Do WASR 10s Still Have Original Barrels...?

[SteyrAUG]

Got to thinking about this.

If you import a Romanian AK "parts kit" it doesn't have a factory original barrel. But if the CAI rifles still have them, one could use that as a parts kit and have the rifle rebuilt onto a Nodak receiver and the result would be a pretty solid AK (I'm assuming the WASRs are using G2 fire control groups or that would also have to be done.)

Sure it would be almost as expensive as an Arsenal, which is why nobody is doing it. But if ever there comes a day when there will be no more imports, sounds like an easy upgrade.

[TOrrock]

Most if not all of the WASR's I've seen in the past two or three years are actually built off of the Gardia rifles that were sold in to the US as the G series parts kits.

So, they're already "kit builds", just built up in Romania on a single stack receiver.

People have been doing something similar....

When APEX had the Egyptian Maadi kits without barrels, they'd sell you a Romanian pulled barrel to complete the kit.

[Sciuirse Morrigna]

I think the way it goes is that since the Romanian WASRs are built on a single stack receiver, they can be imported as sporting rifles, and do not need to have the receivers or barrels destroyed. Ones imported with standard receivers have to have both receiver and barrel destroyed (the Saigas being exempt because they don't use standard cap AK mags from the factory).

I don't know if they still do it, but Rifle Dynamics used to be willing to disassemble a WASR and use it as a kit, but it cost as miuch as a Saiga conversion, so why pick a Romanian parts kit when you can have a real Russian AK for roughly the same price?

[m4brian]

I thought I had read that something changed as to the wasr barrels because of the 'barrel ban'. Anyone know for sure? I thought they might be "new production" from another source...

Probably not cost effective to use as kit unless you can do a cheap build. Otherwise arsenal is better deal all the way around. Are romanian barrels worth it?

[.45fmjoe]

New WASRs have to be rebuilt in the country with new virgin Romanian barrels because of a new ATF decision. How they are now originally imported is beyond me.

[SteyrAUG]

I think the way it goes is that since the Romanian WASRs are built on a single stack receiver, they can be imported as sporting rifles, and do not need to have the receivers or barrels destroyed. Ones imported with standard receivers have to have both receiver and barrel destroyed (the Saigas being exempt because they don't use standard cap AK mags from the factory).

I don't know if they still do it, but Rifle Dynamics used to be willing to disassemble a WASR and use it as a kit, but it cost as miuch as a Saiga conversion, so why pick a Romanian parts kit when you can have a real Russian AK for roughly the same price?


I was thinking in terms of the days when such things aren't as available.