Posted on 08/15/2012 10:48:31 AM PDT by blam
Americans Are Snatching Up Russian AK-47s In record Numbers
Geoffrey Ingersoll
Aug. 15, 2012, 1:17 PM
I'll never forget the first thing my ex-wife's father said to me: "Wanna go shoot an AK?"
I obliged.
It turns out Americans are turning to AK 's in droves to fill their home armories.
Russia doesn't mind, and neither do it's arms companies, like Izhmash, which are quickly shifting from military to civilian fabrication in order to fill all the orders.
Overall it's been a good deal for American enthusiasts, and for Russian investors, since existing laws banning Chinese imports essentially subsidizes Russian businesses.
Andrew E. Kramer of New York Times reports "And in the United States, Izhmash cannot be underpriced by Chinese competitors. The federal government has banned most imports of Chinese handguns and rifles since 1994.
Selling Saigas in the United States is integral to the enterprises evolving business model of making single-shot civilian guns to occupy workers and equipment in between government orders for fully automatic assault rifles. About 70 percent of the factorys output is now civilian rifles, up from 50 percent two years ago. Of the civilian arms, about 40 percent are exported to the United States."
To be clear, we're talking about perfectly legal to import, and to own in some states, civilian versions of the AK-47. One shot, semi-automatic. These companies have cut back on their fully automatic, military versions in order to supply the U.S. market.
Due to the Second Amendment and America's widespread culture of gun ownership, the US market for civilian weaponry is among the largest on the globe. The AK has not only a violent history, .
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I saw someone (I think here) refer to it as the STG47 recently. Knew what they were saying immediately, as I’m sure you do.
We should propagate that terminology.
Eh, considered it but decided on a PTR myself.
I gave mine away to the homeless. Poor little beggers looked so defenseless, I figured I would help out my fellow man.
I feel better now.....
Very good. Some imagination...as compared to the legions who can only parrot “I lost my guns in a tragic boating accident.”
Tell me about it.
My Borzoi keeps giving me her guilty look lately and I only recently figured out why. My WASR didn’t just get up and walk away. Seems she don’t like me lavishing attention on another object of beauty. She-Devil!
I’ll lay a trap for her and leave my Kimber out. BEST...CHEW...TOY...EVAH!
Yeah,
Well...
"One shot, semi-automatic" is a heck of a lot more accurate than "automatic", "assault rifle", "AK 47", or even "AK".
Hey! Don't give the Left any ideas.
They are harping why do we need them for hunting.
What's next to distract from the 2nd Am? We don't need them for fishing? /sarc
Maybe an intervention is required, maybe we can get them into councelling...if it saves just one life...do it for the children...
Thanks I will check it out.
I simply have a very bad memory, I can never find anything, just cannot remember where I left it, it might turn up anywhere. I think the technical term is CRS disease.
it’s amazing how many of us here have similar stories...I really miss my guns...and the boat that capsized causing me to lose them...
Sometimes people find them too. One of my acquaintances was walking through an overgrown pasture on a farm near here, and stepped on something that felt funny. He reached down, parted the grass, and pulled up a high-end Kimber .45 in a custom-made holster. It had been lying on the ground for some time, but was mostly stainless, and was in pretty good shape. He sent it back to Kimber for refinishing, which they did, and now has a $1300 pistol that shoots like a dream.
I own a VZ-58. Very reliable, but accuracy and precision are terrible; if I try very hard (and I’m a pretty good shot), I can get an 8” group at 25 yards, shooting freehand standing. In full-auto configuration it would be basically a riot gun, but mine is semi-auto only.
Can you remember where it was that the boat capsized?
Part of the problem with availability of AK’s is the ATF rule change that banned importation of de-mil’ed parts kits with barrels.
Back in 2007 (when I got my kit) you could buy cherry carried but essentially unfired Polish PKMS underfolder kits. All you had to do was buy a USA made reciever, USA trigger parts kit, USA made gas piston, and/or a couple other US parts to meet the 922r requirements for ATF. Then the ATF banned the original barrels which threw a wrench in the whole project. US barrel makers are maxed out, especially the very few that do milspec cold hammer forged, MPI inspected, chrome lined barrels.
As far as the civilian AK varients go, I LOVE my Polish underfolder. Before 2008 I would have never said that since I was and am a bigtime AR-15/M-16/M-4 fan. I shot M16-A2’s in competition with the National Guard and the level of accuracy a trained shooter can achieve with iron sights is insane. My little Polish girl shoots really dang nice out to 200 yards.
Schmeisser was on the design team. The safety comes from John M. Browning’s Auto-5 shotgun.
I guess after East Germany and maybe Czech the best made are Russkie?
We have some norincos...cheap but work
Mak90 i think
I dunno, All I can think about when I see an AK is pith helmets and black pajamas.
somewhere in the bay
What do you like better your SKS or AK47?
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