The poor mans assault rifle
We’ve all seen skyrocketing ammo prices and a run on various styles of weapons. There was a run on guns and ammo as the economy started to tank and also a shift in the Political climate. Back in 2006 there was a hint that the now Democratic controlled Congress might get cocky and try putting another 1994 assault weapons ban in place and gun owners became concerned, then there was the Obama administration win in 2008. For those old enough to remember the political climate in the 1990s, we’ve seen this shift before.
One of the best and least expensive firearms I’ve seen in my lifetime that you can have an enormous amount of fun with is the SKS rifle. These rifles were designed and issued shortly before the Kalashnikov rifles were deployed to communist Countries. The SKS uses the same 7.62×39 round that we commonly find with AK variants. When we first saw SKS rifles showing up in the Country they could had for as low as $79.99 and then usually in the $150-$199 range depending on the manufacturer. I wouldn’t recommend using detacheable magazines for defensive purpose with this gun since most manufacturers of these mags were never military issued and not reliable. Tapco accessories for the SKS will increase the fit and feel of the gun although I have to admit, the ergonomics and balance of the SKS is better than the AK.
I think many of us have seen wild variations in quality of the Kalashnikov firearms. Back in the early 1990s there were very inexpensive guns coming in from Eastern Europe. The quality of many of these guns were pretty darn good. As the years went by, the guns got worse and worse and I started to see my fair share of AK style weapons that did not live up to the AK47s reputation of reliability. There were a few importers that were assembling guns that looked bad, but they worked very well. Some rifle sights were misaligned but other than that, it was really all about the rifle stocks.