anybody got any recent hands on with any that are "affordable" ie < $1k? riley and psa are what i see around. builds off saigas,bulgerians,rifle dynamics are all silly big $ for me. just wondering what the latest someone might have experienced or seen.
- Thread starter mosin46
- Start date
Is it even worth it anymore when the ammo is 5.56 prices?
just an ak fan x 20 years and have none now. prefer 5.45 just because. my bad. will check zastava. didn't think they did 74s? had one of their new 7.62 guns. best ak i ever owned including bulg milled and chinese milled. it was as heavy as a milled gun
I’m asking as someone who almost bought an AK after not having one for a long time, last week. Then I looked at ammo and was blown away at the price and said forget it.
for sure,same here. might not be able to do another one re $. actually mags are the big issue for several reasons. of course reliability and longevity are the thing. just asking here as the 74s are having mixed stuff going around and 5.45 is where i would go.
looked zastava in 5.56 7.62 39 & 51 not 5.45. am i missing something?
I’d worry about finding 5.45 ammo first and if you can buy as much as you can.
PSA is available. prices like most PSA are in the range of OK. gonna do the diligence and see if they show up reliable. never gonna be able to see one in the raw,just too uncommon.
What about the polish Beryl in 556? True, the rifle costs more than your budget, but the money you saved on 556 ammo would quickly make up that gap.
they look good but about 50% > budget. mags an issue. 5.56 is a thought but got plenty of ARs
I like shooting my 5.45 ARs.... when the brass goblins come around and start scratching their head.
Wow, just checked and there is really nothing out there.
K-var seems to have stopped the bulgy 105s, can't find them on the site. Gunbroker is still super inflated to find any saiga/vepr/romy, century doesn't have any 5.45 Romy's on their site. I cant recall ever seeing a Zastava in 5.45. FB Radom or WPB, no pre-built rifles..
I can't in good faith recommend a PSA nor a Riley, for an AK. For the PSA non 7.62 AKs, I'd stay far away.
Personally, I'd give Atlantic a call and see if there's any plans to get more of these in
atlanticfirearms.com
Otherwise, I'd try to find an AIMS/Tantal/AK74 kit if you wanted surplus (will hold value), or just snag a WBP headspaced kit and bring to a builder
Or, if you were OK not to have the 100% traditional style AK, use be looking at a Galil Ace for sure!
I'd take this any day over my suggestions above
www.provenoutfitters.com
K-var seems to have stopped the bulgy 105s, can't find them on the site. Gunbroker is still super inflated to find any saiga/vepr/romy, century doesn't have any 5.45 Romy's on their site. I cant recall ever seeing a Zastava in 5.45. FB Radom or WPB, no pre-built rifles..
I can't in good faith recommend a PSA nor a Riley, for an AK. For the PSA non 7.62 AKs, I'd stay far away.
Personally, I'd give Atlantic a call and see if there's any plans to get more of these in
Romanian Aims AK74 Rifle - AtlanticFirearms.com
Romanian AIMS 74 5.45x39 semi auto rifleBattlefield Pick-Up Style.These rifles are designed to preform like new rifles but have the Nostalgic Battlefield look.
atlanticfirearms.com Otherwise, I'd try to find an AIMS/Tantal/AK74 kit if you wanted surplus (will hold value), or just snag a WBP headspaced kit and bring to a builder
Or, if you were OK not to have the 100% traditional style AK, use be looking at a Galil Ace for sure!
I'd take this any day over my suggestions above
Galil Ace Pistol Gen 2 5.45x39 13"
The IWI Galil Ace Gen 2 Pistol in 5.45x39 13" barrel is available here at Proven Arms & Outfitters at the best pricing available.
www.provenoutfitters.com 
I got a sweet Russian 74u, I don't even shoot mine anymore . I got a few cases of 5.45 but I will NOT pay a exorbitant price for Shitty Comi block steel case ammo when I run out.
Hopefully there be some big bulk surplus lots of x39 that will be imported into the US by some hungry capitalists after the Ukrainian money laundry fiasco is over with .
.
Hopefully there be some big bulk surplus lots of x39 that will be imported into the US by some hungry capitalists after the Ukrainian money laundry fiasco is over with .
.
Obama tried to have the ATF ban 7N6 during his 2nd reign of terror, and the cheap supplies dried up dustier than Hillary's snatch. Now prices are stupid on 5.45 thanks to Blow Jiden putting sanctions on Russian imports and the stupid war in the BlueKraine (Democrat laundering service).
I recently acquired a PSA GF5 AK47 that I'ved modded-out, and it's a shooter! Has an FNH CHF barrel in it from the factory, and an ALG Defense trigger, and Toolcraft bolt, carrier, and trunnion. Fit and finish are pretty exceptional, and the accuracy with the FNH barrel is beyond impressive for an AK. But when I saw that cheap Wolf 122gr. steel was $450 a case, I almost lost my shit. I remember when you could buy 1K rounds of old mil surp in a spam can for like $150-200 all day everyday.
I recently acquired a PSA GF5 AK47 that I'ved modded-out, and it's a shooter! Has an FNH CHF barrel in it from the factory, and an ALG Defense trigger, and Toolcraft bolt, carrier, and trunnion. Fit and finish are pretty exceptional, and the accuracy with the FNH barrel is beyond impressive for an AK. But when I saw that cheap Wolf 122gr. steel was $450 a case, I almost lost my shit. I remember when you could buy 1K rounds of old mil surp in a spam can for like $150-200 all day everyday.
There aren't many good options at that pricepoint. You could get lucky and score a 545 in a trade deal as the value has gone down a bit due to the ammo cost/drying up.
If you really want to buy a 545, I would save up more and get a surplus 545 or a galil ace (those guns are heavy pigs though).
I doubt any company wants to invest in making a 545 right now.
If you really want to buy a 545, I would save up more and get a surplus 545 or a galil ace (those guns are heavy pigs though).
I doubt any company wants to invest in making a 545 right now.
They might for x39 but I highly doubt it for 545. There may be another country that does it but not in the U.S.
Surplus 5.45x39 7n6 was banned from import in 2014. It was classified as armor piercing (it’s not). This killed the 5.45 AK in America.
@mosin46, AKs are collectors items. When they became that, I sold off my whole collection of them both 47 and 74s including tons of magazines and 10’s of thousands of rounds of ammunition. I cashed out and moved on. I do wish I would held on to my NOS bakelight 30 & 45 rounders until now. I could have made a killing just on those.
I’ve heard good things about the PSA AK’s. Good for the price anyway.
I have a pile of surplus 5.45, so I hang on to my handful of -74’s.
I have a pile of surplus 5.45, so I hang on to my handful of -74’s.
thanks all for the many great replies. sorta confirms what i knew/thought. i haven't really dumped the PSA idea but riley,no way. i did off many AKs,mags,ammo for the many reasons that we all get out of stuff for. the 1 i wish i still had was an EG clone off a sar2 that was perfect. had scores of new EG bakes as well. just want a last 74 because IMHO they are the most beautiful mil autos. most beautiful mil guns except for several of the latin american mausers and the swedes. ALL of those have reached insane prices since i left C&R as well. would just be an asthetic acquire and that looking like a $ no go. tx again all.
Here's my PSA GF5 (7.62x39) hitting 5" gongs at 100 yards with only a 1x red dot and cheap Wolf 122gr steel case. 10/10 hits. Might not seem impressive from a modern precision standpoint, but considering 1.) I'm fighting my astigmatism with a red dot (looks like an exploding star, with no visible round shape so POA is kind of hit or miss), and 2.) it's an AK... I'd say it's pretty damn solid, considering most AK's are 4-6 MOA rifles and made for Minute of Man. All these hits are within couple inches of impact points on the plates, so it's pretty consistent on POI. I'm sure the nice FNH barrel makes a huge difference in that.
Get one of the 556 AKs instead. PSA, Polish Beryl (new current imports), Zastava, etc.
5.45 is practically dead for the western market. Only a couple of companies are still making ammo for our market. Only Russia really uses the cartridge.
5.45 is practically dead for the western market. Only a couple of companies are still making ammo for our market. Only Russia really uses the cartridge.
I sold off all of my AK's except an Arsenal SLR-106FR. It was my most accurate AK and I hav e a lifetime supply of 556 ammo and the brass, powder and promos if I need more.
Fortunately I have ten circle 10 mags.
Fortunately I have ten circle 10 mags.
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yea,will look at 5.56 AKs but sexy laminate stock is my weak point. like said,it would be a semi safe queen. mags also an issue? i think,being a mag whore.
Feed it some Hornady black. I posted my 7.62x39 reload recipe in another thread recently, it makes one hell of a difference in accuracy even on older milsurp guns like SKS, etc. 1 MoA in a new AR with a faxon barrel
one detail I accidentally omitted is that the same recipe works well with the hornady FMJ and SP .311 bullets as well, since they all have similar length and cannelure location
Post link: https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...bolt-gun-options.7184416/page-2#post-11155981
I have never had good results with Hornady Black in any rifle…Even rifles that shoot 1/3 MOA with handloads were shooting 2” groups…Both 6.5 Grendel (Faxon Match barrel) and 6 ARC ( Christensen Arms MPR). I guess it would be worth buying a box or 2 to try in the AK.
123gr ELD-M 6.5 Grendel consistently groups 1 MOA from 2x 12” barrels and my Lilja 17.6” Grendel, and is fun to shoot steel from both of them at distances of 400-1000yds. The 12” barrels were a Faxon group buy. I check square on my receiver faces and bed the barrels and gas blocks. One of the 12” builds took me ay least 45 minutes to get the barrel in, it was so tight in 2A Balios Lite receiver set.
The other one is just a basic M4 upper. It’s a great example of the reality of BC to look at 16.3” 7.62x39 vs 12” 6.5 Grendel, both shooting 123gr from the same case diameter and length. The shorter barrel Grendel has twice the supersonic reach of the longer AK.
Are you seeing ejector dings on your AK brass? My AKs seem to beat the crap out of brass with that fixed ejector and violent ejection behavior. I might take them out once in a blue moon just so my boy can say he shot the AK.
I think the dings on the case come from the brass smacking the dust cover on the AK. I made a brass catcher for my AK's and both the 7.62 and 5.45 get the same marks. The 74 has slightly less of a mark, but both run adjustable pistons so they have a soft recoil and much less violent ejection. The few 5.45 I have reloaded were fine. That was with brass case Hornady.
The Swedes made a clip on brass deflector but they are impossible to find. I have thought about just slitting some smaller fuel line or vacuum line to place on the dust cover to stop the marks. Just haven't gotten around to it to try yet. If I had a 3D printer I would try to make something that clips or magnets on.
The Swedes made a clip on brass deflector but they are impossible to find. I have thought about just slitting some smaller fuel line or vacuum line to place on the dust cover to stop the marks. Just haven't gotten around to it to try yet. If I had a 3D printer I would try to make something that clips or magnets on.
From guys I know who are really big into AK-74s, they basically mirrored what has been said in this thread regarding availability and which ones to avoid. For 5.45mm, I only have experience with real select-fire AKS-74s, MPi-AKS-74s, AKSUs, and AK-74M.
Spendex at Fort Lewis in 1998. We burned 11,000 rounds through a bunch of 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 in about 4 hours. The East German guns all ran like champs. Most of the Romanian guns broke, but we didn’t know it until the next day.
2006
2008
I like the handling of the AK-74 much better than the 7.62x39 guns, but the lack of LRHO and optics/accessory mounting with all the front-heavy weight of an already front-heavy gun is a major turn-off.
I just don’t see the allure of AKs unless you’re a collector. I used to think it was such a cool gun because of Red Dawn ’84, then I started shooting them and my interest waned with each trigger pull over the years.
Spendex at Fort Lewis in 1998. We burned 11,000 rounds through a bunch of 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 in about 4 hours. The East German guns all ran like champs. Most of the Romanian guns broke, but we didn’t know it until the next day.
2006
2008
I like the handling of the AK-74 much better than the 7.62x39 guns, but the lack of LRHO and optics/accessory mounting with all the front-heavy weight of an already front-heavy gun is a major turn-off.
I just don’t see the allure of AKs unless you’re a collector. I used to think it was such a cool gun because of Red Dawn ’84, then I started shooting them and my interest waned with each trigger pull over the years.
- Mar 15, 2018
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My 2 cents:
For a one and done, go with the Arsenal. They run great and hold a good resale. They also are compatible with most AKM furniture on the market. I would steer clear of Yugo... not for anything other than they are not standard and if they require parts, they must be Yugo specific. The SAM stuff is nice... if you want milled, stamped (107 Series) is better if you plan to modify it.
I would also stay away from under folders (again just my opinion), they look bad ass but have no cheek weld, suck to shoot, and really the only selling point is they are compact. Side folders are much better for actually shooting.
Personally, I went with a Krebs Custom, but not for under a grand
For a one and done, go with the Arsenal. They run great and hold a good resale. They also are compatible with most AKM furniture on the market. I would steer clear of Yugo... not for anything other than they are not standard and if they require parts, they must be Yugo specific. The SAM stuff is nice... if you want milled, stamped (107 Series) is better if you plan to modify it.
I would also stay away from under folders (again just my opinion), they look bad ass but have no cheek weld, suck to shoot, and really the only selling point is they are compact. Side folders are much better for actually shooting.
Personally, I went with a Krebs Custom, but not for under a grand
I toyed with doing a 556 AK but decided against it. We already have a great rifle for that caliber that is more modular and ergonomic, and it can be a more accurate platform. Also there are the different mag patterns for 556. I realize its getting better for options, but fitting mags can be a pain in the ass with the other platforms. I don't want to deal with it again.
I really like My 74's in 545. My Bulgarian is plane jane with the addition of a red dot optic. I installed the plum furniture from my 88 Izhmash kit since the Russian build is a folder and modernized. The problem with the 545 stuff is the ammo now. I have plenty of steel cased on hand and the capability to load a lot of Hornady brass thanks to a friend.
The cheap commercial Bulgarian mags have been 100% so far for me. The import mags have gone WAY up in price. Stupid levels really. That is a huge downside to the platform now. Any surplus parts have gone up in price and can be harder to find now.
My modern 74 is much better balanced than the stock configuration. Combo front sight/gas block, shortened the barrel to 14.5. I have the RS Regulate handguard because of the reduced weight. I run the 5.5mm triangle folder with a bolt on rubber butt pad and the gun is very neutral balanced now. It is nowhere near as fast or accurate as any of my AR rifles. It is virtually no recoil though. Even with an upgraded safety selector and lots of practice I am always .3 seconds slower on the timer with any drills. Reloads are slower. Having to fit mags sometimes sucks. For a fun rifle that used to be cheap to shoot I love it.
I really like My 74's in 545. My Bulgarian is plane jane with the addition of a red dot optic. I installed the plum furniture from my 88 Izhmash kit since the Russian build is a folder and modernized. The problem with the 545 stuff is the ammo now. I have plenty of steel cased on hand and the capability to load a lot of Hornady brass thanks to a friend.
The cheap commercial Bulgarian mags have been 100% so far for me. The import mags have gone WAY up in price. Stupid levels really. That is a huge downside to the platform now. Any surplus parts have gone up in price and can be harder to find now.
My modern 74 is much better balanced than the stock configuration. Combo front sight/gas block, shortened the barrel to 14.5. I have the RS Regulate handguard because of the reduced weight. I run the 5.5mm triangle folder with a bolt on rubber butt pad and the gun is very neutral balanced now. It is nowhere near as fast or accurate as any of my AR rifles. It is virtually no recoil though. Even with an upgraded safety selector and lots of practice I am always .3 seconds slower on the timer with any drills. Reloads are slower. Having to fit mags sometimes sucks. For a fun rifle that used to be cheap to shoot I love it.
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