I remember Polytechs AKS-762 guns for $329 in the 1980s. Cases of 7.62x39 were $89.99.
Right before the ’86 closure of the MG registry, you could get select-fire AKs for insanely-low prices:
One of the most forgotten US options for AKs were from Mitchell in the 1980s, which were imported Yugoslavian rifles. There were 2000 of them imported before March of 1989, followed by 5000. I remember the ads for them and articles in the gun rags, wishing I could get one. They looked like this:
The 1980s US market for AKs was extremely scarce for the most part until the post-1989 Chicom guns started flowing in. Due to the 1989 import ban, US importers had to jump through some hoops to meet compliance, so the pre-’89 guns are all collectibles. The Valmet rifles are one of the most valuable options in that space in terms of an actual quality gun, and rareness/collectibility. The original Steyr import Maadis are what they used in Red Dawn, and were converted to select-fire.
Then there was a period between Bush ban 1989 and Clinton AWB ban 1994, so those are another set for collectors.
From 1994-2004 during the Clinton/Biden/Feinstein ban, some of the guns were neutered with narrow 10rd mag wells, plain/non-threaded muzzles, and thumbhole stocks to meet importation infringements. It was easy to change the furniture but machining was required to open up the magazine wells. There were some nice Bulgarian guns that came in during that time with milled receivers.
Others just shipped with little short magazines. It was great when that stupid infringement expired in 2004. Parts kits were really popular after that, built on US receiver flats. A lot of people didn’t know what they were doing, didn’t know about the high lead content rivets that Russia compromised on to reduce the egging-out of their stamped receiver approach, so there have been a lot of abortions made on parts kits over the years.
From 2004-2014, the parts kits rose in price dramatically and many of them could no longer be found. One of the most prized parts kits were Beryls from Poland, since the Poles make better guns than their Southern neighbors in Eastern Europe.
In the US market, we saw the rise of specialty shops like Krebs, Rifle Dynamics, and whatever follow-on types that have emerged since then. This is where you see $1900-$3700 AKs with tons of US features, mostly-sober shop workers who are held to higher standards of fit, feel, function, and finish with lots of custom options.
5.45x39 guns and kits used to be very easy to get, but have dried-up.
The AK went from being scarce to floodgates opened, then banned, neutered, un-neutered, floodgates opened again, market flush, then scarcity crept in, followed by high prices and custom shops. A lot of the cheap ones you see are not worth messing with from what old-hand AK guys tell me. AKOU is a much better source for info on them and does extensive testing on the various options to provide realistic expectations for the consumer. Here’s his selection process:
Right before the ’86 closure of the MG registry, you could get select-fire AKs for insanely-low prices:
One of the most forgotten US options for AKs were from Mitchell in the 1980s, which were imported Yugoslavian rifles. There were 2000 of them imported before March of 1989, followed by 5000. I remember the ads for them and articles in the gun rags, wishing I could get one. They looked like this:
The 1980s US market for AKs was extremely scarce for the most part until the post-1989 Chicom guns started flowing in. Due to the 1989 import ban, US importers had to jump through some hoops to meet compliance, so the pre-’89 guns are all collectibles. The Valmet rifles are one of the most valuable options in that space in terms of an actual quality gun, and rareness/collectibility. The original Steyr import Maadis are what they used in Red Dawn, and were converted to select-fire.
Then there was a period between Bush ban 1989 and Clinton AWB ban 1994, so those are another set for collectors.
From 1994-2004 during the Clinton/Biden/Feinstein ban, some of the guns were neutered with narrow 10rd mag wells, plain/non-threaded muzzles, and thumbhole stocks to meet importation infringements. It was easy to change the furniture but machining was required to open up the magazine wells. There were some nice Bulgarian guns that came in during that time with milled receivers.
Others just shipped with little short magazines. It was great when that stupid infringement expired in 2004. Parts kits were really popular after that, built on US receiver flats. A lot of people didn’t know what they were doing, didn’t know about the high lead content rivets that Russia compromised on to reduce the egging-out of their stamped receiver approach, so there have been a lot of abortions made on parts kits over the years.
From 2004-2014, the parts kits rose in price dramatically and many of them could no longer be found. One of the most prized parts kits were Beryls from Poland, since the Poles make better guns than their Southern neighbors in Eastern Europe.
In the US market, we saw the rise of specialty shops like Krebs, Rifle Dynamics, and whatever follow-on types that have emerged since then. This is where you see $1900-$3700 AKs with tons of US features, mostly-sober shop workers who are held to higher standards of fit, feel, function, and finish with lots of custom options.
5.45x39 guns and kits used to be very easy to get, but have dried-up.
The AK went from being scarce to floodgates opened, then banned, neutered, un-neutered, floodgates opened again, market flush, then scarcity crept in, followed by high prices and custom shops. A lot of the cheap ones you see are not worth messing with from what old-hand AK guys tell me. AKOU is a much better source for info on them and does extensive testing on the various options to provide realistic expectations for the consumer. Here’s his selection process:
