AK noob needs help with first AK (parts kit)

are you looking to get a kit with a foreign barrel? Or are you looking for a kit to put a US made barrel on?

From what I've experienced, barrels in parts kits tend to be fairly accurate (5 romy kits I have built with friends were pretty decent, we only used iron sights though) but I'm not sure if they are worth their salt for an expensive optic

Yugo barrels tend to be the balls when you're talking about accuracy. They aren't chrome lined, so the rifling grabs the bullets better. There is a converse side to this- they will wear faster than a chrome lined barrel.

If you are looking for an accurate rifle and don't have any interest in building it yourself, you'd be better off buying one pre-assembled. Russian Saigas are tack drivers. If you are going all tactical and want it to be built, you can buy a hunting saiga rifle (the rifle stock style) and convert it to a pistol grip AK yourself or have someone do it for you. There are conversion kits out there and it requires minimal work (trigger guard removal, filling in a riveted hole, and screwing in or riveting bullet guide, and screwing or riveting in the trigger guard into it's proper place). You'll save yourself a bunch of money. I

f you want to build it and experience that glorious process, then get a kit and don't have someone build it for you like a gunsmith. That's just a waste of money- buying a parts kit, the accessories/rivets/922r compliant parts, and then paying a few hundred to someone to build it for you. You might be better off borrowing or renting the tools needed to build it yourself.

The saiga route isn't a bad idea but if you build yourself you could go with a nodak receiver and you would have to either make barrow or rent rivet setting stuff or do a screw build. Same if you bend your own flat but a little more work there as in heat treating things and attatching rails. But its up to you on how capable you are and what tools you can get your hands on. Ak receivers aren't too hard to bend heat treat and weld in rails but if its your first do a lot of research and feel free to ask questions. If you live where there are other guys building maybe see if you can get to know them and attend a build party. As far as what kit, for fixed stock you can't go wrong with an apex egyptian kit then a us barrel or even one of their wasr barrels. There are banners on here for apex and the other venders here have good stuff too.

Thank you guys for the info. I do have interest in building, but like I said it will probably be my second AK that I build. I have friends with awesome shops (knife makers - with an oven for heat treating, drill press, welding equipment, bead blasting rig, etc.), but I don't have a ton of know how so I am just not comfortable taking on my own build yet.

Thanks for the info on the fire control group. Looks like I am over-doing it with US parts.

I was looking at those Egyptian Maadi parts kits at Apex. So it doesn't matter that the serials don't match? I saw on another site an unissued Romanian matching serial set for $190. worth it or waste of money?

I am still confused about which barrel to get? US made or other? I am willing to sacrifice some accuracy to get a chrome lined barrel if the wear issue is significant.

I was planning on using a NDS receiver.

The Saiga conversion might be worth more research on my part.


Thanks so much for the help. You guys save me alot of second guessing.