Which AK

[mc30707]

Which is better? I can get either for the same money. Romanian/Cugir WASR 10/63 or SAR 1, both in good condition.

[Thekatar]

Which is better? I can get either for the same money. Romanian/Cugir WASR 10/63 or SAR 1, both in good condition.

Get the SAR-1.

[mc30707]

What is the difference between the two?

[Thekatar]

The SAR-1 receiver is an actual Romanian military part - the SAR-1 is an AKM, just semi-auto. The WASR is a single-stack conversion.

[Garpman]

Another nod towards the SAR 1. It's more authentic.

[ar15jules]

SAR1
Jules

[nfafan]

Which is better? I can get either for the same money. Romanian/Cugir WASR 10/63 or SAR 1, both in good condition.

Georgia? Long way from home.. Anyway, this has been covered on a million AK boards. Check out this ALL-Romanian AK site - fantastic site on all things WASR or SAR.

http://www.gunsnet.net/Linx310/

and see also...

http://www.nrapublications.org/tar/CenturyGPWASR10.asp

FWIW, SAR and WASR are both made in Romania. Understand that both are true to the AK dogma; utilitarian, no-frills.

The SAR1 is a basic hi-cap recvr without the evil features and was no longer imported after 94. If YOU want the evil features - YOU need to make it 922 compliant. Like the ATF should have better things to do than check parts count... anyway

The WASRs are "commercial sporter AKs", built in Romania and legally brought in the US with a low-cap-only-constructed sporting recvr - and like the Saiga, there are no dimples in the recvr sides (that are visible in non-commercial AKs) to support the side-side magazine well.
Because as we all know; sporting guns never have dimples. Only "military" AKs and fat Clinton women have dimples.

Century sells 100% Romanian-made WASRs in both the '94/922 compliant low-cap config with Dragunov stock - or - converted-with-US-parts "hi-cap" post-ban versions that look like the AKs did before "Bush I" went nucking futs on us.
CIA swaps-out enough Romanian parts with USA parts so that they can add back on the pistol grip, evil bayo lug, flash-hider, hi-cap mags.

So; the hi-cap WASRs you can buy with all the evil pre-ban stuff are both 1989 922-compliant and post-94 phuck-Clinton compliant.

The biggest knock against WASRs is that CIA does a LOUSY job of un-neutering/922'ing the guns; poor re-finish, crooked parts, poor fit. They DO stand behind their warranty however - not that I ever needed it on any of my 3 WASRs.

You can get a GREAT WASR as long as you have the chance to handle and examine every single one the dealer has on hand before buying. Do NOT buy a WASR sight unseen. Hand-pick one and chances are it will shoot every bit as well as any Chicom AK - if not better.