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Does anyone here know any good online sites for buying an AK or similar variant? I am looking for something under 400 and it can be a kit. I have been looking but to no avail.

http://www.impactguns.com/store/RI1188-N.html

This site has a bunch of other AK variants, most around your price limit.

ShowNoMercy wrote:Does anyone here know any good online sites for buying an AK or similar variant? I am looking for something under 400 and it can be a kit. I have been looking but to no avail.

Do you want to start with a pre-built receiver and then build onto that, or do you have the means to fold your own receiver?

AK47 and variant receivers start as a "flat", a piece of metal with the holes and grooves cut in the right places, which then has to be bent on a machine press into the right shape.

Check it out: [youtube][/youtube]"Flats" for receivers have no serial number, are NOT registered as firearms, and can be shipped to anyone.

Once the receiver is assembled, by law it is then a firearm - it must be given a serial number (consisting of at least 8 characters including at least one letter and one number) and can only be sold to those over 18, via FFL (must transfer through a gun shop).

So for legal reasons folding your own receiver is the easier way to go, but folding one requires a press and other machine tools, several hours, and a lot of know-how.

Once you have a receiver, the rest is pretty easy.
If you buy a receiver, to be legal in the US, you need at least 6 USA-made parts in your imported AK/SKS gun. You can get US made "trigger groups" (trigger, sear, spring, firing pin), stocks, flash suppressors, magazines, optics, etc... but you need a total of 6 US made parts.

The AK47 has very loose manufacturing tolerances. This means inherent reliability because it will run even with dirt and sand and crap in the mechanism, but at the cost of accuracy - the loose fit means groups no tighter than about 3.5" @ 100 yards. Good enough for self defense (incase of zombies?), not so great for hunting or competition. Having said that, I think it's one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) assault weapons ever designed.

The AK47 was designed around the 7.62x39mm cartridge, which is a formidable cartridge but is getting increasingly hard to find.
Many AK variants (sometimes called AK74s) can be purchased in 5.56mm (which will also shoot .223 Remington ammo). These don't have as much knockdown power as the 7.62mm version, but the ammo is easy to find.
There are also "wildcat" AK's in every cartridge from .22LR to .308Win, even 12 Gauge. But I'd stick with either 7.62 or 5.56. If you can afford the ammo, get the 7.62.

Great call on the AK - if I could only have one rifle for the rest of my life, it would be an AK.

If you decide to build one, take your time, read up, and do it right the first time.

If you want to buy one... Well, here's a nice Romanian preban in 7.62 for $450: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=92639255 You may find one for less at a pawn shop or gun show.

Here's a parts kit with everything but the receiver for $170: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=92068286
A pre-built receiver will run you about $60: http://www.ak-47.us/AK-47Receivers.php

For a price comparison:

1000 rds of 5.56/.223 FMJ: $269
1000 rds of 7.62mm $189
from ammoman.com

Peace,
Pete Zaria.

Edit: Just thought I'd post it... Some people have started building what are called "AK Pistols". Since they're built using a shortened barrel, gas block, and pistol grip, they're legally registered as pistols. I'd love to have one.

Ak-47's are crappy "Slavshit" guns that are bad quality and performance.

benstern wrote:Ak-47's are crappy "Slavshit" guns that are bad quality and performance.

What do you have to backup this claim?

More AK47s have been built than any other battle rifle in history.

It's one of the most reliable weapons of all time - they'll run caked up with dirt and sand, they'll fire after being run over with a truck or dropped from a height...
The performance is MORE than adequate for self defense. 3.5" groups at 100 yards are too big for "sniping" but will do the job just fine in most situations.

It was named the #1 battle rifle of all time by the History channel, Guns & Ammo magazine, etc... Check this out:

It's so successful they put it on the flag of a country (Mozambique).

It's reliability record is significantly better than the US M16/AR series, which experience a lot of problems unless frequently cleaned in sandy environments.

Here's a guy that keeps shooting an AK until the stocks catch on fire. No other rifle could do this.

If I could only have one rifle for the rest of my life, it would be a Russian AK-47 in 7.62mm. I know a lot about guns. Why would I say this if it wasn't an excellent weapon?

Ben, your claim is completely unfounded - have you ever even fired an AK47?

Peace,
Pete Zaria.

I feel that the discussion " what is better an AK or m16?" is going to start here soon

@ benstern the ak47 is an icon... and you can't do nothing about it.. it killed more american people than you are going to meet (or even see) in your entire life... besides if AKs have such poor performance as you say it simply means that those who were killed with it were even 'worse' than the quality of these guns...

Ak-47's are crappy "Slavshit" guns that are bad quality and performance.

You obviously have never spent ANY time around Eastern Block fire arms.I'll give you that out of all Russian designs the AK is the cheapest. But by no means is it bad quality.If it were crap why would it have been the choice of every non NATO country for the past 50 yrs?Unknown to most Westerners the Commie guns were of better quality than our own.So shut up or show up!

Pete, I'm with you. I've got a Romanian kit that I have to bend the receiver for, whenever I get the time to do that Although given an AK or my Yugo SKS, I'll take the SKS.That is a beautiful example of military craftsmanship.I would put it in the same category as my German Mauser.

@ Goathunter, how do you like your SKS, I am stuck between an AK or an SKS.

@ Goathunter, how do you like your SKS, I am stuck between an AK or an SKS.

I like it alot.Can't say I have any complaints. Good solid build, darn accurate, and cheap.Just make sure if you get a Yugo 59/66 model you yank the grenade launcher attachment off. That thing screws up your accuracy bad.Makes the gun fire real high and to the right.I've contemplated getting another to mount in a Tapco stock.The one I have now is mint condition and I don't want to take a chance on messing it up.

Do you still use stripper clips or did you change to regular mags?

Actually I load manually. No need for quick reloading when recreational shooting.

Well perhaps I shall go out and purchase one. If the stupid government ever gets back to me about my ID.

www.gunbroker.com

I advise a Saiga, in .223.

I am stuck between an AK or an SKS.

Go with the SKS!!! Preferably a Russian they have the best fit and finish. Stick with the fixed magazine and stripper clips, they are more reliable. In my opinion SKS’s tend to outshoot Ak’s in their respective price range.

http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php

benstern wrote:Ak-47's are crappy "Slavshit" guns that are bad quality and performance.

That's not what your military seems to think

Go To The Ak Forum
They realy helped me out when i built my first
i will post pics , Cost less than $300 to do complete build