Leaning toward a SAR-1...I'm torn...

[Don W]

I live in AZ, so I am planning on driving to Prescott and hand picking one from J&G - $298 vs. $348. Checked them both out at a local store: MAADI had the usual "plywood" furniture with lousy finish and no storage hole in butt, grip had overspray and was ugly, trigger was a little heaver and not as smooth, action was not as smooth, metal had the shiny paint. SAR-1 had matching orange furniture with better finish, smoother action and trigger, nicer grip, fair matte finished metal. Both had front sights leaning left and rear sights mounted slightly right (I hope to cherry pick at J&G.) I think I could live with the SAR with no refinishing. Finally, the legal usage of hi caps without further modification makes the SAR-1 seem that much better. In the future, I can point to my receipt and advertisements if there is a question.

By the way, I just got back from seeing Three Kings (the Gulf War movie with George Clooney) at the theater and was impressed that they had lots of actual Middle Eastern plywood-clad AK's!

[Tom N]

Sounds like you just need to descide if you're a shooter or a tinkerer.

[LAgunman2K-3]

just buy both --problem solved
hehehe


you might get lucky with a SAR and not have the front site tilted, you have about a 50/50 chance of getting one

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and on the 8th day GOD made the AK-47 and saw that this was good

[patsue]

I just bought and completly refinished my 1st AK, a Maadi. After all the work,(which I really enjoyed) I have a rifle that looks better then any of the Romanians my gunshop has. My front site was canted to the left just barely enough to tell so I did purchase an adjustable rear site. Now I am waiting on a couple of US floorplates and Followers to make it legal with High cap mags. For me, it was worth it because I enjoyed making something that was a little rough into something quite appealing. My wife was even a little impressed. And she thinks my gun obsession borders on needing shock therepy. To each their own.

[THEAVENGER]

I was thinking of buying a Maadi myself. The tinkering around thing is irresistable to me. Did you ever think of the Ace stock kit? It looks like a Galil. Because it is fixed it is supposed to be legal.

[LAgunman2K-3]

the ACE stock is COOOOOL very well made, so are the parts, the trigger assembly makes the trigger pull very smooth and Lite

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and on the 8th day GOD made the AK-47 and saw that this was good

[colonel kalashnikov]

I am almost jealous of your 'predicament', sir. I own both, and must say both of my SARs were better buys than any Maadi I've ever seen. If you have the time and patience to hand pick an SAR, one can find nice specimens with sites that aren't TOO canted.

BUT, I am having a lot of fun tinkering with my Maadi like the other fellers on this post. The wood cleans up rather nice on the maadi's, and I am even considering a tr gun kote job for $80. With a RPK rear sight, my Maadi may almost be presentable. (I think I may get a green OD Gun Kote finish on it, just to have fun).

[Don W]

Hey everyone, thanks for all your replies.

Tom N - I tend to be a tinkerer AND a shooter. I plan on tempering the trigger group parts on either gun, due to all the posts I've seen about relatively soft US parts. But I have to think about my time a little: seems like my projects around the house never end.

LA - wish I could buy both! But I'm just starting my military style gun collection, having recently ordered a Garand from the CMP, and my Other Half is starting to watch the bank account closely. Oh, got to buy loads of ammo too!

Patsue - I've read several posts of yours describing your Maadi - sounds nice. Have you posted any pictures yet?

Col Kalashnikov - I love Arizona! And I hope JG still has a good selection when I make it up there (probably this week.) I learned more about that Maadi I saw locally from a friend who also looked at it - he field stripped it in the store and found that they had actually removed some metal from the bolt apparently so the action would not bind! He said that he thought the bolt metal even looked soft.

[patsue]

Hey,
I had a Snappy that I borrowed from a friend but he came home from college for Christmas break and took it back. As soon as I replace it, I will post the pics. Should be this week I hope.

Patsue

[LAgunman2K-3]

thats cool your getting a Garand, Don W

you will love it, they are GREAT guns, i got mine back before klinton almost destroyed the program, when it was the DCM and not ODCMP, and the garands were A LOT cheaper too

just get the wifey a M1 Carbine and make her happy

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and on the 8th day GOD made the AK-47 and saw that this was good