One sure way to start the LMI equivalent of a flamewar is to go the 7.62×39 vs. 223 vs. 308 route. And, really, I have no interest in getting into it with you. I will say, however, that today a high-end AK variant found a new home.
Why the AK? Well, the AR has better accuracy and ergonomics. The Ak’s only real claim to fame is that it is as reliable as a rock. Most folks that get into that whole AR’s-are-crap arguement start off with something about how seven million soldiers were killed in Vietnam the M16’s jammed and then when they tried to use them for bayoneting the guns bent in half or some other nonsense. Did stuff like that happen? Sure..M16’s jammed all the time. And Orville and Wilbur Wrights planes crashed more often than not. Whats your point? After 40 years I think the reliability issue is almost academic. But, like I said, I really dont wanna argue this with you..if you disdain the AR, then dont own one.
Anyway, these Bulgarian AK’s are hammer forged chrome lined barrels, milled receivers, nice furniture and come with the slide rail for optics. Theyre about twice the price of the Chinese AK’s but you really can see the quality.
For my(our) needs the Ak has a couple selling points:
* Ammo is dirt freakin’ cheap and comes in sealed spam cans. And its dirt cheap.
* Magazines are cheap, cheap, cheap. And reliable.
* If something happens to it, it isnt as great a loss as if an AR had taken a hit.
I’ll be taking the AK out this evening for a spin. I’ve about 6,000 rounds of ammo here in front of me so I think we’re doing okay in that department. Minute-of-badguy is the level of accuracy we’re looking to obtain and hopefully it should meet that requirement. (Thats one big nod to the AR….all things being equal [scope vs. scope, iron vs. iron] they tend to shoot better groups than the AK. (At this point someone will jump up and say how they once saw an out-of-the-box Norinco that would print 1″ groups….uh-huh, how many of them have you seen? Thats what I thought. )
Mind you, Im not disdaining the AK, Im merely saying that both rifles have strong points and both have weak points. What one rifle isnt, the other is.
So, now I’ll have to sock away some of those wonderful sealed spam cans of 7.62×39, which I should do anyway since everyone seems to have an SKS these days.
Minute-of-badguy is the level of accuracy we’re looking to obtain
That’s funny particularly since that’s about as good as my SKS can shoot at 100 yards (~8″ groups). The upside is that it shoots those groups from a bench, sitting, or standing. One of these days when I have a lathe and too much time on my hands, I’ll make a new barrel for it.
1. Curious, how much exactly did this thing cost?
2. Will you be testing it out to see what sort of grouping it’ll do with your spam can ammo? It’s pretty elementary to make any AR platform rifle knock out MOA groups with even semi-decent ammo. (I’ve done it with AR-15s and an AR-10.) I’m of the opinion that it’ll probably shoot better than you think, at least benched. I think the sights on the AK are possibly some of the stankiest on the planet, but I’m guessing you’ll still see in the neighborhood of 2 MOA from this thing, and possibly better, if it is put together as well as you suggest.
3. For comparison, one of my friends gets less than 2 MOA out of his SKS with good ammo. He’s got a good one though.
$630. And they threw in the spare mags. Tolja it was pricey. :/
My first semi-auto rifle was a Bulgarian SA-93. I sold it to buy my Bushmaster AR-15. I sold it to get my Springfield M1A. And I’m not selling it.
Bulgarians make a good AK though. I just wanted more power than either the 7.62×39 or 5.56 offer.
Hey, if it is worth the skrilla, I won’t argue with the price. Especially if it’s WELL MADE. Most AK and variants are stamped steel and POSes. (Albeit reliable POSes…)
tip!
cans of ammo should be inspected for rust before purchasing. as for burial, good to paint with two coats of rustoleum or equivalent. ammo is only “good” if stored well against air and moisture, otherwise you wind up with corroded garbage. hell, AK’s do work well, even better when well maintained, something some vietnam era types did not do for their m-16’s, hence the failure rates. Wildflower
After tonight’s shooting endeavor with it, I can heartily recommend it. However, I think John’s recommendation will count for more, since he’s shot the stamped POSes for comparison. 🙂