After a ten-year absence from the American import market, Arsenal’s SLR-101 has hit the shelves once again. The rectangular lightening cut at the front of the magazine well and the 2-chamber muzzle brake hint that this isn’t an ordinary AK, but a milled-receiver 7.62mm Bulgy . . .
Milled-receiver AKs run hotter and heavier than their stamped-receiver stablemates, but the machined steel receiver holds the barrel and trunnion in a vise of thick, inflexible steel. Stamped-receiver Arsenals are unusually accurate for AKs, but the extra rigidity of a milled receiver can cut group sizes even further in a well-made rifle. Unlike some milled AKs, the SLR-101 comes with a side rail, for a better opportunity to explore its accuracy potential to the fullest.
In his book “The Gun,” CJ Chivers describes milled-receiver AKs over 60 years old still being used on Afghan battlefields. Wind and sand had worn their exposed metal down to dull satin and their bores were completely shot out, but these rifles still functioned after decades of utter abuse and neglect.
From www.k-var.com:
It has been a decade since this rifle has been imported from Arsenal Co of Bulgaria. This milled receiver rifle sets the standard for superior accuracy and reliability. This modern sporting rifle will easily become the centerpiece of any collection and will be the one handed down from generation to generation.
The quality comes from the original hot hammer forged and milled receiver, bolt, bolt carrier, and trigger, the cold hammer forged and chrome lined barrel, and almost 100 years of workmanship and experience. All of this together creates a mil-spec rifle that is strong, accurate and will last multiple lifetimes.
At $1,019, all this milled Kalashnitude doesn’t come cheap. But think of it this way: it works out to only $17 a year for the next 60 years.
Just picked up an R51 yesterday. One store said they had 5 and sent them back about a month ago. Another store said they are awaiting a shipment and had sold 3 already. Stopped at a 3rd store and they had one which had just come into their warehouse March 25th, the store had it about a week. Looks to be the 3110th made, hopefully it isn’t suffering from any of the earlier ailments I’ve read about. Hope to go shoot it later today, if I wake up before the range closes; if not it will be next weekend or possibly Thursday or Friday afternoon before work. Slide seems to be functioning properly and I am not seeing how it is biting people; must really have large hands. My hand fits nice and snug up under the beaver tail. I guess I’ll find out if it’s an issue once I run through a box or two of ammo. Be back with a follow up then.
I always read that milled receivers were worse than stamped.
They’re many ounces heavier, and once they heat up from shooting they don’t cool down quickly. A milled receiver won’t turn an AK into a National Match M1A, but it will increase accuracy over most stamped-receiver AKs.
Stamped receivers are heavier and cool down more slowly, as has been noted. They are also more durable, given all that extra metal.
As I understand it, there are 1mm and 1.5mm stamped receivers. The 1.5mm stamped receivers are plenty strong when reinforced properly (mainly just an extra plate around where the pistol grip attaches). The 1mm stamped receivers are not sturdy enough for hard use in the battlefield sense, but are fine for most people in the US buying an AK. I’ve read that there are accuracy differences inherent between 1.5mm and 1mm stamped receivers, but haven’t run into an AK that was horribly inaccurate. It seems like the more important thing is buying one from a quality manufacturer (like Arsenal) rather than focusing on the differences in manufacture.
While some might scoff at a $1,000 AK, Arsenal is practically giving these away at this price. The next cheapest milled Arsenal will set you back $1,500, and it doesn’t even have some of the features the SLR-101 has. If you want one I wouldn’t wait too long. Unless Arsenal received a very large shipment, these will move quickly.
Well Robert, this certainly answered my question. 🙂
lol @ Kalashnitude
the unedited manifesto from dorner being passed on 4chan. http://pastebin.com/Jc3najP6
seems much more coherent than than the bits and pieces id read elsewhere. and says nothing of supporting obama or gun control