Best Budget AKs

The AK-47 (AKM) is arguably one of the most common rifle styles in the world, along with the 7.62x39mm cartridge for which it is chambered.

Sadly, long gone are the days of the racks of sub-$500 AKs imported in droves for the American market. But that doesn’t mean there are not still some solid and affordable AK options on the market.

Here are a few of the more affordable AKs on the market, most coming in at well under $1,000. I took all these to the range, and this is how they ranked for me, saving my favorites for last.

Pioneer Arms Sporter

The Pioneer Arms AK-47 Sporter is a Polish AK built in the Pioneer Arms factory in Radom, Poland. While the firearm is made in Radom, it is not made in the state-run FBI Radom factories that have been building AKs for decades.

This Pioneer Arms Polish AK is at the bottom of my list because I think the platform lacks some basic quality in the minor pieces. The rifle runs well, and I had no real issues on the range, but the fit and finish of many of the parts is lacking.

For example, the safety easily overruns the track and just hangs loosely down around the trigger guard. The furniture seems to be a little bit on the cheaper side, and the fitment is somewhat loose. The Pioneer Arms Sporter is one of the least expensive rifles on the list, but the price does seem to be reflective of the quality.

The Century Arms VSKA

The Century Arms VSKA has been on the American market for many years. The VSKA variant comes in all kinds of different furniture and design setups, making it one of the more versatile rifles on this list.

This VSKA features wood furniture, a U.S. Palm pistol grip, and a muzzle brake. Early models of the VSKA had some issues with uneven wear patterns, but Century Arms seems to have ironed those out with current production models.

The rifle performed well on the range, with a slightly lower recoil impulse thanks to the compensating effects from the muzzle device. The one detractor of the rifle is the wicked fireball that comes off the muzzle. Outside of that, the rifle shoots as I would expect an AK to handle, and it’s a good budget AK.

Century Arms RAS-47

The Century Arms RAS-47 is also a familiar name to the American AK market. It honestly is basically neck and neck with the VSKA in my mind. Both had early inconsistencies with parts wear, but current production models are extremely popular and seem to be of solid construction.

On the range, the firearms performed as expected. The RAS-47 is a no-frills AK with polymer furniture. The rifle design has a lot of options, just like the VSKA. Overall, it is not the most stylish AK, but it provides a great budget option that shoots well on the range.

Century Arms CGR

A fairly new rifle out of the Nova Modul factory in Romania, the Century Arms CGR is one of the more affordable of these options. While this system doesn’t cost as much as several of the others on this list, I think the quality of the parts on the CGR puts it ahead of several other AKs.

I recently finished a 2,000-round review of the CGR and have been madly impressed with its performance and parts wear. During my initial 1,000 rounds, I did note that it had some of the harshest recoil of any AK I have shot, but adding a simple muzzle brake solved that issue.

The gun has run flawlessly, and while I am not sure how long the dust cover optic mount will hold zero, it has been going strong for well over 2,000 rounds now. Its price and performance place this rifle toward the top of my list.

Century Arms WASR-10

The Century Arms WASR-10 is the AK that I remember most as being $400 on racks all across pawn shops a few years ago. In fact, not long ago, this was a “bottom-tier” AK, even though it is incredibly well-built.

On the range, this AK performed exactly as an AK should. There is absolutely nothing modern or improved about the WASR; it is an old-school AKM. In fact, the wood furniture isn’t even complemented with a slant brake, only a thread protector. Despite its lack of features, the rifle shoots like a dream. The recoil is manageable, and the wood and metal construction is surprisingly comfortable.

Considering the manufacturing is done in a former COMBLOC country, combined with the fact that it is a basic AK that shoots softer than the previously mentioned ones, the WASR-10 secures a high ranking on my list.

Palmetto State Armory PSA AK-103

I have been continually impressed with the quality and performance of Palmetto State Armory’s products, and the PSA AK-103 is no exception. While American-made AKs have struggled in the past, Palmetto has done a great job of setting a new standard for American AK manufacturing. The quality of this build cannot be overstated, as the new PSA AKs feature cold-hammer-forged barrels from FN Herstal.

This PSA is modeled on the AK-100 series, a more modernized version of the Kalashnikov rifle design. The rifle features modern polymer furniture, a folding stock, a 90-degree gas block, and the more modern AK-74-style of muzzle brake.

On the range, the PSA AK-103 was the best shooting experience out of the bunch. The rifle is comfortable, with a smooth recoil pulse. The furniture is solid and includes all the modern features you could want in AK furniture. At the price point of the Palmetto AK-103, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t the best deal out there. The quality of parts, reliability, reputation, and modern features of the rifle all add up to make this number one on the list.

Summary

This is in no way a comprehensive list of all the AKs out there; however, this is a guide to some of the more popular models. There may be a theme here, as Century Arms is responsible for the import and production of many AKs on the market. I do believe that in the next five years, Palmetto State will become the production leader of domestic AK and AK variants.

Some complain the AK is an “inherently inaccurate platform” and claim the AR-15 is vastly superior. While that is a whole debate for another time, the reality is that the best platform is the one you train on. The AK has proven through history to be an extremely capable system, so grab a rifle, pick up some ammo, hit the range, and master the tool.