MAK-90 ops check good.

[Lennyjoe]

Found a range nearby at a WMA and decided to take the MAK up there for an ops check.  It's been sitting in the safe since I purchased it last month.  I picked up some Russian steel 30 round mags from a gunshop in Ohio for $10 each. 

The range has no range officials and there are about 10 tables set up. By looking at the second picture you can see that folks leave stuff laying around.  I was taking advantage of the green target left behind at 50 yds.  You can see the mud flying up from the shot. 

Anyway, everything functioned just fine.  I was shooting Wolf 124gr rounds and couldn't tell you the accuracy since I was using the old target left behind.  Either way, I'm happy with the $250 I spent on the rifle and $30 for the mags.  Now to stock up on ammo.

[Manedwolf]

That's pretty cheap for a MAK, since no more will come in ever again.

I have one and love it. I prefer the Bulgarian Waffle magazines, myself.

[Sergeant Bob]

Pretty nice looking rifle.

[Manedwolf]

The MAKS have a sleek blued finish that makes the WASRs look like a primer-painted junker car. Very smooth trigger with a crisp break as well.

I updated mine with an Israeli handguard.



In general, for an ops check, well, it's a Kalashnikov. I think you'd have more chances of winning the lottery than for a rifle of that design to NOT work.

[Lennyjoe]

I'm looking at other options for mags, furniture ect.  As a lefty, the thumb hole stock isn't user friendly for me anyway.  Might go with a Tapco set up.

[Manedwolf]

DO NOT get the Tapco folding stock. It's junk and it'll break. POS.

Get the ACE folder if you get one. TAPCO makes decent trigger groups, which you don't need for that, their pistol grip is alright, but their stock is horrible crap.

As for the magazines, Bulgarian waffles, which are pretty indestructible, are around $19 each. You can see one in the picture of mine, there. Only get a real one, which has a "10" in a circle on the side, and do not get the "civilian" ones with pictures of bullets down smooth sides...they're junk. ProMag also makes a cheap copy of the Bulgarian waffle that's a jammomatic POS, and some vendors like to pass them off as real.

Bulgarian waffle, not smooth, is the only one I like.

[Gewehr98]

Ditto for the Tapco furniture.  It's a piece de' kaka.

I had their Galil-style plastic furniture on my SAR-1 for all of 10 minutes. 

I sold it on eBay for the same amount as I paid for it, thankfully.

Regarding the Bulgarian waffle mags, make CERTAIN the ones you find are the versions with the metal inserts molded into the upper portions of the polymer bodies.

There are a bunch of copies out there, some of them even clear or smoke-colored, that are 100% plastic, all the way up to the magazine detents and feed ramp areas.  They don't last long.   

[Manedwolf]

Regarding furniture, the handguard I have there was made by a company called FAB, out of Israel. The comparison of material with Tapco's stuff tells all. Tapco stuff feels like brittle composite plastic that will break, and yes, it will. The handguard by the other company is made of the same material as a polymer handgun frame. Waaaaay big difference.

[Gewehr98]

Lennyjoe, nothin' says lovin' like walnut!

[Manedwolf]

China might make disposable electronics and poisonous toys now, but they used to make excellent rifles in the early 90's!

My other Norinco is a Norinco Hunter Type I, a milled-receiver copy of a Valmet, really nicely machined inside, that looks something between a mini BAR and a Galil and came with a dark checkered stock and a peep sight.

[freakazoid]

Thats some beautiful wood there Gewehr98. Is that actually walnut on it?

[Sergeant Bob]

I was looking on Gunbroker.com at some AK's and most of them were going for over $500, so that was an excellent deal.

I saw some on there with a fore grip, which looked like a pistol grip turned backwards. Pretty strange.
What's going on with that, Hillbilly Mall Ninja?

[Gewehr98]

No, that's the normal configuration of a Hungarian Kalashnikov variant known as the AMD-65.

The semi-auto copy sold here has a barrel extension to make the 16" legal limit, but sports the AMD-65's forward reversed handgrip and minimized handguards, as well as the wire strut folding stock.

   

[mtnbkr]

Lennyjoe, you're not that far from me, cough up the location of that range.

Chris

[Lennyjoe]

I-81 south to 45 West out of Martinsburg (exit 12).  Gotta go over the hill on 45 and take a right on Back Creek rd.  North on Back Creek rd to Shanghai.  Left at 4 way in Shanghai.  Up the hill and right on a dirt road.  There is a sign for the range on the hard top road out of Shanghai. 

Look up Sleepy Creek WMA in WV for info.