
Century Arms produces the VSKA in the U.S. with high grade tough steel components, making an already robust design even tougher. This is an AK-style carbine with several improvements over the original design. (Doug Larson photo)
The AK-47 and its progeny have a well-earned reputation for being tough and reliable. That reputation is bolstered by battle zone stories of AKs being rarely cleaned, caked with crud and still running. And where the guns are made doesn’t seem to matter much because the design is so robust. The guns just keep running despite hard use and abuse.
Reliability overrides everything else when the discussion turns to using a gun for self-defense. So the fact that the AK is...