Well I'm only in the AK47 game and have noticed some are drying up. The Polytechs fetch more than I'm willing to part with right now. Any recommendations?

Can't go wrong with a 56s or similar.

The only things I can think of are Norinco's, Polytech's and on the outside if your lucky a Valmet.

For 2K you should be able to get just about anything if you look for it.

Mitchell Yugos.

IMI Galils

Everything already mentioned plus Maadi and Pre-ban Hungarian.

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Its a very small list of guns that hasnt gained in value of the years. Some more than others but as with most investments, thats gonna be a market driven thing. I look at past guns like 8mm Mauser and 1903's that you could buy barrels of years ago. Now they are getting harder to find and worth way more. So i apply that to guns like the wasr and such. It just might be a wasr will fall in that same boat 20 years from now. Because who really buys a wasr and puts it up and not beat it to death. Just my opion though.

Eta. Dont forget mags and ammo. Just think of the panic buying of ammo, (7n6,m855) mags a few years ago. If say, someone was to have a few 100 of those, ya might make out pretty good at the right time. Plus they also continue to increase in price over the years on there own.

Hungarian.....kassnar import.........just sold one

Yup..Galils are AK's...really they are....

The best buy AKs that will be rare in a few years are the Yugo O-Pap, N-pap underfolder, SGL-21 and 31 (both getting hard to find now), SLR-104UR, and AES-10B. Still affordable, but will go way up during the next election or talk of political action.

A few Arsenals that you don't hear much about (anymore), but are rare and expensive:

SA M-7 SFK
SA RPK-7 (RPK-5, RPK-3)
SA M-7 CLASSIC
SAS M-7 CLASSIC
SLR107UR

Molot Vepr

I was going to say Mitchells, as well. Though I wonder if they've peaked (not accounting for inflation).

You get it.

Preban ChiCom AK's are the best in my humble opinion.

AIRBORNE!!!!!

Polytech double underfolder

Are Valmets still in this range anymore?

just barely. 1600+ a few years ago. Seen them usually around 1800
 

Anything "Pre-ban" (imported before the "1989 Ban" and Fully Assembled in factories "Out of Country") and things recently banned are about 1/3rd-1/2 higher than the original cost. "Arsenal SGL's" for example. Prices vary though, depends on the seller.

The hard to find/ pre-1989 Chinese AK's are the Bee's Knees, especially the "Norinco 56s" (all variations) and the KING is the "Polytech Legend"!!

Also the Pre-ban Hungarian and Egyptian AK's mentioned above.

SGL's are $1200+ now, it's just a Saiga sporting rifle that was $300 bucks a few years back converted to have a Pistol grip, standard AK stock, trigger assembly moved forward, AK hand guards and additional mods, done by "Arsenal" and "FIME" group and are great rifles..

The SGL/Saiga's are ALL rising in price due to the recent "Kalashnikov Concern" Sanction, yet that company just built a Factory in the US so things may even out for "Saiga" AK's in the next year, being produced here!!

The above list of older "Arsenal AK's" above that were "Made in the USA", like the "SAS-M7" and "SA-M7 Classic" which are "Polytech" Price (not to be confused with SAM7R" or "SAM7-SF"- Milled Bulgarian/Arsenal AK's that are "Current Production" AK's that can be found everywhere!!)

Just avoid MOST AK's made by Century Arms, unless a New/Unfired "PSL-54" w/scope for under $900, a "Zastava O-Pap" for $500-600 or less. As of these have all stopped being imported/made.

If you decide you just want something very nice that will hold its value, go for an Arsenal SLR-107FR, or one of the Milled Receiver "SAM7" models from Arsenal. Not Rare now but the best AK's made currently and will likely be rare in the future.

The current Milled "SAM7R" used to be the "SLR-101s", and before that it had a thumbhole stock called the "SLR-95", all Bulgarian made!! The name tends to change every 5 years or so. The SAM7R's go for $1150-$1200 on Gunbroker and the "SAM7-SF" (Right side folding stock version) goes for maybe $1300 and is said to be the best AK PERIOD!! (According to Arsenal)

The Arsenal/Bulgarian "SLR-107FR" is stamped, rather than milled and is around $950 and people buy more than one normally, I personally prefer the Metal Triangle stock version, or you can get one with a standard folding Polymer stock..

Best stamped receiver AK on the market!! Will be Rare in a few years.

Nope, they most certainly did not, and will not!





How will it be rare? Everybody and their mother has one or is buying one; it has to be one of the better selling rifles right now.

excellent post

and may I add another great AK to look out for is the romanian SAR1

romanian cugir factory receiver and barrel, matching parts, just needs threads

could be banned similar to SGLs and importation comes in waves...around 2010 SLRs weren't available and hadn't been available since the last batch came in around 2008, you could only get an SLR from private sellers and they were marked up due to scarcity

in 2010 SGLs were $700-$800 (I actually grabbed a KVAR special, they were moving SGL rifles for $500)
SLRs were $900-1200... regarded as better quality often citing pistol grip plate

SLRCR types came in around 2013... haven't been available since... SLRUR hasn't returned since 2008... now considered desirable $2000+

SLR line made in ((10)) plant is a great investment and will only appreciate

That's exactly what I meant, Just like that List of US Made Arsenal Rifles that were cheap and plentiful in the mid 2000's, they are the price of a Polytech Legend Now.

Anything Bulgarian Imported from Arsenal comes in waves until it no longer comes in.

No disrepect intended, but everybody and their momma may have an SLR107, but same with "O-Paps" ( although "O-Paps" have already started becoming scarce)

Just figured the guy wants a good AK but maybe an't afford one that is currently banned, so was naming the 2 best Arsenals on the market that likely will not be around in 5 years or so and in 10 years will be worth more (Im sure the SAM7 will still be around or have a diff name, but not sure about the 107FR, being the 107"CR" is hard to find and costly now.)

So all in all, to the OP, the Century Arms "Zastava O-Pap" is 5-700 now and are said not to be imported anymore, the "N-Pap" is available but has a regular 1mm stamped receiver and is commercial, the "O-Pap" has a 1.5mm thickness of the receiver's steel (like an RPK) so they are the most popular, and were half the price of the SLR-107 but now are close to the price.

That's exactly what I meant, Just like that List of Milled "US Made Arsenal AK's" that were cheap and plentiful in the mid 2000's, but are the price of a Polytech Legend Now.

Anything Bulgarian Imported from Arsenal comes in waves until it no longer comes in.

No disrepect intended, but everybody and their momma may have an SLR107, but same with "O-Paps" ( although "O-Paps" have already started becoming scarce)

Just figured the guy wants a good AK but maybe an't afford one that is currently banned, so was naming the 2 best Arsenals on the market that likely will not be around in 5 years or so and in 10 years will be worth more (Im sure the SAM7 will still be around or have a diff name, but not sure about the 107FR, being the 107"CR" is hard to find and costly now.)

So all in all, to the OP, the Century Arms "Zastava O-Pap" is 5-700 now and are said not to be imported anymore, the "N-Pap" is available but has a regular 1mm thick stamped receiver and is commercial, the "O-Pap" has a 1.5mm thickness of the receiver's steel (like an RPK) so they are the most popular, and were half the price of the SLR-107 but now are close to the price.

The 107FR is one of their backbone rifles. They may decide to call it something else someday, but I can't see Arsenal not bringing in a 100-series poly folder in 7.62. The June EO drove SGL prices up because everyone wanted to grab one while they still could. The problem is that there are already a metric crap-ton of them in country and value will always be a matter of supply and demand. They won't ever be $500 again but I also don't think they'll stay at $1300-$1400, either. Of course, when RWC AKA "Kalashnikov USA" starts flooding the market with their less-than-desirable Saiga conversions maybe the SGLs will command a higher price, not because they're banned Russians but rather because they're Arsenal Inc/FIME conversions and not CAA-infected faux Kalashnikovs.

Could RWC potentially bring us some AKs that may be better than Arsenal??

If they brought some long time factory workers with them, we may get some legit 103's/104's, AK12's, etc etc (Civilian versions of course, but I see it being as major competition to Arsenal, if they have the green light from "Kalashnikov Concern" that is.)

Btw, whats up with their Saiga conversions? Have they ever sold a converted one besides the base sporter model they imported? Couldn't they just skip making the "Sporter version" and make an actual standard AK platform "Saiga", or better yet an "AK-103"??

With certain political things going on though, not sure if they will let "RWC" build exact copies of their current issue AKs though.

It only takes "One Mold template" and exact materials over here and we could have "AK-103 mags" in America for less than "Circle 10" price!! Seems possible!!

Slabside versions even that are non-existent here could be made, not the ribbed ones that are on the 3rd market being they are no longer used as much in Russia, yet "extremely rare" here. The Slabside versions NEVER pop up in the US to my knowledge, only the "Commercial" Polymer 103 Slabsides that have the integrated Feed Ramp for Saiga's Sporters that people cut off the Mag ramp and try to pass them as the real deal.

The Russian Mil are holding those mags tightly IMO.

Sa93

and how is the supply going to be for russian SGLs in the future?

we may never see the izhmash rollmark ever come in again

AK = russia ... they are only going to gain in price..

the only thing that changes that is if the ban is ended

still waiting on them to end the chinese ban...

You're assuming that demand will continue to use to outstrip supply. Unless people start melting them down, there will continue to be a shitload of them in the US. And let's not forget that there are (purportedly) still a large number of Saigas in the distribution chain that haven't yet made it to retailers. Artificial value never lasts; nothing in common supply retains inflated value, irrespective of whether it's still being imported.

and you are posting as if the EO ban didn't happen

any SGLs "still in distribution chain" will eventually be sold for a premium... which will only help to raise the price

SGLs will not be in "common supply" in a year or two... that ban isn't going to be overturned, prices will only go up

I understand that there are many SGLs here now... but the rest makes no sense... NOW is the time to buy russian as they will only go up in price

Hold up, plenty of "SGL's" being "held in the distribution chain"??

Or "Saiga's"??

Big Difference!!

You do realize that a certain percentage of guns are lost to the grinder each year courtesy of LE programs that destroy them instead of recycling them thru the system ?? You also have to factor in the losses due to neglect/abuse. The chinese brought in a great number of AK rifles yet the numbers dwindle every year as some find permanent homes and others are outright destroyed due to ignorance/politics.

It is what it is... once supply is cut attrition begins to take effect.