Help! AK or AR

[Callison76]

I know this is really petty of me, but I'll say it anyway. I hate the saftey on AK's. Love they way they shoot, thier pretty much bullet proof but I hate having to change positions of my grip just to move a saftey lever 3 inches. By know means does it make it less of a firearm than the AR, just a pet peeve of mine. And I know there are some aftermarket work arounds just have never messed with them.

 

[aestus]

I have both and while the AK is novel, I love shooting the AR more. I have both a DI and piston AR and both are just a pleasure to shoot. If you plan on just shooting static at a firing range or something to casually shoot with while walking around the farm, then either is fine. AR's are incredibly reliable these days, especially now with correct buffer weights, full auto M16 style BCG's, anti-tilt followers in mags and mid-length gas systems for 16" barrels.

AK's that are well made are very accurate out to typical AR distances. The problems is that most people aren't accustomed to the 7.62x39 round with it's steep bullet drop and standard AK iron sights really suck. AK74's on the other hand are almost on par with AR's just due to the 5.45x39 round, which is similar to .223/5.56.

Pick one and save up for the other while you enjoy the rifle you just bought. Most people end up getting both an AK and AR anyways.

 

[MrShooter]

I know this is really petty of me, but I'll say it anyway. I hate the saftey on AK's. Love they way they shoot, thier pretty much bullet proof but I hate having to change positions of my grip just to move a saftey lever 3 inches. By know means does it make it less of a firearm than the AR, just a pet peeve of mine. And I know there are some aftermarket work arounds just have never messed with them.

krebbs makes a really cool extended safety lever you can flick up and down with index finger w/o breaking grip.

 

[chr_edw]

I don't have an AK yet, but would be nice to have. What do you want to look for when buying one? And generally which ones do you avoid?

 

[been]

I don't have an AK yet, but would be nice to have. What do you want to look for when buying one? And generally which ones do you avoid?

If you want to get an expensive one then look for a Pre-ban, Arsenal, or even a VEPR. People say to look out for the WASR's because they are crap, let me tell you myself that they are NOT BAD RIFLES. Avoid buying a WASR online though because there are a few bad ones out there. It is best to see it in person so you can look for mag wobble, canted sights, or any other problems. Personally, Iv always wanted a Yugo M76 because they look cool and are 8mm (though i would not necessarily call them an AK)

 

[farmerbyron]

I don't have an AK yet, but would be nice to have. What do you want to look for when buying one? And generally which ones do you avoid?

Look no more!

http://www.okshooters.com/showthread.php?143175-Yugoslavian-AK47-Underfolder-M70AB2T-2-30-rnd-mags-with-cleaning-rod-600.00-OTD

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I like the Sig 556-R.

 

[been]

I like the Sig 556-R.

I havnt shot one before. Do the magazines feed reliably? They look interesting.

 

[aestus]

I don't have an AK yet, but would be nice to have. What do you want to look for when buying one? And generally which ones do you avoid?

Main issues you'll find with AK's are:

• Canted Front sight. Be sure to check this because it is uncorrectable for the most part. They drill the pins in after fitting the sight, so if it's canted, even your pinholes are wrong.
• Loose magwell tolerances. WASR's are biggest culprits of too much mag wobble due to the nature of how they're built and converted from 10 round mags to 30 round mags. Some Yugos can have forward and backward slop.
• On some Bulgarian AK74 rifles, you'll experience issue with key-holing, especially with the tantals. This is due to some companies assembling barrels that are out of spec for the 5.45x39 round.

You should check to see that all rivets are flat and flush with the receiver. You'll find some builds where the rivets are on crooked and are not sitting flush with the receiver. Other times, you'll find that the rivets were set too hard and deep causing a slight divot in the receiver.

Most Yugo M70 type AK's have thicker 1.6mm steel receivers with thicker barrels and bigger trunnions. They're basically AK's built like an RPK. Be warned that these AK's are not compatible with normal AK accessories and you will have to buy accessories specific for Yugo builds. Also Yugo's are heavier and the barrels are not chrome lined. Even though ammo is marked non-corrosive, it's not always accurate or guaranteed and pretty much requires a thorough cleaning of the barrel and gas block after each shooting. If you don't, your bore will look like a corroded sewer pipe in just a couple of weeks.

If you want one that's top tier and good out of the box, buy an Arsenal. It's basically our "Colt" of the AK world if you want to compare it to AR's. Sure there's better builds that also cost more and there's builds that are "as good" for less money. Never buy a century without being able to visually inspect the rifle first. Norinco Mak 90's are excellent buys.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I havnt shot one before. Do the magazines feed reliably? They look interesting.

I haven't shot it yet. I ordered a set of BUIS sights for it and I'm waiting for them to come in.