Right Side Folding Stock AK from Arsenal Inc.

Recently, Arsenal teased to a new rifle that the company would introduce in the coming days. That day is now here.

Arsenal’s “game changer” is a new SAM7SF rifle with a right-side folding stock. Most folding stock rifles swing to the left side when folded. This one takes a walk on the wild side and swings right.

As one would hope, the right-side folding stock does not interfere with the operation of the rifle, and the gun can be fired with the stock folded. 

The safety is ambidextrous and the left side of the pistol grip has a cut out to accommodate it. I’m guessing that means no easy AK grip swaps. The Magpul AK-47 pistol grip I installed on my rifle probably would not work without some Dremel time.

The AK-style semi-automatic rifle is chambered for the popular 7.62×39 cartridge. These rounds tend to be plentiful and inexpensive when imported from abroad.

I recommend buying a few cases now. Should we ever see supply constraints in the future – due to bans or war – this ammo could dry up quickly and your Arsenal right side folder will be left with nothing to feed. (Ed. note: Ammo got a lot more expensive since Arsenal released this rifle. Check out my ammo price history chart to see how much we’re paying now.)

Caliber	7.62×39
Barrel Length	16.25″
Overall Length	38.2″
Folded Length	28.4″
Weight (unloaded)	8.5 lbs
MSRP (at launch)	$1,650
MSRP (2022)	$1,999

The rifle uses a forged and milled receiver made by Arsenal Company of Bulgaria, and then is assembled into a complete rifle by Arsenal Inc in the US. The barrel is also made in Bulgaria. Other parts of the rifle are a mix of Bulgarian and US parts. Don’t worry – it meets all of the BATFE regs.

When this gun was announced, it carried a suggested retail price of $1,650. The first 500 sold were discounted by $250.

Fast forward to today, and the gun now will set you back $1,999.

Good luck on finding an Arsenal SAM7SF in stock though. I’ve found these rifles are very hard to find. K-Var is Arsenal’s preferred retailer, but I can’t even find them there.

If you are not familiar with Arsenal, the company is well known in the AK-platform side of gun making. A lot of people say they make the best Soviet Bloc weapons in the USA. The folks at Kalashnikov USA seem to be coming along, so Arsenal may have solid competition. However, compared to a lot of the surplus stuff that have come into the country, Arsenal is the clear quality king.

Updated: April 6, 2022