Can anyone recommend a good model of AK-47? Something that has a traditional sort of look to it, rather than one of these versions that looks like it's trying to be an AR-15 with its adjustable stock?

I used to think on AK was the same as any other. Until I bought a Pioneer Arms around 15 years ago and learned the truth. That thing sucked hard. It would run the first magazine flawlessly, but it became a jam-o-matic on the second magazine. Nothing I tried worked on it, not even when getting brand new magazines. I want to avoid results like that again, especially with today's prices.

7662628 Never used one personally, but an old friend of mine had a Romanian AK, he was fairly happy with it.

7662628
There’s the WASR models.

I've made it clear that I build mine. My first was a surplus Romanian. First rifle I ever bought and built. Yeeted it in the woods, in the mud, in a river, only time it failed is when I put bad ammo through it. For a prefab, it'd be a tough call.

PSA is decent from what I seen. I also hear raves about KUSA. Haven't heard much about the other brands. I know the old WASRs used to be absolute dog shite, and still have that dogma, but that was because they were poorly manufactured. It's improved, but still not great. Just stay away from Century. Those suck. I've heard everything from canted sights to loose pins(if you can drive out the barrel pin with a hammer after 500 rounds, you're effectively holding a small bomb).

7662628
Palmetto Armory makes some classic style rifles. Or any Zastava ZPAP series. I have a ZPAP 92 and its a great little gun. You could get a saiga as well. A buddy of mine has one and he loves it, not as classic, but still a great gun.

So looking over Palmetto and Zastava.

Palmetto has a wide selection of different AKs for just about any taste, and boast about the materials used, such as a hammer forged 4340 front trunnion, and a hardened 1mm machined steel receiver.

Zastava is more tight-lipped about what materials their product uses, but claims to have a 1.5mm buldged trunnion receiver, and a chrome-lined barrel.

Not being an AK guy, I have no clue what this really means, whether it actually makes a difference one way or another, or if it's just marketing hype like Sega's claim of "blast processing" for their Genesis platform.