Decline in price of AK-47 variants in the future?

[Atypical Liberal]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15076757

"The Kalashnikov, instantly recognisable, renowned for its ruggedness and regarded by some as a design classic, is said to be the world's most heavily produced rifle.

...

Gen Makarov said stocks of the rifle exceeded the army's needs "several times over".

A spokesman for the rifle's developer, the Izhmash plant in central Russia, told Izvestia newspaper that a new model would be ready for demonstration by the end of the year.

The plant would seek to increase exports and step up hunting rifle production in the meantime, the representative added."

Looks like we may see some decrease in prices in the near future.

[StandingInLeftField]

1. Hope so.

[davepc]

2. Can't import fully automatic military rifles into the USA

Though tin-pot 3rd world dictators might be able to buy in bulk.

[petronius]

3. I'm assuming that the hunting rifles mentioned are the semi-auto AK variants

Increased production (as they reduce output of the actual assault rifles) and export of those could drive down prices.

I don't see a suggestion that the army itself is going to sell off its huge stockpile, just that the plant will shift focus in response to reduced military purchasing...

[-..__...]

14. Could be reintroducing the VEPR

It was originally imported by Robinson Armament and is basically a semi-auto AK47 built on an RPK receiver.

I had one on order years ago, but just my luck, it happened at a time while there was a huge legal battle going on between Izhmash (the patent holder for the AK), and Molot (that was producing the VEPR...

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11386

The original RobArm VEPR site is no longer available, however the wonderful folks at the Internet Archive have preserved it for posterity :) ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20040206013621/http://www.robarm.com/RA_russian_firearms.htm

[TheWraith]

7. Nor can you import semi-autos with similar looks. But there's ways around that.

It's been popular for awhile in eastern Europe to retrofit surplussed military weapons with new semi-auto sears and sell them on the civilian market. They get a better price for it than trying to traffic the full auto weapons to another country.

[Atypical Liberal]

8. They just change the US parts content.

All they do is add a few US-made parts to the rifle to make it legal.

[TheWraith]

10. Or they strip out the receiver and sell it as a "parts kit."

Leave compliance up to the end buyer.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

12. depends on the intent & date of manufacture...

as I understand it, surplus "parts kits" cannot have been intended for use on or been used in demilled F/A rifles.
The current dwindling supply of surplus romanian kits is what has driven the recent price increase in Cheap WASRs.

More reading on the matter (and alot of incoherent internet forum babble):
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_4_64/132299_WASRs_will_have_brand_new_barrels__no_more_military_surplus_kit_barrels_.html&page=1

[TheWraith]

13. My impression was that it was okay so long as the receiver was destroyed.

The receiver is considered the "full auto rifle," so it's destruction frees up the parts.

I could be wrong though, as I've never paid that much attention to the parts kits.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

16. While I agree with you, unfortunately "statutes" are open to administative interperetation.

Currently, from what I've gathered, they do not allow surplus parts kits that were in any way involved with F/A guns. I think it's stupid. A barrel is a barrel. The only thing differentiating the F/A AK is the receiver hole pattern and F/A FCG. The way it works now, with importers using either US or new foreign manf barrrels, nothing changes except the pricetag. Just more red tape for the little guys to get tangled in, really.

[Atypical Liberal]

9. It's trivial to sell semi-automatic versions.

The basic weapon is the same. The only difference is the trigger group. These manufacturers almost certainly already produce semi-automatic versions of the AK-47.

[ileus]

4. That would be nice...I've been wanting to pick up a clone for several years.

I've wanted an AK style since I bought my first poor man's AK (the SKS) back in 91 or so for 79 bucks.

AK's cheap clones are 475 or so now...getting them down into SKS range would be sweet.

If I had an AK it would round out my semi auto plinker collection of 7.62x39's

[Remmah2]

5. Damn it.

The NRA will be buying them up and air dropping them at all the gun shows for the Mexican drug cartels to buy up.

[ileus]

6. that's the ATF you're thinking about...

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

11. Barrels, kits, and actions from full auto rifles (regardless if they are "rebuilt") are a nono.

Surplus barrels and actions from F/A guns can no longer be imported to build semi auto rifles in the US. Not on imported semi auto rifles anyways. Even if the guns are "rebuilt" as semi auto only guns, the parts kit for that semi auto gun can never have been designed/built/issued for F/A guns despite the fact that those surplus parts are IDENTICAL to the semi-auto couterparts.

In fact, as the current supply of imported surplus barrels/kits have dried up in the past few months, the price of cheap kit guns has risen about $100-$150 because the barrels/kits either have to be US made or new foreign manufacture. US made AK barrels and kits are typically considered to be inferior to foreign hammer forged surplus parts.

About a year ago a Romanian WASR AK was about $350... today it's $450 all because the available surplus kits have dried up and imported romanian stuff has to be new manufature (non surplus).

Yay for beaurocracy!! :argh:

[reggie the dog]

15. they sell these on the black market in france

but i waited too long, back in 2003 they were going for around 200 euros on the black market in the housing projects of paris but they have become more rare and the price is up to 700 euros in the projects in marseille, that is just too damn much and it is a pain in the ass to get bullets anyways.

[DissedByBush]

17. Hehe, notice the general's name

I'd rather have one of those.

Don't really like AKs.