Thinking about selling the AK

Ironbar · Sep 30, 2013

I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not as comfortable or as accurate with my AK as I am with my venerable M1 Garand or even my stock SKS. I guess I'm more of a rifle than carbine sorta guy. What do you think?

trainsktg · Sep 30, 2013

What kind of AK do you have...US build, imported, straight stock, UF?

Assuming that your AK is in the norm for AK accuracy, I guess its a choice between what's cool and historic or what's practical. The Garand had a very short service life and for good reason, while the AK's is six decades along now and still going strong. If you don't need to sell the AK to pay bills, I would recommend keeping it and perhaps attending a future carbine class. Excluding EOTWAWKI scenarios, its practicality on the range is also greater being smaller, lighter, and much less expensive to shoot.

Keith

Ironbar · Sep 30, 2013

It's a converted Saiga.

Sgt Nambu · Sep 30, 2013

Why sell it without a specific reason ie; need the cash or trading? I don't know your domestic situation, is there a smaller person who could use a shorter, lighter weapon? Good luck on your choice!

ZA_Survivalist · Sep 30, 2013

Its always a plus to own at least one.
The AKM is just as customizable as the AR. Tailoring fit and finish shouldn't be an issue.
However.. Getting off the AK boat before its too late may be a good idea. Depending on what goes on with this UN garbage Surplus and new manufactured parts from other countries may become banned or unavailable.. Until mass produced domestically.

The fear I have is no more 7.62x39 inexpensive range/practice ammo.
Theyll be decent ammo around sure.. But for 10-$20 a box? Might as well shoot .308

trainsktg · Sep 30, 2013

Ironbar said:
It's a converted Saiga.

Keep it. Regardless of whatever tacticool accessories it may or may not have had installed during the conversion, its got a Russian receiver, a Russian barrel and Russian parts (minus compliance parts). The best of the best.

Regarding major replacement parts for Saigas, they are pretty much unavailable anyway. In Russia, the rifle must be returned to the manufacturer for service work, so an inventory of separate replacement parts for public sale is not part of their business model.

7.62x39 is under $0.30 a round now, approaching $0.25. There has been much for sale in this price range on the ammo WTS/WTT forum lately.

Keith

Ironbar · Sep 30, 2013

Yeah, but if I'm not going to shoot it then what's the point? I'm not strapped for cash or anything, I've just come to the conclusion that I'd rather have something else that I'd be more comfortable with. It could be also because I'm such a big guy too. I'm 6'5", and I just like a big-*** rifle! I like my SKS for shooting 7.62x39 anyway.

jb11 · Sep 30, 2013

Keep it, you may regret it down the road.

trainsktg · Sep 30, 2013

If you want to give it one more go-around, try adapting a more squared stance towards the target when shooting the AK, as opposed to the more traditional one-shoulder-forward-one-shoulder-back stance most common with Western shooters. I'm 6'1" and the short Warsaw stock is just perfect. You can put a NATO stock or a buttstock extension on your Saiga and the proportions should be about the same.

Keith

ZA_Survivalist · Sep 30, 2013

Ironbar said:
Yeah, but if I'm not going to shoot it then what's the point? I'm not strapped for cash or anything, I've just come to the conclusion that I'd rather have something else that I'd be more comfortable with. It could be also because I'm such a big guy too. I'm 6'5", and I just like a big-*** rifle! I like my SKS for shooting 7.62x39 anyway.

Haha point taken. Ive got a polyamorous relationship with my firearms. They all get a turn with me.

I do have a couple inherited firearms that out of respect I just maintain and shoot only on specific occasion. Sounds strange but those are the ones i play with the least.

Well heck, if you don't want your saiga there are quite a few fellas willing to buy here on NWFA! Or perhaps trade you a preferable platform for her.

I would have never got into ARs if it wast for the belief that i may need to have one for safe keeping one day like you with your AK.. Now its an even split with my AKs and my preference is really leaning towards the AR, go figure.

Ironbar · Sep 30, 2013

Truthfully, I'd really love to shoot an AR-10 sometime. I think I'd really love the .308 format, and the reloading supplies for it are relatively abundant.

mancat · Sep 30, 2013

Just IMO, I would not sell any AK or AR if it was the only rifle of that type that I owned.

You probably paid what - $300 to $600 for that rifle? Such prices for a Russian AK will be hard to reach again - Saiga imports are spotty these days. You might want one again a few years down the road if "something" happens to make them legally dicey, and the price suddenly skyrockets to near $2k like it did with ARs.

As for 7.62x39 becoming unavailable.. If such import restrictions appeared, the domestic market would pick up production in mass. It may not be as cheap as steel-cased imported loads are, but I imagine it would not be the same price as brass .308 either. It would probably be on par with mass-produced brass .223/5.56. There's also no reason that a US manufacturer can't/won't do cheaper steel-cased - Hornady does.

7.62x39 is the most common centerfire plinking round behind .223/5.56. There's absolutely no way that the domestic producers would ignore that market if it was suddenly cut off from cheap foreign import. The only reason that they don't try to compete in bulk sales right now, is that they really can't even compete pricewise with imported steel-cased 7.62x39.