Tell me about your AK! - Page 2

5whiskey · July 17, 2014, 12:17 AM

Love that RPK clone Highpower. That may be the one AK variant rifle I would actually spring for if I had money laying around these days.

I'll tell you about my AK. It was a Saiga 223. I had heard good things about Saiga. I tried reloads. I tried good ammo. I tried alot of stuff. I wasn't impressed. 3-5" groups at 100 yards just don't do it for me. I did notice that my Saiga held better groups with cheap russian steel cased ammo than it would with any brass cased ammo. I sold it... I know they aren't supposed to be 1 moa guns but mine couldn't hold 3 moa consistently. Even with the brown bear (the ammo it liked best) I would get the occasional 4 moa or better group. I've owned a few ARs and never had one that would shoot outside of 2.5 moa with the crappiest ammo on earth. And they aren't much more expensive than an AK these days. And they are every bit the fun bullet hose that an AK is. And they aren't needy, clingy, nor are dependent upon the "once every magazine" cleaning regimens that some claim. Seen them go several thousand rounds between cleanings without a failure. They also use all standard magazines with no difference between a saiga, a galil, a standard AK, etc, are more friendly to amateur gunsmithing, and finally you can have 1 lower with 3 uppers and technically have 3 rifles built for different purposes for the price of two. I tried the AK kick, with supposedly one of the better quality AKs, and I just couldn't get into it.

kawasakifreak77 · July 18, 2014, 02:15 AM

Welp I got the WASR. Only thing I've done is put on a trijicon front sight post & sighted it in at 200 meters today. I found a stash locally of the Norinco steel core ammo for it! Shoots okay, 100% reliable with tapco mags & groups are hovering around 3 moa. I'm okay with that, I know I didn't buy a match rifle. At the end of the day this thing is fun as a barrel full of monkeys!

I'd like it to have a peep sight for sure. I'd wager that would slim the groups down a bit. For just a giggle stick / bullet hose it seems like it will serve me admirably.

But... I ran across an article on tbe 5.45mm & by the looks of it, it actually does what tbe 5.56 is supposed to do! Might have to get me a 74 next!

tahunua001 · July 18, 2014, 03:36 AM

Quote:

But... I ran across an article on tbe 5.45mm & by the looks of it, it actually does what tbe 5.56 is supposed to do! Might have to get me a 74 next!

first of all congrats on your wasr, be careful with that norinco stuff, not all of it is noncorrosive(regardless of what the packaging says).

secondly, what is the 5.56mm supposed to do that it doesn't and what does the 5.45 do that the 5.56 doesn't? both were designed to kill bad guys, both will, if the soldier behind the gun does what he's supposed to. one thing worth mentioning, 5.45 surplus is illegal for import meaning you're stuck with expensive commercial ammo, also, if what I've heard is true, a large chunk of the rifles available in 5.45x39 were just banned from import leaving your options even more limited...

Bart Noir · July 25, 2014, 08:32 AM

Only Russian weapons were banned. And there are some fine AK models available from Polish and Bulgarian factories, in that 5.45mm caliber.

Yup, recently the surplus 5.45mm ammo was banned from import, so I'm sure there is a scramble for the last cases that made into the USA.

Bart Noir

tahunua001 · July 25, 2014, 12:45 PM

that's why I said, "a large chunk" meaning "a lot", or "a large portion", not "all".

and I would never call a polish AK "fine". Wasrs are higher quality than any polish I've ever held and fondled.

July 18, 2014, 02:15 AM	#27
kawasakifreak77 Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2007 Location: St. John, Ks. Posts: 267	Welp I got the WASR. Only thing I've done is put on a trijicon front sight post & sighted it in at 200 meters today. I found a stash locally of the Norinco steel core ammo for it! Shoots okay, 100% reliable with tapco mags & groups are hovering around 3 moa. I'm okay with that, I know I didn't buy a match rifle. At the end of the day this thing is fun as a barrel full of monkeys! I'd like it to have a peep sight for sure. I'd wager that would slim the groups down a bit. For just a giggle stick / bullet hose it seems like it will serve me admirably. But... I ran across an article on tbe 5.45mm & by the looks of it, it actually does what tbe 5.56 is supposed to do! Might have to get me a 74 next! __________________ Looking for oddball ammo. Tracers, AP, whatcha got?

July 25, 2014, 08:32 AM	#29
Bart Noir Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2000 Location: Puget Sound, USA Posts: 2,215	Only Russian weapons were banned. And there are some fine AK models available from Polish and Bulgarian factories, in that 5.45mm caliber. Yup, recently the surplus 5.45mm ammo was banned from import, so I'm sure there is a scramble for the last cases that made into the USA. Bart Noir __________________ Be of good cheer and mindful of your gun muzzle!

July 25, 2014, 12:45 PM	#30
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	that's why I said, "a large chunk" meaning "a lot", or "a large portion", not "all". and I would never call a polish AK "fine". Wasrs are higher quality than any polish I've ever held and fondled. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

July 17, 2014, 12:17 AM	#26
5whiskey Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2005 Location: US Posts: 3,652	Love that RPK clone Highpower. That may be the one AK variant rifle I would actually spring for if I had money laying around these days. I'll tell you about my AK. It was a Saiga 223. I had heard good things about Saiga. I tried reloads. I tried good ammo. I tried alot of stuff. I wasn't impressed. 3-5" groups at 100 yards just don't do it for me. I did notice that my Saiga held better groups with cheap russian steel cased ammo than it would with any brass cased ammo. I sold it... I know they aren't supposed to be 1 moa guns but mine couldn't hold 3 moa consistently. Even with the brown bear (the ammo it liked best) I would get the occasional 4 moa or better group. I've owned a few ARs and never had one that would shoot outside of 2.5 moa with the crappiest ammo on earth. And they aren't much more expensive than an AK these days. And they are every bit the fun bullet hose that an AK is. And they aren't needy, clingy, nor are dependent upon the "once every magazine" cleaning regimens that some claim. Seen them go several thousand rounds between cleanings without a failure. They also use all standard magazines with no difference between a saiga, a galil, a standard AK, etc, are more friendly to amateur gunsmithing, and finally you can have 1 lower with 3 uppers and technically have 3 rifles built for different purposes for the price of two. I tried the AK kick, with supposedly one of the better quality AKs, and I just couldn't get into it.