Buy it. No brainer. Ammo will be around. Keep collecting.
Buy it. No brainer. Ammo will be around. Keep collecting. Join the NRA and donate often to keep our voice strong.
I’m not a fan of the lighter bullets for various reasons. I’d go with the AK47 with the 7.62 x 39. The AKs are very easy to work on and very hardy. The larger bullet still has mild recoil and they are a BLAST to shoot. Unfortunately prices are a premium as you already know. That’s my 2 cents.
.556 is better IMHO.
You can shoot .223 if its chambered for .556 but not visaversa.
Be ready to stand in line.
I put an AR-15 online and got 73 replies within the hour. I could have asked whatever $$$ I wanted.
As far as a particular ammo being available ten years from now, I never would have dreamed 22 long rifle would ever be in such short supply. The panic buying public never ceases to amaze me.
Re which rifle, if I were you I would wait 6 or 7 months, and pick up a quality AR.
Its manly, has a beefier cartridge (7.62x51) than the AR-15 or AK-47, and has all of the scarey cosmetics that make Democrats wet themselves.
The MA1A is also suitable.
If you want to go old school, the M1 Garand, SVT-40, AG-42 Ljungman, Hakim, and FN49 are all respectable choices.
Both because I celebrate caliber diversity.
I went with a Saiga, which is the civilian version of the AK. Shoots 7.62x39. Very easy to handle. What’s best is that unlike the AR-15 you can bury this thing in dirt, pull it out and it will still fire. Try that with an AR-15. They are also very easy to field strip. Through Sportsman Guide you can get 1000 rounds for $220.
***5.45x39 is a good round and it’s cheap,****
That is not a.223 or 5.56 MM. It is definitely not a .30x39 RS either.
Stick with .223 or .30.
My AR-15 needed to be kept clean as well as the ammo. Otherwise, it jammed at the most inconvenient times.
The AK is made out of stamped parts and rattled when handled. Yet it never failed.
5.45x39 ammo is never going to be stocked in JimBo’s gas station next to the 30-06, 30-30, 7.62x39, .308, .223, 9mm, .357 Mag, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .390 Auto, .38 Special and 22LR ammo.
It will be available on the internet (if in ten years you can buy ammo over the internet), at gun shows (if there are still gun shows), and at large specialty firearms/sporting goods stores.
I have a number of rifles in “obscure” or obsolete cartridges. I reload for all of them. I even reload for a lot of commonly available cartridges.
Personally, if you want a “scary” rifle, save your money and get a rifle that is something the you want and will be of real value to you and your heirs. If I wanted to purchase a firearm that liberals want to ban, it would probably be a semi-automatic Russian-import (AK-style action), box-magazine shotgun in 12 gauge. That is a firearm that would have lots of different uses, be very reliable, great for home protection, and very politically incorrect.
“Only accurate rifles are interesting.”
The AR-15 has it in spades over the AK-47 when it comes to accuracy, but the AK-47 has a well-earned reputation for reliability.
The AR is also much more modular and has an inherently better optics mounting platform. Even the older A2 carry handle models are better than the AK in this regard.
However, if you have the opportunity to get a GOOD AK (lots of junk out there), get one. Right now prices are high, so watch what you pay for the premium of having one now vs not getting it later.
I should have said, "pick up a quality AR at a reasonable price." The feds aren't going to outlaw ARs, and people who bought ARs expecting such are going to be selling them.
I read this status of the gun industry on another forum. It was posted by a gun dealer.
(Begin Quote)
Status of gun industry
Attention F.B. fans: to follow will be several IMPORTANT Info updates about the status of the gun industry currently, followed by an INVENTORY UPDATE: We traveled to Texas for Industry meetings concerning the shortages, here’s what we were told.
Smith & Wesson-is running at Full capacity making 300+ guns/day-mainly M&P pistols. They are unable to produce any more guns to help with the shortages.
RUGER: Plans to increase from 75% to 100% in the next 90 days.
FNH: Moving from 50% production to 75% by Feb 1st and 100% by March 1. Remington-Maxed out!
Armalite: Maxed out.
DPMS: Can’t get enough parts to produce any more product.
COLT: Production runs increasing weekly...bottle necked by Bolt carrier’s.
LWRC:Making only black guns, running at full capacity...can’t get enough gun quality steel to make barrels.
Springfield Armory: Only company who can meet demand but are running 30-45 days behind.
AMMO: Every caliber is now Allocated! We are looking at a nation wide shortage of all calibers over the next 9 months. All plants are producing as much ammo as possible w/ of 1 BILLION rounds produced weekly. Most is military followed by L.E. and civilians are third in line.
MAGPUL is behind 1 MILLION mags, do not expect any large quantities of magpul anytime soon.
RELOADERS... ALL Remington, Winchester , CCI & Federal primers are going to ammo FIRST. There are no extra’s for reloading purposes... it could be 6-9 months before things get caught up. Sorry for the bleak news, but now we know what to expect in the coming months. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted...
(End quote)
The upshot is that manufacturers are ramping up production to meet demand. Once demand is met, prices will fall. It'll be like the housing crash.
Now, if you happen to be unfortunate enough to live in a pinko commie fag controlled state, that's a horse of a different stripe. All bets are off.
They are both good. We have one of each. I think the Bulgarian AK 74 with the C2 trigger is the best and you cannot beat the new Wyndham AR 15 HBC heavy barrel. Ammo is readily available for both.
In a survival situation - where up kept and maintenance is a low priority - that weapon will perform. When yo buy it - take the top cover off and you’ll see why. I have both - but in a urban - close quarter situation that weapon will fire - and fire - and go on like the Energizer Bunny!
It’s a hardy battle rifle - and has been proven. Which is why low intelligence - non-educated types carry it - (I’m not calling you that) - but insurgent forces worldwide use either that or the AK-47 (7.62x39mm).
And when you are out of ammo - you can hit people repeatedly with it like a club until you can find more ammo...just my two cent’s...
Do you plan on doing much range shooting? If you want to shoot the weapon often the AR-15 will be more accurate, less recoil, and IMO more fun. If you want to have a rifle just for self defense or shtf scenario I would go with the AK-74 as it has more punch and can take a lot more abuse. As these are the two most popular rifles in the world, availability/cost of ammo will be a wash in the long run.
Either way you might want to wait a couple of months as I don’t think congress or the tyrant in cheif can act that fast and I see prices going down slightly.
I own the "super" version in 308. Damn fine rifle.
I faced a similar question at one point, and chose not to really answer it, and just bought both, rather than choosing one over the other.
Both rifles have strengths and few weaknesses. With the AR you have better accuracy, less recoil - allowing for better followup shots. I’d keep a couple of parts kits on hand, just in case.(I’ve never had the need for one - yet)
With the AK, you get a bit harder hitting round in the 7.62, but the rifle is a bit less accurate because they generally aren’t made with the same level of precision. You could run over one with a tank, and it would probably still function. They are so so simple to work on and maintain as well. My dad was in Vietnam. He said the VCs would come up out of the mud with their AKs and it would be flying out of the receiver along with the spent casings as they were firing. (I can’t imagine an AR doing that lol)
If you shop carefully you can equip your whole family with Chicom SKS’s for the same money you'd pay for an AR-15.
These are solid weapons of medium surplus grade. On mine I refinished the stock by sanding, staining and then treating it in linseed oil. The butt plate and other hardware are easily removable for this purpose. My philosophy is buy it cheap and improve it by cleaning, tightening, refinishing, polishing, re-bluing the original components.
But there's an abundance of mail order parts to customize these things including banana clips and pistol grips and tactical scopes, recoil buffers, bipods, etc.
Of course as Ivan Chesnokov, talking about replacing Soviet AK47 parts with American, once posted on a gun forum:
WHY YOU WANT RAIL FOR KALASHNIKOV? IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH AS PROCURED FROM IZHEVSK MECHANICAL WORKS? YOU THINK NEEDS IMPROVEMENT? THEN MAYBE YOU FIND JOB WITH ARMY OF RUSSIA! YOU HAVE DRINKS WITH MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, TRADE STORY OF MANY WEAPONS DESIGNED AND DETAILS OF SCHOOL FOR ENGINEERING!
OR MAYBE YOU NOT DO THIS. PROBABLY IS BECAUSE YOU NEVER DESIGN WEAPON IN WHOLE LIFE. YOU LOOK AT FINE RUSSIAN RIFLE, THINK IT NEED CRAZY SH*T STICK ON ALL SIDES OF WEAPON. YOU HAVE DISEASE OF AMERICAN CAPITALIST, CHANGE THING THAT IS FINE FOR NO REASON EXCEPT TO LOOK DIFFERENT FROM COMRADE. YOU PUT CHEAP FLASHLIGHT OF CHINESE SLAVE FACTORY ON ONE SIDE, YOU PUT BAD SCOPE OF AMERICAN MIDDLE WEST ON OTHER SIDE, YOU PUT FRONT PISTOL GRIP ON BOTTOM SO YOU ARE LIKE AMERICAN MOVIE GUY JOHN RAMBO. MAYBE YOU PUT SEX DILDO ON TOP TO F*CK YOURSELF IN A**HOLE FOR MAKING SHAMEFUL TRAVESTY OF RIFLE OF MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, NO?
Personally, I don’t think you need to worry about availability of ammo & replacement parts ten years out from today.
Either things will have improved a WHOLE bunch, and your concern will be fairly academic;
OR
The greta conflict of teh 21st century will be over and your concern will be fairly academic.
I don’t think this situation is going to become another Afghanistan or Viet Nam. When THIS pot boils over, it’s going to boil dry real quickly one way or the other.