Fortuneately, there are quite a few good AK-47's on the market today.
I own a couple Arsenal Inc. (of Las Vegas) SA-M7 rifles, and they are absolutely superb in every respect. They are very accurate for a 7.62x39 kalishnikov, and their fit & finish is about as good as one can get. Price from FAC for a standard model is about $530.00.
I would also reccomend a Vepr from Robinson arms, but I have avoided them because they do not accept standard AK-47 parts. That aside, they are probably the best Kalishnikov ever to be made available in the US. It is actually a Russian RPK (squad automatic weapon), neutered to fire civvie semi only. Prices vary from $500 to $600 depending upon from whom you buy and options desired. I think they come standard with a scope rail.
For a strict plinker, the Romanian SAR-1 series is all you could ever want. I don't own one because they are "rough" to say the least. They look like crack house rifles... just my opinion. I'm sure they are excellent guns for the price, but for a few hundred more, you can have something much, much better.