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Thread: more doubt thrown into my first AK purchase decision.

  1. #1
    Junior Member dogsoldier's Avatar

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    more doubt thrown into my first AK purchase decision.

    I went to a local gun store today and fondled an couple Arsenal weapons. Between what I liked by handling them and what the salesmen had to say about them (especially when compared to the Wasr 10,s, CAI jobs, etc.) there seems to be know comparison. Know I'm wondering if that's the route I should be taking. Problem is, I can't afford one of them, even if I sell my trade outright for cash and get top dollar. I thought the AK world was supposed to me much cheaper than the AR world!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Dr. Gonzo GED's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by dogsoldier View Post
    I went to a local gun store today and fondled an couple Arsenal weapons. Between what I liked by handling them and what the salesmen had to say about them (especially when compared to the Wasr 10,s, CAI jobs, etc.) there seems to be know comparison. Know I'm wondering if that's the route I should be taking. Problem is, I can't afford one of them, even if I sell my trade outright for cash and get top dollar. I thought the AK world was supposed to me much cheaper than the AR world!
    High quality anything usually starts at 1k and goes up dramatically from there.

    That said, a WASR in your hand that goes bang beats a beauty queen on the rack at your local gunstore any day.

    If Romy is what you can afford, get one and don't look back. There's also some nice Polish and Yugo builds out there that are nicer looking than a WASR but not as expensive as Arsenal.

    Good luck!

  3. #3
    Conributor 09/13 slamfire51's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by dogsoldier View Post
    I went to a local gun store today and fondled an couple Arsenal weapons. Between what I liked by handling them and what the salesmen had to say about them (especially when compared to the Wasr 10,s, CAI jobs, etc.) there seems to be know comparison. Know I'm wondering if that's the route I should be taking. Problem is, I can't afford one of them, even if I sell my trade outright for cash and get top dollar. I thought the AK world was supposed to me much cheaper than the AR world!
    Depends who you are buying from. Some dealers give good breaks and others rip you a new one.
    Shop around.
    There's no problem an AK can't solve...........


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  4. #4
    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar

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    Arsenel is nice. I have been on the look out for the right gun from them but haven't come across it yet.

    AK's like other guns will cost a lot of money for high quality. As the saying goes you generaly get what you pay for. That being said I think a cheap AK will be better than a cheap AR. AK seem to suffer less than many other guns when it comes to being built on the cheap. That isn't to say you can't get a FUBAR AK you can. It is just less likely than if you were expecting high quality but paying cheap prices for say an AR.

    As slamfire said though, shop around. I find that often the prices will cary a lot from dealer to dealer, especially at gun shows. At gun shows here prices are all over the place, funny thing is the gun stores are usually cheaper too.
    Doobie Doobie Doo..

  5. #5
    Guns Network Contributor 04/2013 El Laton Caliente's Avatar

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    Arsenal is very nice, just pricey...

  6. #6
    Administrator imanaknut's Avatar

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    AKs used to be inexpensive until George Bush the First banned some because they "looked evil", then william jefferson clinton had them banned by name, then ATF decided that since Bush1 forced them to abide by the sporting purpose clause of the 1968 Gun Control Act, they would take it to the limit and other import bans followed.

    Add to that a bunch of new people getting into the sport.

    Add to that fears of further eroding of our constitutional rights and prices go nuts.

    Look around, keep your options open. Every now and then you might come across a Norinco MAK-90 for the same price of a WASR-10, but the Norinco quality is tons better than the WASR. Yugos are one of the few that Century did right, and they haven't been totally hit by the hysteria, so their prices are still semi-reasonable.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Full Otto's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by imanaknut View Post
    Look around, keep your options open. Every now and then you might come across a Norinco
    Yeah
    http://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.ph...l-gets-nowdays
    For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe

  8. #8
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by dogsoldier View Post
    I went to a local gun store today and fondled an couple Arsenal weapons. Between what I liked by handling them and what the salesmen had to say about them (especially when compared to the Wasr 10,s, CAI jobs, etc.) there seems to be no comparison. Now I'm wondering if that's the route I should be taking. Problem is, I can't afford one of them, even if I sell my trade outright for cash and get top dollar. I thought the AK world was supposed to me much cheaper than the AR world!
    They were when the Chicom guns were coming in, then the original SAR series. That was THEN, this is NOW. Bulgarian AK rifles have always been better quality than Romanian rifles even the SAR-1, SAR-2. That said the Romanian rifles are OK. NO AK except for the .223 chambered ones like the SAR-3, Saiga and Veper rifles will reliably be sub 2 MOA at 100 yards. Typical 7.62x39 AK results regardless of nation of build is 3 to 5 MOA.

    AR-15 rifles are much more accurate in grouping as stock weapons. Add in free float handguards and tighten up the upper to lower fit and you have a wepon that will easily shoot sub 1 inch (1 MOA) groups at 100 yards and beyond. You can't kill it if you don't hit it.

    Lastly, 7.62x39 ammo isn't 8.5 to 10 cents a round anymore, more like 22.5 to 25 cents a round. I can make my own reloads in .223 that cheap. IMHO if you have an AR15, better to stick with that and spend some bucks upgrading it, to make it "better" than it currently is. I am speaking from a guy that used to own 6, 7.62x39 AK rifles, an AK pistol that I built. I sold all of them and kept the SAR-3 in .223 to focus my logistics on the 1 intermediate power factor cartridge. Got rid of the SAR-2 as well for the same reason. I have a tiny bit of regret on that but in the end it was the best decision for me as it still would mean another caliber to inventory had I kept it.

    IMHO a SAIGA rifle converted to AK military configuration is your best bang for the buck followed closely by a Bulgarian. WASR rifles are entry level AK weapons, most work OK but some don't. I've found some to have a preference in the 30 round mag they'd use unlike most AK rifles that will take any 30 round mag and run fine.
    Last edited by Schuetzenman; 11-18-2012 at 10:38 PM.

  9. #9
    ** Contributor 01/2013 **

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    I own a SA-93 Arsenal

    Quote Originally Posted by El Laton Caliente View Post
    Arsenal is very nice, just pricey...


    Its a great gun. I got mine in 1996. I've fired thousands of rounds through it. It has never jammed or misfired even once. So long as the barrel is cool & you use Seller & Bellet ammo, you will get 3-4 moa @ 100 yards.

    This one is worth putting on plastic. Red Star Arms has a much better trigger.

    If the newer Arsenals have a synthetic stock, even better. If they have the scope rail on the side, perfect.

    The milled receiver will have you calling it an "Anchor 47".

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