i'm new to the whole ak thing and have been lurking for a while now i have some  questions.if you had to choose a ak for under 600.00 would you go to a place like atlantic fire arms or would you buy a used one from the equipment exchange?i still know very little about these guns so for me to shop in the exchange it's hard to tell whats good and whats not.are any of the lower priced guns on atlantic's site any good?if you buy a lower quality ak can it be upgraded later?thanks for your help

I'd wait for a used Arsenal Inc milled rifle to show its ugly head on the EE.  

Not all the guns in the EE are used.  Look it over.  There are some great deals.  I've got an underfolder for sale on the boards right now.  Brand new.

just wondering but what makes the vector or the arsenal inc. gun better?what is the diffrence between a good quality ak and a cheap one?thanks for your help!

I got a real lemon buying a used rifle. It was a 223 caliber AK and it would not hit the side of a barn. If you are a newbie buy new if you can. The Romanian guns can be hit or miss in quality. I have three and love them but this is after years of experience with them. Where do you live?  Maybe you can find an experinced member to help you. I will if you are in Roanoke Va. area.... Good Luck....

+1 for Arsenal

+2 for Arsenal.

+3 for Arsenal.

Quoted: +3 for Arsenal.

VEPR or +4 for Arsenal

Notice you're from Illinois, what part? Most people would be more than happy to take you out and show your their AK and let you shoot it, if your up north we have a state shoot coming up next week (check out the Illinois hometown forum)

+5 for arsenal

Quoted: just wondering but what makes the vector or the arsenal inc. gun better?what is the diffrence between a good quality ak and a cheap one?thanks for your help!

With an AK, when you pay more money you are usually paying for fit and finish and not function.  Most every AK will go bang every time you pull the trigger.  The exception to this seems to be the hit and miss quality control on Century's ability to open up the mag well to accept standard size AK mags.

This being said, even the cheap WASR's clean up well.

i'm 35 min.west of chicago.thanks for the help guys.what do you think of some of the 4-6 hundred dollar guns from atlantic arms?

Quoted: +5 for arsenal

U guys need to make sure U tell which Arsenal brand. ONe is great and the other is not so great.

Quoted: just wondering but what makes the vector or the arsenal inc. gun better?what is the diffrence between a good quality ak and a cheap one?thanks for your help!

Ok, The Arsenal inc. is way better. Arsenal makes the rifle in the U.S. , so you are buying a AK that is completley assembled and 100% made at the factory. Arsenal uses a milled reciever which is a higher quality (milled out of block of steel) . Milled receiver is said to be more accurate.I also believe, Arsenal has brought their builders from Bulgaria to the U.S. That way they could make exact replicas of bulgarian AKs in the U. S.

Vector AKs come from parts kits. Meaning the kits were cut apart in other country's and brought to the U.S. They are built on a U.S. stamped reciever (stamped out of sheet metal and rivited together). So a builder from U.S. would re-assemble the AK on U.S reciever (which is ussually out of spec for the kit), refinish the wood , refinish the metal, and add some U.S. parts to make it 922 compliant. Then you have a Vector.

Now, I am not bad mouthing Vector or anyother kit guns. I have a Vector underfolder and it looks great! My whole point to this is , a kit  gun is like a Frankenstein of AKs (it comes from a bunch of different pats and places, sometimes having non matching serial# , and mixed parts from different countries. When assembled correctly the Frankenstein Aks will run perfectly with no problems. Just as reliable as the AKs in the Desert. But you always run the chance of a builder shortcutting work, and end up with alot of problems. Vector has 5 year warranty, and they honor it well. SO if I was buying a kit AK, I would purchase the Vector. I like to use my Vector for a bullet hose.

Now, If you want a true 100% built at the factory AK, Spend the money and get the Arsenal inc. or any Pre 89 AK  (for example Polytech or Norinco). These are the pristine un neutered AKs. They will also be worth more money later down the road (better investment).

spartan what do you mean neutered?your not allowed to have full autos at all right?so what has been changed since 89?thanks for all your help you guy have answered a lot of questions for me.one last question what is the more popular caliber and is one ammo more avalible than the other?

Quoted: spartan what do you mean neutered?your not allowed to have full autos at all right?so what has been changed since 89?thanks for all your help you guy have answered a lot of questions for me.one last question what is the more popular caliber and is one ammo more avalible than the other?

He means not fucked with from the factory. Pre ban stuff.

Quoted: spartan what do you mean neutered?your not allowed to have full autos at all right?so what has been changed since 89?thanks for all your help you guy have answered a lot of questions for me.one last question what is the more popular caliber and is one ammo more avalible than the other?

Before 1989 AKs could come into the country complete and assembled (all matching factory parts).

I meant nuetered by saying that the kits are brought over  DISassembled then REassembled by an American builder on American reciever, American fire control group, American gas piston. Thus meaning the AK is American Made thus meaning it is legal under 922 BATF rules. So you see the kit guns are Frankenstein AKS. But they work and look great.

Pre 1989 AKs could be 100% from the factory. For example, If you bought a Norinco 56s it came from China. All of the parts and recievers were made and assembled at the Norinco factory in China. Then imported to the U.S. and could be sold off the shelf (no changes made). The recievers and all parts were designed for those guns.

Thats why Arsenal INC. Is so good. They moved there operation to America so they could make 100% American AKs. Same AK as in Bulgaria and same quality, just made in America. No parts kits , all American made at the Arsenal Factory.

I myself like to invest in the China pre bans because it is a better investment. Plus I like the blued finish and quality FCG parts. Here is a good website to learn a little about pre ban 1989's. WWW.chicom47.com

Yugo underfolder, get a case of ammo and a drum with the $200 you have left.

cool thanks for the info.i'm getting me an ak soon!!!!!!!