Cheap 5.45x39 AK

[Jguy101]

I'm looking to buy my first centerfire semiauto, and I want an AK. I want the lighter weight (and less obtrusiveness due to mag curvature - 20-round AK magazines were produced for a reason) of the .223, but the prices of that round are soaring. 5.45x39mm, though, is really cheap.

So, does anyone know of a high-quality (read: non-WASR) AK in 5.45x39 at a low price (i.e., not an Arsenal), preferably under $500?

 

[High Planes Drifter]

You asked for cheap; Aim surpluss has Century AK74's for like $275.00 or so.


Heavy on the word, Cheap......mine had to go back twice before they got the problems fixed. Not all that bad considering twelve year olds probably put it together, LOL.

 

[nalioth]

You asked for cheap; Aim surpluss has Century AK74's for like $275.00 or so.

So, does anyone know of a high-quality (read: non-WASR) AK

He also asked for non-WASR options.

To be honest, I don't know of any 5.45 AKs under $500 besides the WASR-2. I honestly have never had any trouble out of mine, either.

 

[nalioth]

Wow, double tap and I didn't even hit the button twice. . . .

 

[w.Clark]

Alexander Arms

I don't know if they still sell them but I have an AR-Upper chambered in 5.45x39 made by Alexander Arms.

Works great! even with laquered ammo.

I think they called it the "Ghengis"

 

[dfariswheel]

One of the closest to your price range, AND one of the best are the rifles built by Ohio Rapid Fire.
These are brand new, all matching Bulgarian AK-74 kits assembled with a high grade, fully hardened Armory/Global Trades stamped receiver.

Quality, accuracy, and general build is very high.

They offer standard stocks, or paratrooper folders with either wood or synthetic handguards.
With the rifle, you get:
It's shipped in a black plastic hard case to protect it.
A new Bulgarian bayonet.
A new-like new Bulgarian polymer magazine.
A cleaning kit.
A new sling.
4 stripper clips.
A stripper clip guide.

I bought one, and I'm very pleased with it.

http://rapidfire.targetweb.net/cgi-...mplete_AK_Rifles&cart_id=2670575.23000*9e4Pm6

 

[dstorm1911]

if your only reason for 5.45x39 is current cost of ammo then you'll be better off in the long run with 7.62x39, the only cheap 5.45x39 is surplus and its not going to be available for long so take a look at the non surplus ammo prices when buying based on ammo cost not based on surplus ammo cost...

 

[takhtakaal]

... you'll be better off in the long run with 7.62x39, the only cheap 5.45x39 is surplus and its not going to be available for long ...

As surplus, it's as good as anything that they would have shot at us in a real war. Just ask the Afghans.

It's a matter of how much you can justify purchasing. 5.45 is still available for $120 per 1080 rounds. That's dirt cheap in anyone's book, and 5 or so tins should be enough for most mortals. Compare that to the $200 shipped for 1K rounds of 7.62x39.

I'd buy into the cheap ammo now and smile brightly when you have it and nobody else does.

 

[Hoppy590]

your not gunna find any CHEAP non Wasr's

wasrs arnt that bad if your willing to work it. i mean it is an AK and they arnt that tough to get running.

 

[dstorm1911]

5 or so tins??? ya do realize that "most" Ak owners burn up a minimum of 100 rnds per range visit usually closer to 300, and most try to go shooting at least twice a month if not every week so now do a little math and tell me just how soon do you plan on dieing or expecting that AK to be worn out?? 5K rnds is literally nothing especially if there is no more surplus available in say 6 months...... so now how much shooting time do you have left before you have to start rationing out your ammo? but then I love folks who don't actually stock up on enough ammo to outlive the end of surpluss availability the past 5-6 months I've been getting firesale deals on Cetmes/G3s (even lower than they sold for new plus the owners have added accessory's and fixed quirks) after the 7.62x51 surplus (which everyone was sure would last forever at around $0.16 per round) ran out those people are now dumping the guns they can't afford to feed to buy AKs they can afford to feed....... I wasn't buyin guns when the ammo was cheap.... I was buying up pallets of ammo.... now I'm buying the guns and get the best of both super cheap 7.62x51 ammo and even cheaper guns to shoot it with...... 5K rounds LOL!! only a very very few AK owners are intrested in bench rest style shooting with an AK most burn through each 20-30 round mag as fast as they can pull the trigger... basic math is all ya need to figure out how fast 5K rnds will go for the average blaster most MORTAL AK owners fire more than 20 rounds per year.....

 

[Jguy101]

Well, I personally think that the 5.45x39 is an interesting round. Like the 7.62, it's tapered, leading to more reliable extraction than the 5.56. Considering that this could end up being an SHTF gun, ammo is also lighter than that of a 7.62, meaning I could carry the same amount of ammo as I would with a 7.62 but with a lighter overall load (especially with bakelite magazines).

Ammo cost is definitely a plus. Yes, I know prices aren't always going to stay there, but that's not too much of a problem if I stockpile, which is very easy at current prices. Sure, I'd use it at the range a bit, but even if it's only $0.18 a round, I'd be using my 10/22 far more for general plinking, and the AK really only for keeping myself trained with the gun. (I find handguns more fun to plink with anyway.)

Lastly, there's just something I like about the -74 that I can't quite pin.

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

Your going to have to go with a kit build, find a cheap well worn kit, buy nodak recievor, send to red stick firearms for a no-finish basic assembley, spreay with BBQ paint. Or you could just spend the $279 for a WASR-2 and have century fix anything wrong with it for free, then upgrade from there (threaded FSB, AK-100 series furnature, brake, ect..) the second option is probibly wiser given that your going for mid range stuff and arent going for an Arsenal.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

He also asked for non-WASR options.

To be honest, I don't know of any 5.45 AKs under $500 besides the WASR-2. I honestly have never had any trouble out of mine, either.

Dont know why, but I seem to have missed that.....Sorry.

 

[takhtakaal]

5 or so tins??? ya do realize that "most" Ak owners burn up a minimum of 100 rnds per range visit usually closer to 300, and most try to go shooting at least twice a month if not every week so now do a little math and tell me just how soon do you plan on dieing or expecting that AK to be worn out?? 5K rnds is literally nothing especially if there is no more surplus available in say 6 months...... so now how much shooting time do you have left before you have to start rationing out your ammo? but then I love folks who don't actually stock up on enough ammo to outlive the end of surpluss availability the past 5-6 months I've been getting firesale deals on Cetmes/G3s (even lower than they sold for new plus the owners have added accessory's and fixed quirks) after the 7.62x51 surplus (which everyone was sure would last forever at around $0.16 per round) ran out those people are now dumping the guns they can't afford to feed to buy AKs they can afford to feed....... I wasn't buyin guns when the ammo was cheap.... I was buying up pallets of ammo.... now I'm buying the guns and get the best of both super cheap 7.62x51 ammo and even cheaper guns to shoot it with...... 5K rounds LOL!! only a very very few AK owners are intrested in bench rest style shooting with an AK most burn through each 20-30 round mag as fast as they can pull the trigger... basic math is all ya need to figure out how fast 5K rnds will go for the average blaster most MORTAL AK owners fire more than 20 rounds per year.....

Well, I'm not going to get into how much ammo I have set aside, but it's more than enough for my purposes, plus enough filled magazines to have a chance of getting out of Dodge City, should things ever go TU in a big way.

I've never burned up 300 rounds at once, especially not spray and pray with maneuvering thrown in. 150 or so is usually my limit. I enjoy shooting, but a nagging little voice is going "2008, 2008!" in the back of my head -- you know what I mean?

I somehow doubt that all these fine 5.45x39 rifles are going to go hungry for lack of ammunition to feed them -- someone will jump in and start rolling it out, even if it's at a bit higher price than buying leftover Bulgarian and Russian ammo.

Look at it this way: if they suddenly tell you "no more 'assault rifles,' no more ammo for them," it won't matter anyway, because anyone tooled up to supply it won't be shipping it, and the pallets on the docks at the wholesalers will just be sitting there. What you have will be what you have, and if shooting in a more reserved way conserves what I have until the future is a bit clearer, isn't that all for the good?

 

[buck00]

Here are some options a little north of $500:

http://www.hammerstonearsenal.com/MD63Store.html

http://www.hammerstonearsenal.com/AIMS_74Store.html

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=89240358

Ohio Rapid Fire used to have them with a fixed stock for $600 but they just increased prices by $50:

http://rapidfire.targetweb.net/cgi-...mplete_AK_Rifles&cart_id=1545931.17521*IT5I95

So you may pay $150 more than you are looking to spend- maybe try to find a used one.


* Another heads up, while 5.45 is still at $120 a case of 1080 (a good deal) magazines generally seem to be going up. East German mags were a lot more plentiful on gbroker at one point- but seem to be drying up. Good luck.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Okay, okay, okay. Everyone relax.

Surplus 5.45mm is cheap now, and is usually cheap whenever it turns up because there isn't much demand. However, it's NOT the only source. Wolf makes brand new 5.45x39mm ammunition in FMJ and JSP varieties, as do some of the other Russian ammo makers. Wolf is just the most commonly imported.

Observe. Ammoman has Wolf 5.45mm FMJ for $189/1000. Cheaper than Dirt has 5.45mm at $210/1000.

All of the "cheap" ammo in 7.62x39mm is ALSO steel-cased Russian import. This won't be affected unless there's an import ban. If you're worried about that, get a .223 AK, but then, magazine supply becomes more of an issue.

 

[MechAg94]

Ohio Rapid Fire used to sell a 12 pack of magazines. I guess they stopped.

You can still find Bakelite mags as well, but they are not as cheap as they used to be.