I'm gonna go check out the gun show this weekend and look for an AK. I've read quite a bit on the net, but most is about how to tell a gun thats worth $1200 from one that's not. I'm not going to be using this rifle much, and just want one for the hell of it. Looking to spend $500 or less.
So, how do I find what is absolute crap from whats not? I realize I'm in the crap price range, but what should I absolutely look for and avoid? Someday I want to buy a preban maadi, but for now I just want something.

 

if your looking for something close to a ak look for a saiga its basicly the same stampings and parts just offered in several different calibers 7.62, 308 and some others. also iirc they run around 5 or 6 bills.
if you do find a ak try to get one that all the numbers match on it. if they dont then its just a pile of surplus parts put together

 

I've read the saiga is a pretty decent low dollar option. Any advise on what to look at when I'm holding the gun? All I've really seen is cant on the front sight, mag slop, but no production features or anything.

 

just like a car look to see that the reciver and bolt both have the same stamped number and it dosent look like it been put on there with a dremel. If going for a ak try to get anything but a chineese version the russians are the best but ive heard the yugos and to bad. Most of em generall have the same features it just comes down to the quality of how well they were made.

me personally if it came to it and i could get a ak or spend a 100 or so more and get a saiga i would go with the saiga.

 

The AK Forum

 

I bought a Romanian SAR-1 though Century Arms several years ago. Came with a 10 rd mag, a 40 rd mag, receiver scope mount, sling, laminated stock/hand guard and cleaning kit for $300 bucks. Typical stamped receiver unit but pretty good quality. Goes BANG every time I pull the trigger. It's chewed through several thousand rounds of Wolf 122 gr hollow-points with nary a hitch. Got a cheap-o BSA red-dot scope mounted on it as the factory iron sights suck. Can make 100yd shots on a paper plate off-hand without too much drama.

 

Thats the great thing bout AKs as long as you have a decent one they hardley ever dont go bang and usually if that happens its a problem with the ammo.

on a side note what that wolf ammo it may be cheap but it can be very unreliable. Weve had several that the cases split upon firing. thank god for the quality of old russian guns is all i gotta say

 

To the best of my knowledge, I've never had a Wolf case split. Then again, my commie rifle chucks the empties about 10 yards away into the weeds and the Wolf cases are steel and non-reloadable so I don't go digging for them.

Would you believe back when I bought the SAR-1, I bought an entire 1000 round case of Wolf for $69.99! Never see those prices again. Knowing then what I know now, I would have bought 20 cases!