Much like bringing up a bitter team rivalry in a crowded sports bar, bringing up the subject of AK variants among gun enthusiasts is an easy way to stir up a heated discussion. Everyone who’s ever owned or fired an AK, despite hundreds of imported and domestically produced types in the wild, seems to have an opinion on which one is the best. And in almost every one of these debates, you’ll hear someone shout, “just get a WASR!” The Romanian-built WASR series has become a mainstay of the U.S. imported firearms category, and it’s regarded by many as the gold standard of affordable AKs available stateside. For decades, Century Arms has been one of the biggest importers of firearms into the United States, and some of this success can be attributed to what the company still calls a “massive demand” for the WASR.
So, does the WASR live up to its legendary reputation? Is it still the AK variant to buy if you’re not looking to break the bank? To shed some light on these questions, we’ll be discussing a rack-grade
