Thinking about getting my first AK variant

[Blake74u]

Man I love me some AKs!

I'm getting the itch to either go to the range tomorrow, or work on my new Romy-build. Hmmmm..... decisions, decisions.

 

[Abh3vol.firemen]

how hard is it to build an ak ? i dont mean evey single screw and spring,but buying sub assemblies.trigger group,reciver group.would it also be cheaper?

 

[Blake74u]

Whew! Brotha, it ain't worth it like it use to. By the time that you dish out $700-$800 in tools and jigs, you're in the negatives vs. a single $250-$350 AK Parts Kit. Way cheaper to just convert a Saiga. (Incidentally, "screws" are taboo on a build. They've been done, but they're not as trustworthy as rivets). Back in 2005 and subsequent years AK Parts Kits were $50-$100 a pop. Then was the time to get into the AK-game. Now, not so unless you just enjoy building. (I do).

 

[Blake74u]

Is it hard? Not if you're mechanically inclined. Me, I've been around machinists my entire life, so the tools and concepts are 2nd nature.... Definitely easier to match uppers and lowers on an AR. AKs are just "raw". Rivets, sheet metal, and welds.

 

[Blake74u]

If you DO get into building, you should build at least 10 kits straight in order to get out of the negatives. You figure $800+$350 is over 1K..... Then there's the issue of whether, or not to build on a blank, or pre-manufactured receiver. (Ex: Nodak Spud). Yipes!

 

[SpeedRacer]

What he said. Even if you already had the tools, or sweet talked someone into building it for free, with parts kit prices what theu currently are you'll spend a minimum $400 on parts alone for a bottom of the barrel Romy G kit build. If you want an original barrel kit or something a little nicer add $100 and up to that price.

 

[Blake74u]

But damn.... there sure are some BEAUTIFUL AK Parts Kits out there.... (still). I swear, if I ever won the lottery, I'd build me thousands and thousands....

 

[Blake74u]

What he said. Even if you already had the tools, or sweet talked someone into building it for free, with parts kit prices what theu currently are you'll spend a minimum $400 on parts alone for a bottom of the barrel Romy G kit build. If you want an original barrel kit or something a little nicer add $100 and up to that price.

Holy smokes! Is that how much Romy-Gs are going for nowadays??? I heard that they were drying up, but crap! That's ridiculous!

 

[SpeedRacer]

Holy smokes! Is that how much Romy-Gs are going for nowadays??? I heard that they were drying up, but crap! That's ridiculous!

I figure $150 for a kit, $100-120 for a virgin barrel, $100 for a receiver and $50 for compliance/small parts. Original barrel G kits are ~$350 currently. It's just not the way to go financially. At this point the only reason I can see for building a kit is simply for the joy of building. Otherwise there's much better options out there, such as the Saigas.

 

[Sin-ster]

My most recent Romy-G:

Very, very sexy.

Mine is "evil" black-on-black-on-black-- Nodak Spud and all.

 

[Abh3vol.firemen]

i live in houma were is a good place to buy a budget ak?i'd like to not spend over $600.i cant buy one now but i'd like to know where when its time.cabelas is usualy my first thought about gun purcheses because of lay-away but if none in stock i need a 2nd choice.

 

[SGT_Kramer]

I'd just keep my eye out and buy one from one of the known ak guys on this forum Thats what I plan to do once my gun funds recover from building 300 blackout and buying supressor at same time.

 

[Sin-ster]

I'd just keep my eye out and buy one from one of the known ak guys on this forum Thats what I plan to do once my gun funds recover from building 300 blackout and buying supressor at same time.

 

[Rm105629]

Lots of great advice here . I think I'll try to save up and get a converted saiga. I would try to get a kit, but I'm not the most mechanically adept person - maybe somewhere down the road. I definitely won't stop with one ak

 

[asianak]

I just bought a romy G kit on the forums for $275 with original barrel. All it needs is a receiver which is about $55 from nodak. So for about $350 I'll have a very nice romy G AK

 

[aherring1983]

I have a wsar and like it, it's my first AK however, but I must have gotten one of the good ones, the gun is pretty accurate, it's not a tack driver like my M4 but it'll get the job done.

 

[Sin-ster]

I just bought a romy G kit on the forums for $275 with original barrel. All it needs is a receiver which is about $55 from nodak. So for about $350 I'll have a very nice romy G AK

Good find.

You should have bought 4 or 50, though...

 

[saiga308guy]

If you get a saiga variant, its not that hard to convert, and it can be done in a day, plus its Russian.

 

[bravo3]

Ok looking for some advice here. I know NOTHING about AKs or variants, however today at the Lafayette gun show I talked to a guy who had a whole table full of em. I was looking at a WASR 10 and he told me I should go ahead and buy it before they go up. Q'est ca ce en Englais? He said that some guidelines changed and they wont be able to come into the US anymore with military barrels, and will have to be fitted with a non military barrel. They will be called W20s and they will cost more than the WASR 10s cause of the extra work of changing barrels.

SO, fact or bullcrap?

 

[Sin-ster]

I was told on Thursday that the BATFE (in their infinite "we need a budget" wisdom) banned the import of all kits with bayonet lugs.

I'm not 100% on what specific parts this limits in the kit itself, but perhaps it's super-oxi-pinned to the barrel and the info you were given was accurate.