Originally Posted by Doc Holliday

One word:NORINCO

The Chinese make great AK's. Yes, I know the thumbhole stock is ugly (can be replaced) but the receiver is thicker and better quality.

Originally Posted by JT

This is also up to debate. I have heard that it wasn’t that the Bulgarians “refused to compromise”, but that they did not have the money to upgrade production processes to make the improved stamped receiver at the time (they now make both). Also, although it cost less to make the stamped, it was not seem as a “cheaper design”. When Alex Robinson of Robinson Arms (former importer of the VEPR) asked the Russians if they would make a milled version he was told that the stamped were superior and they considered milled receivers to be outdated technology.

To clarify, I like milled receivers, I just don’t have a problem with stamped. I use to think that I would only own a milled receiver. Until I got a VEPR. It does have a thicker receiver (1.5mm vs. 1mm) than a standard stamped receiver, and while I prefer milled or a thicker stamped like a VEPR, I have learned over time that there is nothing wrong with a standard stamped. There are millions of AKs around the world that have had an incredible durability with 1mm stamped receives.

Some of the cheaper versions (like the WASR) have had problems, but I have never heard of any attributed to the receiver. Most of the problems I am aware of have had to do with the people doing the conversion to make them high capacity. Primary back to the time when Century used “a bunch of monkeys with hammers” to do their conversions. I understand that they have gotten a lot better and have corrected the problems, but that use to be the standard assessment of their conversion process.