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Old December 5, 2012, 12:33 AM   #1
'88Scrat
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Brand New AK Owner with Questions

At a recent gun show I picked up a WASR 10/63 AK, and got it for a good price to.

I didn't go looking for an AK, I was looking for a Mini-14, but it seems like every show I go to the price of AKs seems to go up about $25 or a little more. I got tired of the price always going up so I picked one up before it goes up any further.

I have read a few things online saying the WASR 10/63s are junk (front sight cantered, mags not fitting, and cheap wood were the most common complaints) but except for wood that seem kinda like laminate everything seems to be in order. I took it home and gave it a thorough cleaning and checked to make sure nothing was obviously out of whack and it seems ok.

I know I'm gonna regret asking this but I already want to look into modifying it some, a new stock (either synthetic or nice walnut) is first on the list.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

Sorry for the bad photos, they were taken with a phone.



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Old December 5, 2012, 12:41 AM   #2
tahunua001
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a test fire will determine if it will take the steel mags or not but other than that I would say you did pretty good with it. I got all different parts when I went with synthetic furniture from an assortment of companies, I will tell you to stay away from tapco. I did buy my brother a complete set of ATI furniture for his WASR and he loves his.

mine was junk IMO and both his and mine were incapable of taking the surplus steel mags but his is more accurate than mine was and though I sold mine and washed my hands of the matter he refuses to part with his. different strokes with different folks. may your WASR keep your family safe and a smile on your face.
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Old December 5, 2012, 01:44 PM   #3
lee n. field
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I know I'm gonna regret asking this but I already want to look into modifying it some, a new stock (either synthetic or nice walnut) is first on the list.

Any other ideas or suggestions?
Looks like your basic WASR. I don't know if I'd, myself, spend huge amounts on a "nice walnut" stock.

Clean it & shoot it.
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Old December 5, 2012, 02:47 PM   #4
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For about 45 bucks you can invest in a Tapco adjustable stock. Some people think it's sacrilege to put one of these on an AK, but I love mine and it made a world of difference in how easy and comfortable the rifle is to shoot. Highly recommended, especially if you have a longer than average length of pull.

The Hogue grip is also very nice as the standard AK grip is rather small. Small investments that result in a much easier to shoot rifle.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/9-54474

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/2-HO74000

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Old December 5, 2012, 04:18 PM   #5
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I like the black stock look but I haven't decided on a brand yet.

tahunua001, when you say yours would not accept the surplus mags where did you get them? I have not fired mine yet but the mags it came with (2 of them) seem to seat fine with no wobble or binding issues.

What about a good flash suppressor? Ideas?
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Old December 5, 2012, 06:18 PM   #6
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I bought my WASR 10/63 five years ago for about $300. As you said they've crept up in price every year but still a good deal for $550 or so. I think you were wise to get one.

I've done very little to mine over the years, it still looks like yours. It still works great and I bet yours will too over the years. Mine works with surplus mags just fine.
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Old December 5, 2012, 06:18 PM   #7
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Looks like all it needs, is a few coats of linseed oil, and a Russian web sling.

Before you go crazy with the "upgrades", Id load'er up, shoot the snot out of it, and get to know her. I think the only thing youre going to regret about it, is that you bought it, and now have a strong craving for another, and another, and another, and ..........
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Old December 5, 2012, 06:22 PM   #8
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What about a good flash suppressor? Ideas?
I did make this mod to mine, the Tapco flash hider and it works all right plus makes more sense than the slant brake in a semiauto. I got the one that looks like the RPK FH but they also have one that looks like the AR birdcage which I suspect would break up flash better. I liked the Russian look though.
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Old December 5, 2012, 10:39 PM   #9
tahunua001
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Quote:
I like the black stock look but I haven't decided on a brand yet.

tahunua001, when you say yours would not accept the surplus mags where did you get them? I have not fired mine yet but the mags it came with (2 of them) seem to seat fine with no wobble or binding issues.

What about a good flash suppressor? Ideas?
my wasr came with a steel 30 rounder and his came with a 10 rounder steel mag(not standard with century AKs). neither functioned in either rifle. both could take promags and tapco mags just fine but those steelies just wouldn't. for some reason they just don't feed properly.
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Old December 5, 2012, 11:41 PM   #10
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When I bought mine a couple years ago, it came with 2 steel 30 round mags. One of them worked fine, but the other had follower problems. I just took the offending mag back where I bought the gun and they swapped it for another. That one worked fine, as do all tapco and the usual steel mags from various sources.
I have had no complaints at all with mine. Admittedly, the wood furniture is a little crude, but then it's not a collectors item either.
I plan to still have my AK post-apacolypse.
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Old December 6, 2012, 08:44 PM   #11
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Long as it shoots ok and the sights aren't canted you have a decent rifle,wasr's arent a bad rifle. I personally like wood on my AK's so i would re finish the stock you have rather than put plastic on it,also the Hogue grips are nice,i have a few AK's with them and love it. Over the years i have owned several Wasr's and some were built by monkeys and others were great,they might not be the elite of AK's but if a monkey didn't build it it's gonna do the job it was built for. If you have any questions about AK's feel free to pm me,i have been building AK's for awhile as a hobby and am happy to help if i can. Also if a steel mag is tight or won't fit you can open up the mag well with a dremel to make it fit,i have done that on many over the years.
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Old December 7, 2012, 08:06 PM   #12
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Get some sandpaper, steel wool, and a can of rub on oil finish.

There is NOTHING wrong with that laminate stock that a nice
finish can't fix.


Last edited by AKsRul.e; December 7, 2012 at 08:12 PM. Reason: added pic
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Old December 7, 2012, 11:04 PM   #13
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I like the idea of refinishing the stock. But I ran into a problem, the gas block release switch (I don't that is what its called) is stuck tight. It won't budge. Any ideas on how to remove it?
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Old December 7, 2012, 11:07 PM   #14
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Those levers tend to be stiff on most of them. I just use my Leatherman on the lever with all my AK's.
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Old December 8, 2012, 12:49 AM   #15
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AKs are supposed to come with a special toolkit in the buttstock that is very helpful with the complete disassembly of the rifle however many AKs nowadays have american made furniture to help satisfy the 922R requirement of 6 american made pieces.

my brother was fortunate enough to get an AK with the original buttstock with the toolset still intact. it's a nifty little thing to have. the only substitute I can recommend is a leatherman/gerber multitool.
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Old December 8, 2012, 08:02 AM   #16
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There is a slot on that took kits main body thats used for the upper hand guard/gas tube lever.

Those kits really are a wonderment of design and thinking. All my AK's that came with a "standard" stock came with one, including my WASR and SAR. If you havent looked in the butt trap yet, you may want to. There could well be one in there. Those trap doors are a pretty slick design too.
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Old December 8, 2012, 08:17 AM   #17
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Quote:
There is NOTHING wrong with that laminate stock that a nice
finish can't fix.
... other than the fact that it's way too short.
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Old December 8, 2012, 08:43 AM   #18
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I just stained the forearm on my Draco. It uses steel mags with no problems, my 75 round drum works too.
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Old December 8, 2012, 08:56 AM   #19
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... other than the fact that it's way too short.
Actually, it has the same LOP as 99% of all other combat stocked guns, right around 13", and isnt "short".

I think the problem here is, people who complain, dont know how to properly shoulder the rifle. I see so many people trying to get a cheek weld on the rear, higher comb portion of the AK's stock, which is wrong, and would give the impression that the stock is short.

The proper way to shoulder the rifle, is like any other rifle with a correct LOP for a "working", iron sighted rifle, and thats with your head down and forward, your nose at or along the top cover, and your cheek resting on the narrow portion of the stock at the trunnion/top cover. It basically the same as an M16 series rifle with your nose to the charging handle.

The M16/M16A1's have the exact LOP as the AK too, the A2's are actually "long", by 5/8", and instantly noticeable as long when you try to shoulder them, when youre used to the correct lengths.
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Old December 8, 2012, 06:29 PM   #20
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I see so many people trying to get a cheek weld on the rear, higher comb portion of the AK's stock, which is wrong, and would give the impression that the stock is short.
Sorry, I should have said that it's way too short for me.

It really has nothing to do with cheek weld, it's the distance from the trigger to the end of the stock. Granted, I am relatively tall and my LoP is longer than most, and the length of the adjustable stock I feel most comfortable with is about 3 inches more than the standard AK stock (shown below on top of my usual bench shooting length). If I was carrying the rifle around all day I might go a click or two shorter, but I find shooting the standard length AK almost painful, whereas I can shoot mine all day long with the longer stock.

Quote:
Actually, it has the same LOP as 99% of all other combat stocked guns, right around 13", and isnt "short".
If that's the case, I wonder why an adjustable stock is such a popular upgrade for ARs?

My rifle's LoP was 12.5" by with the red stock shown below. Putting on the adjustable stock made all the difference in the world for me.




Last edited by spacecoast; December 8, 2012 at 06:50 PM.
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Old December 8, 2012, 06:32 PM   #21
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Old December 8, 2012, 07:19 PM   #22
AK103K
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It really has nothing to do with cheek weld, it's the distance from the trigger to the end of the stock.
Distance from the trigger to end of the stock is LOP. 13" is the average for most combat stocked rifles, and if you measure your M1, M14's, M16's/A1's, AK's, G3's, FAL's, etc, youll find they all fall right in that same LOP. Cheek weld with any of them is basically the same, head down and forward with iron sights, ever so slightly above that for a cowitnessed red dot.

Quote:
If that's the case, I wonder why an adjustable stock is such a popular upgrade for ARs?
Its so the stock can be made "shorter", not longer. When you have armor and gear on, the standard fixed stocks are to long.
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Old December 8, 2012, 07:37 PM   #23
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Its so the stock can be made "shorter", not longer
Sorry - but I am finding evidence to the contrary -

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231...r-15-synthetic

Quote:
When compared to the standard A2 stock, the MagPul PRS length of pull adjustment goes from .25" shorter than the A2 to .75" longer than the A2."

LOP Min/Max: 13.3 to 14.3" - implying that the standard A2 LOP is 13.55"
Quote:
When you have armor and gear on, the standard fixed stocks are to long
This might be plausible if you have a naturally shorter LOP. However, most of us are not shooting with armor.
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Old December 8, 2012, 07:58 PM   #24
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Sorry - but I am finding evidence to the contrary -

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231...r-15-synthetic
Thats not your "normal" AR collapsing stock. These are more in line with whats normally used....

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231...bine-synthetic

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/229...ynthetic-black

I just checked the basic sliders (like the second stock in the above links) on my Armalite and Bushmaster, and they measure 10" collapsed, and 13.5" extended. I also checked the LOP on my one Armalite that has an A2 stock on it, and it measures 13.75".

Quote:
This might be plausible if you have a naturally shorter LOP. However, most of us are not shooting with armor.
Do you hunt or shoot realistically, be it "games" or for other reasons? If so, you know why the shorter LOP is desirable.

I dont have a short LOP, but I do prefer long guns with stocks that have a more military or traditional (pre 60's) LOP, as thats what I learned to shoot with. I dont normally shoot off a bench, and shoot more realistically from field and improvised positions. Rifles with extended LOP's tend to make doing so more difficult, as youre fighting the gun trying to get it in your shoulder. Add a layer or two of clothing and/or gear, and it just gets worse.
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Old December 9, 2012, 12:05 AM   #25
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if you don't do anything else to it get a Houge Grip for it....

I switched my wood out for black polymer furniture with an Ultimak gas tube that sports a Bushnell TRS-25 red dot which also co witnesses with the regular sights. I got lucky because my front sight wasn't canted.
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