Define "early death".
Seriously.
Guns only "die" when the receiver gets broken or becomes worn to the point of being unsafe, and past the point of economical repair.
If it is mechanical, and you use it, it WILL wear.
Now it becomes a balancing act between what the item costs, what it costs to operate it, what it costs to keep it operating (maint, including replacement parts) and how much you value the use you get against $.
These are all personal value judgements that YOU have to make, and are entirely dependent on your personal situation and values.
How many times the purchase price of the rifle are you going to spend in ammunition costs before the rifle "dies"???
And, that number might be dozens. Or even more. Or it might be significantly less, depending on your standards.
Take just one "wearing" part of the rifle, for example, the barrel. When does a barrel wear out?? The answer is, when it won't shoot accurately enough to meet the shooters needs.
The match shooter looking for "bughole" groups (all bullets in one hole) considers a barrel worn out if its "only" shooting 1 MOA groups. The big game hunter is fine with 1 MOA groups and knows even 2 MOA groups will still put an elk or deer in his freezer just fine. That 2MOA barrel isn't worn out, it still works great for him.
The Military has a different set of expecations. And, sometimes its as low as "if the bullet comes out of the barrel in the general direction of the enemy, its not worn out..." (ok that is a slight overstatment, but only slight)
Here's an example, one few people know about unless they are directly involved, (which I was). Back in the 70s, when I was there the Army Standard for Overseas Shipment for M16A1 rifle accuracy was 8MOA.
Literally. It was in the manual. If the rifle would shoot an 8 inch group (100yds) or less, it was passed and approved for overseas shipment COMBAT DEPLOYMENT. If it would not, then it was retained in the US for training use.
AND, neither required barrel replacement for being "worn out". There was a different standard for that, one what had nothing to do with accuracy, only physical wear.
SO, what are your personal expectations about what is an "early death"??? If an $800 dollar gun takes $30,000 dollars of ammo before it "dies" is that an early death, to you? Or if it only goes through $10,000 in ammo before needing parts replaced, is that an early death? When its not even the "death" of the gun, just some parts???
You could look at it like, some do, the only "early death" is one that happens while still under warranty.
Some makers will tell you how many rounds they expect their guns to last. Ask them, if you're curious see what they say.
One gun maker's manual I saw said they considered their pistol worn out if you put 5,000 rnds through it, and wanted it back (so they could check it for safety) if you did. At one time, Colt wanted one of their pistols returned to the factory for check if you put 1,000 rnds of +p through it.
If you're shooting an AK class rifle for the fun of blasting and recreation, I seriously doubt you will wear it out to the point the receiver dies of old age before you've spent several rifles worth of $ on ammo to do it.
ITs not impossible the receiver (the part that is legally the gun) might still be serviceable after you've shot enough ammo to buy a car. Barrels and other parts might need replacement before that, probably will, but the rifle isn't worn out just because the barrel is...
