Top 5 Overrated AK Type Rifles (aka Don't Believe The Hype) 

"They fuckin' saw an SKS." Hilarious.

2:40 Hungarian FEG SA85M 6:22 SGL 31 10:38 Egyptian MAADI 17:57 Chinese AKs 26:33 Finnish Valmet

Scarcity breeds mythology. People act like colt m16's had perfect finish and sub MOA accuracy. Neither are true. Military guns are military quality for most nations. When I hear "military grade" I think, maybe I will look for something better elsewhere.

the vska, pioneer/i.o ak's are definitely the most over priced ak right now. I see some going for almost 1200. Friends don't let friends buy a vska.

I’m so glad that when I went to pick out an Ak in 2013, knowing next to nothing at the time I picked up a Zastava NPAP. I remember looking at an IO and liking the furniture on it, but decided on the Zastava because it looked more robust. It has served me well.

Jeez, Misha really got angry about the $99 Chinese AK stories... caught me off guard😂

Mishaco is a “walking encyclopedia”. Thank you for all the knowledge you pass to us.

Excellent vid Mish, I love the more simplistic direction of your vids, all good information and no bling n bang.

I just wish really good aks were still available at a decent price

Always a superb review!!!! I enjoy getting educated by you Misha, stay well. Beautiful collection

Another great video, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

Nicely put. Im late to the game like many other dudes and picked a terrible time to get into the ak game

Thank you for your AK expertise. Certainly one of the top knowledgeable AK guys in our country. Bought an Arsenal SLR 107FR triangle side folder from you several years ago and love it.

You should do an underrated AKs next. Give us the scoop of what you think about some great AKs that are being undersold, I love watching these videos because you have such a well of knowledge and you explain everything in an easy understandable way. Keep up the good work!

Excellent to get your thoughts on this subject, great timing! Thanks.

Agreed 100 % on the maadi's I would never pay 1800 for one no way.

lmfao, the SKS anecdote was hilarious xDD Great vid as always

Everything's overpriced these days...

Hi Misha. Thank you for sharing your expertise! What do you think of the new Arsenal SLR107R-11E that is assembled in Nevada? How does the quality compare with a SAM-7R made in Bulgaria? I dont think they have been assembling AK's in Nevada for very long, and with most mechanical things it takes a while to work out all quality problems. With ammo so high now, its not like we can shoot 200-500 rounds ourselves to "prove" a new gun's reliability.

I really like my Sam7 had a 107r for a little bit and the Sam7 is one of the best I have used. It’s about a point heavier than most but the quality is higher. How do you tell what year your AK is?

You hit all the high notes. Before I grabbed krink parts, I was thinking about a demilled valmet bullpup parts kit on gun broker. It was too much to take a chance though. I seen a sar 3 go for $3500 with one mag last month. Ban state prices though. The prices I’m seeing preban colt hbars go for makes my overrated meter go off more. Thanks

I remember when the first Maadi AKM's was advertised in Shotgun news. They were asking $1200 for them back then. Some people purchased them, since they were the first AK copy that was introduced.Few purchased them since ammunition was rare and very expensive. The Valmet was too different looking from the soviet AK.The Chinese AK's were great AK's and sold well because they also imported cheap ammunition with their rifles. The cheapest AK's I saw were $250 dealer price. The wood is Teak wood. The Polytech Legend series were much better made than the Norinco rifles and the price reflected it. Try to find Peter G. Kokalis reviews of them in Soldier of Fourtune magazine. The Legend variant had better made triggers and parts. We have come far since then.

Misha what do you think about GP75 complete parts kit with barrel ? I've got one in storage is it anygood? Can you recomend me a builder? Thanks for the videos.

good video i thought i wasnt gonna like it by the title but u did ur research and had alot of good info good job man good video

I agree with your assessment in the video, it never fails that once something is banned from importation it suddenly becomes the best thing since sliced bread and the people that have them think its worth more than its actually is worth

I remember, back in the nineties, when I used to live in Cuba, how the Chinese Aks had a bad reputation. The biggest issue was how easy they rusted out, compared to the European counterparts. They also broke more often than not, I guess the metallurgy was not up to par. I found it interesting that, once in the USA, people would talk highly of them. They definitely upped the quality for US sales, compared to the “military grade”, select fire versions they sold to other countries.

Hey Misha, I'm one of the ones who has suffered a broken 7.62x39mm Valmet firing pin. I have tried probably a dozen different types but have not yet found any other type of AK firing pin which is a drop-in fit. I spoke with a M92/S (semi auto Rk95) owner in Finland who also ran into a broken pin after a low round count. He was able to send his bolt back to the SAKO factory where they re-profiled it for a new improved pin. I need to go through the rigamarole of trying to obtain overseas customer support, but I was lucky enough to find one original spare pin in the meantime. Spare pins are totally out of stock everywhere (even in Finland) except when an old-timer lists his "uknown Valmet pin" on GunBroker. Valmets are fun to own, to put it mildly!

1. Hungarian FEG SA85M 4. SGL 31 3. Egyptian Maadi 2. China 1. Valmet M62

Collectors will ALWAYS pay outrageous prices for these. That will never change.

Hey misha, could you please tell me how can I tell what year my sam7r-61 was produced. P.s., I appreciate you and Jay for all the info and knowledge you share.

Watched your vids and love the knowledge! There’s a 1/2 inch gap between the AK's rear sight block and front trunnion. Is that normal?

Idc what anyone says I LOVE the Hungarian underfolder lol.

Great vid as always! Much love and respect Misha! The one thumbs down dude prolly paid 4k for a saiga/maadi/norinco/polytech LOL Misha out here Crushing dreams XD

"AKA AK hype"

I wanna know do the reinforcing plate above P grip really matters? In some AKs u wont find it. Whats ur take on it? If We drop it (stock closed) will it damage and bend the reciever?

Do you prefer a brand new saiga 5.45 with military style stock from the factory just like we get them here in pakistan, or do you prefer a used bulgarian 5.45 ak. Both have same price. Thank you.

I like the 1.5mm revivers when it comes to mourning optics through the side rail, since it results in less flexing of the receiver👍

I purchased my first 2 ak's back before the Clinton ban. MAK90's for $182.25 each. They came with the Planet of the Apes thumbhole stock.

Always a great source of informed info! Thanks

Great vid brother. very informative and truthful

The only Arsenal worth buying now is the sam7. I blew a trunion on my Arsenal slr 107cr at 5k rounds. I have owned about 4 of the Bulgarian arsenals including a Sam7k. The milled guns do live up to the hype. They are just too heavy for me. The stamped ones are like an older wasr with moderm features. Shotty qc and shit paint. All but one of my stamped Arsenal's has a canted front or rear sight and my 106cr wouldn't even run out of the box.

The M62S is still my favorite, but I cannot imagine purchasing another one ever again. Far too expensive, even used, and I'd be too worried about something getting broken or damaged these days, and not being able to fix it or get a replacement part. Back in the '80s (or even early 2000s), maybe a different story.

Do u have a recommendation on where to look for any of these?

What a great video!!! Great job!!!

Sold my first gun i bought at 16 (an arsenal slr107fr) and am now buying it back from the same guy now at Age 22 next week. Cheers Misha, thanks for a great video.

I was going to change out my gas block on my SAR1 but then I just drank a red bull instead.

I enjoy many of your videos. I just recently, unfortunately too late, got into the AK platform. Well, my first one was an M92 that I love. And just recently bought a SAM7SF84E . My research brought me to your videos and I must say that I have been enjoying them very much. Learned a lot!

Misha, what are your thoughts on the Chinese 5.56/.223 AKs, namely the Norinco 84s?

My hometown Walmart was selling Chinese AKs for $200 in 1991. P.S.- In addition to the expansive knowledge of the subject, the depth of vocabulary used in the presentation is astounding. I always find new words like "shittily" to be fascinating.

Whenever someone tells me how great or how awful a gun is I have two questions for them. 1. Have you ever shot one? 2. Have you ever owned one? Glad to see a video from someone who can answer yes to both questions. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these. I do have an SGL-21 I purchased new and can't believe what people are willing to pay for them.

Hi is there a value in a Romanian Battlefield Pick up with a Romanian barrel and a Nodak Spud reciever?? The furnture has the dongle lower grip.

Always thought my Maadi was like the ugly girl in high school who really knew her way around a dark Impala back seat.

Love it when Mishaco says....."in my opinion".... Like he is not one of the worlds foremost authorities on the platform 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

So should we be converting Saigas or leaving them in the Hunter configuration?

Where can I find some good quality furniture for my wasr? Thanks.

I love the SAM7 but sadly it and most on this list are banned in my state. Unfortunately I live in a state that has sold their soul to the CCP.

I was wondering if the Valmet would be on the list, and I wasn't disappointed! Mine was number 914518, manufactured in 1991. It's a gun with the primary purpose of being easy to manufacture and service, so that buttloads of them could be churned out during a war. I don't know why people think it's a diamond or something. It's just a Kalashnikov with slightly tighter tolerances, thanks to the higher standards of Finnish manufacturing.

What do you think of the Galil ACE? My 8th AK. Pricey but nice. Especially the 5.45 guns.

Can you do a video on your favorite aftermarket ak FCG / Trigger upgrade?! Thanks OG

Thanks; a very enjoyable discussion. I was glad (I think) that the WASR 10 didn't make the list... This video is why I'm completely happy with my WASR. I did not want a 'premium' AK like RD or Krebs (good on those who do!), but a simple, relatively crude rifle such as Pvt Ivanovski would have been issued. THAT, to me, is the spirit of the AK. As for Chinese prices: Back in the early '90s, I worked for a wholesaler and shipped Chinese AKs for $180, Chinese SKS' for $80. The current prices are breathtaking...

4K for an SGL... someone else has seen that sale on GB! Edit: the most recent sale I’ve seen is now for around 6k

Man, this video is great. Not too many people these days even know what a Valmet is... back in the day I owned two Valmet M76s. One had dark red furniture (total POS, it malfunction on me and dumped the entire mag full auto- talked about puckering up) the other had plastic black furniture. I never was a big fan. Even in the early 90s those mags were hard to find and ran $60-80 each. I sold them off and went to a Magnum Research Galil ARM. I always loved Galil's. I am surprised they didn't make the list. I have probably owned around 20 Galil's previously. I had a Poly Tech Legend and I truly loved it. What a fun gun!!! If i remember correctly it was around $400 in '86. Later, I owned a Hungarian as well as a few Maadis. I just bought an Arsenal SAM7SF and I love it! Other than full auto stuff, it is the first AK i have owned in 25+ years. I just posted a review if you are interested. I have over 100K followers on other platforms. I will give you a shoutout for AK guys. You have great AK knowledge my man. Out.

I have several AKs and last month I bought a SAM7-SF and now i'm looking for another imported AK. If you were me what would you be looking for?

32 people just paid a lot for one of those!

You should do a under appreciated ak video, personally I think plain old wasrs are excellent guns for their (non 2020) prices that suffer unduly for panic rushed guns circa 2008

Great video as always. Could you elaborate on your comment about a folding stock being useful in the event of a future ban?

How are the vepr hunters holding their value are they worth $1200 or more I have the one you have to install a bullet guide to accept regular mags but I haven’t done that yet do to expense and I bought it with a ton of mags. Also how many were brought into this country

18:43 OMG AHAHAHAHAHAH! That's the first time I ever heard Misha do a mocking voice! Amazing video as always y'all. I was always curious why in the hell do people, even to this day, say AKs are cheap to buy, yet I never see them actually own own nor answer me when I ask them why they didn't get it when it was that cheap. Always appreciate the never ending knowledge bombs! \m/

What a beauty Arsenal, love the Ambi safety!

...what do you think of the RD Arsenal upgrade or their NATO AK?...

I was lucky enough to find a Sam7 2020 version yesterday! And of course I didn’t leave without it lol

Ofc Misha picks some of my favorite variants, the SGLs, the Maadis, the Hungarians, and the Chinese AKs. I’ve always liked the Maadi’s for being a licensed copy of the AKM that is almost identical to the original rifle, the Chinese for having the bayonets and being unique, and the Hungarians just for being a standard AKM, with the fact they were the 3 AK’s available in the ‘80s because I’m a hardcore ‘80s nerd and I don’t count the Valmet because I don’t really care for them for being basically nearly their own platform and not being AKM’s. I get that the Saiga’s kind of cheap out, though just having a Russian AK seems cool and it’s people like me who are the reason why they are so expensive. Though I still like Romanian AK’s a lot and they are cheap and easy to find. Nowadays I think the Serbian M70 ZPAP rifle is the most over rated AK and people freak out about them just because they are affordable and have a bulged trunnion which basically isn’t necessary on a Semi Auto rifle, though it’s nice they make them like that because that’s how the military models are. Though I still prefer an AKM that is compatible with Soviet parts. Great video as always Misha.

My M70AB2T probably incapacitated more human than some expensive modern SLR since I personally seen majority of AKM in current conflicts are mostly made from Balkan Regions? Correct me if I’m mistaken even if they come from same region⚜️🥷

Another awesome video thanks!

Nice video but begs the question: what are the best values in AKs?

California: Shark fin grip Finland: Shark tail stock

The WASR guys need to stop down talking other models.😂🤣

This is probably the most informative channel with regards to the topic of the AK

How does one get in contact with you?

Misha, thanks for continuing your detailed reviews and opinions.

I loved this one! Really hit it on the head with this one! People gonna get mad! Lol 😂

Are the saiga ak a good buy at $800 ?

Plans for a video about what you think the most underrated AKs are? Or the top 5 best

Both my Mak 90’s I like a whole lot. Good triggers. Very smooth action. I like em as much as any AK I’ve ever had. I’ve had a lot. I do like my Molot Vepr FM 11 probably more

Please send me all your overated aks any one reading this!

Do you have a retail store in the area? I am not a fan of Ozark Armory and the Ozark Sportsman is All right but still not a big fan. I'm looking for someone with a little more one-on-one insight and opinions with my purchases.

Thumbs up for the video, Misha. Unfortunately the only AK i have is a unconverted short barrel Saiga 308. Thankfully i got for a good deal a few years ago before prices got higher. It's nothing fancy but i like it for what it is.

18:43 is that Hank Hill?

The voice you impersonated sounded like cokeman2423 lol

Great video man. Just picked up a m70b1 dc industries century arms. With 1000 rounds of wolf for 1200$

Misha, dude its so good to see your videos again! Sold my Arsenal for $1,000 a few years ago. Barrel smoked and bubbled from the paint, and the sights were off as they weren't put on straight. Fun to shoot! I miss that AK. Thanks Misha!

My first ak was a vepr and man have I been in love ever since all I ever needed, I've paid 2 grand on a meridian defense lust ak and I always go back to my 600 dollar vepr

I had a WASR 10 years ago, loved it, got it for around $500. Sold it due to hard times. Was in the market a couple years ago, picked up a GF3 with Polish Wood, yeeted the front sight post with a 24 inch screwdriver because it was canted to maxed out left and still not zeroed. Now it's a perfect center zero lol. Gun has ran 3000 + with no issues. I did have to sand and fit the wood but over all its beautiful and runs perfectly. More accurate than the WASR to 200 yards, dont have a place here that goes further than 200. I did the AK Operators Union 25 yard Zero and it did the trick. My Romanian Bayonet fits perfectly, my Cleaning Kit and Rod of course go into place fine. The GF3 in my opinion is a better fit n finish and as reliable as the WASR ever was. So for most Underrated ide say the PSA GF3.

Chinese AK story: here in Canada I was at a range with an OG preban chinese folder AK. It was getting high in round count but still, it kept double firing and on the 3rd mag a pin/rivet holding together trigger parts flew out and it was out of comission for about 20 minutes. Range SO said this has been happening a lot. Really surpised me given their rep online, but i guess all things fail eventually

I am still tring to figure out the diffrrence between the izmash ak103 and the sdm ak103

I almost had a heart attack with the SAM7 intro

I want to get into AK’s, but for how “cheap” they are, what turns me off is that the theres a list of caveats and qualifiers of what is good or not. Maybe i’ll wait and get a cheap one eventually, but only when the ammopocolyse ends.

What do you think of the century viska?

Great video! I agree found a parts kit from Tula not that long ago and they wanted almost $800. Non matching numbers. If I remember correctly I think it was even missing the front trunnion. In my opinion you would be better off getting some of the mew production forged parts from WBP plus recreator makes super high quality parts and you could build a very nice rifle for that kind of money.