Tell me about the MOLOT Vepr in 308

**QuickStrike** · 06-18-17, 19:15

Hot for autoloading 308's lately. The current HK-91 and FAL offerings are kinda meh..

So tell me about these?

http://www.k-var.com/shop/FM-AK308-22-Vepr-rifle.html

Reliable? Durable?

Already have a SCAR17s for my modern 7.62 flavor.

**SomeOtherGuy** · 06-18-17, 20:48

It's a sporterized RPK that's chambered in .308 Win. Kind of a rare duck and I don't know of any military version of it. The VEPR rifles in general are well made mechanically and pretty good cosmetically, though in line with what you'd expect of something Russian vs. some high end western rifle. The bolt has 3 functional lugs but otherwise everything is basically AKM (since the RPK is basically AKM). The one I've shot had very mild recoil and functioned perfectly, but it was a single range session.

Magazine options are very limited. You may be able to get Russian made 5 and 10 round mags. You can get US-made 10 and 20 round mags at:
http://stores.csspecs.com/vepr-308-magazine-20-round/

AFAIK those are your only options. I don't know if you can adapt Galil .308 mags or anything else to fit.

I expect the VEPR to be both reliable and durable, but if something does break I don't know where you will find any spare parts that are not standard AKM - like your bolt, for example.

**RetroRevolver77** · 06-19-17, 10:33

I'd probably say it would be worth getting if you plan on picking up additional magazines right off the bat- just in case. I had that same stock on a Vepr 12 and it's OK, the cheek piece flipping around is annoying but comfortable. My understanding is that they made that rifle with a 23" barrel and a 16" barrel but haven't seen the 16" barrel available. You can always have the barrel chopped if needed later and personally I'd probably have it chopped around 17" to 18" if it were mine. Overall, it has a hammer forged chrome lined barrel. It is a piston fed rifle. Being an AK variant, it will be extremely reliable but optics mounting is less than ideal though you can easily fit a number of various optics or rails on it without issue. Overall, I'd say it would be the most reliable .308 semi-auto rifle you can purchase for that kind of money.

Legion also has these for sale;

https://www.legionusa.com/saiga-vepr...-for-sale.html

7n6

**themonk** · 06-19-17, 12:21

If you are looking for an end of the world 308 the vepr fits the bill. One of my good friends has the 16in barrel version with the thumbhole stock and is his prefered SHTF rifle. The 16 inch is in the link the 7n6 posted. He is running csspecs mags and they seem good. The whole weapon is heavy but cheap. His gun is a 2.5 moa gun. I have only shot a sample of one but I love me an AK.

Would I recommend you get one? I think it depends on what you are looking for. IMO I think this is the starting point (leaving the FAL and HK91 out of it) for a solid 308, then probably next to the G2 which is double the cost (I have heard theses are hit or miss - some are solid MOA shooters and some are crap), then to a SCAR (which is where I ended up) and from there a SR-25.

I was going to get a VEPR but the weight killed it for me. The 16 inch with the wood stock is 9.5lb. optics and a mag and your are at full blown pig. In the end I wanted something lighter and more accurate. The SCAR 17 fit the bill. You can find a used black SCAR cheap and put a KDG rail on it and it's an awesome rifle that is a solid 1.5 moa and if you really put the work in you can get MOA out of it.

**SomeOtherGuy** · 06-19-17, 12:44

Not trying to be argumentative but I will anyway...

Originally Posted by 7n6

Being an AK variant, it will be extremely reliable but optics mounting is less than ideal though you can easily fit a number of various optics or rails on it without issue. Overall, I'd say it would be the most reliable .308 semi-auto rifle you can purchase for that kind of money.

Why the most reliable? You can get a PTR91 or various FAL clones for right around the same $900-1000, and the magazines are military surplus, well proven, and much cheaper than $42 each.

A properly made G3 or FAL is an extremely reliable rifle, both being about as well proven as the AKM. There are bad ones out there but good ones too. Parts availability is still good, and you can actually get a warranty on new ones. I know OP said he wasn't interested in these right now.

Originally Posted by themonk

If you are looking for an end of the world 308 the vepr fits the bill. ***The whole weapon is heavy but cheap. His gun is a 2.5 moa gun. I have only shot a sample of one but I love me an AK.

At $899 it's not that cheap, and if you can't easily get crucial spare parts (like the bolt) I'm not sure about the TEOTWAKI factor. The barrel is not easily replaceable nor can you get a replacement, and the receiver, which is a stressed part, is not replaceable. Someone shooting high round counts like for 3-gun would want to consider longevity. G3 receivers are not stressed. FAL receivers are stressed but last almost forever (80,000+ rounds in testing for 1950's era ones, and new ones probably last longer because of improved steel and manufacturing techniques) and FAL barrels are relatively easy to replace, even with a home workshop. It's more likely that someone would pass a rifle on to their kids for continued use vs. be roaming the wastes around Thunderdome without a cleaning kit.

I have a VEPR and an FAL, and I've had a PTR91 in the past. I like collecting and trying things out. I think the VEPR is a cool rifle and I'm keeping mine, but I don't consider it an ideal "TEOTWAKI" rifle. I do look at it as something like the late 80's Chinese AKs - today it's a little offbeat but easy to find, but in 20 years it's probably going to be off the market and have some collector value, or at least interest. OP, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for this kind of use, and personally I would get the wood stock model for looks. The wood stock is actually quite nice and ergonomic.

Other offbeat .308 options to consider today might include the .308 Galil, the "manana" Desert Tech MDR, and the Kel-Tec RFB...

**RetroRevolver77** · 06-19-17, 13:01

Originally Posted by SomeOtherGuy

Not trying to be argumentative but I will anyway...

Why the most reliable? You can get a PTR91 or various FAL clones for right around the same $900-1000, and the magazines are military surplus, well proven, and much cheaper than $42 each.

A properly made G3 or FAL is an extremely reliable rifle, both being about as well proven as the AKM. There are bad ones out there but good ones too. Parts availability is still good, and you can actually get a warranty on new ones. I know OP said he wasn't interested in these right now.

Why would a Vepr AK be more reliable than an FAL or G3 type? Because long stroke gas piston and reciprocating charging handle.

7n6