Slimjim said:
So i shouldnt have to worry buying one then? I was just worried about the QC going down, would you say they're on par with how they used to be now?
The QC problems all seem to stem from what goes on in Las Vegas. The overall Bulgarian workmanship on the 107's I've observed seems to be top-notch. Since the 107's are all Bulgarian except the compliance parts and the unbanning that is done in Vegas, they can't really compare to the mostly US-made and assembled milled rifles.
The positive points of the SLR107's, at least the ones I've observed are:
1) Perfect riveting. The Bulgarians are experts at quality riveting, I've decided. I've only ever seen ONE bad rivet on ONE rifle, and that was a tiny split at the very edge of a trigger guard rivet. In other words: no big deal.
2) The gas tube latch on my 107 is so tight you need the slot on the cleaning kit tube to move it. That's how they all should be. I've heard other people make the same comment, so it's not just my rifle.
3) My 107 seems to be more accurate than a lot of other AK's I've shot. I'm not sure why this is.
4) The finish on my SLR107 seems to be WAY tougher than the squid ink paint of the 105's. I'm of the opinion that Arsenal completely refinishes the 107's after unbanning them, but I could be wrong. Maybe I've just gotten lucky with how tough my finish is.
5) The folding stock is very comfortable to use, and locks up solid. It's potentially the best folding stock on the market.
Negatives
1) While we're talking about the folding stock, I've heard ONE report from my local FFL that a customer managed to crack his polymer folding stock by dropping the rifle on the butt from about calf high. I wasn't there, but I have no reason to doubt my dealer's word. Supposedly he witnessed the incident. You can easily replace the polymer stock with the steel triangle folder if you replace one more component with a US-made part (muzzle brake is easiest).
2) A lot of people don't like the two-stage trigger as it comes from the factory. Some people love it.
3) There are a couple of incidents of the Metal Injection Molded (MIM) hammers shattering in the milled rifles. So far there are no reports of similar problems in the stamped rifles, and the hammer that came with my 107 is clearly a slight redesign from the hammers that came in my SA M7R's. The FCG is easily replaced with another brand if you like.
5) The canted sight issue, although mostly in the past now, is going to haunt these rifles for some time to come. At least I've not heard of the same reliability problems as with the 106's. I believe I've read ONE thread on ONE forum where someone had a couple of jams with a 107. (Mine has been 100% but occasionally ejects brass cases a shorter distance than might be considered "normal" for steel cases).
Ultimately, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances, but I think maybe Arsenal has gotten the message on these rifles and they are mostly okay now.
