Yugo AK-47, page 2

Well, some of what has been said here is actually close to the truth, other things (like the 7.62x39 having the flattest of trajectory and kicking like a mule) sound like it was pulled from the sky.

I am a long time collector of AKM’s and SKS’s, and to set the record straight the SKS (Simonov System Self-loading Carbine), although an excellent rifle in its own right, is a completely different platform then the AKM. They are similar and Kalashnikov defiantly used a few of the same design features in his rifle but the operating principles are very much different.

In the SKS family only the Russian is considered better quality then the Yugoslavian (AKA the Yugo M59/66) as far as SKS’s are concerned. Oh the Yugo is more “built” then the Russian (i.e. Every part of the gun is milled as opposed to stamped) as Yugo rounds were loaded “hotter” then their Soviet counterparts and the Yugo was designed to shoot rifle grenades off its end, a particularly violent affair on gun metal to be sure. When one disassembles a Yugoslavian SKS for the first time they, if they know anything about these rifles, are astonished at the craftsmanship that went into them.

But the Yugo’s lacked something every other SKS had, Chromed Barrels. This was due to Yugoslavia’s lack of Chrome ore deposits and dicey relations with Russia made trading for Chrome difficult to obtain at best. Now if your not using Surplus ammo (i.e. Corrosive primer ammo) then a chromed barrel is not all that important. And even if you are shooting surplus ammo, as long as you neutralize the corrosive salts that are deposited in the barrel and gas tube with some ammonia (even Windex will work here) soon after shooting it really will not effect the rifle.

Up until recently the Yugoslavian SKS’s could be had for $170.00 in un-issued new condition. They (in this writer’s opinion) were the best deal going in assault rifles. But unfortunately the supply has dried up. But, beware of “Used Surplus” Yugoslavian M59/66’s as corrosive ammo was used throughout the rifles life and has undoubtedly pitted the barrel and gas tube. You better know your stuff before going and buying one of these, as they are a roll of the dice.

Much the same that can be said of the Yugo SKS can also be said about the Yugo AKM. It is a very, very well built weapon. The receiver is a full 1.5mm in thickness (as opposed to the AK standard 1mm) generally speaking a receiver this thick goes on an RPK (a Russian Squad Automatic Weapon) a gun designed to shoot thousands of rounds in a single sitting. Its quality is without question but that quality comes at a price. It’s over 8.5 pounds empty. That’s a very heavy rifle for such a dainty round. And it to lacks a Chromed barrel. Once again not a big deal if the rifle is of new construction but if it was built from a surplus parts kit then it could be a problem. The lack of the standard com-bloc sight attchment on the receiver kinda is a minus though as it limits your abilities to mount the plethora of cheap quality eastern block scopes and Kobra family of Collimator sights, a product that nicely addresses one of the fundamental flaws of the AKM design, poor weapons sights. Overall this rifle is a good deal. Its price will go up without doubt and you should be pleased with your purchase and have it for a long time.

The Romanian AKM’s may not be as well built as a Yugoslav AK but it does have advantages over the Yugo. Its lighter, has a chrome barrel, has a com-block sight attachment and is generally considered to have the best 1mm receiver on the market. The SAR rifles are considered “the best” of the Romanian rifles but in truth they are all about the same. The “civilian” GPWASR10 has all of the features of the SAR but also possess a Tapco G2 trigger group that is superior to the standard Romanian trigger. I have had one of these rifles since it came out and even after 2,000 rounds I has never mis-fired, hang fired, Failed to feed....