FIRST OFF, Southern Ohio Gun Distributors (SOG International) STILL continues to FALSELY CLAIM that Romanian FPK/PSL (Romak-3) rifles are supposedly 'REAL' Russian SVD Dragunovs, misspelling Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova as a "Snayperska Vintovka Dragunova", as SOG tries to impress people by using Russian words to FALSELY DESCRIBE a CHEAP stamped Romanian PSL (Puska Semi-Automata Luneta, or Scoped Semi-Automatic Rifle), that's basically a stretched RPK (Ruchnoi Pulyemet Kalashnikova = Handheld 'Bullet-Thrower' Kalashnikov) that the Russians call an FPK, or Feyderov Pulyemet Kalashnikova, or Kalashnikov 'Bullet-Thrower' that fires Feyderov cartidges (7.62 x 54R ammo), and which has a very crude AKM style trigger group!
In addition, Steven (S.P.) Fjestad (of the Blue Book of Gun Values) also mistates this FAKE DRAGUNOV FALLACY, as he calls the Romanian FPK "a Dragunov with a new CNC milled Receiver...", where Fjestad also suggests that he doesn't seem to know stamped receivers from milled receivers, in the Century Arms section of his 'Blue Book of Gun Values.
Fjestad's Blue Book of Gun Values, also states that a Norinco Type 86 Bullpup AK-47 somehow has a 'folding stock'???
What are the best AK-47's for sale in the U.S.A as of 2005?
Also, until the ATF stops trying to keep this information 'TOP SECRET' as a tool to arrest people they don't like [selective enforcement - an ATF trademark?] and posts this information on its website...
We will iss THIS WARNING: WHILE MAK-90 RILFES ARE USUALLY THE RIFLE WE RECOMMEND as "The Best ENTRY-LEVEL/low-priced AK-47 variant" for sale in America today, STAY AWAY from MAK-90 rifles imported by the importer "Le Banu" of upstate New York, (but NOT ALL MAK-90 Rifles, as some will incorrectly infer), that are marked with 3 position fire-control selector markings (sometimes in Chinese characters, other times with the letters L, D, S for the 3 positions on the right side of the receiver), as the ATF classifies these as "ILLEGAL MACHINEGUN RECEIVERS" with, or without the receiver being drilled for a 3rd axis pin!
Also, there are some Maadi ARM rifles out there with what the ATF terms as an 'Illegal Machinegun Receiver", as well as some of the early CLAYCO AK-47 imports, that will be marked with the words, "Modifications to this Rifle are Unsafe & Illegal", again whether or not the 3rd axis pin hole is drilled in the receiver.
Finally, while many would never think that a pellet/bb gun would ever earn them a FELONY - THINK AGAIN -as the ATF has declared certain models of Russian AK-74 style Izhmash/Baikal BB/Pellet Guns as "ILLEGAL MACHINEGUN RECEIVERS"!!!
This silly "Once a Machinegun - ALWAYS a MACHINEGUN" ruling by the ATF ignores the fact that these former Izhmash manufactured AK-74's have had their trigger groups fully removed, and replaced wuth a large hole cut in bottom of the receiver, which then accepts a Baikal BB/Pellet pistol, that then sits inside the former AK-74's receiver and fires its BB's and Pellets through what is an enlarged hollow cleaning rod, as the rifle's original barrel is plugged to prevent 'projectiles' from passing through the barrel!
Remember, the ATF fully realizes that if they take your rifle, your attorney fees will easily outweigh the cost of the rifle, so BE CAREFUL when buying some of these imports, or send pictures of the rifle to sales@ak47world.com until we post some pictures of these rifles!
While the market is currently flooded with low-price so-called Romanian AK-47's, like the WASR-10 & SAR-1 AKM variants, a SMART AK-47 buyer would be wiser to buy an AK-47 variant made in a foreign arsenal, unless that buyer is prepared to spend more money for one of the better-made U.S. assembled AK-47 variants from Arsenal USA, or Krebs Kustoms, or VECTOR Arms.
Note: not all SAR-1 variants are bad, but far too many have problems than we've seen with Norinco type 56 stamped AK-47 variants, like the MAK-90, NHM-90, and Chinese RPK Sporter known as the NHM-91, and why U.S.N. SEAL TEAMS & the Finnish Defence Force (FDF) of FINLAND, as well as Hamas, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Northern Alliance, & Bill Clinton's drug-smuggling 'friends' at the Kosovo Liberation Front' also CHOSE NORINCO stamped type 56 AKM rifles!
Through the years of handling & firing AK-47 variants, we've found out quickly what AK's have problems, and what AK's do not. (like the good Maadi ARM & RPM rifles, as compared to the bad Maadi rifles, like the MISR-90 and certain batches of Romanian/U.S. modified S.A.R./WASR-10 series rifles)
The Navy Seals and the Military Defense Council of Finland, both selected Norinco of China to supply Chinese type 56 AK-47 rifles, which are virtually identical (except for select-fire components) to the Norinco MAK-90, & without the MAK-90's thumbhole stock).
THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING, as the GALIL AK's, F.E.G.'s from Hungary, Arsenal of Bulgaria, and Russian AK's were all tested against the Chinese Norinco, and the Norinco came out on top as the most rugged, and best value DUE TO THE USE OF THICKER 1.5MM STAMPED CHINESE RECEIVERS, DOUBLE-HOOK TRIGGERS FOR SMOOTHER TRIGGER-PULL, and thicker Chinese barrels, despite the fact that it would have been easier for Finland and the U. S. Navy Seals to buy AK-47 variants from other Eastern European, or Russian sources.
Finally, Norinco of China, Zastava of Yugoslavia, and Valmet/Sako of Finland all use at least 1.5mm steel for their stamped receivers on their AK variants, thus eliminating the need for "mickey-mouse" anti-trip devices (band-aid that does not solve the problem of too thin receivers) found in the trigger groups of thinner 1mm steel receivers of Warsaw-Pact AKM's.
AKM is the Russian term of: Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizya , which means modernized AK-47, referring to the stamped AKM versus the milled AK-47 of 1947.
Warsaw-Pact AKM's include: Soviet/Russian mfg.,F.E.G. of Hungary (SA-85's, etc.), and Romanian W.U.M.-1's, W.U.M.-2's, S.A.R.1, S.A.R.2, S.A.R. 3's, as well as Maadi AKM's, RML, RPM, and the MISR-90.
What does receiver thickness and the lack of "mickey-mouse" anti-trip device that only complicates your trigger group, mean to AKM performance???
Simple, if you only fire your thinner receiver AKM variants lightly, you usually won't have any problems.
But if you need more out of your AK, like sustained fire/rapid fire, like with 75, or 100 round drums, or with other "extreme situations", the thicker 1.5mm stamped receivers found in Norinco, Valmet/Sako, and Zastava/Serbian rifles are more durable.
This means the thicker 1.5mm receiver AK's are a lot less likely to experience malfunctions like the thinner 1mm receiver AK's do, when the thicker receiver Chinese, Yugoslavian, or Valmet's get hot under rapid fire, sustained-fire situations, because there's less "fatigue", thus "flex" & jams, in the thicker 1.5mm steel receivers, than in the thinner-walled receivers of the Warsaw-Pact AKM-type rifles.
For more info, you can call us at our new phone # (786) 261-9273, or stay tuned for more info on this page to come soon!