Best Ak-74

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TheNewbie	Best Ak-74	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1 (04/22/09 06:38 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None Hey all, how are you? I have been doing some research and hunting for an Ak-74. I like the idea of the 5.45 and how cheap it is. Does the following rifle seem like a good deal? http://rapidfire.targetweb.net/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi/agora.cgi?cart_id=4426861.27033*wD3r07&p_id=02099&xm=on&ppinc=big I can get an AMD-65 cheaper, but it shoots the 7.62x39.
high speed cruise		#1	[-]
Posts: 2944 (04/22/09 06:48 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm a long-time AK 74 owner. IT LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD DEAL. BUT, ask to see if it has a chrome-lined bore. Nearly all surplus ammo is corrosively primed, and you want a chromed lined bore to deal with that (still, clean with water at the range, then with solvent at home). The site offers a "1 year warranty," that sounds good. My Romanian AK 74 shoots a 3" group at 100 yards, which although not good, is GREAT for an AK. 5.45x39 is available right now, 7.62 x 39 is NOT. here is a good site to check: www.classicarms.us for rifles at good prices. For the prices though, you may want to consider a Smith and Wesson AR 15 in 5.45 x 39mm....they chrome-line the barrels and bolt parts. Mine shoots great and is more accurate than my AK. ACT FAST, time is short. www.aimsurplus.com is a great source of the ammo. Buy as much as you can afford, NOW. Get at least 8 mags while you are at it. hsc
TheNewbie		#2	[-]
Posts: 2 (04/22/09 07:57 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Thanks for the reply! Is the S&W AR as tuff and reliable as the AK?
TheNewbie		#3	[-]
Posts: 4 (04/22/09 08:19 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Ok I have found some Wolf 7,62x39, but it does cost more and it seems like ALOT of people like the 5.45 better.
dfariswheel		#4	[-]
Posts: 931 (04/22/09 11:47 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Ohio Rapid Fire assembles very good AK-74 rifles. These are built using de-milled Bulgarian military kits, including the chrome lined barrel. I don't know the current condition of their kits, but the one I bought 1 1/2 years ago was built using a brand new, all matching kit. It has the early type chrome lined "zig-zag" muzzle brake, chrome lined barrel and a chrome lined gas block. It's a very good quality, accurate rifle. As originally received with Bulgarian wood: After installing an Ironwood laminated stock and a wood refinish:
TheNewbie		#5	[-]
Posts: 5 (04/23/09 12:28 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Again thanks for the help. While the AMD-65 is cheaper, the 5.45 ammo would probably make the $$$ even. I may order one soon.
jjk308		#6	[-]
Posts: 2928 (04/27/09 07:26 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I wouldn't buy a rifle just because a common, mass produced ammunition is temporarily in short supply due to war shortages. There is a much greater production base for 7.62x39. It's made world-wide while the 5.45 is primarily a Russian product. 7.62 is also suitable for deer and wild hog hunting while the 5.45, with less energy than even a .223, is not. And 7.62x39 is still readily available, but expensive, at $350/1000 from a number of sources. I've been through a number of these cycle, started collecting SMLEs when .303 British was 5 cents a round. The minute the milsurp dried up the price shot up. Check its price now! And unlike 7.62x39 there just wasn't any big current production of .303 so the prices went up to those of commercial hunting and target ammo and stayed there. I expect we may see a huge drop in 7.62x39 prices next year when the Iraqi and Afghan armies are fully equipped and the manufacturers are left with excess production.
high speed cruise		#7	[-]
Posts: 2950 (05/01/09 01:04 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Newbie: Those are some good reasons to buy the 7.62 x 39 over the 5.45 x 39.....I just like the 5.45 better and well, with over 10K rounds stored up, future prices are no concern to me! LOL 5.45 recoils less, has a longer range, and seems more accurate. It is really only used in Russia though. The AK is more reliable than the AR....BUT....unless you are going off to fight as a mercenary, or just never intend to clean your gun, the accuracy and options available for an AR are hard to beat. If I was going off backpacking, I'd take my AK 74...if just going shooting or in an "urban response scenario" I'd grab the AR. Plus with the AR, just do an upper swap and you'll have a different caliber. hsc
jjk308		#8	[-]
Posts: 2931 (05/09/09 02:03 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	A couple of vendors have dropped their prices on 7.62x39 to $280/1000. it should keep coming down so I'm waiting.
Bundook		#9	[-]
Posts: 506 (05/12/09 11:35 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I don't have any 5.45 rifles, but I do have a "Bulgarian" Arsenal 7.62. Excellent quality and very well made. It costs a bit more than the other AK brands, but I figured it's worth it.
nfafan		#10	[-]
Posts: 11 (05/14/09 12:48 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	jjk308 wrote: I wouldn't buy a rifle just because a common, mass produced ammunition is temporarily in short supply due to war shortages. There is a much greater production base for 7.62x39. It's made world-wide while the 5.45 is primarily a Russian product. 7.62 is also suitable for deer and wild hog hunting while the 5.45, with less energy than even a .223, is not. And 7.62x39 is still readily available, but expensive, at $350/1000 from a number of sources. I've been through a number of these cycle, started collecting SMLEs when .303 British was 5 cents a round. The minute the milsurp dried up the price shot up. Check its price now! And unlike 7.62x39 there just wasn't any big current production of .303 so the prices went up to those of commercial hunting and target ammo and stayed there. I expect we may see a huge drop in 7.62x39 prices next year when the Iraqi and Afghan armies are fully equipped and the manufacturers are left with excess production. I agree 10000%. Unless and until a domestic source comes thru with 5.45x39, I would be hesitatant to count on a lasting abundance of cheap MILSURP as a decision point to buy an expensive rifle today. I've already seen the prices go up 30.00-50.00/can, what with the 9-million Internet gunboards all singing from the same hymnal about "cheap 5.45". How much longer you think that's gonna last??? Thanks to the Mini30, we have - and will again have - NC 7.62x39 available for the 7.62 AKs, along with all the easier to come by 7.62x39 mags and goodies. For 5.45x39 - you have the Wolf stuff which is already approaching Wolf 7.62 prices, along with no easy certainty that Wolf will continue to flow to the USA. And that story given for .303 - that can also be said for 8mm; back in the day, converting the 30.06 belt-fed Brownings to shoot the dirt-cheap 8mm - - only resulted in all the dirt-cheap 3-6cents/rd 8mm dissappearing like the dinosaurs. Ironically, Maxim shooters are grabbing up 7.62x54R conversions to keep 'em running. Moral: unless your "AK-74" is dirt-cheap to the point where you can afford to lose it to wallhanger status once the ammo's gone, then stick to 7.62x39.
high speed cruise		#11	[-]
Posts: 2991 (06/06/09 12:57 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Or have a stock of 10K+ rounds! It was the only "deal" on the market (then) so I ordered a crate a month. I'm glad I did! hsc Go ahead and get the S&W AR 15 in 5.45x39. Order a couple thousand rounds in that caliber. If it totally dries up then just get a .223 upper and you are set. The trigger on the Smith is rather hard though.....that's my only beef with the gun. IT IS RUMORED that a stateside maker is thinking about making the 5.45 here in the US.
WVchuck		#12	[-]
Posts: 12070 (06/06/09 01:58 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Does anyone have the 5.45 uppers in stock at this point?
SA58		#13	[-]
Posts: 607 (06/21/09 10:29 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I don't think 5.45 is going away anytime soon. Hornady has already kicked out some specialty 5.45 alongside some x39. And really... 5.45 is (and has been since the 80's) current military issue in Russia. ...and then there's all the AR-15 uppers that just hit the market not that long ago. I have a good feeling that if anything we'll start seeing some quality loads popping up in 5.45 before we see it go away. I say buy that AK74! Then shoot the crap out of it.
Et2ss		#14	[-]
Posts: 506 (08/29/09 10:40 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	WV Chuck, Sending you a PM on the S&W Uppers www.newphillysports.com