Whats the best AK-47

[Jimma]

I am going to purchase an AK-47. I was wondering who makes the best one? I am also curious as to what to look for as far as wear and tear.

[Godebert]

Go with the Grandaddy of the SKS and the AK-47......the Soviet SVT-40 Tokarev:

You'd better not wait to own this historic rifle........as prices have been going up rapidly of late.

[SFC Chromey]

Mine is Maadi, Egyptian made. It works fine, nothing spectacular though.

[WayneS]

Soviets haven't EXISTED since the early 90's.

Also, Colt hasn't "changed" the .45 ACP since 1911. What's your point? A great design is a great design.

[WayneS]

Is that Ward Churchill?

It looks like Ward Churchill.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Right. So, if he really wants a "historic" weapon, he needs to go to the effort to get a the right licenses and mechanisms to get a "real" (machine gun quality) weapon.

If he wants a new/modern/Chinese-copy (boy that's sounds funny!) AK-47 just so can say he owns something that looks like an AK-47, that's a different problem.

If he wants a home defense weapon, get a shotgun with a wide choke and lightweight pellets. It won't penetrate walls and kill needlessly, but will kill/disable/remove arms and legs easily and more effective. With much more margin for error in aiming and recoil. And more cheaply to boot.

The AK-47 (regardless of who made what version when) isn't as good a choice.

[Delmarksman]

Quote
If the gun is for his wife, alot of the options depends on how good she is with guns. AK's (and their numerous variants) have that Hollywood look but there are better options. Is she looking for distance or spraying lead? How is she with using sights versus a scope? What kind of ammo capacity is ideal for her intended use? Will she be carrying for any distance, thus making weight an issue? He really needs to go and talk to several gun dealers who can address pros/cons. And all of his options will be semi-auto at best unless he wants to send the BATF some spending money.


Why are you adressing me with your questions?

Obviously he knows what he wants and what his wifes needs are, he asked for information and opinions.
I gave him exactly that.
If you have a problem with that, keep it to yourself.

[Thunder90]

Russian AK-103

[WayneS]

AK-47 isn't a good choice? How did you reach that conclusion. The man SAID he wanted to buy an AK-47. For someone who wants to buy an AK-47 it seems to me that an AK-47 is an excellent choice. He asked who made the best ones, and some people here have been trying to advise him on what he actually asked about instead of questioning his judgement.

By the way , what exactly is a "machine gun quality" weapon? Are machine guns somehow "automatically" of higher quality than other types of guns with other actions. I have some very nice lever action rifles, for instance, which I rate as being as high "quality" as ANY machine gun.

By the way, AK-47s made in countries other than Russia are not necessarily copies. There were (and are) many eastern bloc armories set up to manufacture the AK-47; just as many companies did (and still do) manufacture the 1911 on the Colt patent. The fact that the gun does not say Colt on it does not mean it is not a "real" 1911 or that its quality is somehow lacking.

[School of Rational Thought]

"Ummmm, you can't be serious.""


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[School of Rational Thought]

"Ummmm, you can't be serious.""


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[School of Rational Thought]

"Ummmm, you can't be serious.""


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[Fido969]

Just from personal experience, I would save up another $400 or so and get an AR-15. Check out Rock River Arms, or Bushmaster, there are many builders, and the quality is well worth the price. AK's aren't bad for a $3-500 gun, and for $200 you can get a milled receiver (don't get a stamped receiver) SKS, but if you can save up about 900 you can get a quality firearm. My 2 cents.

Why would you only have to choose one of them?

I would think you would need one of each, so you could truly compare them. Come to think of it, I have one of each.

The Romanian WASR-10 (AK) is just fine for my tastes. Get one with the accessory pack - bayonet, sling, etc, for about $325.

I say get a cheap AK, a hundred dollar SKS and then spend the bucks you save on a decent AR-15.

[planekT]

Good link. Thanks for posting.

[WayneS]

Good advice. One can never have too many guns.

[activationproducts]

Robinson Arms VEPR K

[activationproducts]

You don't know much about guns do you? What the guy is really looking for is a Kalashnikov rifle. I have similar weapons and realize they are a poor choice for home defense in a lot of instances. That being said some of us shoot recreationally and have certain rifles for their "fun" aspect as well as to p*ss off liberals.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Concur.

[Robert A Cook PE]

See 16.

I am getting a second primary weapon (one for me one for my wife) and want to use common ammo.

[BorisTheBulletDodger]

I have been following this problem since late November of last year. It seems that there is a shortage of 7.62x39 in the US and there are several theories as to where it is all going, Iraq being the most popular one. Wolf Ammo® will not give a straight answer as to when we can expect more and I have never heard the same answer twice from any of the distributers like CheaperThanDirt.com or any other online site. Even Sportsmansguide.com is backordered or a month long wait for all of their 7.62x39.
Now, you can always buy local but you'll have to pay for it. Not too bad if you're just going to the range for an hour but if you want to store up, its going to cost you an arm and a leg at $12/box-of-20.