AK's

[coyotewhisperer]

The local gun store has quite a few brand new Norinco Romanian AK's with different stocks and lengths with a price tag of $450. I have an M4 already but want a second MBR for the wife but then decided to maybe giver her the M4 and go with an AK for me. Mainly because of price i can get an AK all the mags and ammo for the price of an M4 and the AK is better suited for a little more punch through what needs punching through.

Is the Norinco Romanian junk? what should i be looking at when picking one out?

[protus]

The local gun store has quite a few brand new Norinco Romanian AK's with different stocks and lengths with a price tag of $450. I have an M4 already but want a second MBR for the wife but then decided to maybe giver her the M4 and go with an AK for me. Mainly because of price i can get an AK all the mags and ammo for the price of an M4 and the AK is better suited for a little more punch through what needs punching through.

Is the Norinco Romanian junk? what should i be looking at when picking one out?

a norinco romanian???

[BigJohn]

I think Norinco is a Chinese company. Am I right?

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I think Norinco is a Chinese company. Am I right?

Yep, China North Industries Corporation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norinco

[monkeybird]

What is the most dependable and reliable AK on the market right now???

[Klayton]

From Wiki (so take with a grain of salt)

The standard AK-47 or AKM fires a 7.62x39mm round with a [B][I]muzzle velocity of 2,345 ft/s. Muzzle energy is 1,467 ft

[1Admin]

Norinco is Chinese. If you could find a new Norinco for $450. buy it or let me know and I'll buy it :) I'm a nut for Chinese AK's.

MB- in general, if you stay away from any of the Romanian/Century International AK builds, you won't have a problem with reliability with an AK. For decades people in mud huts have been BUILDING AK's with basic tools that worked out fine. Then Century Arms international in Vermont started importing Romanian kits and putting them together sometime after the turn of the century. Those folks have put out some absolute garbage. I mean all Bravo Sierra aside, in almost 20 years I had never seen an AK jam up. Then Century got into the game and all of the sudden a bunch of unreliable AK's hit the market.

Absolutely astonishing to me that Mr. Dirkadiraka MuhammedJihad in a mud hut in Pakistan with a sharp knife and a ROCK could build a reliable AK but those numbnutts at Century in the good ole U.S. of A with probably a lot of machinery screwed up the process.

That being said, their is some good Century/Romanian builds out there. But you REALLY have to know what your looking for.
$400. for an AK isn't bad, but if it's put together all wrong and you have problems with it, then largely the $400. was a waste.

Things to look for IF you look at a Century/Romanian

1. Bring a carpenter's square. Lay the rifle up right (sights up) on a table, have someone hold it. Use the square to check the alignment (roughly) of the front sight assembly to the barrel.

I've owned 3 of these rifles (currently own ZERO of this model) and 2 of the three had canted front sights and gas tubes.

Did not affect the functioning of the gun but one gun was so bad out of alignment I couldn't zero it. Had to use a 4x8 sheet of plywood with zero target put dead center to try to zero it. After cranking the windage all the way to one size, it was JUST starting to hit the edge of the target. Sold a few weekends later at a gunshow.

2. Check for "dimples" on the sides of the receiver near the magazine well. Some of the Century/Romanians don't have this.
This feature gives a little more support to the magazine when it's in the magazine well. Now most important AK functions have some sort of backup- the Chinese models have TWO hook triggers, the hammer spring on the AK is double wound and if by chance one wire would break the 2nd would still function at 90%, etc.

However without the dimples you WILL have a bunch more magazine rock. Also, I've seen a Romanian without dimples fail when shot prone and the magazine used as support rest. This was something that for years we were taught NOT to do. But it was at a class and the instructor specifically informed the student to do it. I stood there saying to myself "this is gonna be a problem." And it was.

Other problems I've seen with Romanians- a relative bought one and after shooting it a little bit, noticed tiny metal shavings in the back of the receiver. Evidently sometimes they (century) GRIND DOWN the top of the bolt carrier when they can't get a good fit for it in the receiver and gas tube!!!!

One very odd thing I've seen twice now with the Romanians- their is some problem with the ejector (a part of the receiver on an AK) and twice I've seen an empty shell casing end up BEHIND the bolt carrier. Don't ask me how but I understand it supposedly has something to do with the ejector. On one occasion at my range the fellow kept firing for a long while and the weapon still fired. On the other occasion at a public class the Romanian jammed from this- different guns.

If your used to an AR I would advise NOT buying a Romanian AK. They truly are the bottom of the barrel right now (sorry). You can find a good one sometimes but my average has been 2 out of 3 bad.

Not much more would get you a Vector (complete with sticker like Protus's ;) or even one of the SGL 21-61 Arsenals. They weren't much more than $500. around the end of last year.

CW- if it's for your wife I would definitely but something better quality. Why risk it?

[GAGLOCK]

What is the most dependable and reliable AK on the market right now???

The Arsenals have an excellent reputation. Not to say there aren't others.

[coyotewhisperer]

I was doing some research after the post last night and realized there is no norinco romanian LOL i must have looked at one that was a romanian and another that was norinco and got confused. I'm going back up there and will look for the things you said if its a norinco its good to go? It will be for me my wife will adopt the M4.

[coyotewhisperer]

he has a MAK90 for 300$ chrome lined barrel its in perfect condition but used. rifleing doesnt even appear its ever been fired. its a post ban can i change out the grips on it legally?

Let me know if this is a good deal he's holding it for me.

[GAGLOCK]

That's a VERY VERY GOOD price for a MAK90.

[Spock]

well I might be a bit biased here...... but skip the romanian guns. I had a SAR-2. canted sights, canted gas block, trigger group wore out in under 1k rounds. I eventually got it running well but compared to rifles costing $100 more its just not nearly as a good. I got lucky and got in on the big arsenal sale last year and paid about $560 total for my sgl-21-61 and I couldn't be happier. the rifle is accurate, more than the 5.45 sar-2, and I have had to fix NOTHING on it. I had to drift the front sight slightly to zero. We got 2 of them at the same time and the second rifle was dead on zero'ed out of the box.

http://www.k-var.com/shop/home.php?cat=353

heres a mak-90 gunbroker:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=186432959

look AKs aren't any diffrent than anything else. if you buy the bargin barrel units its not going to be as good as something costing a little more. why buy a cheapie and have problems and wind up sinking money into it when you could just spend the same cash and get something good to start with? by the time you pay sales tax and call in you'll be into that WASR for $500 when with shipping and transfer fees an Arsenal will run $760 or so.

[coyotewhisperer]

he had some more Mak90's he was going to dig out im heading up there to pick one out. Sorry for the confusion earlier in the post and thanks for the help.

[Lowdown3]

I would definitely go for it. It's probably got the stupid thumbhole stock but I'm pretty sure it's o.k. to change it out (not to be used as legal advice :)

The Chinese rifles will have chrome lined barrels, dual hook triggers, a couple advantages IME.

I saw a really shot out looking one at a gunshow in Macon recently for $450. The cheapest they ever got down to was about $150. wholesale. I think I paid around $300. for mine around 92-93??

[thereisnospoon]

The MAK 90 is a great rifle for that money. Changing out the funky grip is limited to other funky grips, but you can find comfort for 3 bills. IIRC, there is something about the MAK90 that sticks out in my head...something about single stack mags or some such...

If you really want a good AK buy a SAIGA...teh price iis right for a great gun and conversion is easy and relatively cheap. If money os NOT an ption, get an ARSENAL.

Spoon