How much gun costs?

[Kahramon]

I made a small survey into how much an AK-47 costs around the world in black markets.
The scape, depending on quality and country of origin, is like this:
Iraq and Afghanistan - $100-$200
Sudan - $375
Camdobia - $400
Palestine - $1,300
Singapore - $1,500
Nicaragua - $9,000
India - $10,000
These were prices for fully automatic AKs.
How much AK-47 costs in US black market? Any other figures would be appreciated.

 

[kd7nqb]

THE HIGH ROAD might not be the best place to ask for BLACK Market prices. But how about asking for legal prices.

 

[pete f]

I think your prices are very high. when i was in central america, It was possible to buy AK's and almost anyother weapon at many of the back country bazaars and shopping places for much less than what you have listed. Chinese AKs were going for 45 to 50 used, 75 or so new/near new. the people in the backcountry do not have hundreds of USD to pay for guns. In Pakistan, you can buy a made to order H&H copy for a few hundred, a stamped out AK will cost a few bucks.

 

[Monkeybear]

the results of your "survey" seem like internet BS and honestly have no place on THR

 

[Boom-stick]

India - $10,000

You are havin' a bubble*,

In india they hand-make AK's in crude back street sweat shops and they cost 'buttons'.






*Bubble bath= 'laugh'

 

[Kahramon]

Since AK is the main item in backstreet markets, I got interested in its pricing etc. This issue is ahuge problem for under-developed countries where conflicts do not seem to be stopped. And the main reason is AKs sold in backside streets.
However, the data I got is from internet-sources, including USA Today.
PS: In India I have not seen sweat-shops producing devices.

 

[benEzra]

United States--$15,000 for a legal, civilian-transferable AK-47. Plus six months or so of your life and another $200 in fees to qualify for the BATFE Form 4 necessary to possess one; otherwise, possession of one by a civilian is a 10-year Federal felony. These are so rare in this country that I can't even find a good example at the moment on any of the collectors' auction sites; the only one I see is a Poly Tech with a folder (little rarer than a standard AKM type) with an asking price of $16,900.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976768045.htm

I don't think a significant U.S. black market in illegal AK-47's even exists. You'd have to talk to your local drug kingpin about how much it would cost to import one from Mexico or Columbia, where they're common, but I doubt many have ever been imported into the U.S. U.S. criminals don't seem to find even readily-available rifles very practical (all rifles combined account for less than 3% of U.S. homicides).

A non-automatic civilian AK lookalike can be purchased in the U.S. for $379 or so by a civilian with a clean record who passes a Federal background check (I own one), but those aren't real AK-47's, as they are completely incapable of automatic fire.

 

[Novus Collectus]

How much does an AK47 cost on the blackmarket in the US?:

CHAPTER 53—MACHINE GUNS, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND CERTAIN OTHER FIREARMS

§ 5871. Penalties
"Any person who violates or fails to comply with any provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000, or be imprisoned not more than ten years, or both."

 

[Sylvan-Forge]

Just a guess ..

Rack-grade surplus, full auto :

$1000 USD per unit
$500 USD per unit bulk (100)

 

[LaEscopeta]

In Pakistan, you can buy … a stamped out AK will cost a few bucks.

I

n india they hand-make AK's in crude back street sweat shops

I’ve seen news stories of the workshops in Pakistan turning out AKs one at a time, but I don’t think I’ve seen that in India. The news stories I’ve seen of bandit gangs in India show that they (and the police that are battling them) do not have a lot of fire power. Lots of SMLEs and non-repeating shotguns, but few “assault-type” weapons. Some parts of India (like Bihar state) have not only the government trying to control guns, but powerful high caste land lords tying to make sure their low caste peasants do not get arms. And although India has hundreds of millions of poor people it also has tens of millions of people who are middle class or rich by US standards (more VCR and DVD players are sold each year in India than in the US.) I don’t know what an AK goes for on the black market in India but I would not be surprised if it was US$10,000.

 

[kannonfyre]

Kahramon,

$1500 for an AK 47 in Singapore??? Dude, I live in S'pore and I can CLEARLY and CONVINCINGLY say that that figure does not even apply. Why? Because not everything is available for sale in our black market. What is available is as follows:

1)Drugs
2)Stolen goods
3)Pirated music, movies and software

Bonafide automatic rifles or even any type of unregistered longarms DO NOT even figure in our domestic black market. In other words, even if you are prepared to pay serious $$$ for a stolen Cambodian AK-47, NONE are available for sale. The best that any shady character can possibly buy is a handgun (you don't get to choose what type) that was smuggled in during the 70s and 80s when border controls were lax. Expect prices to be steep - perhaps 2 or 3X legal stateside prices for a beat-up revolver. Ammo would be about $1/round and don't expect to get more than a dozen rounds.

Singapore is an island about the size of Washington DC. All entry points in and out are tightly controlled and screened. Since 9/11, ALL baggage and cargo is X-rayed so virtually NO GUNS get in or out unless the .gov gives approval in writing.

Lastly, hefty fines and VERY LENGTHY imprisonments (flogging by cane might be included) is guaranteed for anyone trafficking or possesing illegal guns in any way shape or form. Hence, local criminals conduct their business with knives, machetes or other melee weapons. Guns are simply not worth the penalities.

Besides, even if you do successfully purchase an illegal AK-47 or M-16 which was smuggled in during the Vietnam war and managed to acquire some ammo for it, WHERE are you going to shoot it for practice? Discharging the firearm will bring about IMMEDIATE swat team attention and the ammo will most probably have been stored in damp or inappropriate conditions for the last 30+ years so reliability will be questionable.

 

[dragongoddess]

A report from a friend returning from Africa had the full automatic AK47 going for $25 US each. These were new weapons according to the report I received.

 

[geekWithA.45]

I'm sorry.

The representative from the US black market is unavailable, due to incarceration.

This thread's done.