Arsenal SAM7SF AK-Pattern Rifle

Introduction:

As a long-time Arsenal fan and owner, I was thrilled to discover that I would be reviewing the Arsenal SAM7SF, which Arsenal has ambitiously termed the “Game Changer.”  Much of this excitement derived from the fact that this new AK-pattern rifle promised to be revolutionary; a bold promise for a system that is renowned for its simplicity and durability, a system that has been the most popular assault rifle ever produced, a system that has been chugging along with only a few minor design tweaks for over half a century.

So what improvement did Arsenal formulate to “change the AK game?”  Speaking with other industry professionals and aficionados, we came up with our best guesses: Arsenal’s version of the AK-12?  A reliable 5.56mm AK rifle, perhaps accepting drop-free STANAG mags?  A revolutionary improvement on the AK’s mediocre iron sights?  Or my best guess – a cost saving measure that would permit Arsenal to produce a rifle on par with the quality of its usual models, but offer it at half the typical four-figure MSRP?

Turns out it was none of the above.  Arsenal’s radical development is, primarily, the introduction of an AK receiver that is forged before it is milled.  In explaining why this feature makes this AK variant a “game-changer,”  Arsenal offers this explanation:

“Some companies that make milled receivers in the USA bypass the forging process, which can contribute to weak receivers, more prone to stress.  The forging process strengthens the material and shapes uniform grain patterns in the steel.  These forging patterns are engineered and produced to follow certain directions along the contour of the receiver to withstand high stress from the force and the movement of the working components.  The forging process also eliminates any possibility of internal air pockets and cooling deformations that can impact and weaken the integrity of the receiver.  While firing, the forged and milled receiver does not have the same deformation issues that are typical to stamped receiver models.  [...]  The solid platform of the forged and milled receiver ensures superior accuracy.  [...]  It is not by accident that all the critical components on the SAM7SF rifle, including the receiver, the barrel, the bolt head, the bolt carrier and trigger are formed through forging process, to give them the crucial strength, reliability, and longevity to last for generations of use.”

I surmise that Arsenal’s overwhelming pride in this rifle derives from the prior iteration of the same rifle, the U.S.-made SAM7SF offered by Arsenal, which offered a similar level of quality, but at two to three times the cost, and in very limited numbers.  Certainly, if you were in the market for a hard-to-come-by forged-and-milled receiver AK variant, the price change is revolutionary.  However, to the casual shooter or AK enthusiast, is this a game changer?

Specifications:

The SAM7SF is a 7.62x39mm AK-pattern rifle manufactured by Arsenal Company of Bulgaria and then re-manufactured, stateside, into its final configuration by Arsenal, Inc. in Las Vegas, Nevada.  It has a total length of 38.2” and a folded length of 28.4”.  The SAM7SF weighs 8.5 pounds, which is about 11 ounces heavier than a stamped-receiver AK.The barrel on the SAM7SF is a hammer forged and chrome lined Bulgarian made 16.3″ barrel made with a 1:9.45″ twist rate.  Arsenal claims that this barrel is made using “Steyr technology” (although without specifying much more than that) which also lends to the pedigree of the SAM7SF.  This barrel is crowned with a one-piece removable AK-74 style muzzle brake mated via the somewhat common 24×1.5mm right-hand threads on the front sight block.

The Arsenal also features a right-side folding buttstock.  This buttstock gives enough clearance to the bolt carrier to allow the operator to fire while the stock is folded.  Additionally, as the traditional optics mounting platform is on the left side of the rifle, the stock can be folded without removal of the optic.  And while the more astute reader might ask how the safety is manipulated while the stock is folded over, Arsenal has thought of a solution to this as well, integrating a Galil-style safety lever on the left side of the receiver, which is operated with the right-handed shooter’s thumb.  This permits safety manipulation without resortingto the right-hand AK-style safety lever, and further means that the SAM7SF has some degree of ambidexterity.The SAM7SF includes a re-designed and more ergonomic pistol grip with a special cut-out on the left side for the ambidextrous safety and a reinforcing washer between the grip and receiver giving additional stability to the less-than-fast point where those components meet.

General Observations:

Naturally, with the foregoing specifications, those of you acquainted with AK-style rifles will not be surprised to learn that the fit and finish of this particular rifle was seamless and virtually peerless.  This is not a WASR.  In fact, this may be one of the finest AK-style rifles I have ever handled.  There were no machining marks visible, and the surface of the rifle was parkerized and then painted over in a clean flat black finish.  The bolt carrier also appears to be treated and is a flat black – much nicer than the typical bare-metal bolt carriers that can rust when exposed to the elements.  I will say that the left-side safety and the stock-folding button were both pretty stiff on this new rifle, but they quickly became more manageable after some use, indicating that a tight fit was the probable cause, and that a little break-in would surely lead to smooth use of either.  My test rifle came with a 30 round Circle 10 Bulgarian “waffle” magazine, known as the best magazine available for the AK series, and one ten round magazine that was great for prone shooting.  Also included was a scope mount for use with the side mounting plate, but I did not use optics in my evaluation.

One feature that appears to be under-emphasized in commentary about this rifle is the trigger.  I dedicate a solitary paragraph to the SAM7SF’s trigger, which is the best I have felt on any AK-pattern rifle (although the TAPCO G2 is comparable when installed by a competent gunsmith), and, for that matter, I feel that this trigger is on of the best factory triggers found on any military-grade service rifle.

This is not a single stage GI trigger from your AR.  Rather, the SAM7SF’s pull is smooth from start to finish with zero take-up, and uniform in weight throughout travel until break, after which there is no overtravel. Reset is positive, if not a little pushy: you get some forward pressure to reset the trigger as your finger eases forward from the breaking/firing point.  It is nearly perfect.

The extra features are not just filler: The pistol grip is the one of the best I have felt on an AK-pattern, and much, much nicer than the older generic Bakelite and WASR-style pistol grips that are somewhat diminutive and flimsy where mated to the receiver.  This grip is robust and ergonomic.  A very nice addition that negates a typical weak point in most AKs.

Close-up of Arsenal’s new pistol grip.

A folding stock is a nice addition as well – the ability to have a folding stock on an AK-style rifle is a great advantage over other systems such as the AR.  The stock Arsenal elected to equip this model with is well-built and sturdy at the mounting point.  You can fire this rifle while the stock is folded should you need to, as the stock stays clear of the reciprocating charging handle built into the bolt carrier.

As far as firing this rifle: Unsurprisingly, the SAM7SF had no reliability issues at the range, and, for the most part, fires like any other high-end AK. Recoil impulse was barely distinguishable from my Arsenal SGL-21 (my favorite AK in my stable), which I fired side-by-side with the SAM7SF.  However, novices should note that the AK-style rifle recoils more sharply and with a bit more effect than the average 5.56mm AR-15.  I re-emphasize how great the trigger is on this firearm.  The sights were dead-on out of the box, and feature an 800m rear leaf.  While no groups were shot or measured, this rifle would bang the 12″ gong at 100m every time with little effort.  While Arsenal claims that this rifle produces much greater accuracy than its competitors, my research indicates that users have reported a slightly-better-than-average two to four M.O.A. degree of accuracy with even inexpensive Russian plinking ammo.  While it looks like this rifle produces relatively good accuracy for an AK-pattern, there are other AK-style rifles around and below this price range that produce similar results.

Negative Observations:

If you’ve read this review to this point, you would probably assume that I am as much in love with this rifle as my other Arsenal rifles.  However, I have some concerns with the folding stock.

Similar to the more notorious Yugoslavian underfolding AK rifles, or over-folding shotgun wire stocks, the operator may experience some cheek bite due to the stock’s wire-style chassis.  As stated, I did not shoot and measure groups for this rifle simply because the stock was unmanageable for me – the end of that buttery trigger pull was greeted with a shock through my cheek, courtesy of the metal folder.  Note that this was more prevalent in supported or prone shooting, not so much with standing.  As a multiple AK owner and an avid rifle shooter, I don’t believe operator error was the cause of this issue.  For that matter, in is this author’s opinion that the Bulgarian triangle folder is one of the better and more comfortable AK folding stocks made.  To make sure I wasn’t the only one having this problem, I had two of my students I was with at the time test the rifle out.  Both also found the stock to be uncomfortable while shooting.  The only owner I could locate on AK47.net also stated that he felt the stock was “not as comfortable” as the triangle folder.While three or four shooters is still a small sample size, it was reasonable to conclude from this that some shooters may not like the wire stock.  Underfolder stock shooters have typically addressed this issue by wrapping the stock in paracord or buying a cheekpiece.  Fabrication of an ACE-style foam sleeve would be a simple solution as well.  

Before publishing this review, TFB brought this potential issue to Arsenal’s attention.  Arsenal was very concerned and attentive to my concerns with the stock, and discussed it with me at length.  Arsenal was surprised that I had this experience, as Arsenal said they extensively tested the stock in house without issue, and further, that they have not received one similar complaint about the stock.

Our discussion was followed up by an email from an Arsenal representative which read, in pertinent part:

[T]he prone position is the most uncomfortable position to shoot from for a number of reasons including this one.  The only time to use this position is when your life is in danger.  [Arsenal] does not recommend wrapping anything around the stock that would then interfere with the folding stock operation or prevent the bolt carrier pulling back with the stock in the folded position. I looked at a few forum discussions around the web and found several saying you should not have a cheek weld in the prone position. I hope this helps

Accordingly, I’d be aware of the potential problem, but realize that Arsenal has suggested that this problem is extremely uncommon among SAM7SF owners, few though there may be at this point.  Moreover, note that Arsenal suggests (minimally) that shooting this rifle from prone may be uncomfortable, and that, as a precaution, Arsenal does not recommend adding any material to the stock. 

Conclusion:

As set forth herein, I can confidently say that this is one of the finest AK-style rifles ever made.  The highlights are numerous: It drips with typical Bulgarian quality and finish, with smooth and uniform parkerizing, a bullet-proof and robust forged and cast receiver, top-quality barrel, great accuracy for an AK, an ambi-safety, a beefy and ergonomic new style of pistol grip, and finally, the best trigger pull you may have felt on a modern military rifle.  The $1,300-$1,500 cost may be an issue for some shooters, but that’s all relative;  note that several hundred people were willing to pay upwards of $3,000 for the same rifle a few years ago when Arsenal first produced the SAM7SF domestically.  That said, while I’d wince at the price tag, the ~$1,300 introductory price nonetheless appears to be a good value in terms of what you get – a top-shelf AK-style rifle.

But, is the Arsenal the “Game Changer”?  Arsenal certainly believes so: Take for example this Arsenal release day e-mail blast, depicting an angelic creature apparently delivering the SAM7SF from the heavens.  And others may agree with Arsenal; for some, the price may be revolutionary for discriminating shooters seeking a top tier AK rifle.  But, critics and TFB commenters have fairly pointed out that the advantages offered by the forged and milled receiver may be a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist – durability.  How many dirt-cheap fifty year old stamped AKs are still chucking lead with little or no maintenance in the hands of untrained and carefree militia around the world?  Plenty.  The fact is that while almost any AK out there will certainly be inferior to this SAM7SF AK-pattern rifle, in my opinion, this is just another well made and high-end AK-pattern rifle, which category is mostly comprised of other Arsenal AKs anyhow.

Webster’s defines “Game Changer” to mean “a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way”.  Unique as it may be, the SAM7SF doesn’t solve a salient issue with the conventional AK or offer a significant practical improvement in performance, and thus, might be over-appraised as a “game changer”.  While Arsenal is perfectly right in underscoring the fact that this AK is a cut above the rest and a good value, even at the $1,300-$1,500 price point (as evidenced by the fact that the very first run of these previously sold out at $3,500 apiece), calling it a “game changer” is somewhat of an overstatement, although many could (and will) argue that the overstatement, if any, is only slight.