SAR-1 vs WASR-10?

[splogan]

I am looking into getting a first AK and am realitivly uneducated about the different variants. Which the the better rifle to get. I have found SAR-1's and WASR-10 high caps for roughly the same price.

[ByronF]

Go with the SAR1 for sure. The WASR is a politically corrected AK, originally configured for single stack low-cap mags. Some of them (not all) are then modified to fit hi-cap mags. However, they're not all that nice. The mag wells are opened up to fit hi-caps, but the depressed area in front of the mag well is lacking. The depression exists to aid mag insertion, so lack of depression can lead to fumbled mag changes. Also lacking are the dimples in the receiver adjacent to the mag well, which give side support to the mag. And the thumbhole buttstock is kind of cheesy, IMO. Both the SAR and converted WASR include enough US parts to make them legal. The single-stack WASR doesn't have US parts since it's been neutered to the satisfaction of the BATF (I think).

Byron

[tk421]

If they're about the same price, get the SAR. If the difference is within $75, get the SAR. Just IMO, but I cant stand the damn WASR's. The butthole/wannabe-Dragonov looks stupid, and the absence of the dimples by the mag well makes me leery of them. I've tried a few, and in every one of them, the mag wobbled. This does not give me a good feeling. I would really hate for the mag wobble to cuase some kind of feeding problem if I ever had to use the rifle for social work. Not saying that it would cause a problem, but thats the impression that I get.

Just my $.02.

[bsn]

I have a WSAR-10 HiCap. It has a depression in the mag well, mags fit and function fine, no more slop than my other AK's. The lower rails line up the mag. I did put a Gordon trigger group in it (would do it with a SAR too). Shoots like a dream never had a problem. Has the Draganov style stock with a pistol grip looks funny but very comfortable to shoot, very quick to point. Handle each gun and get what turns you on both are fine.

[Packrat]

I don't like the WASR stock, and some of them were made pretty sloppy. I'd guess $50 or $75 would be the difference for me. Either will work well, except maybe the cheap US-made trigger group. (Isn't that a shame? US parts not as good as Romanian?) I'd just polish the trigger group that's in it and stick with that until you have a problem. With luck, you might find it for $300. I saw some Norinco MAK-90s for $350--that's a good gun too, especially if you shape the thumbhole stock to fit your hand. They usually have really good triggers. (BTW, MAK-90s don't have the depression at the front of the mag well. I wondered what it was for. Seems to be a European thing.

[ak01q]

I have both a SAR1 and a WASR-10 Hi-Cap. I prefer the SAR1 because it is built for Hi-Cap mags. The WASR-10 was machined after the fact to accept Hi-Caps. I had to design and manufacture some spacers for the WASR-10 so that the mags wouldn't wobble. All that said, the WASR shoots more accurately and the scope mount rail is on straight. I can't use a Kobra on my SAR1 because of the scope rail so far off axis. Commie guns are a bitch sometimes but I still love them.

[sharkman]

Get the SAR for sure. I have both, but the SAR worked best without work. My WASR hicap works perfectly now, but needed work around the magwell and all the mags it uses needed to be filed so the mag catch would engage all the way. I think both are good shooters, but the WASR may require a bit of fixing before it works well. If you don't like to tinker, go with the SAR. If you find a nice hicap WASR, I'm sure you will love it too. They are offered in the normal AK configuration without the butthole stock.

I was at a big machine gun shoot last weekend. Can someone walk me through the picture posting methods? That is, if you want to see pics??

-Sharkman

[IVIETAL IVIan]

I always thought the WASR change over was just the milling out of the magwell, addition of spacers to compensate for dimples, and a feed ramp alteration or replacement? Thats not really that complicated of a change out/modification.

I have an SAR-1 and my buddy had the WASR-10 hicapped by our gunsmith. He did a great job! Shot just as well (but not better than...hee hee) my SAR-1!!!

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/18816blackcloud-med.jpg

[Valkyrie0002]

I have both SAR1 and WASR that I converted. If priced close I would get the SAR because there would be no concern as far as mags fitting properly.

I have mags that are either loose or tight in the SAR1.

Other than the magwell and dimples these 2003 AKs are the same. It's cheap to swap out the buttstock and pistol grip if all you can find is a dragonov.

[IVIETAL IVIan]

Mags themselves tend to rather fidgety in fit, I have found. I have some E. German steel ones that are really wobbly, to me, and on the other hand I have some synthetic Polish (pictured above) 'slabsides', and some Bulgarian waffle mags that are really tight!! I think mag wobble is different with every gun and every mag manufacturer unfortunately.