AK-47 Discussion Thread

[Kirk Freeman]

So you are saying you would not buy this rifle if it got imported?
I love both the 7.62x39mm and 6.5 Grendel.
This rifle could effectively take care of both in about 15 seconds.
If they are as tough, and reliable as the AK and as accurate as the AR

Likely not as I have those squares covered, BUT I don't think the market will react positively to it.

1. It will be expensive.
2. It is 10% compatible with AK-47s.
3. ZA is a European gunmaker, NOT an American Burger King gunmaker where you can have it your way with Ruger, Kel Tec or the Smith and Wesson rotating wheel of gun of the day. ZA simply won't put up with the "I'd buy it if . . ." nonsense, especially not on a brand new platform.

Should add, because INGO, I welcome the day the Form 6 is approved and it is imported. Let 10,000 flowers bloom.

 

[knutty]

Likely not as I have those squares covered, BUT I don't think the market will react positively to it.

1. It will be expensive.
2. It is 10% compatible with AK-47s.
3. ZA is a European gunmaker, NOT an American Burger King gunmaker where you can have it your way with Ruger, Kel Tec or the Smith and Wesson rotating wheel of gun of the day. ZA simply won't put up with the "I'd buy it if . . ." nonsense, especially not on a brand new platform.

That AR style charging handle is a huge mistake. Why on earth would they do that instead of a side charger like the SCAR or Bren? Ruins the whole thing for me.

 

[DadSmith]

That AR style charging handle is a huge mistake. Why on earth would they do that instead of a side charger like the SCAR or Bren? Ruins the whole thing for me.

You have to remember it was designed for their military and they probably ask for that.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

That AR style charging handle is a huge mistake. Why on earth would they do that instead of a side charger like the SCAR or Bren? Ruins the whole thing for me.

Mud resistance I would speculate.

(I don't know, just speculating. Have to read the engineering notes . . . which are in Serbian so . . . able to read Russian and some Old Church Slavonic . . . so maybe).

Side chargers usually become bolt action rifles.



More side charging awesomeness. Side chargers never FAL on the Internet (get it, I am so smooth). IRL, not so much.



Maybe if you redesigned it to seal it like a SCAR? Dust cover too? Don't know, but I would imagine Serbian Big Army had specs on mud. Best way to do that is to copy the best weapon in the mud, the AR-15. We have engineers, what do you think, guys?

 

[knutty]

Yet the ejection port is wide open. Having to run the AR charging handle for every reload would be a major PITA. The whole thing looks like some 20 year old prototype to me. Compared to newer designs out there, this thing is a joke.

 

[NyleRN]

That AR style charging handle is a huge mistake.

Which part? Location or functionality? Location of the AR CH lends itself much better to ambidextrous use. And it's non reciprocating. No need to worry about bracing against something and the handle catching and causing a malfunction

 

[Angrysauce]

I just want a 2015 Zlobin Prototype AK12 done well.

 

[knutty]

Which part? Location or functionality? Location of the AR CH lends itself much better to ambidextrous use. And it's non reciprocating. No need to worry about bracing against something and the handle catching and causing a malfunction

Both

The AR charging handle is designed to initially charge the weapon. After that, it is not needed to shoot or reload the weapon. From an ergonomic standpoint, the location is terrible for a weapon that needs to be manually charged for reloads due to lack of a bolt hold open device and release button/lever. There is also the question of durability as AR charging handles have always had issues with breakage.

 

[Squid556]

Anybody with hands on experiences with Riley Defense AKs? Curious if they are a better option for the budget AK over the century VSKA. Kinda want to stop stocking those on the shelves

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Yet the ejection port is wide open. Having to run the AR charging handle for every reload would be a major PITA. The whole thing looks like some 20 year old prototype to me. Compared to newer designs out there, this thing is a joke.

Depends on tolerances, just like you can mud an AR-15 without the dust cover because of the close tolerances as it is self-sealing.

There is only one solution, knutty, they give us a bunch of them to for T&E.

 

[NyleRN]

Anybody with hands on experiences with Riley Defense AKs? Curious if they are a better option for the budget AK over the century VSKA. Kinda want to stop stocking those on the shelves

I've read mixed stuff on the Riley AKs. For a budget AK I think PSA is the sore penis here, hard to beat. Seemed sketchy at first but they've really ironed things out I believe. If you don't want American but still want quality then the Yugo Zastava at $1000 is the ticket

 

[Angrysauce]

I've read mixed stuff on the Riley AKs. For a budget AK I think PSA is the sore penis here, hard to beat. Seemed sketchy at first but they've really ironed things out I believe. If you don't want American but still want quality then the Yugo Zastava at $1000 is the ticket

PSA is the lowest I'd go. WASRs are a mainstay, albeit not as pretty. Zastava M70s are right at the 4 figure boundary. The sweet spot imo is the WBPs, pretty imported AKMs from a long standing military arsenal.

 

[Squid556]

I've read mixed stuff on the Riley AKs. For a budget AK I think PSA is the sore penis here, hard to beat. Seemed sketchy at first but they've really ironed things out I believe. If you don't want American but still want quality then the Yugo Zastava at $1000 is the ticket

Agreed with both these posts, however, can’t get PSA rifles wholesale. We can only stock either Riley’s or Century for the foreseeable future. Haven’t had any century VSKAs come back yet but I just don’t like the quality of the ones that come in.

 

[Angrysauce]

Haven’t had any century VSKAs come back yet but I just don’t like the quality of the ones that come in.

Because those who buy VSKAs are low information closet collectors. They don't come back because they don't get used. If you can't swing the extra $300 for an import you aren't going to buy a case of ammo. It comes out of the closet to flex on other poors and get pictures of it taken for boomer cringe posts.

 

[NyleRN]

Agreed with both these posts, however, can’t get PSA rifles wholesale. We can only stock either Riley’s or Century for the foreseeable future. Haven’t had any century VSKAs come back yet but I just don’t like the quality of the ones that come in.

I seen a post by Atlantic Firearms over on ARF just a week or so ago that Century is getting ready to raise MSRP again on the WASR. I think it'll be about the same price as the Zastava then. Not sure how that'll fair for them. "Budget" AKs are just about a thing of the past. I'd love to have one of those PSA built Tula Russian build kit guns or the Romanian RPK kit built gun. But I'm not paying $2200 or $1500. I'm sure 15 years from now I'll look back and wish I would've

 

[IUKalash429]

Anybody with hands on experiences with Riley Defense AKs? Curious if they are a better option for the budget AK over the century VSKA. Kinda want to stop stocking those on the shelves

No personal hands-on experience, but I moved here from NC where Riley is based, and their general reputation among AK guys out there was "meh." I looked at a lot of the early ones and didn't like what I saw.

Riley seems to be trying hard to get better, and they had some employees with accounts on the AK Files who were pretty transparent and held their own against the savage onslaught that is that forum.

If I had to pick between any domestic AK from Century vs. a current Riley AK, I'd pick the latter. Though if that was somehow my only godforsaken choice left, I'd probably choose death.

 

[kBk wz. 1970]

Started this thread so the show and tell thread wouldn’t be so “cluttered” with discussion.

Lol, still discussion going on “there”. I never really minded it. Hard being an AK guy in an AR State!

 

[kBk wz. 1970]

300 Blackout obsolete now?

Since it came out- the money spent on ammo to fire in Eugene’s design, would be saved just buying Mikhail’s design…

 

[kBk wz. 1970]

PSA is the lowest I'd go. WASRs are a mainstay, albeit not as pretty. Zastava M70s are right at the 4 figure boundary. The sweet spot imo is the WBPs, pretty imported AKMs from a long standing military arsenal.

Yes and No. WBP is NOT a ‘long standing “military” arsenal’.

 

[NyleRN]

Last email I got from Centerfire was yesterday at 11:30am. Stated they would see if there was another gas tube and handguard they'd trade me out. Crickets since then. Oh well, I went ahead and fixed the split handguard they sent me. I happen to have some industrial strength wood glue that Kimball International used for their tables. Came out nice. You can still see that it's cracked but have to hold it close at a certain angle to see it.