AK-47 collectors in the U.S. have faced numerous obstacles over the years. Since a true, all original, fully automatic Kalashnikov is not available to the ordinary citizen, several U.S. companies make semi-auto versions compliant under gun control laws using a mix of imported and domestic parts. Rifle quality and pricing varies drastically. From parts kits to complete AK-47 rifles, we’ve got buyer tips for the novice and serious collector in this Firearms First semi-auto AK47 buyer’s feature.

AK stands for Avtomat Kalashnikova, or “Kalashnikov Automatic rifle.”The AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations by Joe Poyer describes the history of the AK47 and variants such as Bulgarian, Chinese, Egyptian, East German, Hungarian, Iraqi, North Korean, Polish, Romanian, and Yugoslavian as well as many AK47 clones. However, our guide primarily focuses on the legalized semi-auto AK47 rifles available to U.S. collectors.

Intro to Consumer AK-47 Rifles

True AK-47 rifles are fully automatic, however, with the exception of class III dealers it is illegal to posses them in the U.S. despite the constitution. The full auto Class III Tax Stamp is, for all intents and purposes, next to impossible for the average U.S. citizen to get. Enter the semi-auto variants, from Chinese imports to U.S. manufactured receivers and parts, this is as close to legally owning a true AK-47 as the ordinary private citizen can get, in most states.

Under current federal law a semi auto AK-47 with sufficient U.S. parts made with a commercial receiver is legally available to the private citizen, in most states, without conviction of a felony. It is also legal to build an AK-47 yourself from a manufactured receiver provided by companies such as Tapco and Precision Metal Works.

Current market prices on complete rifles vary from around $300 to $1800. There are many available variants on the market today of varying quality and in many configurations. You will hear terms like “pre-ban” and “post-ban” also reflecting significant price differences.

You will have to decide if you are looking for an AK-47 that looks more historically authentic to a particular model, or if you prefer a modern, lightweight, sportsterized variant.

A. Hesse Model 47 / Model AMD 63
B. Norinco 84-S Chinese made .223
C. AK Concepts Tactical Pistol $750
D. Hungarian AMD 65 $500
E. Norinco NMH 90
F. Arsenal Inc AK74 Bulgarian Rifle $640
G. Polish Under Folder $630

Considerations Prior to Purchase

1. Quality and condition of rifle - If the rifle rattles excessively when handled (excluding the gas tube) then it may be prone to malfunction. A dinged up rifle or rusty one may have been poorly cared for or improperly stored. Avoid a rifle in poor condition for your safety as well as the investment value of the rifle.

2. Mechanical functionality - Ensure the trigger mechanism works, examine parts and, if permitted, field strip the rifle. Look for worn or rusty parts. Carbon deposits in the gas tube indicate a used rifle. A milled receiver is generally better than a stamped one.

3. Budget and price - Spend as much as you can for a good quality rifle. The low-end range tends to be rifles of poor quality with stamped receivers or those in rough condition. To save money, settle for a stamped receiver, or less valuable variant, but never settle on condition and functionality.

Illustration: Thumbhole AK47 Romanian (WSAR-10) $330 and Fiberforce Stock by Advanced Technology for the AK47 $60.00 both offered by Center Fire Systems.

Parts and Quality Specifics

The original AK-47 Type 1 fully automatic receiver was a stamped receiver, followed by several designs made with heavier milled receivers. Finally, in the late 1950’s the modern AKM receiver design utilized advanced welding to reduce the total rivet count for a stamped receiver. The lighter stamped AKM receiver was quick and inexpensive to produce. More AK-47 rifles were produced with stamped receivers so they are much more pervasive in the world today. The U.S. semiautomatic variants are available with either a milled or stamped receiver.

Receiver covers are available that are ribbed or non-ribbed. The ribbed receiver cover is stronger and better quality. Typically the ribbed receiver cover is painted black with raised bumps in the metal while the non-ribbed is blued. The non-ribbed variety is common on Chinese imports. Try to find one with a ribbed receiver cover, however, keep in mind this is an under $20 part.

Rifles with the double arm trigger tend to have a smoother trigger pull with less snap back. Identify a double arm trigger by looking at the cuts in the receiver where the trigger is hooked. If there are two holes in the bottom of the receiver with two pieces of metal hooking to the trigger, then it is the double arm trigger type, otherwise there will be only one hook shaped piece of metal on the trigger.

There’s a lot of talk about steel lined versus chrome-lined barrels. Yugo SKS rifles are often criticized for having a steel lined barrel. Most of your AK-47 rifles will have a chrome-lined barrel. Chrome is generally considered more durable and lower maintenance, however, some match shooters feel that steel offers greater accuracy.

illustration: Top, an Armory Arsenal AK-47 Model SSR-85C-2 and Bottom, a Vector Arms / ITM Arms Co. AK-47. These are in the $300 to $500 range.

Milled or Stamped Receiver Identification

Identification of the receiver type is relatively simple. A stamped receiver is made out of sheets of metal that are riveted together. The AKM stamped receiver has a small, shallow indentation approximately one-inch long on each side of the receiver centered directly above where the magazine attaches. This indentation is called a magazine guide. The stock and barrel sockets are also riveted onto the receiver.

There are no rivets on a machine milled receiver and it is considerably heaver. The sockets for barrel and stock attachment are milled into the receiver as well because the entire receiver is milled out of a solid block of steel. AK-47 Type 2 and 3 machined receivers have a long deep rectangular milled depression starting at the front of the receiver. This depression is nearly five-inches long and should not be confused with the magazine guide on AKM receivers. It too was a type of magazine guide and its depth and size an attempt to reduce overall receiver weight.

Many experts believe the semiautomatic milled receiver replacements for U.S. AK-47 rifles tend to be of a higher quality and are more accurate. For the Soviets, the final modern, fully automatic AKM receiver design represented a significant advancement in manufacturing technology. However, the semiautomatic receivers on the U.S. market today can be of varying manufacturing quality. The so-called match rifles are most commonly sold with milled receivers while many less expensive variants use AKM style stamped receivers. Note that AK-47 stocks that attach to one type of receiver will not attach to the other; hence a stock for a milled receiver will not work with one that is stamped.

illustration: A. Type I original Stamped B. Milled Receiver C. Modern AKM Stamped

Parts Kit or Complete Rifle

AK-47 rifles are often sold in many configurations such as semi-auto Chinese imports, the so-called “pre-ban” rifles, rifles built from a hybrid of U.S. made parts kits and imported parts or U.S. manufactured rifles. You can purchase a parts kit to build the AK-47 yourself or an already assembled rifle. Parts kits comprised of import parts such as a Russian parts kit will never include a receiver, as that will have to be substituted with a legal U.S. made semi-auto receiver as well as other substitutions.

Imported full auto parts kits are available to allow the collector to have as much of the real thing as possible. With these you typically get everything except for the receiver. Basically, a foreign made AK-47 was disassembled, the receiver destroyed, and the rest being sold legally on the U.S. market.

If you purchase an import parts kit you may substitute the missing receiver with a non-functional dummy receiver or a U.S. made receiver that is appropriate for the type model of the rifle. To make the rifle legal, several of the foreign parts must be replaced by U.S. made substitutes according to our understanding of the federal guidelines, but this may no longer be necessary since the 1994 Crime Bill expired.

Using the non-functioning dummy receiver allows the collector to legally use all of the other imported parts for an almost authentic AK-47 rifle which, unfortunately, will not shoot.

Right now Yugoslavian and Romanian parts kits are popular often selling for under $200. These will likely become scarce or banned in the near future so perhaps you should buy a kit while they are still available. Buy what you can afford, even if to store away.

U.S. manufactured parts kits usually contain seven parts including butt stock, pistol grip, gas tube cover, hand guards, and a trigger set. The reason for this is to swap the foreign parts on your AK-47 rifle with U.S. made parts reducing the total import parts count to less than ten. This is to utilize a legal loophole in BATF regulations allowing you to have the forbidden pistol grip and detachable magazine. Those two features were subject to ban under Bill Clintons oppressive crime bill.

illustration: 3 Example Parts Kits, A. Russian AK type II, B. Hungarian AMD 63, C. FEG SA-85 AKM

Pre-Ban, Post-Ban, and Ban Sunset

Democrat Bill Clinton’s misguided and unconstitutional Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 restricted the manufacture, transfer, and possession of certain SAW’s (Semiautomatic Assault Weapons), thus putting a halt to AK-47 imports such as those from China. This is another fine example of legislation taking guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, yet having no violent crime reducing impact.

When a seller claims an AK-47 is “pre-ban” it is a claim that the rifle was assembled on record before September 13, 1994. An AK-47 assembled from the foreign imported parts after that date became illegal. There are intricacies to the legislation so complex many BATF representatives are unable to answer specific questions correctly. Just remember the rifle serial number is not the definitive determining element, it is the official registered record of assembly that is fundamentally key to this issue.

Under Republican President George W. Bush the 1994 Crime Bill was allowed to expire. It is now legal to assemble a semi-auto AK-47 from a parts kit again as long as certain legalities are observed such as a requirement that certain U.S. manufactured pieces be used to substitute the imported ones, which again, is to our understanding of the federal guidelines and may not be accurate. (Please note, we will correct any errors we learn about with regards to BATF restrictions).

Do not consider this specific legal gospel as our understanding of the law changes as we make corrections or learn more about these issues. However, for the sake of quasi-accurate summarization, before the 1994 Crime Bill you could have an AK-47 built of all foreign parts except for the fully auto receiver. After the crime bill Chinese imports were halted, and any AK-47 with certain features such as a folding stock or pistol grip became illegal. Muzzle brakes and flash suppressors also became illegal. Since the sunset of that bill some of the AK-47 rights have been regained, but not all of them. At least it is now legal to build an AK-47 with a pistol grip again, which is much more like the real thing!

illustration: Romanian AK47 Package Approx $380

Buyer’s Summary

As our firearms rights are slowly being eroded by increasingly pervasive internationalism and socialist politicians such as Democrat John Kerry, what you invest in now may soon become unavailable. Furthermore, you also risk spending money on something that the government could try to take away from you in the future. You should know all the risks before investing in an AK-47 rifle.

Spend a bit more if you can and get quality parts or a rifle made of quality parts that is in good working order. You will enjoy the rifle as a collectable or a shooter if it is well manufactured and in good condition. Take care of it so it remains in good condition. And please, never break the law with your AK-47. All legal firearms owners nationwide tend to be persecuted every time one bad individual abuses his or her firearms rights.

Appendix: Brands, Manufacturers, and Suppliers

Post-ban AK-47 list:

SLR-95, 93, 96
Styer Maddi
SA-85M
Romanian AK WUM
NHM-91
MAK-90
PolyTech Legend
Dragunov Sniper Rifles
SAIGA Shotguns
Hesse Arms AK

Receiver Manufacturers

Poly Technologies - Chinese, Milled and Stamped (excellent quality)
examples: Poly Tech Legend AK-47/S (milled), AKS-762 (stamped)

Norinco - Chinese, Milled and Stamped (excellent quality)
examples: AKM 47/S (stamped, preban), MAK-91 (milled, postban)

B-West - American and Chinese, Non-heat treated receivers (poor quality)

Cugir Arsenal - Romanian (good quality)

Sadu Arsenal - Romanian (varying quality)

Hungarian Arsenal - Hungarian, Stamped (good quality)
examples: Kassnar Arms (preban), KBI (postban)

Bulgarian Arsenal - Bulgarian, Milled, (Circle 10 Arsenal) (excellent quality)
examples: SA-93, SLR-95 & SLR-101 (postban)

U.S. companies making AK-47 semi-auto receivers:

Global Trades
Ohio Ordnance
Armory USA
Horn Custom rifle
MLS99
Ohio Ordnance Works
Ohio Rapid Fire
Krebs Custom Inc.
AK USA Manufacturing inc.
Arsenal inc.
Marshall Arms
Vector Arms
Red Jacket Firearms
Firing Line
Robinson Armament Co.
OOW,
Ewbank Manufacturing
Vulcan Arms
Krinks - U.S. made stamped receiver (poor quality)

U.S. companies making AK-47 receiver flats:

Tapco
Precision Metal Works

Example parts kits available:

Hungarian AMD-65
Hungarian AMD-63
Romanian
Bulgarian AK-47
Bulgarian AK-74
Polish bottom folder in 7.62×39
Polish Tantal in 5.45×39
Russian fixed stock and bottom folder
M-92 Krink kit
Saiga
Yugo AK47 kits
Norinco MAK-90 kits

Common AK-47 rifles

Soviet AKM
Soviet AK-74
Chinese AKS-47
East German MPI-KM
Romanian AIM
Egyptian Maadi AKM
AKS-74U
AK-105
AK-101
Bulgarian AKKM
Hungarian AMD-65
Hungarian AMD-63
Yugoslavia M70
Yugoslavia M92
Yugoslavia M64
Chinese 56