A lot of people want to know what is the best AK 47 rifle and how much they cost. In this article, we will tackle that question and compare some of the best AK rifles currently for sale in the US market.
Best AK-47 Rifles To Buy in 2024
Most of the AK 47s on this list are imports but we’ve included two US-made AK 47 that we feel deserve a spot in the top tier on this list.
Most of the AK 47 rifles on this list, however, are proven designs that have a military pedigree and are well-respected titans of the industry.
As Rob Ski would say, “Enough of the bullshit talk”, let’s get into it!
#1: BULGARIAN ARSENAL SAM7R-61 AK-47
At the top of our best AK rifles is the US-based Arsenal Inc. which has a close working relationship with the Bulgarian Arsenal factory of the same name.
Some of the most up-to-date forging and milling technology goes into making the SAM7R line and the quality controls are second-to-none.
Many AK purists harken back to the original Soviet-era milled Avtomat AK receivers after the Russians failed to advance the technology of making the early batch of stamped receivers work.
These milled receivers add another pound of weight to the AK which adds to the rifle’s rigidity and durability.
Milled receivers also cost quite a bit more, in terms of machine time and material cost, but provide a higher quality that is more refined with tighter tolerances.
These tighter tolerances are what give the milled receiver Arsenals such a silky-smooth action. Of course, Russia eventually figured out how to rivet the stamped receivers instead of using welds to hold them together.
This solved the stamped receiver issues and production of the milled receivers ceased.
Fun Fact: There is a popular fiction that milled receiver AKs are more accurate, due to tighter fitting parts, but this is just a misguided fallacy! Stamped or milled, the most important factor for achieving accuracy is the quality of the barrel.
Though most AK 47s produced today use stamped receivers, there is still a demand amongst collectors for the superior milled receiver AKs. But, that’s not to say that stamped AK receivers are frail in comparison!
As Arsenal’s Harry Pakhanyan put it, “The milled receiver will last you two lifetimes. The stamped receiver will last you one.” That may be true, but how many people will be alive long enough to confirm it?
#2: BULGARIAN ARSENAL SLR-107R AK-47
The second spot on our best AK list is the Arsenal SLR-107. Just like most factory-made com-bloc AKs, the Arsenal is a rugged and reliably made AK.
Though they may suffer from less-than-stellar finishes, it’s hard to argue with the overall quality and durability of these Bulgarian factory-made imports.
The fitment of the stock and handguards is nice and tight. It’s also compatible with any furniture that will fit on the AKM platform, which is nice.
So if you’ve always wanted that authentic look you could simply swap that out with some original surplus furniture (though they are pricey when available and are becoming harder to acquire).
We would love to get our hands on one if they were ever in stock, but alas that has not been in the cards, as of yet!
Arsenals make good mil-spec AKs that are second only to their Russian counterparts, such as the Molot-made Veprs and the Izhevsk-made Saigas.
Though some would argue that the differences between the Russian and Bulgarian AK 47 rifles are minimal.
#3: POLISH WBP FOX AK-47 RIFLE
Third, on our best AK rifle list, is the Polish-made WBP FOX AK 47 rifle. We were excited when we found out these were being imported by Atlantic Firearms and couldn’t wait to save up the money to purchase two of these nearly unchanged imports from Poland.
These AK 47 rifles have all of the characteristics you’d want in an AKM from the chrome-lined, hammer-forged barrels to the heat-matched trigger control groups and bolt carriers to the hammer-forged front trunnions.
The Polish-made receiver is made with FB Radom tooling and has stayed faithful to the original Kalashnikov blueprints.
They employ a thicker dust cover, like the Russian and Bulgarian AK 47 rifles, for added strength and durability as well as a heavy-profile, gas block.
The cold hammer-forged chrome-lined barrels are made by FB Radom in Poland. FB Radom is a military weapons contractor supplying rifles to countries around the world for decades.
Since FB Radom shifted production from making AK47s to making AK74s, they have helped WBP with the manufacturing of their AK47 rifles in recent years. Both of these Polish manufacturers produce some of the best AKs ever made.
This bodes well with their popularity, and increasing collectability, and speaks to their superb manufacturing techniques and quality controls. This also explains why the price of these rifles is going up!
#4: SERBIAN ZASTAVA ZPAP M70 AK-47 RIFLE
Fourth, on our best AK rifle list, is the Serbian-made Zastava Arms ZPAPM70 AK 47 rifle that is only compatible with Yugo-style furniture.
In 1970 (in the former Yugoslavia) Zastava began to manufacture the ZPAP M70 which is a variant of the Soviet AKM-styled AK-47.
Flash forward to 2021, and the now Serbian-made Zastava Arms ZPAPM70 is imported directly through Zastava Arms USA.
Because of the close relationship between the importer and exporter, the quality control on these rifles is generally very good, though they did have a few ‘less than stellar’ rivets appearing on earlier batches which have since been addressed and corrected in current production imports.
The fit and finish are not the best of the bunch but all of the fundamentals are intact. Military-grade rifles are often more concerned with the rifle’s function than its aesthetic appearance.
After considering everything, the ZPAPM70 proves to be an extremely dependable and practical firearm, enduring severe abuses (with little cleaning required).
It remains steadfast even after firing countless rounds, enduring exposure to a swamp, being dropped on rocks, and enduring a constant influx of sand as it cycles through a complete magazine.
Our favorite Polish-American patriot Rob Ski doesn’t go easy on these rifles during his torture testing!
#5: ROMANIAN WASR-10 AK-47 RIFLE
Fifth, on our best AK rifle list, is the WASR-10 AK 47 rifle imported by Century Arms. The WASR-10s currently being imported by Century International are still made in the Romanian Cugir Arms factory.
The WASR-10 is the closest newly manufactured AKM you can get to a Russian AK because the Cugir factory uses the original Russian equipment and tooling.
The only US-made parts on this import are the furniture and the trigger. The barrel, receiver, front & rear trunnions, gas block, rear sight block, front sight post, and fire/safe selector are all Romanian-made.
There was a time when WASR 10 was associated with “junk” and that claim was mostly based on facts. The current opinion has changed a lot and now the WASR 10 name has been restored (for the most part).
This is due to the improvements made in quality control between the manufacturer and importer.
One of the first things most people notice about the WASR is the lack of dimples in the receiver. That may not be to your liking, but it’s just one of the distinguishing factors that set WASR-10 v2 apart from all the other AKs on the market.
We also appreciate the quality of the parts and their construction. From the cold hammer-forged trunnion and the hard chrome-lined, hammer-forged barrel, the WASR was built to last and should not be confused with some of the Century Arms offerings of the past.
You can also restore the bland polymer WASR-10 with wood furniture upgrades to restore it to its former glory or update it to make it more tactical and modern.
#6: KALASHNIKOV USA KR-103 AK-47
Landing at the sixth position on our best AK rifle list is the KUSA KR-103 AK 47 rifle. Like the PSAK-103, the Kalashnikov USA model KUSA KR-103 is patterned off of the Russian 100 series. The AK-103 is the upgraded version of the older AKM-style rifles.
The original AK103 was designed and overseen by none other than Mikhail Kalashnikov himself in 1994 (his last project). There is no direct connection between JSC Kalashnikov Concern and Kalashnikov USA other than the Kalashnikov name.
Even without having a direct relationship with Russia, the KUSA KR-103 is the most faithful AK-103 clone that exists on the market.
Our KUSA KR-103 is a marvelously made, Russianesque work of art. The quality of the finish on ours is superb and the smooth racking action of the bolt is a sonic pleasure.
The piston head is smooth, being a direct Saiga clone, and the bolt is also a thin-stemmed design (also, like the original Saigas).
#7: AMERICAN PSA PSAK-103 AK-47 RIFLE
The last AK to make our best AK rifle list is the PSAK-103 rifle. Palmetto State Armory has stepped into the AK arena and upped their game!
Palmetto State Armory, known for making affordable decent-quality AR-15s for many years, started its first production into an AK lineup just a few years ago.
After refining their process through a few earlier GF1, GF2, and GF3 series of AK 47s, their current iteration has ironed out most, if not all, of the kinks and was one of the first fully US-made AKs to pass the 5,000-round torture test.
Using only the highest quality sourced, and in-house, parts, the PSAK-103 is a veritable home run for Palmetto State Armory.
Note: A few reports are circulating that the firing pin may fail prematurely on earlier batches of the PSAK-103 rifles and if you happen to own one of those with the suspect firing pins you can send it back to Palmetto State Armory if it should fail.
We’ve yet to put over 500 rounds into our sample size of two so we can’t know for sure if we have the updated bolts or not.
We aren’t too worried about it though and can always send it back under PSA’s 100% lifetime warranty, which is the industry-leading gold standard.
Current Prices on the Best AK Rifle List as of 2024
*Update: Prices are still on the rise, especially for AKs, so some of the prices below will be somewhat higher and are more representative of the lower end of the entry price point.
Beware of sites or sellers asking considerably higher than the prices listed below! Remember, imported AKs (as a general rule), will appreciate more than US-made AKs or kit builds. Some kit builds will be more desirable than others… so keep that in mind as well.
Depending on your budget, any of these AK-47 rifles should do you right. The Arsenal AKs are currently the most expensive to purchase coming in at just under $2,200 for the milled receiver Arsenal SAM7R-61 and the Arsenal SLR-107R stamped receiver standard furniture models going for $1,600+.
The WBP FOX AK 47 is the third most expensive coming in at as low as $1,299 on most sites followed by the Kalashnikov KR-103 selling for $1,180 on Kalashnikov USA’s website (the price was $1,099 a few months ago).
The next most affordable AK rifle option is the Zastava Arms ZPAP M70 which retails for $999 or more depending on where you buy it.
Closely behind that price is the PSAK-103 Premium Forged AKM by Palmetto State Armory which can be had on their website for $999.99 on sale in 2024. *This is for the standard black furniture fixed stock version. Add $100 for the side folder.
And the most affordable AK rifle is the Century Arms imported WASR-10 which goes for $899 on Atlantic Firearms’ website as of this writing.
The lower price of the WASR-10 has more to do with the cheap, throw-away poly furniture it comes with than the build quality of the rifle. If it came with the furniture the ZPAPM70 includes, it would cost closer to $1,000.
Granted, the finish is not as polished as the other AKs on this list and there was quite a bit of metal shavings that we had to clean up inside the receiver created by Century Arms when widening the mag well to accept 30-round magazines!
Now is the time to pick up one of these awesome AK 47 rifles before the prices increase even further. Remember when there was a time you could buy a WASR-10 for only $400?
Thanks to higher demand created by banning Russian weapon imports (not to mention higher import taxes on countries that are still allowed to export AKs), and threats by the current administration to re-establish an assault weapons ban, FOMO purchasing of AKs is at an all-time high, and you can expect these prices to continue to grow!
The same is true for 7.62×39 ammunition so don’t forget to stock up as many rounds as you can afford to buy!
Final Thoughts
As we conclude our exploration of the top 7 AK-47 rifles, it’s clear that each model brings its unique strengths to the table, catering to a diverse range of preferences and needs.
From the precision and craftsmanship of the Arsenal SAM7R-61 to the robust and reliable Zastava ZPAP M70, these rifles showcase the versatility and enduring legacy of the AK-47 platform.
The Arsenal SLR-107R stands out for its balance of performance and pedigree, making it a favorite among both collectors and practical shooters.
On the other hand, the Polish WBP FOX offers a glimpse into the manufacturing excellence of Eastern European weaponry.
The Romanian WASR-10, a staple in the AK community, continues to be celebrated for its straightforward, no-frills approach and adaptability.
Moving to the American-made models, the KUSA KR-103 impresses with its fidelity to traditional AK design, while the PSA PSAK-103 demonstrates how modern manufacturing can produce a high-quality AK at an accessible price point.
These rifles not only honor the AK-47’s heritage but also ensure its relevance in today’s shooting world.
In selecting the right AK-47, it’s important to consider factors like build quality, historical authenticity, customization potential, and, of course, budget.
Whether you’re a collector, a competitive shooter, or someone who appreciates the historical significance of the AK-47, there’s a rifle on this list that meets your criteria.
Ultimately, the enduring popularity of the AK-47 lies in its simplicity, reliability, and the vast community of enthusiasts and experts dedicated to its preservation and evolution.
Each of these seven rifles is a testament to the AK-47’s iconic status and a continuation of its storied legacy in the world of firearms.
We hope you enjoyed our top 7 best AK rifles list and would love to hear what your top picks are in the comment section below!
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