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 enterprise’s 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 factory’s 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 ...
Is that the same explosion in which we lost Fawn Leibowitz?
http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=saiga+223
That comes next, now that they have your guns ...
BOHICA
Youtube: Hayseed Dixie, “Alien Abduction Probe.”
Remove all liquids from proximity to electronics before viewing.
Yeah. She was making me a pot.
The dog ate mine...
And you should have seen the dump he took afterwards...
LMAO! I fell overboard recently, but I saved myself.
I’ve noticed two of the women being shot have some sort of white ribbon around their thighs, just above the knees.
Got any idea what the significance of that is?
Few years ago the ARs were all the rage, now the AKs are stepping up. I hear building your own AK reciever is the way to go these days...
When I stood up in the water, I found myself on a pile of guns somebody had lost. hmmmm.
I would like to get one, but don’t think they are legal in New Jersey. I would rather have one than an AR-15, but I STILL think a Garand is the best.
A stock Saiga 12 is under $600. The closest thing it has to domestic competition is the Remington 1100 - and the similarly configured 1100 Tactical is $775!
Isn’t it amazing that both of you would lose a gun in a river. Wow? I thought one carried fishing gear while boating. But you two had guns.
Then again, I forgot that so many Freepers are so innovative. Original, too.
Unfortunately those of us living in Connecticut are barred by law from owning an AK-47.
It’s surprising because in this Communist-infested state, you would have expected that the Commie legislators would have had a soft spot in their hearts for their fellow-travelers’ handiwork...
There is one state where “hunting” fish is legal.
I don’t recall for sure, but it may be either Colorado or Virginia.
Travis,do you have any more background on those photos. I am interested in what hese victims were executed for.Please send a link if you have it.
Hey, same thing here. I LOST ALL of my guns in a move. Don’t have a one now!
See # 57
Thanks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.