Questions about AK 74's

[Grand Torino]

So I see some of them shoot .223 but a lot are listed as 5.45x39. I know nothing about commie guns so pardon my ignorance but are these 74's any good? Are there conversions that make them better or more reliable.....something that the Siaga shotty's seem to go thru? Seems like something worth having if they are any good. Are they?

[Dolomite_supafly]

AKs need nothing. Just buy from a reputable builder and you will have no problems.

 

I have one in 223 and just ordered one in 7.62x39. The 223 one has been 100% reliable.

[Grand Torino]

AKs need nothing. Just buy from a reputable builder and you will have no problems.

 

I have one in 223 and just ordered one in 7.62x39. The 223 one has been 100% reliable.

Who are the reputable builders?

[nightrunner]

Since we are on the topic, who is considered the top tier AK brands/builders? Similar to Noveske/Larue/LWRC/etc. in the AR world

[Troutburger]

Arsenal has a great rep. My saiga by tgi has been just fine.

[jacob]

My century C39 has been good so far other than having to add some bend into the trigger spring. I have an Arsenal as well. I would like to get an AK from Rifle Dynamics in the next 12-18 months...

[Dolomite_supafly]

Century builds tend to be hit or miss. But even then if you order one from a decent company that will offer a warranty you should be fine.

 

I bought an AK pistol from JG Sales and it was fine but did need a bit of a tweaking of the sights. I never contacted them about a repair on that gun but I did contact them before ordering the second one. They said that if there is a problem I would have to pay to ship the gun back and then pay again to get it back. That would end up being very, very expensive so I decided not to order the gun from J&G Sales. Now I have placed about 5 orders for magazines and other stuff from them and all has been good. Matter of fact a shipment of magazines was lost a few weeks ago by UPS and J&G sent replacements before the UPS investigation had time to complete.

 

The AK pistol I ordered last week will be coming from CNC Warrior. They had the best price and offer a certification process. It costs $20 to have them go through and make sure it is 100% perfect. It would cost more than the $20 to ship a gun back if there is a problem. With their certification they ensure the sights are straight, they zero it, make sure the wood is good as well as clean the gun and ensure it is rust free. Definitely a deal when you consider it will cost a lot more than that to get it repaired or send it back for a replacement.

[viscero]

Both calibers are affordable to shoot right now but the ultra-cheap surplus 5.45 is drying up due to the import ban.  The largest factor to consider imho are magazines.  .223 mags can be difficult to find and not all are guaranteed to fit/function 100% in all .223 AK's.  The 5.45 mags can be imho a little easier to find but they can be pricey.  I think ultimately if I were in your shoes I would probably sway towards a .223 version Saiga or Vepr and send it off to Definitive Arms for their magwell conversion that allows it to take AR-15 mags/Pmags.  Saiga's will need to be converted back to military config out of the box but once they are there are a ton of furniture/accessory options.  The Veprs are slightly better AK in my opinion and will have less needing done to them out of the box(depending on version/type) than the Saiga's.  However, the Veprs will need some adapters or special furniture due to the nature of the rifle's receiver.

 

TLDR version - if it were my money I would probably look for a Type 1 Vepr with threaded muzzle; a square backed receiver would be a plus if you can find one.  Then send that sucker off to Definitive Arms for a magwell conversion and enjoy cheap mags and affordable ammo.

[Dolomite_supafly]

There is NO import ban on all 5.45x39. Surplus is still being imported as well as new ammo being imported. Yes, 7N6 is no longer being imported but there is plenty of 5.45 still being imported. I would not turn away from a 5.45x39 over ammunition fears.

 

If you want cheap to shoot just buy a 7.62x39. It is as cheap as anything else out there. Magazines are everywhere and cheap. And there is no way 7.62x39 is going away because there are too many AKs in the world in that caliber.

 

BTW, you can buy steel 30 round 223 AK magazines for $8 each. Just bought a bunch of them at that price. Or you can get polymer magazines for $7 each.

 

I have had a 223 AK and realized I should have probably gotten the 7.62x39 version so I went ahead and order it. The 7.62x39 will be cheaper to shoot as well as easier, in the long run, to get magazines.

 

And if I wanted a gun that took AR magazines I would buy an AR. They are going to be as reliable as an AK for most shooters.

[viscero]

There is NO import ban on all 5.45x39. Surplus is still being imported as well as new ammo being imported. Yes, 7N6 is no longer being imported but there is plenty of 5.45 still being imported. I would not turn away from a 5.45x39 over ammunition fears.

 

If you want cheap to shoot just buy a 7.62x39. It is as cheap as anything else out there. Magazines are everywhere and cheap. And there is no way 7.62x39 is going away because there are too many AKs in the world in that caliber.

 

BTW, you can buy steel 30 round 223 AK magazines for $8 each. Just bought a bunch of them at that price. Or you can get polymer magazines for $7 each.

 

I have had a 223 AK and realized I should have probably gotten the 7.62x39 version so I went ahead and order it. The 7.62x39 will be cheaper to shoot as well as easier, in the long run, to get magazines.

 

And if I wanted a gun that took AR magazines I would buy an AR. They are going to be as reliable as an AK for most shooters.

I never said there was a ban on all 5.45.  Just the surplus.  Yes there is still 5.45 being imported but it is not ultra cheap like the surplus which puts it pretty even on cost with cheap .223 that is also imported.

 

The OP was looking for opinions between 5.45 and .223.  I agree that a 7.62x39 AK is almost a requirement but he wanted opinions on those two calibers.

 

As for the AR mags, the OP wanted opinions on conversions that made either caliber in a '74 style AK any better or reliable.

Edited September 8, 2014 by viscero

[Grand Torino]

Thanks for everyone's input about the 74's and the two ammo options. It's all been informative and enlightening. :up:

[RC3]

And the 5.45 is a dream to fire. Not to mention, its an amazing rifle. But I would steer clear of the polymer mags in the time being since they are a massive hit or miss. Metal is the way to go. 

[R1100R]

I have been shooting the 5.45 round for years. I even got one of the first AR's when they became available in 5.45.

Unlike what some others have posted I have had the best luck from Bulgarian and Polish polymer 5.45 AK mags.

 

I was buying surplus 5.45 for 102.00 a spam can FOB in Atlanta and stocked up pretty well between my brother and I.

 

I have a .223 Saiga and getting mags to work has been a nightmare beside the factory 10 rounder. The magazines are expensive also. Need to get with Dolomite to find out where  he is getting the cheap .223 AK Mags LOL

 But on that note it does shoot well.

Edited September 8, 2014 by R1100R

[Armed Aviator]

Thanks all, Because of this thread, I'm now gonna have to add an AK-74 to my colletion jeeeeezzz. :surrender:

[RC3]

Thanks all, Because of this thread, I'm now gonna have to add an AK-74 to my colletion jeeeeezzz. :surrender:

Its worth it. And hogue makes a damn fine grip for it. And other parts.