dbrown
Member
any suggestions?
What are some cheap semi auto rifles that shoot 5.56, 7.62x39, and 5.45x39
- Thread starter dbrown
- Start date
- Status
Mauser lover
Member
AKs, and the Mini 14. DPMS Oracle is an AR-15 that is pretty inexpensive. Those are the pretty common ones.
How cheap are you looking for?
How cheap are you looking for?
Godsgunman
Member
Saiga, I have one in 7.62x39. They come with the "sporting" butt, but you can change it to a pistol grip and make it more AK like for not to much money. I've kept mine original since I use it for deer. Great guns especially for the price. Got mine for 299 plus shipping.
dbrown
Member
i was looking for something around $350
TheLostOtter
Member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2011
- Messages
- 24
My SKS is one of my favorite rifles and was also the cheapest.
ThePenguinKnight
Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2007
- Messages
- 226
Saiga. 5-10rnd capacity from the factory, comes in all those calibers. Leave it stock and it can be had for $350-400. You have the option of converting later if/when you want to, but its a perfectly usable rifle as it sits. I think technically you could just add the tapco buttstock and an expensive sgm magazine and get up to about 30rds capacity.
Otherwise, you can get an SKS for $300-350. After that, I don't know of any semi autos that fire rifle cartridges and also sell for less than $500. You can get AK rifles in 7.62 and 5.45, but those rifles have gone up over the last couple years and are well above the stated price range. ARs are historically closer to $1k, though you can find/build them for less sometimes... Just not that much less
Otherwise, you can get an SKS for $300-350. After that, I don't know of any semi autos that fire rifle cartridges and also sell for less than $500. You can get AK rifles in 7.62 and 5.45, but those rifles have gone up over the last couple years and are well above the stated price range. ARs are historically closer to $1k, though you can find/build them for less sometimes... Just not that much less
At what price?...
Depends on your definition of 'cheap'. The 5.56x45 can be anywhere around $600 - $1200. The 7.62x39 from $499 - $700. The 5.45x39 is similar price -wise to the 7.62x39. For the above prices I've seen S&W, Bushmaster, Colt, Ruger and Spikes Tactical for the 5.56x45; Hungarian AMD-65, Czech VZ-58 and Romanian WASR for the 7.62x39; Saiga and VEPR for the 5.45x39. There's plenty out there, it just depends on what you want to pay! My definition (and budget) for cheap is my Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 - $89.95.
Depends on your definition of 'cheap'. The 5.56x45 can be anywhere around $600 - $1200. The 7.62x39 from $499 - $700. The 5.45x39 is similar price -wise to the 7.62x39. For the above prices I've seen S&W, Bushmaster, Colt, Ruger and Spikes Tactical for the 5.56x45; Hungarian AMD-65, Czech VZ-58 and Romanian WASR for the 7.62x39; Saiga and VEPR for the 5.45x39. There's plenty out there, it just depends on what you want to pay! My definition (and budget) for cheap is my Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 - $89.95.
fatcat4620
Member
Sks or saiga
CoRoMo
Member
Wildcat_Charlie
member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2012
- Messages
- 32
I've had AK's and they weren't any better than my SKS's. I've got 2 of those around for SD purposes in case of really bad times. We were hit hard by the big wind storm at the end of June which is just the sort of thing that can leave you vulnerable to a roving gang of jerks looking to make victims out of their neighbors.
meanmrmustard
Member
This.
Mauser lover
Member
Oh, I guess that rules out an AR, or a Mini 14, or pretty much any autoloading 5.56 for that matter...
Just shop around in the used guns section of any gun shop, eventually you will find a good deal on something.
Just shop around in the used guns section of any gun shop, eventually you will find a good deal on something.
allaroundhunter
Member
$350?......That makes it tough.....and rules out most good guns for the calibers that you mentioned
meanmrmustard
Member
Kel Tec. They aren't the norm, but it's an auto loading rifle, chambered in 5.56 (yes, NATO) and even though they aren't on the Mini/AR rung, they'd work in a pinch.
meanmrmustard
Member
Semi auto.
Mauser lover
Member
With an MSRP of $665.00, probably less in a real retail store, or online, I don't think that you will find a new one for less than $350.00, and from what I hear, I don't think that the people that use them will let them go, if they don't absolutely have to.
Yelovitz_503
Member
With it being an election year I wouldn't expect to find much for that price. Especially a semi-auto, unfortunately you're looking at $450 or $500 base price. I don't know of a lot of 5.45 rifles even close to that price but you have a few options on the other calibers.
7.62x39 you could get a WASR (Romanian AK clone) but those have gotten expensive lately as well. Chinese MAK 90s are pretty good for the price, the Norinco ones aren't bad either. Saiga is probably the highest quality of any reasonably priced 7.62 but with the timing you're probably going to have to save up a little more.
5.56 will have roughly the same price issue. South Korean Daewoo K1 is a pretty good quality for the price, it'll accept NATO standard mags so it's not like you have to get really specialized stuff and if you decide to sell it later on you can keep those for your next AR15 style purchase. The problem with a standard AR15 style rifle is that for about $400 you're only going to get the upper receiver, the full rifle is going to be $600 at the VERY least, those get over $1k in a hurry.
I got a really good deal on my AK, only $400, but that was in '06. If you can I'd suggest shopping outside of the big cities, you can find some good deals off the beaten path but it takes some legwork.
7.62x39 you could get a WASR (Romanian AK clone) but those have gotten expensive lately as well. Chinese MAK 90s are pretty good for the price, the Norinco ones aren't bad either. Saiga is probably the highest quality of any reasonably priced 7.62 but with the timing you're probably going to have to save up a little more.
5.56 will have roughly the same price issue. South Korean Daewoo K1 is a pretty good quality for the price, it'll accept NATO standard mags so it's not like you have to get really specialized stuff and if you decide to sell it later on you can keep those for your next AR15 style purchase. The problem with a standard AR15 style rifle is that for about $400 you're only going to get the upper receiver, the full rifle is going to be $600 at the VERY least, those get over $1k in a hurry.
I got a really good deal on my AK, only $400, but that was in '06. If you can I'd suggest shopping outside of the big cities, you can find some good deals off the beaten path but it takes some legwork.
Roadking Rider
Member
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2012
- Messages
- 466
I really can't say a bad word about the Yugo SKS.
MachIVshooter
Member
I've never seen an SU-16 for <$350.
meanmrmustard
Member
Well, my first and only was $329.99, su-16a from almost two years ago, LGS. What he sells at less than big box stores, he makes up for in bulk sales. Same rifle there, sadly, is now $499.99. Demands gone up. But, you're right, guess it don't qualify. Sadly, none do other than SKS, and that limits the caliber choice to one.
Ditchtiger
Member
Cheap has gone by the wayside.
$400 is a starting point on average.
$400 is a starting point on average.
- Status
