AK Sponsor
Posted: 11/20/2006 4:22:02 AM EDT
|
I have been reading the various posts about this gun and was considering a purchase before encountering so much controversy. However, it is hard to wade through all the opinions, multiple posts, and so on to get a sense for the probabilty that my purchase will have problems based on the number of others that had problems. (You can never know for sure...but these forums provide some info., which to me, is better than none). I would like to suggest a new thread here. If YOU are an SLR106 owner (not you know one or read about one, etc.) please post: 1) When you made your purchase (to see if there are trends in earlier purchases with problems and later ones not, etc.) 2) Whether you had any problems or not, and if so, what the problem(s) was/were. PLEASE POST ONLY ONE TIME Thanks. $800+ is a lot to gamble on one of these, not to mention the hassle...maybe this thread will help provide some clearer insight to owner experience... |
|
Good concept for a thread, and I'll be first to speak up. My only suggestion is ask for weapon serial number instead of purchase date, as that gives a better indication of where in the production run it was. Maybe we'll even see a trend with canted FSB's. 1. SLR-106F serial number 087x purchased from BachelorofScience here on the boards Nov 1st 2. Rifle shoots point of aim and 1" high at 25 yards, which translates to dead on at 50 yards. I initially had some fed issues, but they were traced back to two faulty black bulgarian 30 round magazines (bad followers/srpings). Once those mags werwe removed from the supply, the rifle has functioned 100% on XM193, Gautemaulen surplus, and Wolf 55gr. groups are very tight for my typical shooting. Front sight base is ever so slightly canted to right, but was also this way on another SLR I inspected, so I think a very slight cant is standard. It does not affect point of aim. My 2 stage trigger is very smooth and light. My only compaint is the finish is not very durable. After 100 rounds I have phosphated/bare metal showing on all the working surfaces. |
|
SLR-106FR serial number 013X. No canted parts. Perfect fit and finish. No dings on top cover. Two failures to feed with one black mag, a single failure to feed with another. All clear mags work flawlessly. Both 20s and 30s. Another black mag works flawlessly. Didn't try the 5 rounder. Clear mags a bit difficult to insert and remove at first, but wear in to a perfect fit. Top rear of feed lips can be filed to make a better fit. FTF probably mag issues, probably break-in flukes. Very accurate, sights dead on. Able to 18"x36" gong at 400y w/ iron sights and poor vision. |
|
SLR-106F s/n 032X, purchased at a local shop that got it from RSR Wholesale. FSB may be tipped just slightly to the left, but the sights align very quickly and naturally when the rifle is brought to the shoulder. Have 9 black waffle mags; one is a bit tight, the others lock in and release freely. Dry-cycling has been 100%, using several mags. Initial testfire is set for Friday; will update this post at that time. UPDATE 11/24/06 Fired 180 rounds today with no issues to report. Gun shot high and slightly left at 25 yards; I was very easily able to get the sights dialed in and shooting POA at 25, then at 50 yards. No excessive windage needed, thankfully. Functioning was 100% shooting a mix of Federal AE 55gr, Radway Green 62gr SS109, and Wolf 55gr FMJ out of 6 different black waffle mags. I found the two-stage trigger to be conducive to precision shooting off the bench, but not to rapid combat-style shooting (hammers, controlled pairs, NSRs, etc). It will get swapped out ASAP. The SLR-106 is easily the most accurate AK I own, but its accuracy potential is hard to fully realize with its heavy trigger and crappy iron sights. A decent optic would do wonders. That's all for now! |
|
SLR106FR sn 002XX purchased from Jenson - from their second shipment. The bad: Finish was very poor, you could wipe off color with a clean rag. I refinished mine in satin guncoat The receiver had quite a bit of metallic swarf inside - they evidently didn't clean it after the buttstock mod The trigger on mine was very poor. I put a Redstar in. In order to fit a redstar FCG I had to replace the rear trigger guard rivet as the original one had a huge blob for a head on the inside and it interfered with a Redstar FCG. Mine shot about 5 inches left at 100 yards. The windage adjustment on the front had enough movement to zero. The RSB is very roughly machined. The rear trunion receiver cut out is pretty roughly done. The good: 100% function so far with Radway green & MK262. I've put 400 rounds through it without a hiccup. The folding stock is awesome, even better fit and finish than a new russian poly folder. The optic rail is spot on - I can switch my Kobra back and forth between my SLR106 and SAM-5 without rezeroing. About like you'd expect: About 2-3 moa with british radway. maybe a little better with MK262. Mine won't ever be a 1 moa rifle but that isn't expected. Going by heft, it weighs exactly what a SAM-5S weighs. The folding stock weight negates the weight savings of the stamped receiver. Overall mine turned out to be a very nice rifle - after I put some more $ and sweat equity into it. Truthfully, Arsenal needs to get their sh*t together on finish and QC or their market share is going to start hurting at this price level. There is no denying that the SLR106 is the coolest rifle Arsenal has produced to date though - after it is made right. s & p |
| Bought mine from Jensen Arms on Nov 6, ser # 18xx. FSB is canted to the right, shot left 10" at 100 yds. Not happy. Have a front sight tool on order, already put a Robinson windage adjustable rear sight on it. Not going to send it in if I don't have to. It shot Brown Bear, Prvi Partisan M193, and Wolf with no problems. The clear 30 rd mag stuck, bigtime. Hasn't worn in yet. Got some of the black mags from K-Var, haven't tried 'em yet, heard they're problematic as well. Grrrrrrrrrrr... My 7.62 VEPR II is much better in fit and finish. My friend's .223 VEPR II would run circles around it, I think. I'd expected better for $800+. |
|
SLR-106 Serial 2## Bought from deerslayer40 on AA. Fit: V-good, The FCG sucks ass. Not what I would expect out of an $850 rifle. I never fired a round with it. I sold the stock FCG and replaced it with a G-2. The folder kicks major ass, as does the rest of the furnature. The heat shields in the lower work great. The sights and G/B are staight. All mags tested worked perfectly but as noted elsewhere the clear mags are a little tight but not a problem. (20rnd clear waffle, 30rnd clear waffle and 2 different Black waffles.) Finish: Fair, after one trip to the range you can see metal on the bottom of the gasblock, The upper part of the b/c is wearing paint and the top rails are wearing paint. The metal work and milling is great. Function: V-good, I had no feed problems but the point of impact was about 10" high and 17" to the left at 80 yards. Again not what I would expect out of an $850 rifle. The ammo used was 40rnds each of Wolf 55gn, South African 55gn, Guat 55gn, Radwaygreen 62gn and UMC 55gn. All funtioned great, the wolf was clearley less powerfull than the others. The POI was about the same with all ammo tested. I havent decided if I want to send it back to Arsenal or not. I jumped on this one a little to fast and payed a little to much. If I send it back to arsenal I'll have well over $900 in this rifle by the time I ship it to them. Here is what I payed for it www.auctionarms.com/Closed/DisplayItem.cfm?ItemNum=7668436.0 |
|
SLR106FR #BE 46 1435 purchased 3 weeks ago. 1 out of my Bulgarian 30 round mags often ejects the left hand loaded round along with the just fired case (I need to send it back to Kvar). With the other mags for the first 350 rounds, about 1 out of 35 shots would jam against the chamber with the loaded round at about a 45 degree upward angle. For rounds 351-400, no jams. I then polished the lower face of the bolt (had noticed horizontal mill marks). Fired the next 160 rounds with no problems. Haven't fired it further. Front sight base appears straight. As received from the factory, at 25 meters the shots impacted 1 inch above point of aim and 1 inch to the right with 55gr ammo and half inch to right with 62gr ammo. A very minor movement of the front sight centered the 62gr ammo. Had to raise up the front sight about 1 full turn to get sights on at 100 meters. With open sights and reloads it likes, I get about 4 minutes of angle 10 shot groups. Very mild recoil. Overall, 62gr bullets shoot better than 55gr. Bore must be very smooth, as it is easy to clean. |
|
SLR106FR #BE 46 16xx I bought this a couple of weeks ago but have been getting ready for an S'Dave AR class so I haven't had an opportunity to take the SLR106FR to the range. This is my first Arsenal AK and overall I am quite pleased. Compared to my SAR2 and Yugo: The finish is great. (The finish and roll-mark/etching on the Romie and Yugo are a freaking joke.) The front gas block is straight to my eye. The furniture is great. The folder rules, though the button to fold it is overly tight. However, that may be a good thing -- I think once it has been used and loosens I will be glad it started out tight (like a Les Baer). My AKs all have long trigger pulls that suck compared to my ARs. This one though is fairly light among my AKs. I think the clear mags are too tight IMO. They work, and I love the ability to check capacity at a glance but I may have to mod them to be happy with them. The 1-in-7 twist barrel matches my ARs so my stash of MK262 should work good in it. Cheers- |
|
SLR106-RF 14XX Good 1) Good finish, no cant, everything tight. 2) Folding stock awesome. 3) Shot about 2" left and dead on elevation at 50 yards. Front sight drifted in no problem with AK sight tool. 4) Ate everything I fed it. Did 1 double feed with IMI surplus brass ammo (some with dented necks and cases). I did not lube this gun at all before shooting, so no big deal there. First few shots felt like the bolt velocity was slow (tight maybe). Freed up quite a bit after 200 rounds. 5) Reinforcing plate and new PG are fly. Need to mod my other guns this way. New heatshield handguards work great. Something, dunno if good or bad 1) My trigger was not too bad. I think it will be much better after use or a little polishing of the sharp lip off the 2nd stage "bump". 2) Mags were tight, but this will loosen with time. 3) Muzzle flash is TREMENDOUS from the brake. I think I am gonna try this out with a Krink compensator on it instead. The .223 kicks light enough that the recoil will not change much... Bad 1) Including only a 5 round mag with a $800 gun is pitiful. I also thought these were supposed to come with matching number bayonets (as originally advertised by Arsenal) but they did not. 2) I think the rear sight notch is a little smaller than my other AKs, made sighting a little tough. I also think this should have a windage adjustable rear sight on it. It really sucks that K-VAR is out of these.... -Cabby |
|
SLR-106FR, s/n 0352, bought from Jensen's mid-October. I sent the rifle back to Arsenal before firing it. FSB was canted about 5 degrees, there was a huge flat spot ground on the left side of the gas block, and absolutely none of the 15 mags I have for it will lock in. The mag latch only engages the locking tab on the mag by about 1/16" before the rib hits the rear of the magwell. Since the mag is not riding as high as it should, I figured I'd have some serious FTF's. I paid over 800 bucks for this thing, it better be right. Some of these issues people are reporting are absolutely inexcusable...these rifles should have never left the factory. Mags don't seat? Come on, Arsenal! MBR |
|
Took mine to the range again today. Since all my clear mags worked fine, I took only my four black ones. Three of them worked perfectly. The one that didn't had the same problem this time as it did last time. It would get to the fifth or sixth to the last round and the bolt would ride over them. I set that mag aside and loaded the remaining rounds into a different one, which, of course, fed perfectly. Seems I've got a problem with this one mag. What do the experts think is wrong with it? Think it needs a new spring? |
My expert opinion is call Kvar and set up a return. Have them send you a good mag. |
|
Purchased my SLR-106RF from Jensen Arms in the beginning of November. It has been an excellent rifle after 600rnds to date (Wolf 55gr and 75gr TAP). Was almost dead on at 100 so it must have been factory boresighted properly. The finish is perfect exept on the bolt where the gas piston is crosspinned. The finish flaked off there to reveal light surface rust, which leads me to believe the bolt may have had some minor rust there before the rifle was assembled. Either way, I'm getting 2-3MOA out of it and it's been 100% functional so far...knock on wood. CMS |
|
SLR106FR...Picked mine up from my local dealer... BD0601** Put a couple hundred rounds through it. 4 black bulgy mags I purchased about a year ago worked just fine. No FTF, or FTE.... but no one should expect to have a FTF or FTE with an $800+ brand new rifle using the mags designed for the rifle. Shot a little high and left... not exactly "laser sighted from the factory" but I can work with it. Two stage trigger is gritty... but OK... older Arsenal trigger was much better. Have to give them kudos on the folding stock. It is nice. Over all I am satisfied, but if it weren't for the following issues... I would probably pick up another one... 1. Only came with a 5rnd mag... that is BS... even a WASR comes with at least 1 30rnd mag where legal. 2. No bayo. 3. Finish wipes off with Hoppes #9. 4. Problems others are reporting with FTF's with "bad mags". 5. Price increase. |
|
I sprayed brake cleaner on the bolt carrier and the whatever just bubbled up and peeled off. I sent it to Chris Butler of AK- USA to get refinished in a powder coat. The rifle is nearing completion. Other than the finish just peeling right off, both of my SLR106FR's were in excellent shape with good triggers, and straight front sight bases. They must have been put together on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thurday. No vodka effects here. The SLR106Fs's were also purchased from Bachelor_of _Science and the transaction could not possibly have gone better. AC 
|
|
I got mine a few weeks ago and love it, the front sight is canted slightly other than that its perfect as far as I can tell. Also I switched out the plastic stock with a steel triangle folder because the steel feels more solid, and I put a US made copy of the Bulgy birdcage flash hider on it. Nate |
|
Here's my .02 Rifle Serial Range 036X. Canted/Crooked Parts. Like ALL ARSENAL Rifle's very POOR-CHEAP finish. That is to say if you intend to use Gun Scrubber and the like. Will take the Finish right off. HATE the Trigger. Overall it looks nice, but for $800.00+ I feel , due to the issues, that it wasn't a very good buy. No function problems while shooting were noted, however. I sent the Rifle back to ARSENAL to have the problems corrected. I don't know when it's returning. Upon it's return, I'm installing a G2 Double Hook FCG, and sending it off for a $250.00+ Refinish, which I shouldn't have to do on a NEW Gun, but since ARSENAL won't change their Finishing Practices, I have no other choice. (IF they were building Cars..They'd be sued for such a lousy Finish) Overall, I LIKE the Rifle, I don't like the problems, and the extra expense on sending it back, waiting, and spending money on a Refinish. Would I buy it again knowing what I know now? I'n all honesty, I'm not so sure that I would. |
|
SN 01xx aquired the SLR106FR during the first release shipment from Lew Thorton. The 106 display excellent quailty and workmanship but the black finish could have been applied better but still looks good. No canted front sight and the rifle shoots right on the money past the 50 meter line. I have used Winchester, PMC and Wolf with excellent results. I have used six black and clear 30 rd. bulgarian magazines and only had three seperate issues with feeding errors but were solved by some basic maintenance to the suspect mags and now the 106 shoots just like the SAM-5. I wish arsenal would upgrade the 106 back sight with the same RPK unit displayed on the SAM-5 is my only real bitch. Outside this little short coming everything else about the gun is first class and vary unique. Way to go Arsenal............... 
|
SN ( 027X ) Finally got mine to the range. It shot 4" to the left at 40yards. I drifted the front site drum over and have it about flush with the front site housen. This seems to be normal and acceptable for AK's. Honestly. But it put it dead center. I then moved it to the 100yd line. and fired at a standard wallyworld 100yd smallbore target. 10 shots. I got 9 out of 10 in the black and evenly centered. No tight group to brag about. Wind was a beast while I was shooting and I hate AK iron sites. We don't complinment each other.LOL... But there would be a dead Zombie with a head shot anyhow. I am pleased with this rifle. I was shooting Radway Green 62gn ammo. I shot Q3131A (55gn)winnie in a three rnd test and the group didn't move any. I need to reserch and get me a good Ruskie scope for her now and see what she is capable of doing. Im not going to get anty better with irons.  , Cheers WarDawg
|
What did you change about the mags? My clear Arsenal Bulgie mags don't seat completely, and seem to be too wide to insert without getting them perfectly aligned in the mag well. The 5-rounder that it shipped with inserts all the way with a nice positive click, and is easy to do without getting out the KY. Thanks- EDIT: On closer examination the metal blade for the mag catch on the 5-rounder is smaller than the ones on my clear mags. Also, the blades on the clear mag vary in size. Some come close to clicking into position, others aren't even close to clicking into a locked position. The clear ones are sold by RSR as Arsenal mags but have no Arsenal logo. The included 5-rounder has an Arsenal logo. The 5-rounder is more narrow at the top which facilitates quicker reloading. |
|
I took my SLR 106 to the range again today. Beautiful, sunny day in Colorado, mid to high fifties. I'd received my front sight adjustment tool, and as others have said, adjusting the post to the left until the right side is flush seemed to do it for me. That plus adjusting the post one turn got me on center of the targets. Nice tight groups, too. The gun has been flawless in operation, and has digested all the different ammos I've thrown at it. I used Brown Bear plus some Golden Bear today, 160 rds. I also replaced the original grip with a SAW type grip, it works well. I got the adjustment tool and grip from gunaccessoriesdotcom, as I recall, turns out they're both Tapco. Oh well, works for me. I think the front sight looks funny with the front post over so far, and as someone mentioned on another thread, with the post so far from center between the ears, if one tends to center shots with the ears they'll still be off. Who knows, I may yet send it back to Arsenal to have the sight properly centered. |
How in the world could you honestly tell until you actually shoot the gun ??? It may seem centered to you but until you shoot it you cannot make that claim  ETA: I know you can look and tell if it is canted but with the 106 reports, I am seeing that most have to be adjusted too much. I am waiting to receive mine. I will report on it in this thread soon. If the sight is too close to a post, then I will send mine back to have it corrected. An 800.00 gun should not have any issues ! |
how is that possible i have many arsenal rifles and they shoot great, whats the whole deal going around this one. It has a 1/7 twist so the only thing im going to be shooting will 62 + grains |
i thought you all were talking about the sight post itself being canted! the sightitself is slightly to the left as it is, maybe they test fired mine. |
AK Sponsor