AK-47 Felt cheap when I checked one out....

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Lavid2002

New member
I have never owned an AK47 before...I went and checked one out and I was surprised at how cheap it felt. Pretty big turn off I had high expectations for it. I know its the whole point of the weapon....to have a cheap, reliable weapon....But here in NJ those motha's cost 400 USD!

400 for a cheap-to-make AK47......Seems like a garbage price to meEven though it is the standard in the "Buy all the assault rifles you can" stage were in here in NJ and most of America...). How much do these things actually cost to make. Anyone know?
 
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famine

New member
Just getting done putting together a romy G, parts kit $300 when I got mine, $250 now, trigger group around $30, pistol grip $10, another $75 for nodak reciever and transfer, $10 for rivets. Not to mention a 12ton press, various other tools, and some raw materials for jigs and stuff. Mags don't come with the kit, cheapest I've seen are $9, probably another $20 or so for some dura coat. You can go cheaper and get a tapco reciever flat for around $14 but then you have to fold it, heat treat it, and spot weld the rails into it, and you can't sell it or give it away without atf problems. With all of this I hope that it works, I'll be trying it out the next time I get to my parents, or in-laws. I knew all of this getting into it, I was looking for a project. But it is far cheaper to buy a base century model and refinish it vs. building it.

Just my experience, by the way rivets are a pain.
 
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starbuck125

New member
Which one did you check out, if I may ask.
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good question. there are several diff types of ak"s out there. could you post a pic,or give more detail of it
 
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raftman

New member
There's a huge amount of variation in build quality between seemingly countless versions of the AK. Some certainly do seem pretty ratty and poorly made (Romanian WASR's come to mind, for example) and others really quite nice.
 
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PH/CIB

New member
Spend at least $600+ on a Russian Saiga AK stamped receiver check out Kvar's website, or even better spend $900 or more on Gun Broker for a Vepr AK with RPK receiver in 7.62x39 it will take regular AK magazines or an Arsenal milled receiver AK, I have never held one or shot one but I have heard Krebs Custom cranks out a very high quality AK.

You might see some of these models at some of the larger gun shows.
 
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chris in va

New member
Guess I'm used to my Saiga conversion, because the Norinco I fired last year felt like everything was held together by hitch pins.

My friend has a milled Arsenal. That thing feels like a tank.
 
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bamaranger

New member
Mom......

used to say"handsome is as handsome does."

AK's are not aesthetically pleasing rifles, or possess many, if any of the qualities that typically endure firearms to rifle lovers.... stamped receiver, rivets, laminated/poorly finished mystery wood, notchy triggers, basic sights, lots of sharp edges, coarse internal machining........ Compared to something like a Garand, they are homely to say the least.

But I have not run up on anybody whose AK does not run, even the cheapest most despised varieties have a reputation for reliability and toughness. Ammo is still plentiful, and though not as cheap as before, still affordable.

I have no idea what the mfg cost for one would be. Four hundred does not seem a bad price for an entry level AK to me.
 
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Lavid2002

New member
Isnt the AK supposed to be one of the cheapest rifles to produce?


It was a WASR-10 im pretty sure. If im going to spend 900 on a "Quality" Ak it kinda defeats the purpose. If I got an AK it would be for the following reasons
1-to have an ak....
2-to have a gun that I can toss around, not baby like I do my AR15
3-have a cheap-mild recoiled plinker
 
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raftman

New member
If you want a low-cost AK without the cheapness of the WASR or often-shoddy assembly on a good number of Century Arms built guns, go for something like a Saiga. They're often less expensive than WASR's, can be found for under $350, sometimes as low as $300. Of course, you will end up spending a bit if you wanna get them looking more like a true AK. Nonetheless, you will get a brand new AK rifle from the same factory that made the original. While they're still not as nice as finer, by far more expensive rifles, they certainly outclass the rather rickety clones.
 
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Noskov

New member
If you want an AK to feel "expensive" then the Vepr chambered in 7.62x39 will fit the bill. They are built a thicker RPK receiver and weigh around 9.lbs or so unloaded.

AK's are meant to be cheap feeling because they're cheap to make. How else do you think Middle Eastern countries and warlord controlled African nations produce them on their own?
 
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raftman

New member
.... How else do you think Middle Eastern countries and warlord controlled African nations produce them on their own?
Click to expand...

Just because others can make them, doesn't mean they can make them as well as anyone else can. For example, Khyber Pass 1911's or BHP's.
 
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RT

New member
Of course it felt cheap. It has a stamped receiver. That doesn't mean it's not a reliable and accurate rifle.
If you want a pretty AK, get a milled receiver.
 
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DMK

New member
I know its the whole point of the weapon....to have a cheap, reliable weapon....But here in NJ those motha's cost 400 USD!
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So you guys can get a lot of high quality semi-auto rifles there for $400? :D

Don't feel bad, even down here in the south I don't think I've ever seen an AK for sale locally at a price that I would pay. I bought one of mine from a friend and the three others I bought online and transferred them through a local dealer.

I was at a gunshow the other day and saw a few Romanian AKs priced for $600-$700. Of course, nobody was buying them.
 
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UtahHunting

New member
Some do feel "cheap" I guess. Especially the WASR. However they are still shooters. The AK design and build is time tested. They are great guns for those of us who don't want to spend the money on an AR and who prefer the 7.62X39 round. I am one of those people. Like all guns there are better quality ones and lower quality AK's out there. I have no complaints with my Saiga I recently converted. I paid $350 for the gun and about another $100 to convert it.

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greyson97

New member
the reason why the ak is so popular is cause they are cheap and reliable, but all that means is they go bang when you pull the trigger. the reason for that is cause they have loose tolerances and the fit isnt tight, etc

"in certain parts of the world, you can buy an ak-47 for the price of a chicken" -Nicholas Cage

they arent supposed to me manufacturing marvels. it was certainly a design and engineering marvel, but not a manufacturing one
 
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