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Posted: 1/4/2007 8:10:17 PM EDT
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Unfortunately I don't have a team membership yet, so my search was limited to 30 days and I could not find all the information I needed, so here goes... I just got rid of my WASR-10 and I'm now ready for an AK built with quality. I'm trying to decide between a Lancaster or Vector from Atlanic Firearms. I have a couple questions about the Vector AK in 7.62x39 for $500. 1. I'm leaning towards going wood. But does the black poly furniture come in the Warsaw or NATO length buttstock? It looks Warsaw to me, but not sure... 2. Do these come with the Tapco G2's? If not, how is the trigger on the Vector? 3. These Vectors are chrome lined right? 4. Do either the Lancaster or Vectors for $500 come with a side scope rail? Thanks! |
I recently (for Christmas) got a Lancaster built AK form Atlantic. I also posed the Vector v Lancaster question. Let me see if I can help..
I think Warsaw. Call Blaine and double check.
I don't know about the Vector but the Lancaster does.
Yes, so are the Lancasters.
No. I asked blaine prior to ordering mine. He said between the two the Lancaster is more "bang for your buck". Good luck in your choice..and post pics. |
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I have two Vectors, the first bought used and is an underfolder on Hungarian parts with poly handguard and upper guard. The second is a fixed stock version, all polymer, built with Polish parts. To answer your questions: 1. All of the fixed-stock poly versions I've had my hands on, including mine are NATO length. That's not to say they don't sell Warsaw length, just that all I've actually seen are the longer buttstocks. I replaced mine with a Warsaw length one from K-Var and have been happy with the shorter length so far. BTW, every wood stocked version I've seen has been Warsaw length. Again, YMMV. 2. I can't tell you what fire-control sets I have. I haven't seen any markings on them to tell me what they are. The UF trigger has a nice two-stage feel to it but has some "slap" to it, where the fixed stock version is a single-stage type with absolutely no trigger slap at all. I like the two-stage for control, and will probably try to fix the slap sometime in the future to make it as comfortable to shoot as the other one. 3. Yup. 4. No Vectors with side scope rail that I've seen anywhere, in person or on the web. I bought a rail from Tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru and had it professionally installed so I could mount a Kobra optical sight and have been outstandingly pleased with it. Note: this was on the fixed stock version as you can't use a rail and an UF together and make it fold. I've not seen a Lancaster AK in the flesh, but have no compunctions about recommending a Vector to anyone. I hope this helps. Mike |
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I used to build the Vector AKs. They have Tapco parts. They are Polish, Bulgarian, and one other that I can`t remeber. They come chopped up in big crates covered in cosmoline and metal shavings. They go through and grind the rivets untill you can peel the remaining receiver skin off. They are then looked over for pitting and quality, but not REALLY inspected closely. The rear sight and sight leaf spring come off, the trunions are cleaned up, and everything is stripped and refinished. It`s a pain, and you normally get used stuff. When I built my dad`s AK I spent weeks going through everything to find the best stuff, and I`m a perfectionist. With my experience I would recomend something more like an Arsenal or Tromix conversion. Yes you`ll pay more, but you get what you pay for. I don`t think the Vectors are worth what they ask for them. $300-$400 yes, but not any more than that. I`m just looking out for my fellow arfcommers. 
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Another thing that made me loose respect for Vector was that we were working on a customer supplied AK. We built it for him, did some nice touches like painting the markings on the receiver white or red. When it came time to put the guts in and test fire I noticed that it was an AK-103 and not an AK-47. When I told the shop foreman about this and said I didn`t know how the internals went because they were a bit different he handed it off to one of the other guys. Well they must have put something in wrong, or put in an AK-47 bolt and carrier goupe cause the damn thing blew up in the guy's face and knocked him on his ass. Insted of taking the time to research how it went together properly and making sure they used all of the customers supplied parts, they threw it together as quickly as possible and didn`t take their time. Someone got hurt and a customer lost a firearm that was very special to him. I honestly do not want to rain on anyone`s parade to bad mouth a company, but it is something that I think you should take into consideration before you make an investment. My dad and I love our AK. We haven`t had a single problem with it in the two years we`ve had it. If you can look at both companies products. Inspect them, have the clerk help you take it apart, closely inspect the front and rear sights to make sure they are straight as that is a really common problem area with AKs, they`ll lean to the side sometimes. The builders and QC guys won`t realy notice because they don`t sight them in or test for accuracy, they just stick them in a bullet trap and make sure they go BANG through and entire mag. I just don`t want to see anyone get screwed. 
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| As a n00b it really came as a surprise to me that many of the guns on the market aren't new. They are a used sort of hodgepodge of parts. Now since most people that buy them know what they are doing that's no huge issue. But to someone like me it was a bit of a shock when I first found out about about it. |
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FYI >>> Vector rifles can be a mixture of parts and may not be matching numbers the Lancaster rifles are built from matching number kits, non matching does not make any functional difference but to some customers like it from a collector standpoint. Also by the end of Jan we will be stocking a scope mount for the AK rifles that will allow a rifle with no rail to easily have a scope added with out any gunsmithing and will cost around $79 -$89 bucks. Atlantic Firearms,llc Here is pic of one of the new Lancaster Polish Folders built on the Armory USA 1.6 MM rec 
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