MAK-90 prices

[Golden_006]

Aren't these supposed to be cheap; or at least were cheap? I know there supposed to be good for Chinese made stuff but isn't $550 + what an Ak goes for that isn't Chinese and cost like $110 in the 90s?

 

[migkillertwo]

It cost under 200 in the 90s because it was actually legal to import them. Under George H.W. Bush, the ATF decided (the ATF, not the Congress) to ban the importation of "assault weapons".

 

[JTH]

Norinco MAK90-Norinco's can no longer imported to the U.S.

The Norinco MAK90 is a better made weapon, is mainly due to the the thicker metal used to make the receiver, even though it is a stamped metal receiver. The only other factor I can think of why they bring a higher selling price is Norinco weapons can no longer be imported into the U.S. Look at what Norinco SKS's are now selling for, aprox.$300. The Romanian WASR10/63is selling for about $350 but these rifles have been parted together and you end up over $425 with shipping and FFL paperwork. You'll probably
get good AK but since your ordering you don't have the luxury to check the rifle out. Look for private sellers at gun shows.
I own a MAK90 also, so if anyone can add any additional information, it would be appreciated.
JT

 

[regal]

Thing about the MAK-90 that always made me wonder was the chinese designed the 1.6mm receiver because they had to, their steel quality wasn't on par with eastern commblock so it is heavier but I don't think necessarily better. The biggest advantage I see is they aren't parts kit rebuilds.

 

[zhyla]

All AK prices are surprising since you can buy them in other places for something like a sack of flour. But there just isn't any AK importation aside from the Saiga line. As others have pointed out, the Norinco's are solid guns.

 

[Will-Seattle]

I too bought my Norinco Mak-90's in the early 90's. I bought the second one after having to turn the first one back in. About 6 months after I bought the first one, I got a letter from the gun shop indicating that they had received a call from the ATF indicating that the rifle has a "machine gun receiver." Not wanting a visit from the ATF, I took it in the next day.

Did this happen to anyone else?

 

[Kman]

a few of those third pin guns are still around,,and yes the ATF wants them back. Chinese maks are great AK's and once you compare them to the others available, you notice they are quite well built, closest thing to compare is the yugo. Thicker chrome lined barrel, thicker receiver, all parts are numbered, and all Chinese. Definately at the heavy-duty end of the AK spectrum.

 

[ifit]

well said JTX, i myself own a mak90 actually i own a toatal of 5 chinese firearms startin my lil collection, here some close up pics of the mak

 

[vernon]

Thing about the MAK-90 that always made me wonder was the chinese designed the 1.6mm receiver because they had to, their steel quality wasn't on par with eastern commblock so it is heavier but I don't think necessarily better. The biggest advantage I see is they aren't parts kit rebuilds.

Are you a metallurgist? Do you have anything to back up your statement?

Chinese-made AKs are better than 90% of the European varieties. This includes the MAK-90.

 

[regal]

I'm a chemical engineer and work with metallurgists closely, it is known that the chinese had steel problems due to the minerals available in their geography, thats why they buy all our scrap cars. I'm not saying the MAK-90 isn't a great AK, just I'm not sold that they are better than a CUR-1 or Saiga.

 

[RC20]

So, what you are saying is that they cannot import the materials they need if they don't have it?

As I recall they do not have a lot of oil. What more they need they import.

Of course they take our cars, they have no pollution controls and its a great source of good metals.

Now, how good a quality metal they make is a whole different ball game. Its got nothing to do with materials in their geography, they can get it if they want it. It has everything to do with cheap and quality control and good enough. Japan did the same thing.

The MAK-90 is not necessarily the BEST Ak47 out there, but its probably the BEST mass produced and readily available AK, and certainly was the BEST by for for the price.

Its fine if you do not like or want a MAK-90, but that does not mean its not a good gun. It is.

 

[W L Johnson]

Seems like the biggest knock people had against the MAK-90 was the thumb-hole stock. Off and on I think about putting a more standard AK "style" stock on mine, but I'll tell you what, more and more over time that thumb-hole stock has grown on me to the point where I think I may prefer it. I seem to recall I paid $125 for mine but it's been awhile.

 

[Justin]

I bought a Mak 90 in the late 90s. As I recall, the rifle ran around $340 or so.

 

[nathan]

The 1.6 mm receiver of the Chinese AKs in my opinion is a better AK. The speculators even say its not necessary and that Chinese steel was inferior. They may be right but if you remember an AK builder in Houston , Texas , made theirs with a thicker 1.5 mm receiver ? I forgot their name, it was like Armory USA or Global .
Chinese designers made it 1.6 mm because they know how humid the Asian climate would be and for good measure a thicker receiver is better. They also beefed up the barrel and its chromelined. Overall its a better AK than the original Russian AKM. IN fact, my MAK 90 shoots tighter groups than my Romanian AKM. What more can i say.

 

[Babarsac]

I'm currently seeing Mak-90 going for $450-$550 here which is just a tad more then a WASR or other kit build. Not a bad deal.

 

[LiquidTension]

About 3 years ago I picked up a lightly used MAK90 in a gun shop for $269. Nowadays you're hard pressed to find an SKS for that price around here.

 

[nathan]

2003, i got my used excellent Norinco SKS for $ 200.
2004, my NIB Mak 90 for $ 400

 

[gkdir]

1989= 2 Poly Techs and 1 Norinco--less than $400.00 for all 3, and the Poly's are milled.

 

[skarr]

I have never seen a MAK-90 for sale in any store or gunshop I have visited. Only Yugos and Romanians US rebuild fests. My buddy somehow grabbed a MAK-90 for $200 in 2003. I've been looking around for one since then but have only managed to see prices upwards of high $800s online thanks to those stupid import bans. George Bush is a tool, and the term "assault weapon" needs to be abolished from the English language since it doesn't have a definition to begin with. I could "assault" someone with a Mini-14 just as easily as I could with a Type 56.

 

[marktx]

Prices seem to vary a bit. There are several guns that I have seen for many months brought to gun shows by the same sellers over and over. These seem to be priced in the $650 range.

About eight months ago I picked up a stamped Mak 90 for $300 from a local shop, they also had an stamped NHM-91 (I think that's the RPK clone?) for $400 but I didn't pick it up. Another local shop had a milled Mak 90 for $500 which I bought, they also had a the heavier / long barrel "match" version for $500 but I passed on it.

Recently at gun shows I have seen a few Maks with asking prices in the $4-500 range that seem to be selling. The one I tried to negotiate the guy down to $300 (I really don't need another AK) but the lowest he would go was $350.

 

[Walkalong]

I lucked into a LNIB Mak 90 a few months before the election. Sure glad I bought it then. It came with a Chinese 75 rd drum too. $418 after tax. I converted it.

Great gun.

 

[Hanzerik]

I sold my MAK90 with a straight cut receiver on one of the Gun forums a year or so ago, either here on THR or it may have been ar15.com, for I think $550 shipped. The buyer wanted it stock, so I took off the Romaian folder I had put on it, and the G2 trigger kit, and rest of the US furniture and went back to the stuck thumbhole. I sold all of the 922r compliance parts separately.

I sold My WASR-10/63 here locally with the folding stock for the same price. I think the MAK90s are superiorly built weapons, but there was noting wrong with the WASR. Mine had straight sights with no canting at all. I just got into something else and didn't need the AK anymore. If I could pick one up really cheap then it would be a safe queen just to have.

 

[skarr]

Some friends have been telling me to move down to Texas. Until I heard that there were MAKs selling for 4-500 down there, I asked them why. Lonestar State, here I come!

 

[zstephens13]

A few days before I married my wife, my father-in-law "found" a milled Norinco MAK-90 in a tool box wrapped in an old, ragged tube sock. He offeredto gone it to me if I cleaned all of his guns for him. I think my answer was, "Umm...YES!!!" He doesnt remember when he got it, but says he's had it for about 15 years (in 2009) nor does he remember what he paid for it which makes me believe it was a type of under the table trade. When he gave it to me it was in pretty rough shape; the thumbhole stock was cut off into some type of deformed pistol grip, the front hand guards were cracked and he didn't have any magazines or ammunition for it at all. So I spent this summer reviving that rifle with black tapco pistol grip and hand guards and a stock from Ironwood designs because it is one of the slant cut milled recievers. It's now one of my favorite guns and boy is it a shooter!

Skarr, they are getting handed out it Alaska! Don't settle for second best!