Romanian AK question

[DaveO]

Don't have a lot of experience with these. What is the difference between the SAR-1 and the WASR, is there a difference?

 

[Clay]

SAR series is more a military version w/ bayo lug and dimples in the receiver. They are older, ie pre-wasr.

WASR is just the current import from romania.

my biggest hangup with the WASR is no dimples in the receiver. AKs should have dimples

Is one better than the other? some say the SAR has better fit finish, but really they are both AKs and both go bang when you pull the trigger.

Given and option I would take the SAR. If nothing else they are more desirable and worth a bit more.

 

[scott delaney]

i have a dimpless wars 10/63 and it goes every time i pull the triger.having said that lots of people say canted this and canted that, mine shoots strait and is dead on with surplus ammo from USSR. so my says buy what you can aford and enjoy it till you can aford something else

 

[indykid]

The SAR series was imported from 1999 through 2003 when ATF discovered that they didn't meet the sporting purpose clause of the new second amendment as imported. They were and remain the only true military issue AK variant imported into the USA under the semi-auto only laws as Romanian recruits learned on semi-auto before graduating to full auto. As imported from Romania, the SAR-1 did not have a threaded barrel but did have the bayo lug. In order to be imported initially, the ears were ground off the bayo lug to keep it within the limits of the "evil looking rifle" ban, but once ATF found out that they were able to accept military mags without modification, they were deemed not sporting and therefore banned.

The WASR-10 has been imported since 1999 with a receiver built with a narrow mag opening only able to accept ATF approved single stack mags. This is how they met the sporting purpose clause of the new ATF second amendment. After importation, the importer or one of their distributors then opened up the mag well to accept standard AK mags, and to maintain the sporting purpose, they reduced the import parts count to 10 maximum imported parts.

Since the demise of the SAR-1, the WASRs have become the sole AKM variant from Romania being imported with many different names. Some were built using parts from early Romanian AKMs which is why you can find a trunion with an old date stamp. That only indicates the date of the parts that were used to built the rifle on a new single stack magwell receiver.

The WASRs built in Romania will not have dimpled receivers. There were some parts imported that were build on US receivers that had dimples, and were stamped "WASR", and there is nothing wrong with them, but to a purist a true WASR was built completely in Romania.

 

[DaveO]

Picked up one the other day, new it was Romanian, saw that it said SAR on the side and wondered what that meant. It has a Choate stock set. Got it for two bills, so it was a "no brainer" to buy it. Just wasn't sure the difference. Thanks for the info.

 

[indykid]

Picked up one the other day, new it was Romanian, saw that it said SAR on the side and wondered what that meant. It has a Choate stock set. Got it for two bills, so it was a "no brainer" to buy it. Just wasn't sure the difference. Thanks for the info.

Dear DaveO,

I HATE YOU!!!!!

$200 for an SAR-1 is cheaper than what they sold for when not many people wanted them. That is less than half what they are selling for today now that people know how nice they were!!!

About the only issue they had were the standard crooked parts because the Romanian military used military rifles and not Weatherbys! Also Century used some really poor parts for their fire control group in order to meet the sporting purpose clause of ATF. I filed down many a disconnector to get rid of trigger slap. Alternately you can install a Tapco trigger set if your rifle does have trigger slap. The only way to know is to fire it and see if it beats your trigger finger with each shot.

Trigger slap can really occure in any AK variant due to the design of the trigger group. It all depends on how the tolerance of parts end up as to whether you have a great shooter or one that tried to shatter your trigger finger.

As for the Choate stock on it, a lot of people forget that the AK was designed for a Soviet soldier in full winter gear, which is why it seems so short for long armed Americans.

If I found an SAR 1, 2, or 3 for $200 I would not be able to get the cash out fast enough!!!!!!!

Oh, the serial number should be S1-XXXXX-200X where the S1 indicated the SAR-1, the five Xs the serial number, and the rest the date code with the exception of the 1999 which was S1-XXXXX-99.

 

[DaveO]

It's a 2002. I actually haven't shot it yet, can't seem to get home before dark. Will try to shoot it tomorrow, I have to be home early tomorrow so the wife can go out. The guy shot me the price of $200 if he got it, I had to wait untill the next day to get it. I spent the whole day worrying that he wouldn't get it or would change the price on me. I know I got lucky.