So said the article in my Las Vegas, NV. morning paper today.
Just 36 hours after the Obama administration banned the im-
portation of Russian AK-47's, a gun dealer in Maryland that
specializes in these rifles were all sold out. They shipped hundreds of AK's to customers who feared the import ban was
a back door excuse to ban guns because of the Russia-Ukraine
conflict.

The article went on to say that some customers bought 8 to 10
AK-47's for nearly $1000 a pop as investments. The irony here
is that when government tries to limit the sale of certain kinds
of guns, it creates a buying frenzy and actually stimulates sales.
We saw this after the Connecticut school shooting a couple of
years ago.

The owner of the Maryland gun store said he didn't see this gun
ban going away. I guess the next logical step is for Russian
imported 7.62X39 ammo getting scarce and going up in price.

I'm in the market for an AK-47. I guess I'll be looking at a
Bulgarian one built here in Las Vegas, NV.

I doubt it will be on the level of the AR madness a year or so back. AK's are far more prolific than the AR from what I have seen. I've seen them on sale here for around $550-650 range and that is at a gun show.

Too many people make them and the ammo, so the shut off of one source means little, if anything significant.

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The Last Standing Knight

It's only Russian that are banned and the story is bs. No one is jumping on these and buying 10 at a time. In fact Center fire Systems has a sale on Vepr rifles from $399 - $499. In all calibers.

This leaves Bulgarian, Polish, Yugoslav, Romanian, Hungarian, Chinese, US made. ....etc....etc. There is no frenzy. My lgs are full of AKs. No one is lining up to buy 10 at a time

The Russian guns were always a relatively lower percentage of the market, and generally sold in boring, "neutered" configuration.

Romanian guns are still plentiful.

If I were planning to get a Kalashnikov type rifle, it'd be a Bulgarian Arsenal, the best of the lot.

I had no problem tripling my money on GB with a couple of S12s and even more when those evil 7n6 5.54 was banned.

All Arsenal SGL models are neutered Saigas

Well Obama is going to show Putin who's top dog after he closed Mac Donald's Restaurant.

Never wanted one and still don't. I don't participate in buying frenzies.

I hope they don't get badly stung like I did. I bought a new Colt AR 8 mos before CT, kept it 18 mos, NIB, took a terrific beating on it a few months ago when the market was glutted(and still is)with AR's. I will never again buy a gun as an investment, regardless of the political climate.

What they fail to forget is.....****ssia can send their Aks to China. And then have China send them here to the US. In return, they are still available here in the US. Its just a legal loophole that can be easily used.....The only ban that would work is the ban of the 1994 Assault Weapons ban. IF that occured, then the prices would sky rocket. Because at that point there would be no legal loophole around import and export.

The problem was you waited too long to sell. WAY TOO LONG.

You should've unloaded it around Jan of 2013 when demand was through the roof and ARs were nowhere to be found.

Now, that there's a gut and prices are low, now is the time to get into ARs cheap.

^^^ This x 1000. I'm thinking of getting one in full rifle format as I already have an M4gery.

If I'm not mistaken, imports of AKs from China are banned by a Clinton admin executive order. That includes Norinco M1911s as well.

No they cant. First it had to be owned by the Chinese so that takes time.....years. But besides that. ... That loop hole has been closed since late 00s when a load of AKSUs came in from Bulgaria. Turned out to be Russian AKSUs that sat in Bulgaria for 5 years. Same with Bulgarian sanitized mags. Now it goes by manufacturer. If it says Izhmash, Molot, Vepr, Saiga it's Russian and not importable

Heck the AKS have to have so many US parts does it really matter. They all pretty much work.

The big thing I hear all the time is Milled vs stamped is a big to do.

Lots of US made ones they all go bang.Kinda like 1911's and AR's how many of those are made now. Some good some better.

Used to be if it wasn't a Colt then it was nothing. I think there are better ones than Colt now. (no, not going there) Colt has a name.

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Still Running Against the Wind

The Russian AKs have always brought a premium primarily because they're Russian and the inventor is from that Country. However; They all pretty much operate the same and I've owned examples from Bulgaria,Poland, Hungary, Romania, etc. and they have performed well.
There are millions of AKs in this Country and countless more unassembled parts kits, I don't see any shortage anytime soon.
Jim

I wish the administration would threaten to ban M1 carbines . . . once the price jumped 3 or 4 times I'd sell off my collection in a heartbeat.

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- Change it back -

Russian AKs are OK, but the best in my opinion are the ones built on Romanian G kits.

Actually I've seen a sell off of AKs (especially 74s) as much of the cheap surplus ammo did come from Russia.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

Just think about how many of those Saiga weapons are in circulation today. There is soo many of them, it would take many years for them to become not so available. Too many in circulation just means they arent worth that much. Lets compare these to the Meucci Originals pool cues that were no longer made after the 80's. You see they made soo many of them things that people still cant sell them for a fortune like they would think, since they are no longer made. Too many is too many, and thats just how it goes. Nothing will change how many of them were actually made and put into production. At least not any time soon.......Maybe if these guys hand them down to their grandkids and their grandkids hand them to their kids. Maybe THEN, u would see a price difference. But this day in age, it just isnt going to happen.

I kind of like my polytech legend. But of course trying to compare this to a Saiga is surely a no go lol.

Everything is cyclical. I learned that long ago.
Ammo, guns, houses, eggs, you name it.

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“Look life in its iron face”

Dang Faulkner, how many M-1 Carbines do you have?

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Old paratrooper in NC

According to my wife, too many.

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- Change it back -

I think the market is so full of AK,AR,etc. that it may be a long time before we see crazy prices. Depending on election results of course,wouldn't sell anything for awhile and would keep stocked on ammo,etc.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Right, but it's just the SGL models. The majority of the Arsenal AKs are newly made in Bulgaria and finished to meet American legal standards by Arsenal in NV.

The Finest Selection of...

I have a Bulgarian, Arsenal-built SLR-106 in 5.56x45 with a Russian Rakurs optic, a very well built piece of kit. I also have a couple of Yugo AKs, but they did not come from Arsenal.

As far as the original news story goes, the Arsenal AKs have been $1000 guns for a very long time, and I've not seen any major change in their pricing in the past few years. The Romanian guns, on the other hand, seem to fluctuate all over the place.

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Rick, W0FG
CTR2 68-72

Yes. That's what I'm saying. But it was a large part of their sales. Base SGL went for $750 prior to the stupid

Banning Mac Donald's is something I could get behind. That is the worst food I ever tasted. However, those Russian AK-47 rifles are pretty sweet if you like the AK style. I prefer AR-15's and Ruger Mini 30's myself.

Believe I'll just hang on to this one..

Norinco..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Are you guys in a dream world or what? Do you really think this is the only effort at another ban before his term is up?

me neither! Now when it comes to a HK 91.....

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

Instead of selling it at a loss, since you missed the buying frenzy, why didn't you just tuck it away and wait? It WILL happen again.

That's exactly what happened to me. I bought an Argentine FAL (as an investment) at an extremely low price, but I needed to have it dura-coated to make it look decent. I missed the buying frenzy, and instead of only making a few dollars on it, I put it away for a rainy day, the rainy day that will inevitably happen.

Just to be clear, I'm not out to gouge. However, I'll have no problem letting it go to the highest bidder.

It the same here...everyone is buying the ones NOT affected by the ban

U should sell that to me!

I've seen AR lowers for $39.
I'm going to find who makes a good one and buy a dozen or so for a rainy day. If it's illegal to buy them with the intent of reselling them at a later date, then I'll just keep them all. Not a problem.

But yes, during Feb of 2013 I had a good reason to offer an AR15 up for sale. The reason was that the guy who wanted it was willing to pay me more than double what it cost me!

.

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Kirk / Spock 2020

Here's my "Rainey Day" AK a Bulgarian AMD 65 Tanker model.
Jim

They essentially did. We can't get all the ones we "loaned" back into the Country. They may be dangerous and we would have to pay to get our own rifles back.

You could share ya know

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Still Running Against the Wind

This VZ 58 with 5 mags was a great buy!! Not a true AK in operation but just as simple recoil spring blow back, Very well made!

Czech VZ58 (Century Arms Mod VZ2008) 7.62x39 Rifle

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Still Running Against the Wind