WASR series rifles
Encyclopedia
Pistol Mitraliera model 1963/1965
The Pistol Mitralieră model 1963 is an assault rifle patterned after the AK-47, and chambered in the 7.62x39mm cartridge. It's exported as the AIM....
, itself the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n variant of the AK
AKM
The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....
series of rifles originally from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. They use a Romanian made receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
, but lack the dimple above the magazine well the SAR series has. The equivalents with Russian models are:
- WASR-22: N/A (.22LR)
- WASR-2 : AK-74 (5.45x39)
- WASR-3 : AK-101 (5.56x45)
- WASR-10: AKM (7.62x39)
Construction
These rifles are made with stamped receivers that were originally intended for single-stack magazines. The rifles feature chromeChrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
-lined barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
s and wooden stocks
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
.
These rifles are commonly imported to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Century Arms Intl., where they are modified to be sold. It is there that they widen the magazine wells and install US section 922r compliant parts including gas pistons, fire control groups (i.e. trigger), and pistol grip
Pistol grip
On a firearm or other tool, the pistol grip is that portion of the mechanism that is held by the hand and orients the hand in a forward, vertical orientation, similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as the M1911....
s.
Many customers have complained that older versions of these weapons experience a low degree of trigger slap, which is caused by the bolt slamming backward into the trigger assembly (causing discomfort to the trigger finger).
Rifles sold/manufactured since mid to late 2007 have the Tapco G2 trigger group pre-installed, thus alleviating trigger slap. Such equipped rifles will have "Tapco USA G2" stamped on the left side of the trigger itself. Some of these rifles may exhibit canted front sight blocks and gas tubes.
This type of rifle usually comes with a side-mount scope
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
rail, unless it was manually removed.
They are well-known for their low cost, and are widely considered "bottom of the barrel" AKs, but the rifles are still just as reliable as many of the other AK variants. The rifles are very customizable, with hundreds of aftermarket stocks, optics, and other accessories.
WASR-10 and variants
Federal assault weapons ban
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
version of the AKM
AKM
The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....
rifle in 7.62x39mm caliber. Factory-original rifles only support single-stack, low-capacity magazines (ten rounds), but are frequently modified by Century Arms to accept double-stack, regular-capacity magazines (thirty rounds or more). Pistol grip and thumbhole stocks are both commonly found.
GP WASR-10
After the sunset of the assault weapons ban, importers were able to legally equip WASR-10s with compensatorMuzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
s, bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
lugs, and folding stocks, thus making the GP WASR-10 (with GP standing for general purpose). One disadvantage of this rifle is that machining burrs on the magazine well causes some magazines to fit tightly. Some advantages of this rifle are the reliability and availability of aftermarket parts.
GP WASR-10/63 (Pistol Mitralieră 63)
The 2007 GP WASR-10/63 has an updated front trunnion with added contact support for the bolt carrier.A WASR-10/63 with an under-folding stock was introduced into the product line in 2007.
As of 2008, there are GP WASR-10/63 rifles which are being made from demilled military rifles. Look for a triangle with arrow (some only have a triangle) on the front trunnion. Quality is much better with these. .
WASR-22
The WASR-22 fires the .22 long rifle.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
cartridge. They are designed as trainers or starter AKs. They usually ship with two 10-round magazines. There are reports of jams caused by the smaller shell casing lodging in the receiver cover and blocking the action. Most people switch the top cover with a military one or adjust the extractor spring tension under the bolt assembly.
WASR-2
The WASR-2 is essentially a WASR-10 chambered in 5.45x39, and usually does not come with any accessories (muzzle brake, bayonet), especially if it is ordered straight from Century Arms.Because it is not chambered in 7.62x39, the WASR 2 is legal in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
despite the state's Assault Weapons Ban. Despite this, most dealers do not sell the WASR-2 .