Iraqveteran8888 AK Meltdown Video: What Does This Mean for the WASR?

[Arik]

I personally wouldn't own a WASR, the SAR though is another matter and I own several that were properly un-banned. The WASR is a $300 rifle at best and I hate that they removed the magwell dimples welding in those shitty plates just to save a few pennies- whoever came up with that idea should be flogged.

Huh? The WASR never had dimples & was always a low cap (single stack) receiver. The magwell was opened up by Century to allow for high cap magazines.

This ^

They have to be important single stack IF it's in an AK config. If you want double stack it must be imported as a sporter like a Saiga

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[MountainRaven]

The DDIs are good guns, but I wouldn't put them in the same league as a factory Romanian.

I definitely wouldn't pay more for one...

Why?

Romanian barrel with Romanian gas block, Romanian FSB, and Romanian trunnion on a Romanian receiver?

[KalashniKEV]

Why?

Romanian barrel with Romanian gas block, Romanian FSB, and Romanian trunnion on a Romanian receiver?

Look at it in comparison to the HK predicament, pre-MKE/POF...

I could maybe-almost-somewhat-see buying a commercial spec American gun if it were the only possible avenue for obtaining such a weapon (i.e. HK hates you). Still, I probably wouldn't go buy a shitty American made FNC if they somehow became available...

AKs are not unobtainium. They're everywhere... from actual state arsenals. There are also high quality, often unfired, parts kits still available in the market.

So why would anyone consider a commercial spec American gun? I just don't know.

If I woke up and said, "Hey, I'm going to build an AK factory here!" the obvious route would be to deliver where there is demand in the market- by producing AKSU-types. One could differentiate from the Arsenal SLR-104 by offering the correct twist rate. Once tooled up for 5.45 AKSUs, I could also make '74s and deliver to that under-served market.

DDI seems to have inexplicably chosen the path of 7.62 AKMs... How can you possibly compete? On price? They're already pretty cheap... but no, you're actually going to charge more?

I don't understand it. It makes no sense to me.

[MountainRaven]

Three reasons I can think of to charge more:

1- DDI's guns will probably offer better accuracy.

2- DDI's guns are probably prettier. KG Gunkote and their "fenocite" finish is probably a better finish than the Romanian parkerizing. And I would imagine that DDI's guns generally ship with straight gas blocks and front sights and concentric bores.

3- DDI's warranty: Three years versus one and DDI has said that they have a one day turn around on all repairs.

And to be fair, we have Rifle Dynamics and Definitive Arms building parts kit AKs with new US barrels (probably better barrels than DDI's) and while Krebs is still using Bulgarian imports for their AK-103Ks, once used Serbian PAPs, and turn out VEPR-based rifles when they're able... most of their current guns are built on 100% made in USA Century C39V2s and RAS-47s.

So while I get that Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian, and MOLOT-import guns are made in the same plants that build their rifles for military contracts, it seems that the American market - including some of the best AK manufacturers in the US - have determined that there are some things that we do better with AKs than they do. Or at least than their US importers do.

[Mrgunsngear]

Three reasons I can think of to charge more:

1- DDI's guns will probably offer better accuracy.

2- DDI's guns are probably prettier. KG Gunkote and their "fenocite" finish is probably a better finish than the Romanian parkerizing. And I would imagine that DDI's guns generally ship with straight gas blocks and front sights and concentric bores.

3- DDI's warranty: Three years versus one and DDI has said that they have a one day turn around on all repairs.

And to be fair, we have Rifle Dynamics and Definitive Arms building parts kit AKs with new US barrels (probably better barrels than DDI's) and while Krebs is still using Bulgarian imports for their AK-103Ks, once used Serbian PAPs, and turn out VEPR-based rifles when they're able... most of their current guns are built on 100% made in USA Century C39V2s and RAS-47s.

So while I get that Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian, and MOLOT-import guns are made in the same plants that build their rifles for military contracts, it seems that the American market - including some of the best AK manufacturers in the US - have determined that there are some things that we do better with AKs than they do. Or at least than their US importers do.

Just a point of clarification. That RAS/C39V2 run of rifles was a one time distributor request. It won't be done again and is not part of the Krebs 'product line.'

[KalashniKEV]

Three reasons I can think of to charge more:

1- DDI's guns will probably offer better accuracy.

Think so?

I don't.

Green Mountain Barrels are known to be soft, and not the best.

Let's say David Fillers is the Mario Battale of AKs and Troy Sellers is Emeril Lagasse.

Would you eat a burger from McDonalds if it was built to their "custom spec" and stacked and assembled under their oversight?

What if it cost ~30% more than a burger from 5 Guys?

...new US barrels (probably better barrels than DDI's)

- including some of the best AK manufacturers in the US

Todd Baily was "the best HK manufacturer in the US" for a long time.

The garage builders today aren't much better.

Let's say US commercial barrels are fantastic... what about US commercial receivers... or any other part?

It only takes one tablespoon of dog crap into the mix of the Mario Battale's finest (non-imported ingredients) lasagna... it's dog crap lasagna.

[prdubi]

don't like his videos

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[RetroRevolver77]

Huh? The WASR never had dimples & was always a low cap (single stack) receiver. The magwell was opened up by Century to allow for high cap magazines.

The WASR is the SAR replacement. The SAR's came in without threaded muzzles or bayonet lugs but don't remember if they were originally single stack or not. Either way, I won't own a WASR but do own several SAR's.

[MountainRaven]

Just a point of clarification. That RAS/C39V2 run of rifles was a one time distributor request. It won't be done again and is not part of the Krebs 'product line.'

The AC-15 rifles (RAS/C39) are stocked by two of Krebs's three, "please buy guns from these great partners," uh, partners. And the third doesn't list any Krebs Custom firearms on their website. Even so, Copper Custom is asking for more money for their AC-15s than for their AK-103K and Atlantic is asking the same price for their AC-15Ms as what I recall paying for my AK-74K.

Think so?

I don't.

Green Mountain Barrels are known to be soft, and not the best.

Let's say David Fillers is the Mario Battale of AKs and Troy Sellers is Emeril Lagasse.

Would you eat a burger from McDonalds if it was built to their "custom spec" and stacked and assembled under their oversight?

What if it cost ~30% more than a burger from 5 Guys?

Todd Baily was "the best HK manufacturer in the US" for a long time.

The garage builders today aren't much better.

Let's say US commercial barrels are fantastic... what about US commercial receivers... or any other part?

It only takes one tablespoon of dog crap into the mix of the Mario Battale's finest (non-imported ingredients) lasagna... it's dog crap lasagna.

Sample of one each: I now have a WASR and a DDI. I have outfitted both with Magpul MOE AKM handguards and Magpul Zhukov stocks. The WASR additionally has a Krebs Custom fast acquisition rear sight (basically a Fuller mod rear sight by Krebs - with a U-notch instead of a square notch, so I actually slightly prefer the Krebs to the RD version) while the DDI has a Krebs safety, an ALG AK-T trigger, and a Rifle Dynamics Fuller Mod rear sight. (Shooting the AK-T back-to-back with the Krebs-modified Tapco G2 in my AK-74S, I find the AK-T to be the superior trigger. Although both are single-stage and I frankly would prefer a two-stage.)

When I'm able, I'll lay in a small supply of Hornady and Lapua for accuracy testing (I think I have plenty of Tula), and an RS Regulate side mount plus AKR, rings, and some sort of 1-4/1-6/2.5-10 or maybe an AKOG and a TA33. Unless I lose interest before I get that far (like that's never happened: I might simply decide to dump both in favor of one Arsenal, Krebs, or Definitive Arms. We'll see).

So far both rifles seem to function just fine (although I have only run 60 rounds out of each of mixed Tula HPs and FMJs and what I think might be Golden Tiger), but they also have a couple mild disappointments WRT "fit & finish": The KG Gunkote on the DDI of course looks nicer than the WASR's rather rough parkerizing, but it seems that the applicator at DDI oversprayed the front trunnion, causing the rear sight to be sticky when the range is set out to 600 meters or beyond - leaving the sight sitting rather high when the slider is set back to 100 meters or even the "battle zero" settings, although a good whack sets it back to rights. The WASR suffers from the traditional WASR issue of a canted gas block, although as previously mentioned, it does not appear to affect function. The bigger issue with the WASR is that it doesn't play well with my steel combloc magazines, except my one Hungarian tanker mag - but it gets along with all my polymer mags just fine (Finnish, US PALM, and Magpul). The DDI gets along with all my mags. Both have one boogered rivet, the DDI's being one of the rear trunnion rivets while the WASR's is one of the side rail rivets.

At least I know I like the AK-T and the Zhukov stock.

[KalashniKEV]

The bigger issue with the WASR is that it doesn't play well with my steel combloc magazines, except my one Hungarian tanker mag - but it gets along with all my polymer mags just fine (Finnish, US PALM, and Magpul).

That's insane...