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Posted: 2/17/2005 7:50:46 PM EDT
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The guys over on another board suggested I post this here. Enjoy! RCK Arsenal SAM 7 M-7SF Review When I saw the ads for this rifle last fall after the passing of the AWB I was quite excited. Many years ago I had a very nice Galil that had to be sold after a lay off. I see the Arsenal rifles as the Galils or better of the AK world and the thought of a side folding Arsenal with the Galil thumb safety and a flash suppressor left me drooling. The price was way up there, but I added up the cost of the custom work by a smith like Krebs and came to the conclusion that while high, and perhaps to come down later when the first post AWB feeding frenzy subsides, it was OK for the rifle as perceived in the dim cross section shown in the Shotgun news ad. So I called up my dealer and told him to get one for me. I picked up the rifle on New Year’s Day. New Arsenal, new year, what could be better? Well the rifle could be better. Why you may ask? Allow me to proceed. I rate a new rifle on its form, fit and function vis a vi the task I have in mind to use it for. The task for this rifle is three fold: 1) to have a post ban gun with all the evil features before the demopubilicans screw us again 2) to have an optically sighted carbine for informal three gun shoots 3) to have an accurate AK ‘Galil’ in 7.62 for all around use including even shooting deer With these purposes in mind, I will look at this rifle in greater detail. One of the things that makes or breaks a rifle for me is what I like to call its handiness. My SAM 7 Carbines are very handy, even with an Ultimak and Aimpoint up front. They are quick to the shoulder and fast to bring on target. The 7SF is a bit of a pig in this regard. The massive birdcage flash suppressor makes it very muzzle heavy. It is not objectionable, so long as you don’t have an optic in the scout position, but it is noticeable. The stock is very rigid and locks up so tight it needs to be tapped with a non marring hammer to release it. Kudos for that one. The drop is minimal. Good for use with optics, not so good for iron sights. I really need to scrunch down to use the irons with this stock. Not so good since I need to built the comb up with foam and duct tape to use my POSP anyway. Bottom line on handiness? This rifle is significantly off the sweet spot set by the Carbines. Fit and finish are always asked about in regards to rifles. The SF is a mixed bag. The bulk of the rifle is beautifully finished. Everything is tight and straight. The excellent Arsenal packaging and manual were present. A class act all the way. It was obviously hurried in a couple of spots though, upon closer examination. The powder coating is incomplete on the receiver under the scope rail and they never bothered to remove the ugly Bulgarian powder coating from the gas tube and refinish it to match the rest of the rifle. Thumbs down on that. For the price of this rifle the finish should be uniform and match on all components. Now to the range! I have had three range sessions with this rifle since I received it. Several hundred rounds including some field shooting have allowed my opinions to come together in regards to it. My concerns about the handiness and finish could well evaporate if it is a shooter and it was clear from working a day at a gunshow where I put it on the table for kicks and grins that at retail these guns won’t sell unless that special buyer comes buy and there are damn few of those for a $1300 AK! For accuracy work I mounted a 4x POSP scope on the side rail and built a quick comb up with pipe insulation and duct tape. This is a non marring solution and makes shooting much easier with a scope on many black rifles. I took Wolf, Barnaul, Remington, and Federal ammo to the range. Once I had a zero in hand the rifle told me that it wants to group. The wind was bounce house trailers across the prairie speed, but the general pattern indicates forget Barnaul, buy lots of Wolf ball at about 3 inches at 100 and both US made hunting rounds head down from there towards 2 inches. Add a good two stage trigger so you can get a decent break and the right ammo and this is an honest 2 inch rifle. Good so far. The thing will shoot from the bench, but what about the field? In the field a rifle’s handiness comes into play. Whether it be a deer, or a three gun target or an opponent, that rifle must shoulder quickly and make the hit. With this in mind I shot CQB drills and did walk about shooting targets of opportunity. Again I used the POSP primarily. Why you might ask? The rifle is heavy and unbalanced so I wanted to try it as a possible designated marksman rifle analog. Sort of a baby Dragunov if you will. The accuracy is there and the scope lets you take advantage of it. The walk about was educational. The rifle was a bit slow to shoulder as anticipated. Once in the pocket hits were shot for shot at unknown ranges to 200 m, the limit where I was shooting that day. Yes I did miss sometimes, but it wasn’t the rifle or ammo I was using. No malfunctions either in any of the shooting, but it is an AK after all! Would I shoot a deer with this rifle within the ballistic limits of the cartridge? You bet. It will make the hit. Would it replace a decent M1A with scope as a DMR? Spend the extra money. You are already carrying the weight of the M1A so why not have a .308? Now for CQB drills. Forget the 4x scope naturally. The high native comb on the folding stock makes optics a necessity. Quickly shouldering this rifle leaves the eye well above the iron sights. They are truly a backup proposition on this particular rifle. The severe muzzle heaviness from the massive flash suppressor makes it slower on target than the Carbines. All this can be lived with though. I always use an optic and some folks prefer a muzzle heavy rifle. That is a matter of taste and preference. I actually like them a tinge muzzle heavy myself. But there is a big sucking noise going on and it is the thumb safety. One of the endless negatives the AR crowd likes to throw at our AKs is the safety lever. I like it myself. The colder and nastier it gets the more that lever shines. On the other hand I really liked the thumb safety on the Galil. Push forward on it with your thumb as you shoulder the rifle and you are good to go. No joy with the SF. Push it forward and it goes into safe. Yes it is under the thumb, but it is no Galil safety. It is in fact just a simple lever pressed on the shaft of the lever and dropped down through a hole in the bottom of the receiver. The geometry dictates that forward means safe. There is no camming lever like on the Galil to make forward the firing position. To be frank, this alone would have made the rifle a no sell to me if I hadn’t special ordered it from a friend. I asked a contact going to the Shot show to ask Arsenal about this. The Arsenal rep said if it can be done tell us how. I sent an email to Arsenal describing the Galil system, but have yet to receive a reply. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say. So to summarize I will integrate my thoughts on this rifle. A superbly made rifle (powder coating issues aside) and accurate? Yes. Handy? No. For the collector it is as close to a real side folding current production Bulgarian you will get. A collector might want to have it refinished though, so it all matches. For an all around compact folding evil black rifle for use in the field and the three gun range, well not for me. Close but no cigar. Again, much of this comes down to personal preference, but if someone walked up to me today and dangled $900 in my face the rifle would be his. I would chalk up the loss to experience and the buyer would be happy. |
+1 I only have a part time job, hopefully over the summer they pass me from 20hrs a week to 40. Then i'll be in business.  PS: car insurance costs me $300 a month! 
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Wow, if I had $900 to blow, and I didn't already own one just like it, I'd be all over that deal like a popshot, um, never mind. That's a great price. I love mine. Stock mechanism works great, easy enough to operate (much easier than an underfolder) and it locks up very tight. Mine definitely doesn't require a hammer to open   Cheekweld is great. Unlike many folding stocks, it actually has one, and it's a pretty good one at that. The left side safety is nice and convenient, although it does operate backwards. Forward should be fire, just like on a semi Galil. I haven't done any serious accuracy shooting with it (that'll have to wait until I go home to Washington and have a real rifle range close by), just plinking, but it seems to shoot pretty well. It's not quite a Galil, but it's a good rifle that incorporates some of the Galil's advantages over the standard AK design, and costs a fair bit less. |
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Thank you all. I especially want to thank some of the names I recognize for turning me on to this board. his It is indeed a nice rifle and just the ticket for the right user. My $900 bucks comment was a bit off the cuff, but thinking it through it is fair for a used piece and I will check out the Euipment Exchange. Thanks for the tip Cleis102. I will admit that I hem and haw about this rifle. It is an Arsenal, which means the best after all. It has also taught me a lot about what I want in such a rifle. I am currently at 3 of their rifles and they are definitely a different animal than most folks percieve an AK to be. OTH I did have a Galil many years ago so I had some inkling of the possibilities! So I think I will indeed put it up for sale and sit tight and see what Arsenal brings us next to keep us riflemen broke. ATB, RCK |
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