I don't want to make you feel bad, but you totally messed up selling the Arsenal SLR. Those really are superb AKs, and they've only gone up in price. I'm also no expert, but I've played with a few Yugos, Romanians, even a couple other milled receiver offerings and the Arsenals immediately feel much nicer in all regards.
I personally went with a CMMG MK47 Mutant because I like the modularity and overall style of an AR but the power and reliability of 7.62x39 with AK mags. It's also way overbuilt and knowing it can withstand more abuse than an actual AK makes me smile. Save for a couple soft strikes in the first couple hundred rounds, it's been a phenomenal shooter and I wouldn't trade it for any real AK. I got a great deal on a base model Gen 1 and have been slowly upgrading along the way. Eats everything I feed it, though I will say the polymer Magpul mags do tend to seat and feed better than the various steel mags I have, which I'm honestly okay with, and I've had nothing but positive experiences so far with Golden Tiger.
That being said, your desire for an AK might also be driven by aesthetic too, in which case a Mutant won't satiate that. It is also a little hefty (I'm at around 12.2lbs fully loaded with everything pictured attached). But if you're just looking for a super solid platform to launch some surplus 7.62 downrange with some surprising accuracy, you would be hard pressed to find anything better.
They also make an MK47 pistol/SBR offering under the Banshee line. No direct experience with those but I've heard nothing but absolute praise for them.
