new to AKs, tell me about my AK WASR

[rifleman0311]

Hello all, I recently picked up an AK, Ive seen alot of stuff on the WASR but maybe someone can explain the Pre ban, post ban, etc and shed a little more light on my new rifle.

Receiver dated 1987 first 2 letters of S/N are SF
no triangle
WASR 10/63
Romarm/cugir
Romania
CAI GA/VT
Tapco G2 trigger and commercial stock
front sight seems aligned (will shoot this weekend to confirm)
I had someone check headspace and barrel with go/ no go gauges and to be honest, everything seems pretty good and looks lightly fired for a 30 year old rifle.

What part of this rifle is old/ new. Assuming this is a Century import within the last 10 or so years?? any additional info would be appreciated. I have fired many AKs over the years but never purchased one or owned one.

 

[DMK]

Pre-ban/post ban is pretty much meaningless since the federal 1994 AWB expired in 2004. Some states have their own bans AKs, but since you don't mention which state you are in, we can't help there.

WASRs came with wooden Romanian handguards and stock, but had a black plastic US pistol grip, a US made gas piston and US made (Century Arms) trigger group. That gave you 5 US parts for 9.22r import legality. They did not have threaded barrels, so you didn't need to count a muzzle device in the US parts count (which would be 6 US parts required if the AK has a muzzle device).

It sounds like someone swapped out the CAI trigger group for a US made TAPCO G2, which was a common fix for trigger slap in these rifles (I did the same with my SAR1) or just someone wanted a better trigger.

 

[jrinne0430]

Most of the rifles were imported and assembled by CAI. If made/assembled during the ban, some came with the thumbhole shock, others didn't. As DMK mentioned, it will not have a flash hider nor a bayonet lug. There is a good chance it will have a chrome line barrel (a plus for barrel life). These are wonderful rifles and should give you years of service. With no mag well dimples, you may get a little mag wobble but it will not affect the function of the rifle.
http://wasr-10.com/Dimples

 

[Tidewater_Kid]

My WASR 10/63 came with a threaded muzzle and a G2 trigger set from Century Arms. Wish I had kept it.

 

[bandanabandit1]

Not sure if you're aware or not, but I would recommend checking to see if the front sight is canted prior to taking it out, almost all of the WASR's Ive ever handled suffer from this. Look into "AK sight canting".

 

[kdstang]

Here's a good primer on the WASR by Mishaco, he has a good grasp of the history of many types of firearms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7GW5ZwFU7E&t=1960s

 

[Fishbed77]

Not sure if you're aware or not, but I would recommend checking to see if the front sight is canted prior to taking it out, almost all of the WASR's Ive ever handled suffer from this. Look into "AK sight canting".

And be sure to remember that canted front sights are largely a cosmetic issue only. As long as you are able to zero the rifle, a little cant is a non-issue.

 

[smee78]

I have had mine for many years and they are solid performers. I swapped out the trigger to a Tapco G2 to get rid of the trigger slap and it has proven a reliable rifle. Be sure to get some good quality mags and get some range time with it. The sight cant is not a big deal if your weapon can sight in on target, some people get all hung up about it but like it was mentioned, its just cosmetic. Good luck with your new addition.

P.s. I always thought the stock on my ak was a little short for my liking so I swapped out the furniture for a Magpul set with the fixed stock and really liked the way the rifle felt and handled afterwards.

 

[Ignition Override]

In my very long pm to rifleman0311, a comment about the canted front sight post on my MAK 90 was included.
Most AK derivatives are said to need some front post adjustment, even among the upper tier.

how about fwd./aft mag wobble? my 'TGI' AMD-65 has it, along with some lateral wobble, and also a perfect function.

kdstang: Excellent idea. Along with Mishaco, a few hours of reading Moderators (especially AK Mod. "Nalioth") and other highly-seasoned, very astute owners/builders on 'AKfiles' can make the difference between owning quality rifles such as WASRs, SAR-1s etc and those slapped together by I.O. or a decent RAS, but having lower quality steel.

Mishaco and Nalioth are my esteemed Gurus.

 

[ilmonster]

The WASR is a great choice (I have one too). Take a look at the youtube channel "AK Operators Union Local 47-74". Rob who runs it has lots of great information on the AK platform, and some great reviews of the WASR (including his 10K round torture test) and darn near every other AK currently made. You'll learn a lot about the AK platform. Enjoy!

 

[CLC]

My WASR 10 has a lot of mag wobble but it doesnt effect reliability. In over a 1000 rds ive had one malfunction.

 

[Skarekrow88]

Simply put, if it’s a recent build then chances are it’ll be fine. Century apparently got their act together recently according to AKOU. If it’s an older build then it’s a toss up whether it will function properly or hold up to use.

 

[kenny53]

Couple of WASR here and they are great. I am sure you will be very happy, plus no one will give you crap about shooting steel ammo out of the gun ;-) .