Which American Made AK-103 Should You Buy? Kalashnikov USA vs. Palmetto State Armory (K-USA & PSA)
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2021
- In depth comparison of the PSA AK-103 and the Kalashnikov USA AK-103. Which one should you buy?
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Hands down the best comparison of the AK-103 and KR-103
That’s exactly what I was thinking
This was a great review. It’s refreshing hearing someone actually know what they are talking about when referencing the details of various ak’s and the many nuances between rifles like a 74M/100 series clone and an akm variant.
Thank you brother. Hopefully not too monotonous! Haha
Kalashnikov USA coming out with the side folding stock and cold-hammer forged, chrome lined barrel is a game changer. I used to be a complete PSA supporter, but KUSA is really starting to get ahead, especially considering what they have in the pipeline 👀
NEED 104 102 and 105
@@markbrown4597 Summer and Spring 2022, they're in the pipeline
My AK103 has the cold hammer forged chrome lined barrel and yes it is a huge difference in quality. It will last a lifetime.
Psa has all of this including 545 variants and even newly a 105 so this isnt really a valid argument.
@@mr.stankers5967 Are you saying the PSA AK105 has a hammer forged barrel? I can only see info on nitride barrel treatment but nothing about hammer forging. It does say hammer forged trunnion front and bolt and carrier which all russian izhmash made gun have from factory.
The moment I heard Arsenal makes KUSA AK-103s triggers, a light went off in my head.
Awesome review. Already went with KUSA before watching this video; definitely made a great decision. Good call on serialized bolts.
I have a PSA AK-103 and I have no trouble fitting Circle 10, Russian Bakelite, Bulgarian steel, Chinese flatback, X-tac Mag 47. The only mag that is too tight are the AC-Unity. They fit but require a pretty good slap.
How’s your PSA holding up? I just got the GF5
I've used your site for purchases, a pleasant transaction with no issues. Thanks.
Glad to see you doing some AK US made reviews.
This helped me immensely. I just picked up my KR103. Thank you for this video.
I've put thousands of rounds through my kr103 at this point and it is rock solid, and has hardly required any maintenance. It's also much more accurate than expected. I will continue getting Aks from Kusa.
Thanks! I have been considering both PSA and KUSA. You helped me make up my mind.
Thank You for this in depth comparison, information that can help us make Good decisions even more so in the used and aftermarket and Part compatability!
Your familiarity and attention to detail is appreciated.
I never knew anything about Kalashnikov until I started researching a replacement for my older Chinese Mac 90. The more I read the more I loved what I was reading. Then I stumbled upon this site and saw the depth of knowledge about Kalashnikov and the USA versions. I’m sold and subscribed. Thank you!!!
KUSA is awesome. They got the original blueprints of the Kalash AK from Russia. The most authentic AK we can get in the US. I have the 103.
This review is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Extremely detailed and well presented. Thank you for the video 👍
I have a Russian American Armory AK103 made in 2006 by Izhmash as a Saiga that was converted back to AK103 in Florida. Its my first gun and has a huge amount of sentimental value to me even if its not the coolest thing in the world. They are no longer imported and I thank God I got it in the late 2000s when I did because holy crap they are expensive now. Mine has alot of upgrades by Zenitco and I love it. It is heavy as a carbine but it shoots straight and always works. My only wish is that it had the side folding 5.5mm trunnion and no chamber divot but I take what I can.
I purchased the KUSA 103 and I love it. It is super accurate and fun to fire.
Excellent, in-depth video. I bought a KR-103 about 18 months ago, and it's still going great for me.
How’s it holding up still I just bought one still gotta shot
This is quality - I hope you continue developing this channel.
You come off as very knowledgeable and thorough with your detail. Great vid my guy.
I did not hear if you mentioned it, but the KR 103 does not have a forged bolt, it is billet.I have yet to shoot a PSA AK that is over gassed. If anything they tend to be under gassed. Many are reporting that when an extra power recoil spring is added, they encounter short stroking. I've shot about 8 of their AKs and all were extremely soft shooting.
Wow, amazing video! Keep it up. I can’t wait to see more from you.
Your audio is good and the information is solid. Great video
A absolutely great job on this review !
Excellent review! Keep them coming please
You are very knowledgeable when it comes to the AK thanks for the video.
Thank you so much for this video. I particularly needed this. Now can you do one comparing the sgl vs zastava
I have a DDI AKM (completely US made) before PSA bought DDI and started their own AK lines. While DDI was known for fairly good QC, it had some issues with its final AK offerings (the model with AK104 style vertical gas block and A2 flash hider). However, my particular AKM has been a very very good shooter. I never had any issue with it, bolt is smooth, trigger is GREAT (better than the standard mil spec AR15 triggers, very clean break). The only minor issue I had with that AKM was with some Bulgarian surplus steel mags - I had to cut off some material from the mag to have enough clearance for fitment. With that said, I expected PSA to have on par QC with DDI, especially when they adopted all the DDI toolings, and staffings (maybe?).
BEST REVIEW IVE SEEN. this stuff can become confusing but you happen to be a expert on these guns obviously.
Bravo and thanks for the education. I own the Zastava m70 Zpap. Love it.
Very kind comment. Thank you Mitch.
Great review, thank you!
Now the side folder on k103, the barrel is chrome lined and hammer forged. That was the only thing holding me back. Glad they upgraded
I luv them both. I have that exact psak 103 plum side folding stocks. I wanna get the kusa 103 soon
Great detailed comparison of these two rifles. 👍
Great review man! Perfect, straight to the point and very informative.
Thanks Andrew!!
Great video, great info!
The presentation is very smooth!
great video. clear and informative
Awesome review , glad i stumbled across your channel ! Subbed! Thanks for sharing!
Great Review, much appreciated
Excellent editing and sound.
As far as I'm concerned, this was an excellent comparison. Thank you!
Thanks for doing this review. You should definitely do more videos for your channel.
Thank you! I graduate law school tomorrow. I'll have more time and more content soon! Appreciate the kind words.
Great video. Thanks.
I choose to buy Kalashnikov products due to their quality, and how closely spec'd they are to original designs from Russia. Were I able to get the originals, new, from the source I would be doing that. So to me, the KR103 is my choice.
All the Bulgarian mags fit my PSA premium 103 with zero issues. The factory mag that was issued with my 103 is solid not waffle and the 30rd fits snug.
How’s your 103 doing? I just got the GF5 AKM
This video was amazing. Made me appreciate my psa 103 a little more. If anyone has the mag fitting issues and don’t want to take a dermal to their rifle. M + M offers a mag release kit that was very easy to install. My Bulgarian surplus and polymers fit flawless after
How’s your 103 holding up? I just got the GF5
Thank you for this honest review.
awesome review, straight to the point, no ear piercing yelling (sorry Rob) or corny jokes (lol Brendan) subscribed!
Yeah, do the others cater to 12yr olds or something? This is the way a no bs review should go
Excellent review; all pertinent issues covered.
We done.
Good review,found you today,subscribed and you did a great review.Have a Kalashnikovs 12 ga ,quality.
Excellent review
This was great, thank you
Great in-depth breakdown
The one built to spec and not known to have issues.
Great comparison! Would love to see one comparing the 104s
Excellent video. Thank you
Great comparison and video, you’ve gained a new and loyal subscriber.!!
great review, this guy deserves more subs lol. I'm definitely going to go with the KUSA.
Great review
Great and informative video. I bought a GF5-E and I did run into the magazine issue on magpul mags but resolved with a little filing. Other than that shoots great and have had no other issues as of 500 rounds fired.
How’s your GF5 holding up? I just got one but it’s not the E version
Good stuff man…subscribed!
Did I just stumble upon a gun guy version of Will Buxton?!
Thanks for the comparison!
I like PSA, and living in the same state, I want to support local businesses. At the same time I want my tools to generally last longer than me and it seems like Kalashnikov has better Quality Assurance as a company.
Прощайте ПСА. Здравствуйте Кала́шников!
Both of my gas tube levers were loose. Turns out, you can turn it upwards and BEND IT BACK just like a loose safety. Problem solved.
I have a SAM7SF-84E, a PSAK-47 GF5-E , and an AR Aero XL Upper 7.62x 39 w/Red-X extended firing pin, Wolff AR extra power trigger spring, Toolcraft Diamond DLC BCG …....all are top shelf quality and shoot without a single hiccup and I'd take any of them and trust my life with all of them. About to pull the trigger on a KUSA KR103 SFS. Pun intended. Excellent video.
I’m a sucker for that plum color
Great video. Subscribed.
The reviews section on PSA's website is full of complaints about the firing pins and QC in general (also plenty of positive reviews). That's a turn off, but I really, really love some of their options as far as furniture (i.e., wood or laminate colors/grains, etc). Thanks for the review!
Hay man I watched this and your Usp video and Your videos are very well done and informative. I hope your channel grows and you get more subs you deserve it man.
Excellent Vid, question: When noting the thinner metal of the PSA dust cover, did you end by saying it is "Perfectly fine" or "Perfectly fun"? I think you should consider adding the latter to more of your videos. (even though it seems the PSA may not be quite there yet). Thx again.
Good review
The SGL-20 is missing the Accessorie lug on the gasblock (Nuetered), Later came the SGL-21 which had the accessorie lug as it should
damn informational video
I don't think they even make tapco g2 triggers anymore. My personal favorite on the AK now is the ALG/Geissele AK trigger.
This is a great and highly informative comparison. Liked, subbed and I'll be back to watch more. I'm interested in hearing your opinion on the KR-103 SFS
Thank you Gary! Hoping to get a side folder and 104 soon!
I got the KR-103SFS. It’s basically the non folder with the side folding stock 120 rds through, no problem at all.
Awesome video, taught me what I needed to know. But also convinced me I don't like aks lol. 2-4" at 100 yards is terrible. If I were to get something in this caliber I would get the ptr 32, I've heard those squeeze the most accuracy out of that round.
Stellar review
cant speak on the 103, but my 104 frpm psa will run all surplus mags i have, croation, bulgarian, bake, magpull, only one i cooldnt get to work was a cheap (11) knock off
I really wish I would have saw this before I ordered my psa 103. Looool. Nothing I can do now!
At the time I bought the PSA AK-103 the KR-103 was unavailable and it didn't have the forged parts. PSA is solid. Going forward I WILL not be buying the PSA AK-74 due to its'obvious issues but the PSA 103 overall we're solid. I will be buying the AK-74M from KUSA WHEN IT COMES OUT. Don't feel too bad - PSA 103 is decent.
The biggest problem with the kr103 is a billet bolt when it should be forged.
great video
Thanks Joe!
I had a sgl arsenal and a psa 103 had no problem with mags all worked fine.
How’s your 103 doing? I just got the GF5 AKM
I'm doing a pair of Saiga to 103 conversions. I've been able to use Russian Internet to aquire all Izhmash parts for the conversion. So my gas blocks, folding stock sets, front sights, etc.. will all be Russian.
Very nice video, well explained. But that flamingo shirt though....
Gas tube lever was loose hahaha hilarious this guy works for KALASH
Great review man, I went with the KUSA KR103 over the PSA and I've been wondering ever since if I made the right choice since the PSA was cheaper lol but looks like ill get my moneys worth. I bough some steel Korean 40 round mags and had no problem fitting them
Thanks for the feedback!! Glad you're happy with the call. Definitely look into some more mag options now that the market is in free fall due to the ammo ban. Might find some cool stuff for cheap!
i'm looking for a doomsday weapon. I wanted PSA since i have an AR build from them that works very well. but this video was NOT the first time i've seen magazine feed issues be reported. On the reviews on their website i saw it alot. For a doomsday gun I want something that will fit ANY AK-103 mag. not just palmetto's mags lol. going KUSA for that reason alone. not to mention quality control issues.
I just got the GF5 AKM from psa
Nice build and also have the M70
Dam, I whish I had bought one of those SGLs back in 2011 when they were like $800 bucks.
they were down to $500 at one point... STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! 😭
PSA hands down because of their forging alone. This is not the same company that sold AR parts a decade ago. They are killing the AK game in the US market atm.
PSA is still not the same quality as others. I seen too many PSA products fail at the gun range. They sell to people who are worried about a budget not reliable firearms.
@@zack9912000 maybe 10 years ago
@@softaco3088 no, it's still like that. I got an AKV that was absolutely junk. I have a KUSA KP9 now. The difference in quality is unreal. Their Industry Forums on ARFCOM are full of posts from people having issues with their stuff, asking for returns, refunds, etc.
Not anymore! KUSA now offers a chrome lined CHF barrel in their AK’s. My four weeks old KR-103 SFS is only $1,200 WITH tax included and it features that and tighter QC, such as much better spot wielding.
I have the GF5 AKM and it’s a damn nice build! Also have a M70
Great video! Curious if you had any exposure to Riley Defense RAK47 and how you'd compare to these models.
Thank you! I have seen my fair share of Riley Defense AKs explode spectacularly. I would recommend a rifle manufactured in a war factory👍
@@LeadSteel As I understand, Riley Defense had issues but resolved with forged parts (previously cast). Do you know if the ones that failed were cast or forged?
This video rocks!
I understand people comparing these as they're all AK-103's but there really isn't much of a comparison when they're so differently priced. Getting a PSA AK new will run you $699 whereas the KUSA KR-103 is gonna run you $1,339.
I understand these are both budget options in comparison to other AK's on the market but really we're talking about two very different firearms imo. There's only one real option for an AK under $1k and it's PSA. Not gonna be the best AK on the market but for the price it punches well above its weight class... Considering the fact that everyone is comparing a $700 AK to AK's that are twice the price and more lol.
The Saiga Was A Best of a Weapon I remember when I first got mine and Converted it myself it's fairly Easy to do 313 Until I D-I-E 💯
Heavy recoil spring and a pair of players should fix you right up on your 103..maybe a spring loaded firing pin...
I bought a KR-103 and I am still waiting for it because California is ass and it needs to be converted. I will have to try different ammo manufacturers to see what shoots the best. I typically shoot brass ammo when shooting AK's.
Found your website it’s awesome, can I pick your brain on getting a 545 looks like it’s slim pickings besides meridian are their other options that aren’t Riley looking for a life long Ak
Thank you! Best bet right now is either a parts kit build from a reputable gunsmith, or an inflated SLR. Bad time to get into 74s :(
If K USA used. CHF barrel and side folder I would of went that route. Also they should chromeline the brake and muzzle threads.
they do though
@@AG-co5lc they do now
Yep! My KR-103 SFS is four weeks old and at $1,200 WITH tax included, it DOES have a chrome lined CHF barrel.
very good
Do a comparison with Zastava rilfes
Can you do a review on a Zastava m70 great video
You got it! Coming up soon. Here's a sneak peek: www.reddit.com/r/ak47/comments/u2pqpt/guys_help_ive_fired_12_rounds_will_my_carrier/
I don’t see the bump rivet on the KUSA.
Why is there so much hate for PSA. They make some really good albeit expensive boat anchors.