The Definitive History of The Arsenal Bulgaria AK47 (Episode II: 2004-2017) 

Thanks much for watching.

Thank you ! As a bulgarian I live about 15 miles from the factory and know some guys working there ! They do have a lot of pride in their work and they always lookin to improve .

Thank you much for watching, cheers.

Thank you very much for watching. Pretty much all I know about Arsenals are in these videos.

Yep, it is still manageable. I find the AR-M9 handguards and grip help too.

Hey man, I'm 5'5" and just sold my SAM7-SF because that thing was about half as tall as me

Great to hear, and those are about to dry up I think. After that? I bet the internet decides they were the best Krinks ever and prices go bananas.

haha thanks,

Thank you for watching

Thank you for watching. Yes, the bakelite really helps the SAM7UF.

thank you

I was hoping to have a 107-11 for this video, but Arsenal keeps pushing the date for more shipping to us back, so eventually I gave up. Sorry no, i do not think they'll do any more 104s of any kind. 5.45x39 isn't popular in Bulgaria, and its loosing a lot of the market in the USA today too.

Dollars to donuts, i bet you the SLR104FR will never come back sadly.

Really, should get the SAM7SF while the price is the same and while they are still available. I bet you, they'll be sold out at Arsenal by the end of summer.

Ozark Bear Arms Awesome thanks for the input. Im going to look tomorrow or the nexted.. I wasnt aware the sam7sf will be gone soon so that's the one I'm going for. Thanks again

Thank you for watching. Remember, a good number of guns seen here on this channel are from the store or loaners from friends, cheers.

Try steel mags. Polymer mags fit really tight in my 7K. My Fox rifle won't accept Bulgarian waffles.

Mishaco thanks for the suggestion. What I ended up doing is taking the rifle apart, even with no magazine in it when you pull the charging handle all the way back you can feel some resistance as you slowly move it forward. I cleaned everything up really well and oiled up the rails and when I went back together could feel the resistance wasn’t there anymore, put a loaded mag in it and now the charging handle launches forward like it should

Sounds like it's hanging up on the hammer, lots of AKs do that. I had a Romie PSL that would bolt hold open on the hammer, had to palm slap it if I didn't get a really good slingshot when pulling the bolt back. You did the right thing. Rubbing a little lubricant on the bottom of the bolt carrier (I like white lithium) should help ease that issue until it wears in. - Jay

Mishaco yea I agree with you based on the wear pattern I was seeing on the top of the hammer I think it’s hanging up there, so yes I cleaned all of it up nice and like you said oiled up the bottom of the bolt carrier. Do you think it’s best to just let it naturally wear down over time rather than slightly filing the top of the hammer?

Rumors? I've heard people talking about Polish Radom guns or SVD Dragunovs or yet more Molots (don't ask me how); but none seem likely to me. My idea? if they introduce something new...if anything at all mind you, I wonder if they are about to step into the 'US Made AK' game? I mean they did assemble guns from kits from 2001-2006 as standard, and still do today s limited production. So it wouldn't be a huge leap for them to start making parts here and doing more work in LV, NV. Hell, someone needs to challenge Century and I.O. already lol.

Thank you for watching. The 104 is one of Arsenal's most unique offerings for the simple fact that very few 5.45x39 imports exist...even fewer that are actually a semi version of a milspec rifle, cheers.

Is it true there are no more SLR-104's being sold?

I own a SLR 95. I like it, but since it's the only AK I've ever owned I may not know any better, therefore I must buy more AK47s.

No, its not true. They're fulfilling military contracts. Just like when the 107s were no where to be found. Then they decided to do the SLR107-11(?) ... Of course those flew out because they were under $1k. American market might be small potatoes, but its potatoes nonetheless.

Ozark Bear Arms it’s my absolute FAVORITE AK.....shoot so reliably and are very accurate!

Sure, what would you like to know exactly? Just the source or more details on the process?

I would like to know everything that you do. I've called and spoken to several people at kvar and they insist the SAS M7 Classic receivers they have were forged and machined here in the United States, not forged overseas, imported as an incomplete receiver, and then finished out once Stateside. It sounds entirely plausible what you are saying is correct, but I am getting some conflicting information. As Agent Moulder from the X Files would say, I want to believe

Ah gotcha....you need to realise that most of the peple over at K-Var have been there maybe 6 months to a year. They were not around back in 2003 when the SA M7 Classic was introduced. The most recent date I have seen on one of the USA receivers was 2008. Not saying newer ones don't exist, but I did get 3 SAS M7 Classics in from them this summer, and all were 2008 so.... The people over there are nice and do their best, but they were simply not around that far back. Heck, K-Var didn't even get an FFL and start selling actual firearms until, was it 2010 or 2011? It was pretty recent. Anyway, to your question. First off, I've held one of the forgings. They sent over incomplete receivers from Bulgaria. They were machined out here, rollmarked and then had that rather nice paint over phosphate finish applied. While legally these receivers are USA made, the metal itself began life in Bulgaria. And for those same legal reasons, people that work there are going to tell you its USA made. Same goes for say the SAM7SF. We know they are imported as thumbhole stock featureless rifles and then 'remanufactured' here. When this happens, they really become new firearms and go from import to USA. For this reason, Arsenal/K-Var down plays the import angle and talks about the stuff they do here. This keeps the ATF and Customs off their back some too. Its all just a game really.

That sounds very plausible, and I really want to believe this, but it would really put me at ease if you could provide some sources. I am asking this as I have a found gentleman selling an SAS M7 milled underfolder receiver showing US made markings. You are truly valued in the gun community Misha, albeit I'm not sure how many people know of you, but more know every day.

All SA M-7 (and M-5 for that matter) guns will have USA Made marked receivers. None were built on 100% receivers imported from Bulgaria. Only the SA93, SLR95, SLR101, and SAM7(R/SF/UF) are true Bulgarian built milled guns. The SA M7 series was assembled here in the USA by Arsenal Inc. using new virgin Bulgarian parts kits. Again, their receivers came over from Bulgaria as an unfinished block of steel. Arsenal Inc. took this block and machined it into its final working receiver shape. Thus it was turned from a boring chunk of ordnance steel into an exciting 'firearm' here in the USA, making it officially USA made. Just the original raw forging came from Bulgaria. Understand now? As to sources, like I said I held one once. Also Arsenal Inc. Las Vegas did not have the tooling and workshop space to make complete milled receivers from scratch at the time. Truth is, their workshop area has always been quite small. They do not have a whole factory capable of making everything. They just make 922(r) parts mostly. Everything else comes from overseas. For more, go google various forums posts relating to Arsenals, looking back for ones dated 2002-2004. There was a whole thing back then when Arsenal switched from the imported SLR101 to the US assembled SA M7 series. In the end, I am not really sure what is concerning you? All SA M7s were made the same. There weren't some built with special receivers and others with boring ones. Just one of Arsenal Inc's many phases: from imports, to assembleds, and back to imports.

thank you for watching, cheers.

The Smokinggun nope

Yes, but only early on. Back in the '60s and '70s they used wood, but it wasn't the really light and shiny wood we see on the SA M7 Classic series. It was more standard military grade stuff. In the late 1980s, they switched to using the fiberglass handguards and polymer buttstocks. They still offer select fire guns with wood as an option, but i doubt anyone takes it these days, except Maybe on some Krinks? maybe? Today the black polymer furniture is standard.

haha which one?

Times are changing, 545 will be obsolete.

Of course if wages go up, that means also the cost to make a rifle will go up accordingly.

yeah compared to western europe they are behind. Hence why a lot tech companies go their because its cheap wages and low taxes same with Poland and Czech Republic and many other eastern european countries same with western balkans. Recently Hungary and Slovakia signed a gas pipeline that help sell more gas to western europe(less dependent on russia) but also send gas to Romania and Bulgaria and Turkey. Romania and Bulgaria want to be part of "schengen area"

I think Romania has about lowest average wages, and Poland is on the higher end for Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic is pretty high too compared with its neighbors. Also remember the strength of the dollar matters too.

Yeah Bulgaria and Romania have increased their wages in private and public sector(Bulgaria is still the lowest) yeah dollar is strong same Euro coming back and British pound did dip thanks to Brexit and Canadian dollar is still very weak(buying things like video games cost $60USD at least $75 CAD plus tax and I heard Quebec's tax rate is quite high) well hopefully once Romania and Bulgaria adopt the Euro things should even out a bit and help both of economics.

Well hell, our saletax is 10% here and property sucks too....and we don't even get free healthcare out of it. Kind of eel like we're screwed both ways here these days lol.

Check out the video we posted on 4-1-18.

Just one of those things *shrug* even if it once had no meaning, today people in both the USA and Russia do know what it means.

😂 that’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in awhile