I have a question as I am fairly new into AKs and trying to determine my next purchase. I have a GF3 currently which I enjoy and was eyeballing the 2 rifles in the post title. Anyone have any opinions on either?
I like the Sabre alot, but man, the colors are just not working for me. I like that its a Romanian parts kit ALG trigger and CHF barrel. Then I look at the AKE with the SLR rail, ALG trigger, Toolcraft trunion and bolt also CHF barrel but has the AR style stock (which on an AK bothers me for some reason) and I simply cannot decide.
Both are within my budget that I set for myself.
Let’s hear it from the crowd, what are your thoughts? Which would you choose?
EDIT: In case you are wondering, I shoot every week at least, sometimes a couple times a week at my local gun club, so the rifles I have, and what I add, get regular usage. None of my guns are safe queens.
I was eyeballing that WPB as well. Shopping in the PSA AK section is like going to a diner with a 10 page menu. You think you want a burger and all of a suden you’re thinking about everything else they have. lol
The Polish eagle is the chef’s kiss. Love the plum. Dammit might have to add a third rifle to the choices as it looks like PSA might be closing them out and there is only one other place that I knwo of to get a WBP
it just is… amazing… im not going to speak for SuperPredator but i have molested his Sabre AK for about 10-15 minutes when i went over to his home last. I must say this. After seeing it, handling it… feeling it.. racking it… etc… I WANT one.. no… revision,… i NEED one.. it is that good.. the colors in the photo do not do it any good. in person the colors are just amazing together. the feel of the parts together on the rig, feel perfect, solid, heavy, but not too heavy. strong, solid, enough to support itself while firing without having any issues ever, but yet not over done. the parts from the parts kit were impeccable, perfectly cleaned, and prepped before install. the barrel and other parts that they used that were new, were perfect. even the barrel was ceracoated. it was amazing. idk why i keep feeling that, or saying that.. but thats just the best way i can describe it.
all that to say it means nothing to you, cause 1 you dont know me, and 2 you have no idea about my knowledge regarding AK’s. so allow me a brief resume.
my first gun i built was a 1980 Romanian AK 47 kit in 2007/2008. I bought the demilled romanian kit for 125. it had everything with it, all parts. .the receiver was cut (stamped) so no worries on the fun switch hole as it was torched cut apart. To replace the stamped receiver I used A Nodak Spud NDS3. Only the best! . My friend and i built our AK’s. we were going to build many more than just 2. but we ended up just building 2 before he passed. Mine was first. My kit and his even contained our factory barrels back then. we had to demill the AK parts, from the cut receiver, which meant grinding the rivits to remove the stamped receiver. and then pressing out all the rivets and then pressing out the barrel from the forward trunnion… the hardest part was pressing in the barrels into the trunnions and getting the headspace right after pressing in the first rivet because there were steps you had to follow and you had to have the Jigs to do it or you couldn’t build it. We were successful with our builds luckily. My AK still runs well, Like i said its an 80 Romanian Guard build that i put different furniture on. I also had 2 milled Yugo m70a under folders and a stamped one .. i sold a guy 1 milled kit, and traded him the stamped kit, to build me the other milled kit, which he did, so i have that AK as well… it is built on an authentic Yugoslavian M70a milled Receiver that the full auto sear hole was welded up on. its blued, my Romanian we did a parked setup that i later ceracoated a blued coating on it too… i’ve also got a PSA AK47 GF5 that i built from their built kits which was simple to assemble. The other AK’s i have i bought or traded for, the next being a PSA AK-P GF3, and lastly the hybrid of them all which isnt an ak, the PSA KS-47 which is just neat. lol
I hope to say my next AK will be that sabre AK47. thats how nice a gun it is in my eyes.
Its a GF5, so ALG trigger, FN barrel, and CHF trunnions are a start. The custom paint is just icing on the cake. I really like the b5 folding stock also. It has a built in magnet to keep the stock folded.
I appreciate the input, it provides the insight I was looking for. I enjoyed reading your background. One of the reasons I got away from ARs is while I enjoyed building them from scratch, at some point it just becomes not much of a challenge. To me, the AK requires more from the builder and a different type of skills. I look forward to building my own from a parts kit eventually. I want to learn what I prefer and what out of my home built AK.
I do have a question - I hear many people mentioning headspacing. Does some AKs lose headspacing over time? is it simply a wear issue? With an AR I basically would check the headspace when I am seating the barrel and would rarely even think about it ever again. I did buy a go/no go headspacing gauges for 7.62x39 because I have the impression that it should be a fairly regular part of my maintenance routine with the AK.
you’re welcome and you’re right. I always have said since those days that you build an AK, but you assemble an AR. Also since then i prefer to assemble AR’s. Unfortunately my friend passed away, the cost of kits went through the roof, and i never had any of the jigs anyways since he had them all so i decided to stick to AR’s and its been a hoot for me ever since. but man there is a sense of accomplishment you get from building that AK… like no other. I wish you luck on your build i truly do.. its not an easy quest, even for someone who is mechanically inclined.
I’ve never heard of an Ak loosing headspace over time. I have always checked headspace when pressing the barrel into the trunnion and upon completion of assembly. pressing the barrel in in the AK can be tricky, but it should go in well if you lube it a lil bit to make sliding in a bit easier.
good on the headspacing guages. very good to have those. never hurts to check that from time to time too.
I appreciate that.. and if i were there ever i would take you up on that! you’re also right about buying all the tools making it more inexpensive, but its an experience and its a hobby.. so i cant fault y ou at all with it.. I think in fact as long as you take your time, and follow instructions/videos/ideas and hints and tips from other folks you should be fine.. its fairly straight forward really… just go slow, and you should be fine.. you’ll have a blast for sure too.. both figuratively and literally.
