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I own numerous AKs including a fully-converted to AK-101 config Saiga .223, Arsenal SGL-21, AES-10B, and WASR-10/63. IMO the WASR is definitely not as well fit & finished as the Saiga and Arsenal. Guess what though? It has never, ever failed to feed, fire, and eject. For target groupings, it hangs with the SGL-21 and AES-10B (both 7.62x39) just fine out to 200 yards, though the AES-10B starts to pull forward a bit there due to longer/heavier barrel. The WASR-10/63 also comes with a new cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrel, which is a feature generally only available with the higher-priced imported AKs from Saiga/Arsenal, Chinese AKs, AMD-65s, and several others.
Take your time and look at some WASRs in person. Make sure the sights are straight, make sure it is of a recent build date of at least 2010 - this info is available on the tag included on the shipment from Century, and the shop should be able to provide it to you. Insert all of the included magazines into the magwell to check for function, and understand that ALL AKs have some amount of magazine wobble if you find that the mags are a little loose.
I love my WASR and will never sell it, at all. Since the price has come up on them in the last few years, they are not as great of a value buy as they once were. Still, they're very underrated AKs that have a bad reputation attached to them. Most of that was earned during the election scare of 2008, when Cugir of Romania was under huge pressure to churn them out for panicking American buyers, and quality suffered. Since around 2010, QC has gone up quite a lot, and some of the newer WASRs being produced are top-notch guns, just a little rough around the edges out of the box appearance-wise.
Refinish the factory wood or throw some other furniture on there (personal favorite is Bulgarian AK-74 wood furniture from APEX gun parts, $35) and that WASR will look like a million bucks, and go bang every time you pull the trigger.
Good luck!
Take your time and look at some WASRs in person. Make sure the sights are straight, make sure it is of a recent build date of at least 2010 - this info is available on the tag included on the shipment from Century, and the shop should be able to provide it to you. Insert all of the included magazines into the magwell to check for function, and understand that ALL AKs have some amount of magazine wobble if you find that the mags are a little loose.
I love my WASR and will never sell it, at all. Since the price has come up on them in the last few years, they are not as great of a value buy as they once were. Still, they're very underrated AKs that have a bad reputation attached to them. Most of that was earned during the election scare of 2008, when Cugir of Romania was under huge pressure to churn them out for panicking American buyers, and quality suffered. Since around 2010, QC has gone up quite a lot, and some of the newer WASRs being produced are top-notch guns, just a little rough around the edges out of the box appearance-wise.
Refinish the factory wood or throw some other furniture on there (personal favorite is Bulgarian AK-74 wood furniture from APEX gun parts, $35) and that WASR will look like a million bucks, and go bang every time you pull the trigger.
Good luck!
