Bought this some years ago. Not being an AK aficionado, I don't really know the details of where it fits in the AK world.

I know Lancaster went down in flames and it's name will forever live in infamy, but this one has been fine.

I had the impression they were may from Romanian kits or part. The receiver is stamped and marked NDS-3 from DC Industries.

The triangle stamp on the right side of the receiver is a Chinese mark.

quote:

Originally posted by MG34_Dan:
The triangle stamp on the right side of the receiver is a Chinese mark.

I think you're right. However, that is the European/Russian rivet pattern on the trunnion. All the Chinese ones I've seen(I do have a BWK 92) have sort of a chevron pattern.

"Triangle arrow" was also used for Isvhesk, apparently.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/...alashnikov-markings/

The DC Industries marking, IIUC, makes the receiver an early NoDak Spud. It wouldn't be a surprise to learn that it was built from a Russian kit.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
"Triangle arrow" was also used for Isvhesk, apparently.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/...alashnikov-markings/

The DC Industries marking, IIUC, makes the receiver an early NoDak Spud. It wouldn't be a surprise to learn that it was built from a Russian kit.

Perhaps that's why it was called a "Russian Red".

Of these three, it looks more like Romania.

Looks Romanian, built from a Romanian "G" kit. I had one from a different builder, same markings. Rear sight base is Romanian with the big G on it.

quote:

Originally posted by Mettlepig:
Looks Romanian, built from a Romanian "G" kit. I had one from a different builder, same markings. Rear sight base is Romanian with the big G on it.

The rear sight itself has a P on it, which is consistent, based on that WEB site, with it being a Romanian kit. I see the G to which you are referring.

That all helps a great deal. I assume the barrels are original barrels and are chrome lined. The receiver is an NDS-3 before they were marked nodakSPUD.

Absolutely Romanian. I have a very similar rifle built on the same type kit. The big "G" is the telltale. Mine has the wooden foregrip.

Looking over the picture on a computer, I can make out the emblem. It's certainly not the infamous triangle 66.

Something else I should've caught was the gas block is scalloped. All the Chinese ones I've seen had smooth blocks and vented tubes.

For what it's worth, at least three of the numbers match, I expect they all do; the upper, the cover and the rear sight I've checked.

It seems the Romanian AKs are considered to be at the bottom of the list of "best AKs" according to folks on the AK47 community on AR15 forum. It's up for grabs what is meant by "best".

The Romy G kits were pretty plentiful for a while there. Lancaster had it's issues toward the end of their tenure, but this rifle was made early and was a bit more expensive than the Century Arms AKs my FFL was selling. At the time the CA rifles just didn't seem to be very good quality.

quote:

Originally posted by MG34_Dan:
The triangle stamp on the right side of the receiver is a Chinese mark.

thought so to till I looked it up,

Izhevsk made,
short arrow in triangle is Romanian (cugir)

quote:

It seems the Romanian AKs are considered to be at the bottom of the list of "best AKs" according to folks on the AK47 community on AR15 forum. It's up for grabs what is meant by "best".

Welcome to one of the great undying internet debates: are kit builds better or worse than factory originals? I have factory-built (then 922(r) modified) Zastavas and Saigas, and a pair of kit builds (AK74 on a NoDak Spud, one of CAI's contract-built Yugo underfolders). My answer, for what little it may be worth, is: are you happy with how well the rifle seems to be built?

quote:

Izhevsk

Definitely a Romanian G kit with dyed "Russian Red" furniture. Not what I understand was typical of the rifle, with the front grip.

Seems built fine to me, shoots well, seems solid, numbers are matching.