Ak47, AK74, or a .233 AK-based rifle?

[Meloncat]

With the gun shop in Herndon opening up soon and 500 dollars burning my pocket, I'm interested in buying my first 'assault' rifle (or as it's known to the public, a Cop killing baby-murdering automatic machine gun saturday night special terrorist firearm weapon of mass destruction). I've always been a fan of more rugged firearms and coupled with the expensive nature of the AR platform I'm interested in something based on the AK platform.

My experience with rifles it should be noted is..nothing. I just got my Lee Enfield SMLE Mk3 & 1891 Argentine Mauser cleaned and will probably shoot them this weekend, and I've only fired pistols (PPK, XD, .38 special) and shotguns (12 and 20 gauge mossberg) before. While the smarter thing may be to start with a .22, and I do plan to get a ruger 10/22 soon, I'd like to go ahead and get an assault rifle while I have the money just in case some sort of Assault Weapons Ban sneaks up on us.

I was set on a Romanian AK from Classic Arms, but the cost of 7.62 and my faint memory of hearing someone say the price had gone up had me pause. 7.62 runs about 229 for 1,000 rounds at the cheapest vs 129 for 1,080 of 5.45. Does anyone know why 7.62 has increased in price (if it has), and whether that will continue to rise or decline? I was also considering a saiga in .233 but I can only find them with small magazines. I really want to get a decent caliber gun that has cheaper ammunition (not to the point of .22 cheap) since my three milsurp rifles are all pretty damn expensive.

I suppose I have a few questions to make myself more knowledgeable in the decision process:

• Are accessories for the AK74 (Magazines, new stocks/pistol grip/fore grip, sights) as available as AK47 versions?
• Would it be easier to get an red dot sight or scope that doesn't use the tricksy Dragunov scope for the AK74?
• Those who have an AK47 or AK74, can you chime in on your experiences with either?

Thanks.

[GS78]

you better have considerably more than 500 bucks burning that hole in your pocket....

[Meloncat]

Why do you say that? I mean in terms of money I can spend on a new firearm, not cash I have in general, and I've already found an AK74 for 449 on Classic Arms, a "NEW ELK RIVER ARMS M74 AK-74 RIFLE.". They've also got a deal for Romanian AK-MVs for 389. J&G sales also has a Bulgarian AK74 for 469, and a Romanian one for around the same. It's not a lot of money, but I am a poor college student so..

What I'm hoping to do is to hear from people who have any of the listed firearms what their experiences are with it. For instance, if as the poster here describes (http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57492) , a saiga usually can accept ak74 magazines then my issue with the provided 10 round magazine would be solved.

[Username]

I love my AK-47, I lucked out and paid $300 for it. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Little or no recoil, my wife loves shooting it too.

Might mention to you that you're looking for a semi-automatic rifle, not a automatic as you mentioned.

As for ammo, the nice thing about the ak-47 is you can run just about anything through it with little or no problems. I swear the thing would fire rocks if you could put a primer on them and shape them.

Bulletproof, rock solid gun.

I enjoy shooting my AR platform .223 more however, because of the accuracy issues you have with an AK47.

In fact, I would advise you not put a scope on your AK unless you want it for looks, because you really aren't going to approach any level of accuracy with it.... my 2 cents.

[BluemontGlock]

Username: not to threadjack, but is that Rosie odonnells face on Ron Jeremy's body????


that gets a "Oh My!!" >>>with a huge grin!

[Username]

Username: not to threadjack, but is that Rosie odonnells face on Ron Jeremy's body????


that gets a "Oh My!!" >>>with a huge grin!

Haha, that might be even funnier but it's basically a photoshop of this picture + rosie's face....

[Hiwaytahell]

The one, the only, the original, AK 47 all the way...

IF I had to give up all the firearms I own ... except one ... I keep the AK.
I have had several through the years with zero defects. Ammo is not that expensive.

I have NOT owned a 74. Looks like a decent weapon with a smaller bullet. AK action.

My final recommendation...go get what YOU really want. If you don't like it you can always sell trade it for something better.

Dustin is right on the money in his description of it also.

[Meloncat]

Username: I meant to be sarcastic with that italicized line. Naturally I don't have a class III license so I wouldn't be getting an automatic, but I am sure when any layperson sees the rifle they will think it's a cop-killing terrorist-serving saturday night special automatic machine gun capable of taking down police helicopters and featuring bullets that can tear through any material known to man. And god forbid it's not of wooden stock and foregrip but rather satanic-sponsored evil black polymer!

That you mention little to no recoil is rather surprising for me, I was expecting the opposite but that's good news given I'm a wee lad and still am learning to master recoil.

Thanks for all the advice. Does make me reconsider turning away from the AK47, I could always just spring for the 74 later on after I've grown more accustomed to the user friendly 47.

[zephyp]

Depends on what you are after. IMHO the better all around rifle is the AK. Might not be a tack driver but it takes a beating, does not have to be babied, drop it in the mud and it will still fire, and more knock down power than a .223/5.56. Just my $0.02.

[GS78]

Username: not to threadjack, but is that Rosie odonnells face on Ron Jeremy's body????


that gets a "Oh My!!" >>>with a huge grin!

Haha, that might be even funnier but it's basically a photoshop of this picture + rosie's face....

and that picture is a photoshop of Sadam Hussien and Khalid Shiekh Mohammed, I believe. His capture photo, after what I'm sure was a very unpleasant and extremely long interrogation session....


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

[ksanftleben]

I was also considering a saiga . . . but I can only find them with small magazines.

Don't give up on the Saigas yet. You can get larger capacity magazines for a Saiga but before you do, you need to be sure that the rifle is either partially or fully "converted" to be 922(r) compliant. For anything you want to know about Saigas, including 922(r) compliance, recommend you go to the best Saiga info site around Forum Saiga-12.com.

These subforums discus the different rifles that may interest you:

Saiga .223

Saiga 7.62 x 39

Saiga .308

R/Kurt

[Username]

Here's my AK-47 in action, my wife on the trigger. My buddy is firing a double barrel 20 ga behind.

[Hiwaytahell]

[Meloncat]

Just as an update, finally came to a decision. Ordered the Lancaster Arms NDS-2 "Rough Rider" AK74 and will have it shipped to Nova Armaments.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F1LANDS2RR

I'll consider Saigas for my next semi-automatic, after coming across http://www.rifledynamics.com/ and their Saiga conversion offer. That's assuming I don't do the conversion myself, but that's a long ways away.

Now the waiting game!

[zephyp]

That's great, BUT DONT FORGET TO POST A PICTURE OF YOUR NEW WEAPON SON !!!!!!!!!

[Username]

GUN PORN!

[Meloncat]

I will when it ships! This week and some days (I hope just a week and some days!) are going to be hard to sit patiently for!

[Meloncat]

Full Sized: http://i45.tinypic.com/2rm8474.jpg

The stock and foregrip are Plumb colored, but a very dark sort. I'll be replacing it with black polymer or possibly wood later.

Included is my PPK. Ammo comes later this week, I'll take it shooting and break in the Maverick 88 I've got before I go to College next weekend.

[Hiwaytahell]

Nice AK Melon, congrats on your new purchase.

[Meloncat]

Thanks mate!

I've been obsessing over application of gun oil on the external parts (I'll do it for the internal's soon, but I may wait until after I've fired and been obligated to field strip it and clean it), heard that you are supposed to 'drench' Parkerized metal parts since it drinks it up when you first get it out of the box. That true?