Mebbe time to say farewell to AK rifles..?

[Ed L.]

Here's the shocker: A lot of the problems I listed were in Arsenal AK's.

I'll go ahead and say it: Arsenal has done a splendid job of marketing a product that is essentially as fraught with problems as anything from Century. They just have the mystique and the public belief that they are the "best." At this point even if I were into AK's still I wouldn't buy an Arsenal unless I could examine it with a fine-tooth comb in the LGS before purchase.

Ouch!

I have an SLR-107CR that I have never fired. I had it sent to noted AK Gunsmith Randy Kline of Sledgehammer arms who checked it out and duracoated it black, since I had heard stories about the Arsenal finishes being shit. I think he also smoothed out something with the trigger or something to address the issue of the trigger not returning. Some of the Arsenals were known to have this problem for the first few hundred rounds until something wore in.

Now I am hearing from you that they had problems with soft bolts, soft bolt carriers, and soft hammers--among other things.

[1168]

I have in the past honestly, in another country while passing through extremely remote areas. No often but it happened.

M

Thanks for clarifying that. I, too, have submerged rifles, and I still feel the AR /M4 is better than the AK.

[Doc Safari]

Ouch!

I have an SLR-107CR that I have never fired. I had it sent to noted AK Gunsmith Randy Kline of Sledgehammer arms who checked it out and duracoated it black, since I had heard stories about the Arsenal finishes being shit. I think he also smoothed out something with the trigger or something to address the issue of the trigger not returning. Some of the Arsenals were known to have this problem for the first few hundred rounds until something wore in.

Now I am hearing from you that they had problems with soft bolts, soft bolt carriers, and soft hammers--among other things.

I don't know that Arsenal had problems with soft bolts or bolt carriers. That was in Romanian AK's. Arsenal did have a small run of milled receivers that missed the heat-treating process. Yes, the company took care of those under warranty, but it should have never, ever , ever, NEVER ever have happened. You expect shit like that from a cave in the 'Stan but not from a company that claims 100+ years of manufacturing.

[RAM Engineer]

Good catch on the B West receiver. As I stated in my post a lot of the problems ARE due to monkeys in the US improperly doing things to meet 922(r) requirements. But since you can't really get around 922(r) requirements, I say it counts unless you've got nothing but pre-1989 ban AK's (and how many of those are all that common anymore?).

Here's the shocker: A lot of the problems I listed were in Arsenal AK's.

I'll go ahead and say it: Arsenal has done a splendid job of marketing a product that is essentially as fraught with problems as anything from Century. They just have the mystique and the public belief that they are the "best." At this point even if I were into AK's still I wouldn't buy an Arsenal unless I could examine it with a fine-tooth comb in the LGS before purchase.

Yep, I've had multiple Arsenal guns with problems over the years.

[RetroRevolver77]

I don't know that Arsenal had problems with soft bolts or bolt carriers. That was in Romanian AK's. Arsenal did have a small run of milled receivers that missed the heat-treating process. Yes, the company took care of those under warranty, but it should have never, ever , ever, NEVER ever have happened. You expect shit like that from a cave in the 'Stan but not from a company that claims 100+ years of manufacturing.

Were those the US made cut receivers? The ones they finished out here? I don't recall this exactly.

[Arik]

I don't know that Arsenal had problems with soft bolts or bolt carriers. That was in Romanian AK's. Arsenal did have a small run of milled receivers that missed the heat-treating process. Yes, the company took care of those under warranty, but it should have never, ever , ever, NEVER ever have happened. You expect shit like that from a cave in the 'Stan but not from a company that claims 100+ years of manufacturing.

Arsenal aside I'd say what you're asking for is impossible, 100 years or not. Find me Colts, BCM, Glocks, Berettas, HKs...etc...that have never, ever , ever, NEVER ever have a problem!

[Doc Safari]

Were those the US made cut receivers? The ones they finished out here? I don't recall this exactly.

The Arsenals? IIRC it was a small batch of the first run 5.56 milled AK's made in Vegas. Only a handful were affected so chances are you didn't get one. That was back when Arsenal did literally TINY production runs.

[RetroRevolver77]

Yep, I've had multiple Arsenal guns with problems over the years.

Other than crooked sights when they didn't have that alignment jig- that's been about it. I think their newer production milled guns are very nice but I have to many AKM's to switch over- though I am considering it. As I get older the less I care about "nostalgia", it's weird. I just want stuff that works.

[Doc Safari]

Full disclosure: My experience with Arsenal ended about 2010, so if their QC problems have been eliminated then I wouldn't know about it.

[Arik]

Other than crooked sights when they didn't have that alignment jig- that's been about it. I think their newer production milled guns are very nice but I have to many AKM's to switch over- though I am considering it. As I get older the less I care about "nostalgia", it's weird. I just want stuff that works.

They're still crooked. I haven't bought any in a long time but I still see then in stores. And how can you sell a rifle without having proper tools? For the amount of money they charge crooked sights shouldn't be a thing