Hardly a half hour goes by without some news show flashing images of AK-47s from one of the world's hotspots. From Afghanistan to Zaire, the rifle's silhouette is unmistakable. In fact, some US troops in Iraq who were pressed into service as trigger pullers from their normal non-infantry roles have taken to carrying AKs – both because of the shortage of longarms and because of the AK's superior reliability and durability in adverse conditions compared to the US M-16.

Author's AK, the silhouette of which is unmistakable.

After owning guns for nearly 30 years it is no surprise that I would develop an interest in owning a civilian semi-automatic version of the most prolific select-fire combat rifle in the world. Buying an AK is no easy task, however, as there is such a variety to choose from.  Models avaliable hail from many countries and boast divergent features.  They also span a wide spectrum of prices.

I knew that I wanted an AK with a fixed stock rather than a folding one.  I also wanted a standard pistol grip rather than the later-made thumbhole stock.  In short, I wanted an AK like most of the ones I saw on TV. I also decided I wanted an AK in the original caliber: 7.62 x 39mm, as opposed to some of the other calibers available, like the US 5.56mm or Russian 5.45mm.

Thumbhole stock, common on post-import-ban AKs.

It is important to realize that AK-47 is a generic term for many similar rifles that are manufactured in a number of countries under a variety of configurations.  The original AK-47 entered service in the Soviet Union in 1949.  Its receiver was milled and the gun weighed about 9.5 lbs. At a gun show I held a Chinese reproduction of this early version that had a milled receiver and found I did not like the feel or balance. I preferred the balance and feel of the 7 lb. AKM version.

The AKM is an updated version of the AK-47 introduced in 1959.  It utilized a lighter stamped receiver.  While the AKM version is somewhat lighter, it is nevertheless solidly constructed.  When you pick one up you get the feeling that you would have no trouble bashing someone's head in with it if need be, without damaging the rifle's functionality.  This is something that cannot be said for some of today's newer military weapons.

Despite the differences in AK variants, "AK-47" has become a generic term referring to all AK-type weapons. The quickest way to tell the difference by looking is to focus on the spot above the magazine well. The older AK-47 and guns designed in this pattern have a large rectangular indentation, while AKM types have a small oval dimple.

Older-pattern receiver showing square indentation above magazine well..

Newer-pattern AKM receiver with oval dimple above magazine well.

Civilian AK's can be divided into several categories.  Two of these are pre-ban and post-ban.

Pre-ban guns are those imported before the Import Ban of 1989, which banned the importation of semiauto rifles and shotguns that had any more than two of the following characteristics: a folding or collapsible stock; a pistol grip; the ability to accept detachable magazines with a capacity in excess of ten rounds; a flash suppresser; a bayonet lug.

Guns manufactured before this import ban that have these features now sell at a premium – anywhere from $800 - $1500 USD and more, depending on the make and model, features, and the number imported.

To sidestep these restrictions, some AKs were manufactured without a bayonet lug and with a ridiculous looking thumbhole stock instead of a pistol grip.  I desired an AK that looked like an AK and had no desire to spend the sum of money that pre-ban AKs commanded.   Also, when I finally got to handle a MAK-90, I discovered the pistol grip portion of the thumbhole stock was way too big to afford a good grip.  It was easily three to four times as wide as the pistol grips on other AKs on the market.  I spoke with The Martialist's publisher, Phil Elmore, and he confirmed that his own MAK-90 had this very thick pistol grip area.

Publisher Phil Elmore (around 1997) with his own AK clone, a Chinese-made MAK-90
equipped with what author Block considers the "ridiculous looking" thumbhole stock.

I learned that there was a way around the import ban. According to a clause in that law, any gun that had at least 5 specific parts of its fire control (read trigger group) manufactured in the US could be considered US-made and could have two so-called "assault rifle" features. As luck would have it, a fair number of AKM variants were imported from Romania. Known as the SAR-1, the rifles had these parts changed out to make them legal in the US with pistol grips but without bayonet lugs. At the time I started looking for one, they sold for affordable prices – typically in the $300-$400 USD range.  As of this writing, prices are about $50 USD higher.

Researching further, learned that there were companies like Global Trades and Arsenal  whose employees manufacture AKs in the US. These companies use a variety of Chinese or Eastern European parts along with parts of their own manufacture to craft rifles in a variety of configurations. After investigating both companies, I eliminated Arsenal because they manufactured their guns from the heavier milled receivers. I later eliminated Global Trades when I learned that they switched from using Hungarian made receivers to US-manufactured ones. I wanted an AK that was as authentic and close to Eastern European in origin as possible.  I therefore elected to go for a Romanian AK, which would eventually run a few hundred USD cheaper than the US-made variants.

Buying my SAR-1 was not a matter of simply going to a nearby gun store. They had recently stopped being imported and even distributors did not have them.  I had to search the various online sites that sell guns – sort of the classified ads and eBays of the gun world. These sites included: http://www.auctionarms.com, http://www.gunbroker.com,  and http://www.gunsamerica.com. I was careful to buy only from someone with at least a few dozen positive ratings and few to no negatives. Once I bought the gun through one of these sites, I was responsible for contacting the seller and arranging to have him ship the gun to a Federal Firearms License holder near me, where I would go through the same legal process to pick it up as I would if I were normally buying a gun at a shop. 

I was now ready to buy my SAR-1.

Wait – not so fast.  I found that many of these rifles advertised as Romanian AKs were not true AKs at all but WASRs – AKs manufactured to accept single-column 10-round magazines and then modified to accept regular AK dual column high capacity magazines after they were imported to the US. These guns were known to have problems sometimes accepting standard AK magazines.  They were themselves not authentic AKs, so I chose to avoid buying a WASR. The guns can be distinguished by looking at the receivers. The SARs have a typical AKM style dimple above the magazine well, while the WASRs have no dimple.

WASR receiver, which lacks the dimple above the magazine well.

My search was becoming more difficult. As the only way to find a Romanian SAR-1 was through various Internet auction sites, I had to be sure of what I was getting.  Many pictures were not precise enough to distinguish the guns, and some sellers were not sure of the difference. Another problem that plagues some SARs is canted sights and/or gas tubes. I had to be very careful and ask the right questions. This proved a tiresome task because many sellers did not list a contact phone number.

A canted gas tube on an AK variant.

At the time I was searching there seemed to be a drought of SARs.  I finally found someone who had one for a reasonable price ($339 USD), but the only one he had had a canted front sight. I initially agreed to buy it for that price if he fixed the front sight, as he stated that he knew a gunsmith who had done it a few times.  Later, he claimed that the gunsmithing would cost extra. I should have taken his changing the conditions of sale as a warning of what was to come, but I agreed to pay extra to have the work done. He told me to call him back in a few days to give him a chance to contact the gunsmith, since the man had a different daytime job. The few days stretched into several weeks and the seller ultimately stopped returning my phone calls. Since I did agree to purchase a gun from that individual, I was reluctant to buy one from someone else until the status of the deal was more definitive. After all, the guy could just be out of town and he had always answered my calls before.

I decided to look for other SAR-1s and found an advertisement with the same seller but a different phone number. When I tried the number a familiar voice answered without stating a name. But when I identified myself he said, "Just a minute" and handed the phone to the same assistant with whom I had been leaving messages.

"Was that Jerry?" I asked her. She insisted that it wasn't and was just someone in the store. When I pushed the issue and pointed out that the voice sounded like Jerry's, she amended her story to say that it was the man's father. This had turned into something out of junior high school. I decided that I was done dealing with him and ultimately found another SAR-1 for about $365 USD. This price included one 10 round magazine and two 30 rounders, a sling, and a cleaning kit.  It also included shipping by UPS, which would normally add another $25 USD to the total cost. 

I contacted a local gun store to send the shipper a copy of the FFL, a legal necessity before the seller could send the gun to the store.  Within a week the gun arrived at the store and I went to pick it up. The store charged an additional $25 USD to handle the paperwork.

I was quite impressed with my AK when I finally got to pick it up. It felt solid and the wood from the stock and fore-end was surprisingly nice, with a rich cherry-like shade. Racking the action reminded me of opening an old-fashioned manual elevator door. It felt loose in the sense that you could drop a handful of sand and grit in the action and it would still function – a reassuring looseness, not a "bucketful of bolts" sensation.

Author's SAR-1 with high-capacity magazines.

Before the gun arrived I spent some time carefully studying up on it, consulting with a friend who is an AK expert and buying some supplies that I would need. One item I bought was an AK sight adjustment tool, which resembles a thumbscrew. Although a lot of fun, AKs are anything but user-friendly. Adjusting the sight for windage can be accomplished with a special tool or by pounding the sight drum with a padded hammer. Neither method is precise like those used with modern military rifles, which feature sights that can be adjusted specific distances by definite clicks. Adjusting the AK sight for elevation (moving the point of impact up or down) is as easy as using the tool to twist the sight the way one would turn a screw. Adjusting it for windage (right and left) can be very frustrating, however, because you are cranking the drum with the tool without knowing exactly what's happening.

AK sight adjustment tool.

When I got the AK to the range I found that the accuracy was about what I expected. Depending on the specific brand of ammo used, firing from the bench at 100 yards, the gun would put five shots into a group varying from three to eight inches, with most groups in the six inch range. By comparison, a standard grade AR-15 (the civilian semi-auto version of the M-16) will usually group five shots into two to three inches under similar circumstances. The AR-15 has much better sights, is tighter-fitting, and its cartridge and ammo are more inherently accurate.  My SAR-1 was not bought with the expectation of shooting tight groups, however. It was bought to be a fun gun to shoot and an interesting collector's piece, purchased at a reasonable price.  It fulfills those requirements in spades.

Instrumental in helping me learn about the different variants of AKs and in helping me decide which one to buy was my good friend Paul Gomez, head instructor with Options for Personal Security.  Paul is completing a book on the AK that will be published by Paladin Press.  Look for it in the future.

Despite the minor issues I've listed here, I got what I wanted and am pleased with my purchase.  I now own an AK that is as authentic as possible and which will put rounds downrange despite all manner of abuse.

My AK odyssey wasn't all fun and games, but ultimately it was worth it.

AK-47 Information

http://www.ak-47.net/ak47/index.html

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jfreeman246/index.htm

Romanian SAR AK Information

http://www.gunsnet.net/Linx310/model.htm

http://savvysurvivor.com/gearreviewromanian_ak_rifles.htm

AK Forums

http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=77

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/