Fixen up the AK
I think many of us have seen wild variations in quality of the Kalashnikov firearms. Back in the early 1990s there were very inexpensive guns coming in from Eastern Europe. The quality of many of these guns were pretty darn good. As the years went by, the guns got worse and worse and I started to see my fair share of AK style weapons that did not live up to the AK47s reputation of reliability. There were a few importers that were assembling guns that looked bad, but they worked very well. Some rifle sights were misaligned but other than that, it was really all about the rifle stocks.
If you are interested in learning how to modify one of your Ak rifles. A good starting point of figuring out what you can do and modify on your gun is to start with Tapco accessories. If you are working on a stamped receiver, I suggest looking into the Tapco side folder, fixed stock or the T6 adjustable stock. The M4 Carbine will always have an edge over the 7.62×39 style for speed, but you can make your AK style weapon into a BETTER CQB gun. The pistol grip on the AK is also an easy change that will improve your hold on your firearm. The AK family of rifles were mostly designed for shorter operators and for users wearing gloves and heavy jackets. You should be able to modify your gun to be more comfortable and closer to you LOP if you feel the AK is too short for you.
I must admit that I wasn’t into the idea of needing a semi-auto 22LR. The 22lr isn’t an effective defensive round and really mostly a plinking and training round. A bolt action with iron sights is still the best configuration for learning how to shoot. It teaches aiming and trigger control, but i think the Ruger 10/22 is still a fun gun to shoot with. There seems to a lot of big kids that like to shoot the 10/22 and there’s nothing wrong with a kid shooting them. I have a friend that put a heavy barrel on his and it’s a tac driver.
It’s hard to know if a configuration is best for you. I recently got a phone call from a shooter that sounded like he was new to the AR15 family. He was asking about which rifle stock configuration was best and then I asked him what his LOP or length of pull was and he had no idea. The reasons for adjustable stocks is because each operator issued a Carbine has a different arm length. I’ve punched myself in the nose with rifles and shotguns that were too short for me and modified several of my M1A rifles to fit my comfort. There are also other reasons for having stock modifications. If you are wearing a heavy winter coat or body armor you will want to shorten your stock. Next time you are at a gun shop or a shooting range, ask other shooters if you can hold there gun and see how it feels. Check the gun stock manufacturer and do some research.
You might want to think about collapseable stocks or folding stocks. Guns can take up a lot of space depending on the optics and accessories you put on them. I’ve seen plenty of my friends go from 12 or 18 rifle safes to full size gun safes just because of the optics they had on rifles. One thing they never advertise when you are shopping for a gun safe is what kind of rifles it will hold. Cramming your guns in will only cause damage and make getting guns in and out a headache. Instead of worrying about having to find a new gun safe, you might want to think about spending a few hundred bucks on changing the stocks of your military style weapons to something that can fold or collapse.
I have to admit it, I am a Mini 14 enthusiast. The Mini 14 has served me well and I always respected and understood the design limitations. The more I involve myself with the shooting world, the more I just sit back and observe gun owners and watch their skills with the firearms they choose to use. Gunboard squabble will never end when it comes to one gun over the other, but there is nothing wrong with modifying a less expensive semi-auto gun and using it as a defensive weapon.
Most of us probable got into the shooting world via a shotgun or 22lr rifle. Those seem to be some of the best instroductory firearms. You can learn the basics about shooting from a 22lr bolt action rifle and the shotgun is the most versatile firearm out there. Something like a Remingto 870 shotgun is normally available with an 18-28 barrel on it and can be found in 12 or 20 gauge. The shotgun can be used for pheasant hunting all the way up to deer just by altering the type of shot or using a slug. Depending on the sights you have on the gun, you may want to consider rifle sights if you plan on using slugs very often.
Back in the 1990s there was a lot of Eastern Com-Block guns coming into the Country. There were also a lot of MAK90s and SKS Rifles coming in from China. Not sure why there were so many Chinese guns coming in, but there must have been some house cleaning from the Militarys over there. You may be able to find a well made 7.62×39 rifle being made in the USA now, but they are pretty expensive and will cost you about the same as a new AR15 or more. Some of the nicest AKs are being by Arsenal Arms and they look and shoot great.
There area a lot of good upgrades one can do to a firearm, a fighting rifle should be customized to fit an operator. Advanced Technology makes some quick and easy upgrades for your shotgun or carbine that can give you better grip or balance. Shotgun shell holders on the buttstock or riding side saddle is a practical tactical upgrade you can do on your remington 870. The fiberforce stock for the MAK90 is a way to legally get around some firearm bans and are a big step up compared to the stupid thumbhole stocks. Attach a rifle sling that fits yoru purpose from Blue Force Gear, they come in 1 point, 2 point and 3 point attachements. Minor firearm modifications make need to be done to attache rifle slings, but do some research on various rifle sling configurations to see what works for you.
In the early 1990s there was a surplus of military style rifles coming into the Country. There were goofy thumbhole stocks to avoid violating gun laws or cheap parts for kits. Many of these rifles had pretty ugle stocks especially many of the rifles coming in from China or Egypt. If you have one of those MAK90s or Maadis that works great, but looks like crap, you might want to upgrade your stock with a synthetic. Many of these stocks are made in the US and can be considered US Parts to add to your legal alterations of your gun.