Will AK Rifles ever return to reasonable prices again ?

[Tug McClutchin]

I ditched my AK rifles a few years back when I found that AR's are not the piles of junk that stop working with the slightest amount of dirt getting in the action .....Now I find my self lusting for a nice wood stocked AK type rifle again.... I was QUITE shocked to find the former $200 rifles are now much more expensive than AR rifles. So do you fine folks here think that prices will again return to glory the days of $190 WASR's or is now the time to buy before prices skyrocket even higher ???

 

[dalek]

The glory days for the $190 WASR will come right after the $99 SKS and the $50 Garand days

 

[pirate]

No they will not....

 

[Tug McClutchin]

The glory days for the $190 WASR will come right after the $99 SKS and the $50 Garand days

I have no issue paying the prices for a Garand or even the SKS rifles because the machine work required for the sum of the parts is much more than an AK. The prices of current AK rifles simply doesn't make sense to me at this point. Ak rifles are pretty much sheet metal, wires, barrel and a few other cast parts. no extremely intricate machine work required.

 

[Majicmike]

They have came down,,,,Its supply and demand now. Look at how many AR's are for sale everywhere vs AK's. Plus AK's are better anyway.

 

[dalek]

I have no issue paying the prices for a Garand or even the SKS rifles because the machine work required for the sum of the parts is much more than an AK. The prices of current AK rifles simply doesn't make sense to me at this point. Ak rifles are pretty much sheet metal, wires, barrel and a few other cast parts. no extremely intricate machine work required.

As mentioned above by Majicmike, supply and demand. There is a supply saturation in the AR market right now.

And import restrictions: how many ARs are made in the US? How about AKs? There are a few US manufacturers making the important parts -- barrel, trunnion, bolt, gas system -- in the US but that is not as many as in the AR. That does help drive prices down: A couple of years ago an US-made AK receiver could not be bought for less than $100 but now I can get one for $40. However, most of the stuff comes from outside. When was the last time an importer shipped a buttload of demilled milsup rifles (as opposite of them being melted to please UN)?

 

[Tug McClutchin]

As mentioned above by Majicmike, supply and demand. There is a supply saturation in the AR market right now.

And import restrictions: how many ARs are made in the US? How about AKs? There are a few US manufacturers making the important parts -- barrel, trunnion, bolt, gas system -- in the US but that is not as many as in the AR. That does help drive prices down: A couple of years ago an US-made AK receiver could not be bought for less than $100 but now I can get one for $40. However, most of the stuff comes from outside. When was the last time an importer shipped a buttload of demilled milsup rifles (as opposite of them being melted to please UN)?

This makes sense...

 

[IUHoosier429]

"Reasonable" is also incredibly subjective. $700 WASRs might not be reasonable to you, but folks out there are gladly buying them at this price. Hell, a $700 WASR might very well be considered a "glory day" price in four or eight years (knocking on my closest wood buttstock that doesn't happen). I am optimistic and betting that prices on AKs and 7.62x39 will continue to trickle down, but I'm not saving up for unprecedented or historic deals.

Glad to see you've got the AK itch, but be prepared to pay more to scratch it. As Mike mentioned, supply & demand and several other factors dictate prices, but you still have the common haunts - Gunbroker, Armslist, Slickguns, local pawn shops, and the CFF Classifieds - to search for and score a reasonable deal. Reasonable deals are out there.

One more thing: price is important, but if you've been out of the AK game awhile, do yourself a favor and brush up... there's a lot of pig shit for sale in today's market (much of it American) wearing bright red lipstick.

 

[Gnash.Hyena]

Maybe! It all depends on how many can be imported from Russia once Trump smooths things over with them. Though even still, given demand will still increase with supply when that happens, it'd be a few years before you start seeing them dip back down in price again. Right now I'm thinking $600-700 is about what you should expect for a decent AK. Which makes them not worth it to me, but your decisions are different from my own. I hope you find one that you like!

 

[Exspiravit]

I think we can expect to see AK's come down if we have more imports, i.e. regaining Saigas, and a steady flow from Arsenal Bulgaria.
I'm not sure about WASR's. Century seems uninterested in selling them when they can peddle their "MADE IN 'MERICA!" garbage, and probably with a larger profit margin. Things are also somewhat unstable in Romania at the moment, with massive protests some are comparing to the Romanian revolution. So who knows how that's going to play out.
If we could get Saigas + Arsenals + VEPR's + WASRS, I think we could at least see $500 WASR's again and likely the same price for unconverted Saigas.

 

[Tailhunter]

Chinese AK's in every corner of the house.

 

[Toprudder]

I missed the opportunity a while back to get a nice AK. A friend of mine was helping clean out his dad's house, his dad told him there were three guns in boxes under his bed. There were two Mac 90s and an SKS. He bought them in the 70s from a Roses dept store, paid $75 each for the Mac 90s, and $60 for the SKS. They each still had the cosmoline, and the 5 free copper-washed 7.62x39 rounds. I did not find out about it until he had already sold the Mac 90s.

 

[Majicmike]

I missed the opportunity a while back to get a nice AK. A friend of mine was helping clean out his dad's house, his dad told him there were three guns in boxes under his bed. There were two Mac 90s and an SKS. He bought them in the 70s from a Roses dept store, paid $75 each for the Mac 90s, and $60 for the SKS. They each still had the cosmoline, and the 5 free copper-washed 7.62x39 rounds. I did not find out about it until he had already sold the Mac 90s.

Why must you post a sad story on Superbowl Day,

 

[Tug McClutchin]

O

I missed the opportunity a while back to get a nice AK. A friend of mine was helping clean out his dad's house, his dad told him there were three guns in boxes under his bed. There were two Mac 90s and an SKS. He bought them in the 70s from a Roses dept store, paid $75 each for the Mac 90s, and $60 for the SKS. They each still had the cosmoline, and the 5 free copper-washed 7.62x39 rounds. I did not find out about it until he had already sold the Mac 90s.

Doubt it was from the 70s at those prices ! Dad picked his up for that price from roses in 1990s. Still sucks they got away..

 

[GunXtras]

When I was a young lad a soda was a dime a pack of cigarettes was 24 cents and a gallon of gas was a quarter. The prices of days gone by I'm afraid are just that. Gone by...

 

[GunXtras]

When I was a young lad a soda was a dime a pack of cigarettes was 24 cents and a gallon of gas was a quarter. The prices of days gone by I'm afraid are just that. Gone by...

I'm also into building AKs with just finishing my first one last week, Hungarian AMD65. I have two more kits downstairs and plan on at least three more builds after that. I am now officially an AK junkie. Wantin on receivers for my next fix.

 

[NJSC]

See I have receivers and no parts.

 

[GunXtras]

See I have receivers and no parts.

What kits are you looking for and where are you looking for them???

 

[BigMike]

The kits are largely why they are priced so high, When the parts import law went in about barrels and such. Before that they could be built with little labor as it was a rivet to a receiver build. That and every thing but AR's has went up. Around 99 sar's where 2 for 269 a new Colt 1991a1 was 400 out the door and there where tons of police trade in S&W 19s and 66s around 200 or less. And when the 200$ WSAR's showed up 06-08ish - boxed S&W N frames where 400's Pythons where 600- to 900 in the box. And lets not forget about overpaying buying a 200$ GI M1 carbine or paying 550 for a matching PSL with 5 mags and a tin of ammo. Basically everythings is price is up.

 

[NJSC]

What kits are you looking for and where are you looking for them???

I don't know anything about AK's, to be honest. I was given two receivers by someone, and haven't really come up with the effort of figuring out what I want after I saw the initial parts kit costs. For those prices, I'll just build another AR... or two.

 

[bigfelipe]

I missed the opportunity a while back to get a nice AK. A friend of mine was helping clean out his dad's house, his dad told him there were three guns in boxes under his bed. There were two Mac 90s and an SKS. He bought them in the 70s from a Roses dept store, paid $75 each for the Mac 90s, and $60 for the SKS. They each still had the cosmoline, and the 5 free copper-washed 7.62x39 rounds. I did not find out about it until he had already sold the Mac 90s.

I'm not even 40 yet and I remember prices that good and better from Rose's. In '94 just before the Clinton ban, I bought my 1st Norinco SKS new from Rose's for $49 with a full case of ammo for another $49. My buddy had a few more sheckles and got the Romanian MAK-90 for $80... Enfields and Mosins were $19-29...

That's not that long ago. There are plenty of them out there. No reason we can't get back to $100-150 SKSs and MAKs if they'd lift the import bans to let them and the cheap ammo flow again...

Shoot, I'd even buy a couple again...

 

[Toprudder]

I'm not even 40 yet and I remember prices that good and better from Rose's. In '94 just before the Clinton ban, I bought my 1st Norinco SKS new from Rose's for $49 with a full case of ammo for another $49. My buddy had a few more sheckles and got the Romanian MAK-90 for $80... Enfields and Mosins were $19-29...

I may have gotten the year wrong. Was going by what my friend told me. I don't remember seeing AK and SKS in Roses, but then I wasn't looking for them then anyway. The addiction hit me late. LOL.

 

[IUHoosier429]

Romanian MAK-90 for $80

Romanian WASR or Chinese MAK-90? Either way, that's still a beautiful price.

I didn't get into guns until college, in the early to mid-2000's. My first purchase was a Yugo M59/66 at a gun show for $139 in 2004. That was also my first experience with cosmoline. A couple months later, I bought a Mosin 91/30 from a local gun shop for $89. It was one of dozens all with bayonets fixed, jammed like toothpicks in a salt shaker, into an old whisky barrel. I had no idea about Tula vs. Izhevsk; wartime vs. postwar; Russian vs. Finn capture vs. ex-sniper ... I just picked the rifle with the prettiest shellac. And don't get me started on surplus ammo. Every Friday, the hard choice was 100+ rounds of x39 or x54r, or a cube of Keystone Light.

Oh, to be young again but with the knowledge (and income) I have now. Still have both of those guns though.

 

[The Dude]

2004 I got my first WASR for $299. 500 round bricks of 7.62x39 were $50. Don't think we'll ever see prices like that again.

 

[bondjamesbond]

Price will never be what it once was, but what else will be?
I think that with Trump in the WH the import ban on Russian goods, including firearms, will be lifted and prices will eventually return to normal once supply exceeds demand.
It may take a while but prices will return to normal for AKs. Better buy your ARs now, these dirt cheap prices won't last forever.

 

[dalek]

I read somewhere the cost for a new AK to the Russian military is around $170, while the AR costs US taxpayers $700 (which is still a deal compared to the FAMAS, which cost the French government $3K a pop). So, I would expect a Russian manufacturer to be able to sell a parts kit (i.e. all parts without ever been put together and without receiver) in quantity (thousands) for $150 or less to a US importer. Manufacturer would still be making a profit since he did not spend time($) building and testing each rifle, just to tear it apart again. Assuming economy of scale and sane import fees, this same parts kit could be had for under $300 and importer and wholesaler would still be making a profit if they did not scalpel. Or $350 for a fully built in Russia brand new AK. Used would be cheaper of course.

I can't imagine Puttin waking up and feeling horrified about small arms and deciding to bend over and taking the UN small arms plan without vaseline while he could be dumping all the old crap in the US and using that money to buy new gear.

Better buy your ARs now, these dirt cheap prices won't last forever.

I am not so sure. Yes, they might raise a bit but unless there are changes in politics/laws, it has been proven you can sell an AR for under $500 all day and still make a profit. Less if you cut corners (cheaper barrel, crappy trigger) and still achieve and "acceptable" (more accurate than most of its buyers) product. There are too many people making those rifles/carbines so the manufacturing cost of the parts has dropped due to economy of scale. What I see are the low end ones on the, well, low end and the perceived high quality ones (the Kimbers and Les Baers if you will) in the multi-thousand dollar end. And in the middle a bunch of companies trying to differentiate their products in hope people perceive them as "premium" whatever that means.

 

[MacEntyre]

I sold two AKs, lotsa mags and thousands of rounds of 7.62x39, and replaced it all with one DSA FAL, lotsa mags and thousands of rounds of 7.62x51. The AKs had appreciated enough to make it a nearly even trade.

I don' wanna go back!

 

[pipboy344]

I just want an actual damn 47 clone. Not some modernized Americanized AKM garbage. A nice PolyTech Legend style.