Are AK's out of fashion or now just complete Ghetto Queens.

[meauxcg]

Not that long ago AKs were all the rage and in fashion. Build parties, cheap kits, factory assembled beautiful rifles for $500 or less and really cheap Ammo.
Now that AR-15s are as ubiquitous as a cell phone does no one shoot them anymore?

 

[Bigchillin83]

Exactly the opposite of everything you say and how imported aks have pretty much stopped, so now they are expensive , Quality military parts kits are hard to find due to importation, Price of ammo has doubled due to potential band on importation, it’s hard to have build parties when the parts arnt available… when you have cheap wasr selling for $1500, cheap century ak’s for 1k+ …. It’s just not an AK market anymore….

Ar15‘s have went up, but not the same as the ak’s, ar parts are available and no special tooling required to build them

 

[pandabear]

Exactly the opposite of everything you say and how imported aks have pretty much stopped, so now they are expensive , Quality military parts kits are hard to find due to importation, Price of ammo has doubled due to potential band on importation, it’s hard to have build parties when the parts arnt available… when you have cheap wasr selling for $1500, cheap century ak’s for 1k+ …. It’s just not an AK market anymore….

Ar15‘s have went up, but not the same as the ak’s, ar parts are available and no special tooling required to build them

Well Said! Homie!

 

[Bigchillin83]

Hey buddy, I miss you

Well Said! Homie!

 

[twinin]

I think they are more in trend now than ever. The price is due to the supply, but they are obviously as modern as ever with all the different variations and accessories now

 

[AK shooter]

There are plenty of AK's being imported, their not the $350 wasr's.

 

[Bigchillin83]

There are plenty of AK's being imported, their not the $350 wasr's.

this man has all the answers to what you seek, we only have a few ak gurus left on this site and hes one of them

 

[Jstudz220]

There are plenty of AK's being imported, their not the $350 wasr's.

Why such a big price increase in all of them?

 

[AK shooter]

Politicians! Supply and demand.

 

[IJS]

Exactly the opposite of everything you say and how imported aks have pretty much stopped, so now they are expensive , Quality military parts kits are hard to find due to importation, Price of ammo has doubled due to potential band on importation, it’s hard to have build parties when the parts arnt available… when you have cheap wasr selling for $1500, cheap century ak’s for 1k+ …. It’s just not an AK market anymore….

Ar15‘s have went up, but not the same as the ak’s, ar parts are available and no special tooling required to build them

This right here.

You can find AR's for $400-$500 right now. Not great ones obviously, but still. Find me an AK at that price. Impossible.

You could make a fortune just on AK Bakelite mags right now.

I am personally a huge fan of the platform and always will be, so you're not alone out there.

 

[AK shooter]

I am still doing a little building, but my days are numbered.

 

[Blackhawk]

In my uneducated opinion there are several reasons for the decline of the AK. First is the lack of kits, and then also the incompleteness of kits. Once upon a time there was everything you needed in a kit except for the receiver. And kits were inexpensive. Now it seems that kits come without a barrel and without furniture and no mags, and the cost of the kit is more than the cost of a complete AR.

I once did a price comparison and the total cost to assemble a kit was more than the cost of a complete rifle.

Then there's the part about the receiver. In order to properly build a receiver you need a press to bend the flat and also a welder to weld the inner rails. An AR on the other hand doesn't need any expensive tools to complete.

Next seems to be the cost of ammo (vs the cost for 5.56). Imports of surplus 7.62x39 have dried up. More expensive ammo equals less shooting for the funds available.

All in all the AK has been brought to it's knees by the AR.

Edited to add: Wish I still had my first AK from 1969.

 

[KDerekT83]

I've wanted to expand from AR and Glocks into the AK world. But everything I've read about pressing barrels into trunnions, and welding and all has kind of made me nervous. I'd love to get with someone that has done a complete build and watch/assist them with one to see what its all about. But I've had 3 ak's in the past. 2 WASR's and a M70AB2 underfolder. I regret selling each one of them.

 

[AK shooter]

In my uneducated opinion there are several reasons for the decline of the AK. First is the lack of kits, and then also the incompleteness of kits. Once upon a time there was everything you needed in a kit except for the receiver. And kits were inexpensive. Now it seems that kits come without a barrel and without furniture and no mags, and the cost of the kit is more than the cost of a complete AR.

I once did a price comparison and the total cost to assemble a kit was more than the cost of a complete rifle.

Then there's the part about the receiver. In order to properly build a receiver you need a press to bend the flat and also a welder to weld the inner rails. An AR on the other hand doesn't need any expensive tools to complete.

Next seems to be the cost of ammo (vs the cost for 5.56). Imports of surplus 7.62x39 have dried up. More expensive ammo equals less shooting for the funds available.

All in all the AK has been brought to it's knees by the AR.

Edited to add: Wish I still had my first AK from 1969.

No one bends and welds rails in recievers anymore. The ak reciever market has never been better. Now we have 80% recievers with rails welded and all that needs to be done is drill for fcg and safety. With the ak builder drilling jig it's easier than doing an ar 80%.

 

[meauxcg]

So my kit I have listed to sell then I should be building and holding onto in your guys opinion? I knew I should have bought more of the $99 Romy G kits back then...

 

[AK shooter]

 

[Mr Smooth]

I shoot AKs and ARs at the range and the only one I get asked about is the AK. Seems the interest is still there regarding the AK.

 

[lesgeaux]

Wish I would have kept my Saiga. Lately though I have seen the PSA ak. Thinking of getting a US made AK

 

[pandabear]

Wish I would have kept my Saiga. Lately though I have seen the PSA ak. Thinking of getting a US made AK

That seemed to be the one affordable one's anymore!

 

[johnericmccorkle]

They still have their place....ammo is getting hard to come by and will be hard until a US producer makes steel case in bulk prices for it

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