Lynx Defense

what to look for in an AK?

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  • The Dave

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    All the BS about WASRs is from the ones that were imported years ago, the ones that have been came in over the past few years have been decent enough to to what an AK is meant to do. I had a WASR 10/63 and even with the canted front sight to make up for the canted front trunon it still shot better than several of the more high dollar AKs that other people had at the range. I didnt sell it until I was offered a Saiga that for a great price and the following day was offered more for the WASR than I had paid for it newso I upgraded. If I was offered another WASR at a great (-$300) price I would take it in a heart beat. If you are going to strip it down and trick it out a WASR with as little mag slop as possible would be the way to go. Next up would be an unconverted Saiga and then do the AK conversion as part of your plans to upgrade.

    JMHO
     

    majormadmax

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    Agreed, my WASR-10/63 runs as well as any of my other Kalashnikovs. And don't let anyone kid you, I've seen Saigas (considered some of the best production AKs made) have problems; but if you know the basics of what to look for you should have no trouble finding a good rifle. Here's a good video on how to do that...



    Personally, I am what is known as a "purist" when it comes to AKs, in that I prefer them in their more natural, military configurations and not accessorized like an AR. But that's just my tastes, and if that's what you're looking to do then there are plenty of aftermarket accessories that will fit the bill. Just let me warn you that some of those items can be cheaply made and will not perform to expectations. In other words, the good stuff is going to cost you money! I would steer clear of anything plastic, such as handguards, as they won't hold up well to the heat of the barrel and gas tube. Secondly, the better-performing items usually aren't a direct replacement for the original parts; meaning they don't install the same and may require some modification. This is actually a good thing as the design overcomes the shortfalls of trying to get original equipment to do something it wasn't made to do (such as putting a scope on the top cover).

    Mainly, I strongly recommend doing thorough homework before buying anything. There is a lot of information on the Internet as to what works and what doesn't. There are also a few folks on here who are better versed in modifying AKs than I am (like I said, my tastes run towards the more traditional Kalashnikov). KaliJuan would be the first person I would go to if seeking advice on such items, as he is not only an expert on the platform (as well as a builder), but he's smart on the best accessories for that kind of set-up.

    Good luck with your first AK, I hope you come to love the rifle as much as I do, and end up with more than just one. Even my most crappiest of rifles is a solid, dependable shooter and the history behind this particular weapon intrigues me to no end!

    Cheers! M2
     

    tarheel7734

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    Jan 16, 2014
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    Living in NC, but from Texas
    Weird - I used to shoot at naughty people overseas with my AK and I have no idea what a sopmod does.
    Lol set uplike our m4 sopmods. Think rail and mounts, foldable stock. It will be nice the ak rounds not heading in my direction for a change.
    BHI%20SOPMOD%20AK_3.jpg
     

    Watchdog

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    Mar 21, 2013
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    I would say make sure the front site is not canted, that happens to some. Check (if used rifle) see if the barrel was shot with corrosive ammo and the salts were left in it to f-up the barrel. Otherwise you should be okay.

    I will add, I am not a purist there are some modded up AKs that look cool. I have seen some awesome SBR work done to Dracos, but generally I like the original "look" to the AKs.

    Mine is a Romanian I had built from a parts kit I picked up a few years ago. I redid the wood myself until I picked up an original Romy wire-folder. Great little rifle, despite what some people say, AKs can be accurate as hell. Mine is and I am not some super shooter or anything.
     
    Last edited:

    London

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    Sep 28, 2010
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    All the BS about WASRs is from the ones that were imported years ago

    1.) How would one know when the WASR they are looking at was imported?

    2.) What do you mean by "A few years ago?" My dad and I bought two of them about four years ago. One had a crooked rear sight and the other wouldn't cycle when being shot prone. Yeah, I know that's a pretty limited data pool, but then again we're not the only guys who have problem WASRs. "It's getting rarer" isn't a consolation when dropping hundreds on a lemon rifle.

    Not trying to be disagreeable. Just putting out a "Caveat emptor" for the OP.
     

    majormadmax

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    Aug 27, 2009
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    1.) How would one know when the WASR they are looking at was imported?

    To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to date a WASR.

    2.) What do you mean by "A few years ago?" My dad and I bought two of them about four years ago. One had a crooked rear sight and the other wouldn't cycle when being shot prone. Yeah, I know that's a pretty limited data pool, but then again we're not the only guys who have problem WASRs. "It's getting rarer" isn't a consolation when dropping hundreds on a lemon rifle.

    Not trying to be disagreeable. Just putting out a "Caveat emptor" for the OP.

    A few years back, there were common issues with many of the Century-imported rifles (canted sights and/or gas tubes); but in the past couple of years this seems to have subsided considerably.

    Another "issue" is mag wobble, as WASRs come into this country as single stack rifles and the magazine well has to be opened up to accept traditional double-stack AK mags. I've seen rifles where an inserted mag would move left and right almost an inch in both directions; but oddly enough I've never seen this affect the feeding of rounds. It is more an annoyance than anything. Magazines, however, should not more forward and back more than a smidgen. Any excessive play in that regard can and usually will cause feed issues.

    Again, all rifles can have problems but using the techniques shown in the video I posted earlier will help identify which ones may be "lemons" or not. For the most part, AKs are more reliable than their American counterparts but that issues don't occur. Because of the "loose tolerance" design, most of the time small deviations don't affect the rifle as it would an AR; and because they are so simple any problems can usually be easily fixed.
     

    navysooner

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    Jan 19, 2014
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    Ft. Worth
    I bought a very cheap N-pap for less than 500 at a gun show. Great gun. It came with a synthetic stock and hand guards. It's a century arm imported N-pap. If you want to go the tactical route for an AK I'd do this so as to not piss off "purists". I completely "tacticooled" it out. There are limited options for an N-pap because the hand guards are a different size and the buttstock is attached differently but there are still plenty of options for it. And when you get scared saying "I'm not buying a cheapo less than $500 AK" think differently. It's done me good. The only crappy thing about any Yugoslavian gun is for some reason they never chromed their barrels. As long you keep the barrel cleaned after shooting you will die before it does. And don't worry what "purists" say. It's your gun do with it what you will.
     

    navysooner

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    Jan 19, 2014
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    Here it is. Tapco butt stock and forward handgrip, hogue hand guard, magpul pistol grip, generic optic quick detach optic mount, Truglo red dot, tapco flash supresser

    22EEB5BD-5BD1-456B-A2F4-D169B57A8CE6-10170-0000073AB1A6E682_zps0aaaecf5.jpg
     

    Hizzie

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    May 8, 2014
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    Atlantic Firearms is top notch. They inspect their AK's for the usual issues prior to shipping.

    Traditional or tactical. I like either as long as they run.
     

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    JohnnyLoco

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    Aug 17, 2009
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    Atlantic Firearms is top notch. They inspect their AK's for the usual issues prior to shipping.

    Traditional or tactical. I like either as long as they run.

    Some of their prices seem kind of high, but I guess you get what you pay for with the AKs.

    I agree. I am more of a traditionalist, but I can go either way. Got a CA Centurion 39 with the "tactical" setup. I just left it like that, seems to work fine. To me wasn't worth doing too much to it to make it more traditional.

    The one thing to me with the AK, though, is you can put anything you want on it, it still doesn't make it that much more ergonomic, at least to me it doesn't. Kind of like simplicity sometimes.
     

    SmokeyWhisper

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    Jun 5, 2014
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    This is a loaded question but I will focus on AK parts and not aftermarket mods.

    1. If you can, insert a magazine and look for magazine wobble left to right. Use your hands to wiggle it and also shake the weapon with the magazine in. Be sure to use "stock" or metal AK mags.

    2. Look for the magazine dimples. Newer AKM styles will have these and are great for lateral support of the magazine. The can be "smoothed" down on the inside of the mag well if the magazines are too tight and offer greater support.

    3. Magazines are just as important to function as is headspacing. Without proper fit, you will never have a readily functioning AK. Yes it may shoot, but so will a smooth bore cannon. Once, and then you will have to figure out what to do next.

    4. Head spacing. Don't cheat on this. Order you a GO and a NO GO gauge. Brownells, Midway and lots of online retailers will be able to get you these. "But there is the tape method and the bullet method." Sure, if you are in a 3rd world country, what ever. Accuracy in measurements is very important to safe function and safety and I WILL NOT COMPROMISE on this issue.

    5. Bolt and carrier group. The bolt is how the AK is headspaced. Having a good bolt group will aid in the function of the firearm. What I mean by "good bolt group" is that it is machined good. You can tell what tooling marks are if there are "cuts" or "lines" gouged in the metal. The less marks it has, the better. You can clean up a lot of slop and smooth out the action with sandpaper. Lightly sanding with 200, then 240, 300, 400 etc. will greatly help in getting the desired smoothness.

    6. Buy new. Buy American. This will eliminate a vast number of issues, maybe not all, but its a great start.

    7. Milled recievers are heavy but if machined properly are much stronger. The AK was designed to flex. There is NOTHING wrong with a stamped receiver if everything is drilled and installed correctly. The thicker 1.5mil AK may seem like a good option, but we are not slogging it out day by day and the 1mil's are going to be just as good and a little lighter.

    8. Rivets! Rivets! Rivets! DON'T use bolts. Rivets (especially leaded rivets like the AK's are supposed to use) are what to look for. AK's are designed to flex and the correct riveting allows for this. Bolts may have a high shear strength, but they are brittle and WILL fail. If your lucky, the rear rivets will go first. If the front rivets break, you will basically be firing out of battery and the round will not be seated properly in the chamber. At this point, I hope you have good medial insurance. With rivets, look to see that there is no gap at the bottom of the rivet to the receiver. The rivet should look flush with the receiver as it is actually, slightly embedded into the a dimple.

    9. Nothing wrong with underfolders or side folders, but they will become uncomfortable to shoot as your day of shooting progresses. Just a point to note. Yes they offer more flexibility in movement, but can start to hurt or even cut into your cheek as there is no good cheek rest on a wire frame. Food for thought.

    10. Chrome lined barrels don't off any advantages and slightly detract from accuracy. Chrome lined barrels do aid in cleaning as they were designed with corrosive ammo in mind. If you use corrosive ammo, just clean your firearm. No need to upgrade or down grade barrels because of chrome or no chrome. If you think it is hard to clean an AK, just use a NONchloronated brake cleaner from the local auto parts store. Blast out any crud in the barrel and gas return and voila, that's it. I always do more than just that step when cleaning mine just to ensure cleanliness and function.

    11. Threaded muzzles are a plus as they allow for aftermarket muzzle brakes. I wouldn't thread a suppressor on one fearing a baffle strike. AK threading isn't exactly always accurate and the extended length of a suppressor will complicate the threading, but for muzzle accessories, its doable.

    12. Front sight post. Make sure that it is true vertical. Some are welded at an angle and this... is not good. I.E. You will miss... a lot.

    13. Make sure that you don't go OVER on budget. AK's can be had for $400-800 used and $600-$1500 new. I own an M70 N-PAP I got new and I love it. I've been smoothing out the hammer and the guide rails but it is a great $700 AK. My upgrades include a Hogue Grip, a Tapco AK-74 type muzzle brake (which beats the heck out of the slant brake) and just some minor sanding on the mentioned parts. I use Tapco mags and the newer polymer Bulgarian AK mags with basic WOLF military classic ammo. I am planning to try different brands later but these work %100 for me.

    I would love to try an AK with a red dot or other optic, but to shoot out to 300 yards and hit a chest sized target is enough for me. Mostly hitting ballon sized objects at 100-200yards is a great AK in my book.

    Hope this helps!
     

    SmokeyWhisper

    New Member
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    0   0   0
    Jun 5, 2014
    39
    1
    Ft. Worth
    This is a loaded question but I will focus on AK parts and not aftermarket mods.

    1. If you can, insert a magazine and look for magazine wobble left to right. Use your hands to wiggle it and also shake the weapon with the magazine in. Be sure to use "stock" or metal AK mags.

    2. Look for the magazine dimples. Newer AKM styles will have these and are great for lateral support of the magazine. The can be "smoothed" down on the inside of the mag well if the magazines are too tight and offer greater support.

    3. Magazines are just as important to function as is headspacing. Without proper fit, you will never have a readily functioning AK. Yes it may shoot, but so will a smooth bore cannon. Once, and then you will have to figure out what to do next.

    4. Head spacing. Don't cheat on this. Order you a GO and a NO GO gauge. Brownells, Midway and lots of online retailers will be able to get you these. "But there is the tape method and the bullet method." Sure, if you are in a 3rd world country, what ever. Accuracy in measurements is very important to safe function and safety and I WILL NOT COMPROMISE on this issue.

    5. Bolt and carrier group. The bolt is how the AK is headspaced. Having a good bolt group will aid in the function of the firearm. What I mean by "good bolt group" is that it is machined good. You can tell what tooling marks are if there are "cuts" or "lines" gouged in the metal. The less marks it has, the better. You can clean up a lot of slop and smooth out the action with sandpaper. Lightly sanding with 200, then 240, 300, 400 etc. will greatly help in getting the desired smoothness.

    6. Buy new. Buy American. This will eliminate a vast number of issues, maybe not all, but its a great start.

    7. Milled recievers are heavy but if machined properly are much stronger. The AK was designed to flex. There is NOTHING wrong with a stamped receiver if everything is drilled and installed correctly. The thicker 1.5mil AK may seem like a good option, but we are not slogging it out day by day and the 1mil's are going to be just as good and a little lighter.

    8. Rivets! Rivets! Rivets! DON'T use bolts. Rivets (especially leaded rivets like the AK's are supposed to use) are what to look for. AK's are designed to flex and the correct riveting allows for this. Bolts may have a high shear strength, but they are brittle and WILL fail. If your lucky, the rear rivets will go first. If the front rivets break, you will basically be firing out of battery and the round will not be seated properly in the chamber. At this point, I hope you have good medial insurance. With rivets, look to see that there is no gap at the bottom of the rivet to the receiver. The rivet should look flush with the receiver as it is actually, slightly embedded into the a dimple.

    9. Nothing wrong with underfolders or side folders, but they will become uncomfortable to shoot as your day of shooting progresses. Just a point to note. Yes they offer more flexibility in movement, but can start to hurt or even cut into your cheek as there is no good cheek rest on a wire frame. Food for thought.

    10. Chrome lined barrels don't off any advantages and slightly detract from accuracy. Chrome lined barrels do aid in cleaning as they were designed with corrosive ammo in mind. If you use corrosive ammo, just clean your firearm. No need to upgrade or down grade barrels because of chrome or no chrome. If you think it is hard to clean an AK, just use a NONchloronated brake cleaner from the local auto parts store. Blast out any crud in the barrel and gas return and voila, that's it. I always do more than just that step when cleaning mine just to ensure cleanliness and function.

    11. Threaded muzzles are a plus as they allow for aftermarket muzzle brakes. I wouldn't thread a suppressor on one fearing a baffle strike. AK threading isn't exactly always accurate and the extended length of a suppressor will complicate the threading, but for muzzle accessories, its doable.

    12. Front sight post. Make sure that it is true vertical. Some are welded at an angle and this... is not good. I.E. You will miss... a lot.

    13. Make sure that you don't go OVER on budget. AK's can be had for $400-800 used and $600-$1500 new. I own an M70 N-PAP I got new and I love it. I've been smoothing out the hammer and the guide rails but it is a great $700 AK. My upgrades include a Hogue Grip, a Tapco AK-74 type muzzle brake (which beats the heck out of the slant brake) and just some minor sanding on the mentioned parts. I use Tapco mags and the newer polymer Bulgarian AK mags with basic WOLF military classic ammo. I am planning to try different brands later but these work %100 for me.

    I would love to try an AK with a red dot or other optic, but to shoot out to 300 yards and hit a chest sized target is enough for me. Mostly hitting ballon sized objects at 100-200yards is a great AK in my book.

    Hope this helps!

    This is just an example. For $450, this is a good AK to compare others with. S.F. ARMORY INC. | Century Arms N-PAP AK-47 Semi-Automatic 7.62mmX39mm 16.25" 30+1 Wood Stock
     
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