Century Arms WASR-10: An Imported Romanian AK

Century Arms offers a wide variety of popular firearms, from pistols to rifles and shotguns. One of the company’s best-known products, however, is the WASR-10, with a design just about as identical to the AK-47 as you can get today. It’s not fully automatic, for example, and the company installs quality American hardware that improves performance while complying with Federal regulations.

The semi-automatic is manufactured by Cugir Arms Factory, which is located in Romania and traces its roots back to the Austro-Hungarian empire. The company has a long history of producing reliable firearms that perform, likely the sole reason it survived the oppressive communist rule the country and its citizens endured for decades after World War II.

Wassenaar Arrangement Semi-automatic Rifles doesn’t roll off the tongue well, so the company wisely shortened it to WASR. The number “10” in the name is remnant from a time when a restrictive federal assault weapons ban mandated that any imported firearm could only have a magazine capacity of 10 cartridges. Today’s versions accept standard double-stack, 30-round, AK-47 magazines thankfully.

Century Arms currently offers four models of the WASR-10, including one that’s California compliant. Each are chambered in 7.62x39 mm and have a 16.25" barrel with a rifling rate of 1:10". Barrels are chrome-lined and hammer forged. The guns ship with a side-mount scope rail.

Overall length is 34.25" throughout the line, including the WASR-10 UF, which has an under-folding stock. With the exception of the California-complaint model, the guns ship with a 30-round U.S. Palm polymer magazine. Enthusiasts in the Golden State will receive a 10-cartridge version and fin grip instead of the traditional pistol grip. The entire line has been fitted with the RAK-1 Enhanced Trigger Group.

MSRP for the standard version is $1,100. The California and folding-stock models come in at $1,200. If you’re willing to give up the bayonet lug and are okay with a muzzle nut, the price drops to $1,050.