Arsenal Bulgarian Milled AKs

[PeePeeMcGee]

Anyone have any experience with these? Just got an Arsenal SAM7r which is the new SLR 101s and am curious what the consensus is on these guns.

 

[MovingFusion]

judging by the reaction on this board to the SAM7SF...I think they would be considered nice, but a little overpriced. There is some debate over the benefits of stamped vs milled receivers and whether or not milled receivers are worth the cost or extra weight.

 

[Vile Shadow]

Arsenal makes a fine weapon. Can't go wrong there.

 

[Bafflingbs]

What'd you pay?

 

[Jimbob2.0]

Nice guns, the milled receivers have always commanded a price premium. I think most would prefer the SAM7R to the weirndness of the SF (which they made a couple years ago too).

THe milled reciever doesnt give that much of an advantage practically but looks soo cool.

 

[fivepointstar]

top of the line AK IMO

 

[mtel]

That's a fine milled AK to add to your collection. Expensive but they retain their value pretty well.

Like others said, not much practical need for one but they look great. Tiny accuracy improvement, fit/finish is better, some say the action's smoother and it's slightly heavier.

I don't have a milled AK and wanted to add one before 10/1. Just prefer one that folds but can't get past the odd external folding mech on the SAM7SF.

 

[PeePeeMcGee]

I took a strong look at the SAM7SF but I didnt like the placement of the ambi-safety and the length of the folding stock (NATO length). The ambi-safety looked like it would interfere with my grip while shooting. Also, I prefer a Intermediate/ Warsaw Pact length stock. The Nato length folding stock is a little long for my liking. I decided on the SAM7r-61. I am hoping that it is 100% reliable. I chose the SAM7r over the Sig 556r--which is also a very very nice gun.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

I took a strong look at the SAM7SF but I didnt like the placement of the ambi-safety and the length of the folding stock (NATO length). The ambi-safety looked like it would interfere with my grip while shooting. Also, I prefer a Intermediate/ Warsaw Pact length stock. The Nato length folding stock is a little long for my liking. I decided on the SAM7r-61. I am hoping that it is 100% reliable. I chose the SAM7r over the Sig 556r--which is also a very very nice gun.

I think you will be happy with your choice, the SAM7R is a classic AK (ok the muzzle break deviates but thats an easy fix) in every way with quality components. As long as Arsenal assembled it right, they have a mixed history but have improved in recent years, it will be everything you want reliable, durable, awesome looking. I speak from experience as my trust old SLR95 is my favorite bench AK (someone back in the day put a crappy red star scope mount that required tapping on it but I bought it during the infamous "ban" in the late 90s when any well priced AK was cool), my SAM5 (5.56 on a milled reciever) does great, my SLR106 is a favorite.

As for the SF's they have some advantages for lefties and the previous incarnation had a S, semi, full auto selector that was awesome. But in essence it is basically a milled reciever with an ACE stock on it you can do better its actually a joke.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

One quick additional note...........

Be careful what you clean it with, the Arsenal finish is very solvent sensitive unless they have improved it VERY recently. I usually just stick with CLP which seems fine and I believe that is the "authorized cleaning solvent" by arsenal.

Hoppes will strip the finish off.

 

[PeePeeMcGee]

I paid $1299 for the SAM7r-61. The SAM7SF was $1350. I like the idea of a metal folding stock but the one of the SF was too long for me. I thought long and hard about the SAM7r-51 which was $1309. It had a warsaw pact length stock and an upgraded trigger but I am 6'0" and think that the intermediate length stock will fit me better.

 

[aquaman]

I took a strong look at the SAM7SF but I didnt like the placement of the ambi-safety and the length of the folding stock (NATO length). The ambi-safety looked like it would interfere with my grip while shooting. Also, I prefer a Intermediate/ Warsaw Pact length stock. The Nato length folding stock is a little long for my liking. I decided on the SAM7r-61. I am hoping that it is 100% reliable. I chose the SAM7r over the Sig 556r--which is also a very very nice gun.

just thought i would point out that the safety is backwards in the new game-changing sam7sf. its not like a Galil, you have to push the selector backwards (towards you) to put the rifle on fire

 

[mtel]

I took a strong look at the SAM7SF but I didnt like the placement of the ambi-safety and the length of the folding stock (NATO length). The ambi-safety looked like it would interfere with my grip while shooting. Also, I prefer a Intermediate/ Warsaw Pact length stock. The Nato length folding stock is a little long for my liking. I decided on the SAM7r-61. I am hoping that it is 100% reliable. I chose the SAM7r over the Sig 556r--which is also a very very nice gun.

Didn't like that either, now that you reminded me.

I really tried hard to like the SF too...but all that trying was pretty telling...ultimately asked myself if I'd be pushing that hard if there were no ban coming...no, so that was that...

 

[PeePeeMcGee]

Yeah I noticed that it was backwards when I was checking out the SF. I wasnt too particularly fond of that idea. Also, the reviews I saw on the SF mentioned the ambi-safety slightly interfering with the grip and operation of the rifle. Thats one of the reasons I went with the standard SAM7r-61.

 

[mtel]

just thought i would point out that the safety is backwards in the new game-changing sam7sf. its not like a Galil, you have to push the selector backwards (towards you) to put the rifle on fire

And if you watch some clips of people shooting them, you can see them sometimes riding it too...I watched the traditional safety moving towards safe while firing b/c a shooter's concentration lapsed...that's a little too clumsy for $1350...

 

[PeePeeMcGee]

mtel--Im pretty sure I saw the same video. It definitely turned me off from the SF. I probably would have bought the SF otherwise...

 

[aquaman]

And if you watch some clips of people shooting them, you can see them sometimes riding it too...I watched the traditional safety moving towards safe while firing b/c a shooter's concentration lapsed...that's a little too clumsy for $1350...

Right!!

for 1350 dollars they couldn't bother with a simple cam like the Galil selector. game over