Urse

I was sitting at the airshow today with a fellow kalashnaholic and he corrected me that the original milled guns did have threaded barrel joints. All stamped and most milled have pinned in barrels though. So now I understand what you are talking about. That said I have/had mostly Vepr(Russian), Arsenal(Bulgarian), Hungarian, Polish and Chinese variants. Across the board they have all been quality rifles. Right now you can buy a $575 high quality AK from Mark Graham at www.arizonaresponsesystems.com These rifles are GTG from the start and he will back his product. There are other quality builders you just need to research them before you spend money. Oh well learn something new everyday.

If this was a "there can be only one" scenario then I would have to choose a FAL.

Any trigger mods could absolutely be used against you. Remember that the jury won't necessarily be 12 gun owning intelligent Americans. The only things I have done to my Glocks are night sights and slightly reshaping the underside of the triggergaurd where it meets the frame to relieve Glock knuckle as welll as allowing for an even deeper grip purchase.

I am curious as to where you are getting your information on the current state of AK gunsmithing. Me-thinks perhaps you have history with a Century arms product? Before you give your opinion on something perhaps you should have a clue what you are talking about. AK barrels are press fitted not "screwed in to tight":rolleyes: Ahhh okay you are an AR guy. That makes sense. Hey I like AR's they are in the top 5 as far as military rifles go. You could very well be perfectly happy with an AR as long as you run it wet. And you can afford the ammunition to feed it. The #1 rule should be the AK is not an AR so don't treat it like one. The OP asked what would be a good CDR(Civilian Defense Rifle) and most here correctly suggested the AK as the best overall option. That does not mean that the AR is not also a good option however there are just as many crap AR's out there as there are JimBob's Gunsmithing AK's. Educate yourself before making such a blanket statement.

Ah...welcome comrade. The SKS is a good choice for more rural and open "battlefields" because of it's slightly better range and general accuracy. The AK is the overall choice though. 100 million peasants can't be wrong. The Kalashnikov is gonna serve you well for anything 250 yards and in. Not to mention an AK + 75 round drum magazine = suppressive fire! You should always have a nice bolt gun when you really need to reach out and touch someone. Here is a list of relative forums: www.theakforum.net www.akfiles.com www.ak-47.net and for practical applications check www.warriortalk.com

Rabbi has a very nice Savage 10fp .308 in his shop. Can you say Accu-Trigger? I believe it was around $575 but don't quote me on that. Those rifles are known to be sub MOA accurate out of the box. If you bed the action you can get even better results. Then just add glass.

The top quality Kalashnikov's have been $1000+ for quite awhile now. But just like everything else the prices have been going up. Is your Norinco a Mak-90 or a Poly-Tech? Poly-Tech's are going for a grand or more now. The Mak-90's($350-$500) once converted are one of the best deals available in an AK. They are very well built rifles. If the Chinese were allowed to import ammunition and firearms they would dominate the market. Imagine picking up Chinese Kalashnikopies at Wal-Mart. There does seem to be a proliferation of custom AK builders nowadays. I guess this is driven in no small part buy ammunition prices and the availability of comparatively cheap steel cased russian ammo. As far as the perception that all AK's are crap...well that is probably a combination of to many cheap knock offs and America's ARcentric consciousness. I mean after all the AK is the Commie rifle the rifle of the enemy.

+1 That pretty much says it all. I still carry my K9 occasionally though.

The one on Glocktalk is a Bulgarian underfolder built on a milled receiver.(Translation: it is a Porsche) The $400 ones at J&G are stamped Romanian Wasr's(Translation: beat up Volkswagen) The fit and finish of the milled underfolder is more akin to H&K than AK. Unfortunately when most people think of AK's they invision the cheap WASR rifles. The days of cheap AK's,SKS's,Mil-Surp rifles is gone.

And it lets the intruder know exactly were you are.

The side receiver mount does not work with the underfolder style AK.If you try and convert your gun to a fixed stock you will be left with two big holes on each side of the receiver. Instead of doing that why not just sell it and buy what you want. How much you want for it? Nate....the link you posted are for the XS 24/7 express sights. They are not the XS Big Dots. Tactical Response does have some handy stuff available regardless of your opinions about Yeager.

You can convert to fixed stock but I wouldn't. I would get an Ultimak gas tube replacement rail. These are the best(and only) way to mount a red dot on a underfolder. You could also try a set of XS Big Dots for the AK they are extremely fast and great for "older" eyes. http://www.ultimak.com/default.htm http://www.tacticalresponsegear.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=40&products_id=3085

Rabbi you have a Marine Magnum that will probably be all the shotgun you will ever need. I do not see a need for a "combat" shotgun......a home defense shotgun(ala Marine Magnum) sure but if you see yourself going into combat you most likely are going to be needing a rifle.....AK preferably but even an AR would do in a pinch.

This coming weekend April 12-13 at the Smyrna Airport. Headlined by the Blue Angels....Tickets(general admission) $15 in advance $20 at the door. Children(4-12) $8....children 3 and under get in free. See you there! http://www.airshownetwork.com/home.html

I haven't even had time to look at my kits lately. Not likely I will anytime soon. In the quest for a quality build I have decided to take an AK armorer course from Jim Fuller. www.rifledynamics.com

Generally true....Chinese double hook triggers are better than any US trigger though. That said the Poly-Tech and Mak-90 kalashnikov variants are ones I would not change the trigger in. If we were allowed to import ammunition and weapons from China my sig line would probably be in Chinese not Russian.

Vaya con dios caballero.

Great bunch of guys however Mark is only gonna teach you what he absolutely has to for you to pass the written test. Not really much in the way of education mostly common sense.

http://www.theakforum.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=76&sid=38f2661fccf61e559c167ec53151ea0d Enjoy!

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5751

Here is a link to the firearms manufactured statistics page at the BATF website. Looks like S&W far and away manufactures more handguns than Glock. http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/stats/index.htm

Well I definately wouldn't have taken a pic with you guys. i mean what would my Liberal in-laws think.

Looks like you guys had fun. Sorry I missed it but daddy daycare could not be avoided. Next time.

My mom use to always say "If a bullfrog had wings he wouldn't bump his @ss!"

+1....Rusty com block AK mags dug out of the mud with dried blood on em is what your kalashnikov needs comrade. Well that or the nice Polymer Bulgarian waffle mags with the circle 10 armory stamp. None of the US mags are reliable...just like with the AR:D