[Brickboy240]

Well...I did it!

I got so friggin tired of looking at overprices WASRs and some so-so SSR-85 Bulgies and other AKs that were in AR price ranges nowdays because of Obamamania....I went to RPG Arms in South Houston in person and checked out their AKs.

These guys custom build an AK from the ground up, using an Elk River (formerly Global Trades/Arsenal USA) receiver. They also use a brand new US made chrome lined barrel made by Mossberg. RPG's AKs utilize the kit's trigger group but they polish the daylights out of it and the pull is the BEST I have ever seen on any AK variant. RPG offers several stock configurations from Tapco synthetics (which is what I went with) to woods and folders.

They also build alot of their own parts, do their own heavy duty phosphate parkerizing and test everything they make in house. There is nothing thrown together about these AKs.

The rifle I bought is in basic AKM configuration with the flat parkerized finish and black composite Tapco furniture. The fit and finish and overall feel of these AKs had me sold the minute I held it and worked the bolt. RPG AK rifles are VERY well put together and are not rough in the least. Everything lines up perfectly and the mags have just a slight wobble.

I field stripped a few, while standing in the shop and they look better on the inside than most Romo and Bulgie AKs look on the outside. Very little machining marks and the insides are parkerized just like the exterior...a very even and professional finish.

The guys at their shop are MORE than helpful and if you really want one built a certain way...they have the know-how to do it. Most of the guys that work for RPG used to work for Global Trades (and most of you know how sweet their stuff was, years ago) and they really know the Klashnikov rifle inside and out.

Ok...I don't know how it shoots...yet...but I plan on running at least 4 boxes through the rifle on Saturday and I'll let you know. I'd be shocked if it did not run perfectly. usually, when a rifle like this LOOKS this good - it functions very well.

So...if you...like me...are in search of a really nice AK variant and want something that is very well built...this might be your ticket. I am very surprised at what 550 bucks bought me. Its miles above anything else I looked at and I got sick of gunstores raising prices and running out of everything.

I don't think the guys at RPG would mind if I posted their address and phone number. they don't have a website, but judging by their freestanding shop and operation...they're serious and will get around to it.

Heres where they are:

RPG Arms
1209 Georgia Street
South Houston, TX 77587
(713) 910-2777

Anyone near Houston....check them out...its worth the trip. Sorry I have no photos, but I went straight back to the office and want to keep the AK buy on the down-low and not draw attention. Maybe later.

Thanks,

- brickboy240

 

[newKid]

Seriously Brick.

Seriously.

Pics. . .

 

[LUVMYSIGP225]

Pics or your full of $hit. :lol:

 

[JhankG]

What a tease.

 

[silvernightmare]

I read all that and no happy ending (pics). I feel empty inside.

 

[Brickboy240]

Not full of ****...no sir.

All I have on hand is this really crappy cell phone camera...hardly does this thing justice.

If you call these guys, the can probably e mail you phots of what they sell...when i talked to them the other day ago, they said they coudl do this.

Their site ought to be up soon...I think they're working on one.

I really don't to go on anymor about it until I get to shoot it, but when something looks this good, it usually performs very well.

- brickboy240

 

[LUVMYSIGP225]

Alright, guys. False alarm. No pics. It was a hoax. Says he 's got a Volvo and a Swiss P225, too, but never seen those pics either.

:lol:

 

[Brickboy240]

Ok, a guy on Ak Files named DizzyV6P has photos of the EXACT SAME rifle that he bought. This will give you an idea of how well these are built...mine is a mirror image.

The AK Files Forums - 100% US AKM's and STG's from IO

Check it out on post #66

Photos DO speak volumes...

- brickboy240

 

[Majk]

Is black their only option available do you know? Is wood an available option?

 

[nalioth]

Everything lines up perfectly and the mags have just a slight wobble.

<sigh> Car doors have panes of glass in them.

Cows have 4 stomachs.

Gravity sucks.

All AKs have mag wobble to some extent - they're not AR15s.

"Mag wobble" has become a buzz word folks know zilch about. If the mag wobbles enough that it causes malfunctions, that is the 'mag wobble' to talk about. Anything else is part and parcel of the AK.

The guys at their shop are MORE than helpful and if you really want one built a certain way...they have the know-how to do it. Most of the guys that work for RPG used to work for Global Trades (and most of you know how sweet their stuff was, years ago) and they really know the Klashnikov rifle inside and out.

Yep, that's probably why they have such ucky-icky builds coming out of ERT&D these days. . .

Heres where they are:

RPG Arms
1209 Georgia Street
South Houston, TX 77587
(713) 910-2777

Info previously posted here.


You can't go wrong by calling Ron and crew for a rifle or a build of your kit. Ron is good people. I've known him since the early 90s. He was one half of the partnership that founded Global Trades / Armory USA.

The man knows his Kalashnikov.

 

[Brickboy240]

True, mag wobble does not seem to affect EVERY semi-auto rifle. My 10-22 has a wobble with the Tactical Innovations hi-cap mags but it does not seem to affect its reliability. In fact, if you adjust the screws on these mags and take ALL the wobble out - you're going to have jams.

Well, I did not get a chance to do a total accuracy check on the RPG AK, but I did set a few empty gallon paint cans behind Dad's barn and ran three 20rd boxes through the thing.

The AK fed 100% and after some windage adjustments with my SKS/AK sight tool, it hit the paint cans all the time. We set the cans out at about 25-30 yards...basically threw them out in the field and had at it. Not a scientific test, but the RPG AK hit the paint cans as often as th 10-22 or my SKSs so I'd say...yes....the RPG AK is at least as accurate as an SKS and totally reliable.

I'll do a more formal accuracy test (from a bench) and test other ammo, but playing around off-hand with Barnaul fmj ammo, the RPG AK turned three empty metal paitn cans into sieves in a short time.

Great rifle so far...everyone should own one. Big, big fun!

- brickboy240

 

[DizzyV6P]

Thanks for posting my pics

I reposted here on another thread.

The Tapco 30 round poly mag fits perfectly with no wobble. The Bulgarian new 30 round metal mag also fit perfectly with almost no wobble. It's there, but very slight, less than 1mm. The 20 round metal Bulgarian mag that it came with (MD only allows 20 round mags, although you can get 30 and up out of state and bring them in) fit perfectly with no wobble.

I ordered 2 more Tapco mags and 1 of the new Bulgarian 40 round polymer mags (as a test).

I have the version by Inter Ordinance Inc. which has the RPG Arms receiver, Tapco trigger group, etc... (see above description by the OP). It looks like IO is getting their stuff from RPG Arms