Caution your thinking on "American brand" here. Using Arsenal as the example for my response: their business model is excellent. However they import as kits from Bulgaria all off their primary components: milled receivers, barrels, rear sight block, trunnions, bolts / carriers. Other parts are re-used on many models: gas tubes, pistons, sight blocks, gas blocks. Not a thing is wrong with any of this. Their main concern when "building" (which means re-assembling and doing some customizing + finish work) is compliance with 922r . . . a nuisance law on importing firearms, which means if you made a change to an import such that it does not / no longer meet the definition of a "sporting rifle / shotgun" it must have a minimum of 10 parts made in the U.S. So Arsenal replaces the trigger group, butt stock, US made pistol grip . . . floor plate, and follower count . . . anyway, it has to add up to 10. These are Bulgarian milled AKs, customized in the US, in Nevada, by Arsenal, and are, yes, probably a shade better than Zastavas, which many of those are quite good. Pistol models are outstanding. Wear your hearing protection.
Caveats to everything . . . I am suspicious that the current production at Arsenal may be affected by CV-19, as the only kits I've seen available for several months (Apex) are a pair of expensive Russian kits original to one of two famous Russian (Soviet) weapons plants.
Which brings me to another point of emphasis about Arsenal concerning their slightly older "builds". Arsenal only began producing from Bulgarian milled when the market for Russian Saiga's dried up several years ago. Obama banned the further import of Saiga products following Russia's invasion of Crimea. The American AR industry should get down on their hands an knees an thank Obama for doing this. You used to be able to buy a sporter Saiga for $350. And for another $350 convert it yourself and have a tricked out AK that would perform equal to the highest of high quality US built ARs. So . . . point being, if you find an older Arsenal converted from a Russian Saiga, those are among the best quality AKs (although semi-auto and not really an AK) that you will ever see or hear about.
