Disturbing AK Trend

azguy · 02-27-2008, 11:01 PM

I went to a gun show over the weekend, the big Phoenix one, and I noticed a disturbing trend. I have been to several gun showes in the past two years, but not with the intent to buy an AK. I have always seen a decent selection of various makes and models. This weekend I spent a lot of time taking a careful look at several models, various venders had to offer. I was shocked to discover almost all of the AK's I saw were all kit builds. They all seamed to have the same or simalar recivers, either Century Arms, or some outfit out of Huston, TX. None of the serial numbers mached, only the bolt, the dust covers, receivers ect. were blank. It was as if they were all imported berrels, and bolts, with the same three or four receivers.

Is it illeagl to import whole rifles anymore? Or is it just cheeper to slap them together, from used parts?

I baught a Yugo M-70, it was a Century build. More than one vender felt free to badmouth that particular build so that is the one I bought. I was also sad to see all of the WSAR-10's I saw had some sort of non-Romainian receiver with the dimples to help hold the mags in place. Did I fall into some sort of parallel universe where all WSAR-10's are built without there so called signiture flaw. I have a WSAR 10 that I bought 4 years ago, I love it, no complaints, but it is a whole rifle, ie matching serial numbes on all of it's component parts. Are these new developments, or have I not been paying attention the past year of so.

tlarkin · 02-27-2008, 11:35 PM

I was told it was illegal to import them from certain countries, like Chinese are no longer allowed to be imported. that is what I hear though, so I would fact check it before you take my word for it. I honestly don't know. I just bought an AK myself and it says Orinoco on it, but I can't seem to find out exactly which model it is or when it was made.

jmp8927 · 02-28-2008, 09:29 AM

It's cheaper to buy kits and build them. If done properly it doesn't necessarily make it worse quality. In some cases I'm sure you get a careless person just slapping them together, but I don't think in general that they're any worse. Last I heard one of my brothers was thinking about buying 5 or so Bulgarian kits and building some. If he does end up doing that and they turn out pretty good, I'm thinking about trading him my SKS for one of the AK's.

SwedeSteve · 02-28-2008, 01:02 PM

Kits=more profit...

azguy · 02-29-2008, 10:49 PM

I am going to take it out to the range Monday, I do not think it won't shoot any worse, but it is a shame that it is so hard to find a non-kit gun. I broke it down and removed all the furniture and did a fine inspection, I found a diferent serial number on the dust cover and a third serial number on the gas tube under the upper hand guard, instead of kit-build gun with new domestic parts I am afraid it is a "Frankenstine" build put together with old parts. I will say that the bolt appears to be much better made the machine marks are so much finer than the WSAR-10 that I have. Plus it had a lot of carbon build up. I hope it shoots well. I will post some photos.

GlockMeister · 02-29-2008, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlarkin

I was told it was illegal to import them from certain countries, like Chinese are no longer allowed to be imported. that is what I hear though, so I would fact check it before you take my word for it. I honestly don't know. I just bought an AK myself and it says Orinoco on it, but I can't seem to find out exactly which model it is or when it was made.

Orinoco? You mean Norinco?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmp8927

If he does end up doing that and they turn out pretty good, I'm thinking about trading him my SKS for one of the AK's.

Out of curiosity, why would you trade for the AK, why not just keep the SKS and pick up an AK.

tlarkin · 03-01-2008, 09:59 AM

LOL, yeah Orinoco is a wireless technology company hahahaha and I doubt they make guns. Sorry, I work IT for a living so that was just a slip of the brain!

Righteous · 03-02-2008, 10:40 AM

whats here in the US now is all that will be here, no more imports at all, even the AK will eventualy dry up sooner or later, why you see kits or nothing but WASR's , rest have gone already.

02-27-2008, 11:01 PM	#1
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	Disturbing AK Trend I went to a gun show over the weekend, the big Phoenix one, and I noticed a disturbing trend. I have been to several gun showes in the past two years, but not with the intent to buy an AK. I have always seen a decent selection of various makes and models. This weekend I spent a lot of time taking a careful look at several models, various venders had to offer. I was shocked to discover almost all of the AK's I saw were all kit builds. They all seamed to have the same or simalar recivers, either Century Arms, or some outfit out of Huston, TX. None of the serial numbers mached, only the bolt, the dust covers, receivers ect. were blank. It was as if they were all imported berrels, and bolts, with the same three or four receivers. Is it illeagl to import whole rifles anymore? Or is it just cheeper to slap them together, from used parts? I baught a Yugo M-70, it was a Century build. More than one vender felt free to badmouth that particular build so that is the one I bought. I was also sad to see all of the WSAR-10's I saw had some sort of non-Romainian receiver with the dimples to help hold the mags in place. Did I fall into some sort of parallel universe where all WSAR-10's are built without there so called signiture flaw. I have a WSAR 10 that I bought 4 years ago, I love it, no complaints, but it is a whole rifle, ie matching serial numbes on all of it's component parts. Are these new developments, or have I not been paying attention the past year of so.

02-28-2008, 09:29 AM	#3
jmp8927 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Walterboro, SC Posts: 1,146 Images: 17	It's cheaper to buy kits and build them. If done properly it doesn't necessarily make it worse quality. In some cases I'm sure you get a careless person just slapping them together, but I don't think in general that they're any worse. Last I heard one of my brothers was thinking about buying 5 or so Bulgarian kits and building some. If he does end up doing that and they turn out pretty good, I'm thinking about trading him my SKS for one of the AK's. __________________ Doing the unexpected makes the unexpected the expected and thus the expected becomes the unexpected.

02-28-2008, 01:02 PM	#4
SwedeSteve Thor's Hammer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 10,400 Images: 1	Kits=more profit... __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

02-27-2008, 11:35 PM	#2
tlarkin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 1,589	I was told it was illegal to import them from certain countries, like Chinese are no longer allowed to be imported. that is what I hear though, so I would fact check it before you take my word for it. I honestly don't know. I just bought an AK myself and it says Orinoco on it, but I can't seem to find out exactly which model it is or when it was made.

02-29-2008, 10:49 PM	#5
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	I am going to take it out to the range Monday, I do not think it won't shoot any worse, but it is a shame that it is so hard to find a non-kit gun. I broke it down and removed all the furniture and did a fine inspection, I found a diferent serial number on the dust cover and a third serial number on the gas tube under the upper hand guard, instead of kit-build gun with new domestic parts I am afraid it is a "Frankenstine" build put together with old parts. I will say that the bolt appears to be much better made the machine marks are so much finer than the WSAR-10 that I have. Plus it had a lot of carbon build up. I hope it shoots well. I will post some photos.

03-01-2008, 09:59 AM	#7
tlarkin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 1,589	LOL, yeah Orinoco is a wireless technology company hahahaha and I doubt they make guns. Sorry, I work IT for a living so that was just a slip of the brain!

03-02-2008, 10:40 AM	#8
Righteous Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 214	whats here in the US now is all that will be here, no more imports at all, even the AK will eventualy dry up sooner or later, why you see kits or nothing but WASR's , rest have gone already.