you really can't handle the recoil. 
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themao, Thanks for the info....The brake that you posted a pic of is the same brake that is on the rifle...I was looking at both holes, but maybe I need to take a .30 cal bullet and see if it will fit through the hole that is closest to the rifle.... The recoil is not all that bad in the first place, just on my AR the Bushmaster AK brake almost delets all muzzle climb and I would have thought that the original Romanian would have done as good if not better on the SAR-2...I know we are talking about 2 different weapon systems, but thought that the original AK74 brake would do a much better job...Any info would be appriciated... |
You can buy a stripped AKS 5.45 receiver from Ohio Ordnance Works ($59.99 + shipping, counts as one US part) and have it shipped to your local FFL: www.ohioordnanceworks.com/parts/akm/akm.htm You could buy a SAR-2 and strip it down, but that's much more expensive (approx. $300.00). |
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Could you tell me if they made this brake for the 7.62 or not... no. the romanian brake is only available in 5.45. That being said both the guy that I bought the SAR-2 from and I have noticed that the braked on the SAR-2 doesn't do as good of a job at reducing muzzle climb and felt recoil as the AK brake on my Bushmaster, i would disagree. i've shot the romy brake in full auto...a lot...and it is very good at keeping the muzzle from climbing. in burst fire, i barely moves...almost the same amount as firing a single shot in semi-auto. i have made a point of observing others as they shoot full auto ak-74's, and i can honestly say that whether romanian or bulgarian...the ak-74 brakes work well. and i have had the opposite expirience with the bushy ak-74 brake (which other than appearance, is really not an ak-74 brake). in full auto it is useless...other than being an obnoxious noisemaking device. i think the action types, recoiling masses and the ar's buffer may be contributing to your observations...even thought the 5.45 is generates only about 2/3rds the felt recoil of .223. (m16a2 20" vs. ak-74 16"). so I just assumed that he had purchased a brake for the 7.62 because the hole in the brake seemed a little large for the 5.45 and didn't do that great of a job at reducing muzzle climb the hole is clearanced. the brake will wobble a bit and the hole must be increased in size in order to account for this. the wobble will also affect accuracy. ....I know you are not an avid fan of the Bushmaster AK brake, but I think it's a great break and have tested it against numerous other brakes and it out performs most thing on the market made for the AR15....So I think we can agree to disagree on the Bushmaster AK brake, heheheh! that's ok, you know i hate the mini y-comp and the pro ord carbon 15's brake also...and my armalite 3-slot has got to be the worst ever designed! but would still like some info concerning the Romanian AK74 muzzle brake...Thanks in advance try this. have someone else...preferably and inexpirienced shooter, shoot both of your rifles from the offhand. observe from the side. then try the same test with an expirienced shooter. pay attention to muzzle movement. then come up to bulletfest and watch the 5.45's run 30 rounds non-stop...and stay on a washing machine at 150 yards. |
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CAMPY, Thanks for the info...Just FYI both me and the guy that I bought the SAR-2 from have Bushmaster carbines that were purchased approximately 5 years ago...Both of our rifles have the 14.5" heavy fluted barrel with the AK brake perminately attached...I have noticed that the 16" barreled Bushmasters with the same heavy barrel but have the AK brake pinned on do not seem to work as well as the 14.5" barrel with the AK brake perminately attached...Just an observation that I've made after shooting numerous Bushmaster rifle.... I don't know if Bushmaster has possibly made some design changes in their AK brakes in the last 5 years or not, but I have noticed that the AK brakes on the 16" don't seem to work as well as those on the 14.5"...Could also be the method of attachment... I do notice that the 5.45 recoils / muzzle lifts slightly less than the 5.56 and thus though that the AK brake would work even better on the SAR-2...I guess it was just one of those "It did a good job, but I expected it to do better" No complaints, but then again it may suprise me if I were able to shoot the rifle on full auto... All in all I appriciate all the info and I'm keeping the SAR the way it is... Thanks again |
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