It would seem to make sense due the ammo situation plus 5.56 mags are available.

We already have, the WASR 3.  Don't think it was a big seller though
https://www.guns.com/firearms/rifles/semi-auto/century-arms-wasr-3-5-56x45mm-nato-semi-automatic-30-rounds-16-barrel-new?p=1202943

The prices they're asking for them are insane considering the other available options on the market

For the $1200 price they popped up at, they’re directly competing with the Zastava M90 and within spitting distance of the Beryl at $1500, both of which are far superior guns with better finish and mag compatibility.  Not to mention domestically with PSA’s AK-101 on the market for $1000-ish depending on tacti-cool level.  There’s WBP’s 5.56 line as well as an imported “commercial” option too.

A damn shame since I really like Romanian AKs over all, they were my gateway to the world of AKs.  Not sure if the price is Century or Cugir but they blew it pretty badly.  Did they ever import additional Romanian 5.56 mags either?  The original ones are long gone at this point.

If they had adequate mag availability/compatibility and priced more realistically like the going rate for a WASR-10, I think they would have made a lot more sense as a good mil-factory entry-level imported 5.56 AK.

I've never seen any pop up for the new imports

A few years back I bought some EG Weiger mags from GMW when they randomly got a bunch in stock. They came new in paper wrap in vacuum sealed plastic bags. Wild

I sometimes wonder how much rare gun shit is out there just crated up in warehouses and bunkers, even beyond the Soviet salt mines we know about that are filled to the brim

I just built my own with a headspaced AOA parts kit and an 80% receiver. Way cheaper option.

The Finnish government could just about name their price if they would sell their EG AKMs they have in storage. But I wouldn’t try and import them currently, I’d sit on them till the current ATF administration is gone. It would be sad because the front trunnion would have to go under the torch to get imported at the moment.

I saw a picture a few weeks ago, on another forum, it originated from an importer, who was I think in Austria at a legal wholesalers place, how they wound up in Austria I don't know. But the pic, it was a big crate type thing, basically like the cage you see around those big square 275 gallon water containers, and it was filled with NOS Russian AKM's, most in pristine condition with some gorgeous wood furniture, and they were all just stacked up like firewood in there, there were also some pouches and such in the container.

I was just drooling, and cussing out the current state of affairs, and knowing if any of those are to make it here or most western countries for that matter, that they will first go under the torch and be torn apart.

I just regret not getting one of the Stg-2000 Romy Weigers.

If the Romanians were going to do it, I think a 5.56 Draco would be pretty cool.

https://www.centuryarms.com/draco-series

Thirded.

Century’s website isn’t working either via that link nor other routes…

But- there are 5.56 Dracos already.  I SBR’d mine.  Not sure when the last time was that they were made, but it is basically the 5.56 SAR-3 rifle, but made as a pistol.  Uses Weiger mags, and also Bulgarian pattern mags.  Does not have the shorter 5.56 bolt thankfully, unlike the SAR-3, and uses a different gas block/fsb of course.

They are fun, light for an AK and there aren't that many of them around.
There are some obvious differences between it and the original, but it's still a pretty good clone, especially the unique furniture. The gas block is different, the receiver lacks the dimples, there is no lug, a Romy rear sight, and Inter Ordnance chose to use a standard AR FH rather than making one close to the original Wieger. The last item means you can't use a standard AK bayonet because the bayonet crosspiece opening is too small, so you have a choice - dedicate and open up an EG AK bayonet or mod the FH. I chose the latter because I can always get another FH (I'm still looking for a Wieger FH or one close to it, btw).
As far as magazines, they originally came with ProMags, but it (mine) was completely unreliable with those. Mine works flawlessly with Wieger mags, but I have tried an ACUnity mag and it works too after some fitting.  



I modified mine by adding a bayonet lug like the original (below) and giving it the capability to accept a standard AK bayonet, which meant trimming the AR-style FH (a lot). The FH is very thin now and I suspect it won't last too many more years, but it gives me time to search for the proper one or mod another one with a thicker "cage". I also changed out the rear sight for an East German 1000m sight.

Interesting. I didn't know those existed.  They should bring them back. The time is right, now.

Got any pics of yours?


The Century site looks like it's up now. Maybe they had a glitch.

If they allowed memes in tech threads, i'd be posting the "IT'S BEAUTIFUL" cat meme.

The longer handguards really make that rifle, the Weiger is one of the main inspirations in my "perfect AK" concept.

PSA should do a re-pop of the Weiger.

I'd buy one!

A batch of wasr 3s or whatever the 556 version popped up within the last year or so. I bought one 20 years ago but it didn't work and mags were expensive.


556 AKs are the only ones I'd buy if I get anymore but I want a Bulgarian pattern mag design.

I got one about 15 years ago. Had a gunsmith tweak it and it runs like a raped ape now.

What I think is interesting is that some have the correct EG style gas block and some don't - those that don't just use the same combo block that's used on the Draco/AIMR series.

The rumor I always heard was that Romania purchased or received the tooling from E Germany to produce the entire rifle and that the Weiger internals are what the SAR3/WASR3 series are actually based on.

Supposedly there was some exchange taking place as Romania produced RPKs for EG, as the Germans never received the tooling to do so from Russia.

I have no idea how true it is but it would make sense considering that the entire line of Romy 5.56 AKs are designed for the Weiger pattern mags and Romania manufactured them domestically.

I've always wanted to find a used one to go with the EG wire folder I have, and I have 4 EG Weigers just sitting in a bag.

Here it is minus the stock.  Was gonna redrill the rear trunnion for an ACE folder as an interim, but was doing my 7.62 Draco at the same time, but I busted a tap in that one, been sidelined ever since.  Really want to do a standard trunnion plus a Romanian side folder stock, but I thought the ACE would be an easy route to go, and was gonna see how I liked it, as that is a lot easier than welding up the receiver.  Now stuck in the land of half finished projects…

The grip is a red bakelite Romanian (I believe), I think I replaced whatever it came with.  Re-did the handguards with a red finish.  The diagonal line from the middle of the mag well on the side is a paint drip- OEM from Romania!  Figure no point in fixing that and re-painting until I decide if I have to weld up the back end. Attached File


Attached File

Forgot to slap a mag in it prior to the picture, when I went to get it out of the safe I got locked out, the S&G 6120 is dying on that one…eventually got it to open thankfully.  Time for another new lock it seems..


And….$369 each for Securam Xtreme locks, which can be opened electronically or mechanically.  Cost more than the S&G 6120 but I won’t be locked out if the electronics fail either, so it is worth the extra cost.  Ouch.

That's what I've standardized on.  I have a Saiga, a Beryl, and two PSAs.

Pretty cool!  That has potential to be a really fun little blaster.  You've gotta love Romanians as really solid base for project guns.

I've saved Wieger articles over the years and it does indeed have an interesting history. I also have the original owner's manual with some interesting information as well.

This all started in 1981 with the DDR negotiating licensing and technical assistance to make the 5.45 AK-74. What the Russians didn't bank on was East Germany and the other countries making AKs selling their versions abroad, thus competing with Russian-made AKs. The Russians included a clause saying they couldn't export any of the rifles they made. To get around this stipulation, the East Germans - those crafty Germans- redesigned the AK and made it use the 5.56 round. The East Germans began development of the StG in 1985 to take advantage of foreign sales creating capital for their starved economy. By 1988, they had four prototypes at Brandenburg. The testing was successful and they planned an initial output of 100k guns in the first year, increasing to 200k every year after that.
EG received two initial orders for the rifles, Peru (2000 delivered) and India (7500 delivered). Unfortunately for the StG, the Berlin Wall fell soon after and the whole program was scrapped. The EG gov't scrapped the remaining 6000 rifles they had in inventory - that makes me cry. Originally, the East Germans had planned to produce 15 different version of the STG series, initially in 5.56, but with plans to also add 5.45 and 7.62x39. Designations were going to be:
5.56
StG-941 - 16" barrel, fixed stock
StG-942 - 16" barrel and wire folding stock
StG-943 - 12.5" barrel and wire folding stock
LMG-944 - 19.7" barrel, light machine gun, fixed stock
PG-945 - 19.7" barrel, scope, fixed stock

5.45x39
StG-951 - 16" barrel, fixed stock
StG-952 - 16" barrel and wire folding stock
StG-953 - 12.5" barrel and wire folding stock
LMG-954 - 19.7" barrel, light machine gun, fixed stock
PG-955 - 19.7" barrel, scope, fixed stock

7.62x39
StG-971 - 16" barrel, fixed stock
StG-972 - 16" barrel and wire folding stock
StG-973 - 12.5" barrel and wire folding stock
LMG-974 - 19.7" barrel, light machine gun, fixed stock
PG-975 - 19.7" barrel, scope, fixed stock


Also worth noting the 5.56 StGs were designed from the onset to use steel-cased ammo, which I can confirm works perfectly and saves me $$.

As for the IO StG clone, the rifles were imported from Romania as single stack rifles with thumbhole stocks. They then modded them by cutting out the mag well, adding US-made furniture and TAPCO FCG to bring them into 922r compliance. The basis for the rifles were factory-built AKs that use high-quality, hammer-forged, chromium-lined barrels. Original StG 2000 series guns had the A2 FH and undimpled receivers, but later versions had the A1 style FH. It is said the later version had dimpled receivers, but I have never seen one. My owner's manual says six versions should have been availabe from IO: StG-2000-C (7.62x39), StG-2002-C (5.45x39), StG-2003-C (5.56x45), SSG-97 (.308 and 7.62x54R), SSG-2000 (.308 & 7.62x54R), and SSG-2003 (5.56x45).

Love this stuff, exactly the kinds of posts we need to preserve this knowledge for future gens.

What I wouldn't give for a Weiger in 7.62......

I have seen the dimpled receiver 7.62x39 Stg-2000 models and IIRC they were being manufactured by IO on US receivers using parts sourced from Romania - I don't believe these were factory guns unlike the 5.56 variants which came direct from Cugir.

There was a time that some of these rifles were being sold as demilled parts kits for reasons unknown - probably where IO was rebuilding them. I don't know it some import contract got messed up and they had to be destroyed stateside or what. Possibly the same sort of deal as where a lot of AIMS-74 kits that got sold originated from a DoD order of samples from Cugir (for FWF/OPFOR training purposes?) but someone changed their mind, so they got demilled stateside and sold off as kits. No idea. Some were being sold on AKfiles and that's all I know.

Both 5.56 and 7.62x39 variants without dimples would have been Cugir-made rifles.

For whatever reason nobody ever seemed interested in these variants.

Cugir factory rifle - Romanian style FSB, no dimples



IO parts kit build - different FSB, dimples.
IO also sold a number of regular AKM rebuilds using the same style of EG clubfoot stock and pistol grip, so did they have their own mold? Don't know, nobody liked IO rifles, so the information isn't out there.

Someone said less than 1,000 of those came in ..... sold by Century as the "Champion" initially



Found this as well ..... I don't think I would have gone the underfolder/dong route if I SBR'd one though

Another great post, man I want one bad now.

I had totally forgotten that these were called the "Draco Champion" and yeah they weren't imported or sold for very long.

I don't know that Romania ever officially adopted these for military service despite the AIMR (which the Draco is based on) being a relatively commonly issued variant which was analogous to the AKSU in Romanian military service.

And as I mentioned earlier..  Cugir has satisfied a lot of contracts to the DoD and the AIMS-74 has been a common AK variant used in FWF, at least in the GWOT days

Supposedly the DoD also ended up with a large amount of EG AKMs... I have no idea if true but it would make sense that they would turn over those stocks to us. Supposedly we're also to blame for a lot of the DDR hardware being destroyed during reunification as the general idea of disarmament was pretty strong in those days, everyone thought a war would never be fought in Europe again despite Yugoslavia literally happening at the same time.

I work with a guy who served in the Moldovan army in the early 2000s... I should ask him sometime what toys they were playing with.