To qualify for your CHL class I highly recommend using an automatic. If you use a revolver, you are qualified for revolver only. Use an auto and you're qualified for both auto and revolver.
For actual carry, Mr. Pruett would be a better source of info than I. 
Good luck!

Not a problem. 
It's not worth getting them dirty for less than a couple hundred rounds!
Ammo's gone up quite a bit the last couple of years but seems to be stabilizing a little. Time to get another case

I've had 2 WASR-10's. I gave one to my son when I picked up the 2nd one. His is all natural with very nice laminated wood. It eats all the cheap surplus ammo we can throw at it.
I've put a plastic furniture on mine. It originally got a little indigestion when eating hollow or soft point ammo but a little reshaping of the feed ramp took care of that! The bayonet fits right up on my sons AK but I have to take the slant muzzle brake off mine to get the bayo on.
If you see a guy out at the Impact Zone shooting up Bin Laden targets, stop and say hi!