Recent AK prices... how did I really do

[Strakele]

I bought a WASR-10 AK several weeks ago. It was pretty expensive by previous market prices, but since everywhere is out of stock, how did I really do?

I paid $760 for:

-WASR-10 AK rifle
-2 30 round magazines
-Cleaning kit
-Bayonet/sheath
-Mag pouch
-Sling
-60 rounds of 7.62x39
-Sales tax

Yeah it sounds like a lot, and it was. But assuming I wanted all of those accessories, which I did, and wanted the standard, 7.62x39, basic wood stock model, could I really have gotten a much better deal?

I look online and see prices listed between $400 and $600, but they are all out of stock. I saw it as... a $700 rifle in my hands is better than a $400 rifle on my computer.

Taking into account every factor that it would take to get everything I listed into my hands... sales tax, FFL, shipping, etc. could I really have done much better, assuming I wanted to buy new?

 

[Gord]

Right now? Probably not.

Is it still a travesty? Yes.

My Yugo UF and my Saiga + conversion ran me around $950 all told back in October. I'd been walking past the same old stack of "overpriced" ($450) WASR-10s at the pawn shop for over a year. Haven't been back lately, but I'm guessing they're either all gone or all repriced to $900.

 

[lipadj46]

Well it's too late now so enjoy it and justify it any way you can. I cannot really fault you though I just over paid for a Saiga 12, $550 when I passed one up last year for $250 because I could get it anytime.

 

[tradja]

Independent of politics, I have been wanting to pick up a second AK but I just can't bring myself to pay it.

... a $700 rifle in my hands is better than a $400 rifle on my computer.

There is a lot of truth to this. In any event, before long $760 might be a steal. Even when WASRs were $400, there were old-timers bellyaching about when there were crates of AKs at "every" gun show for $200 out the door, including a case of Chinese ammo.

You know what? You spent some money. Now you have a rifle. It's always the right time to buy. Now you are never going to have to say "I wish I had picked one up when I could/when they were only $700.."

Go shoot it until you wear it out!

 

[plateshooter]

If you got what you wanted, you did fine. Forget about what you paid and enjoy your new rifle.

 

[4Freedom]

Gosh, I wanted to buy an AK but at that price, I went the AR route, thought if I can get an AR for an AK price, why not get the AR? Anyhow, that seems to be the going rate for WASRs now. I myself may still try to go for Saiga 308 if they are still around in 6 months.

 

[LKB3rd]

If you want what you want, you have to pay the price. I agree with the "it's done, you have what you wanted, enjoy it" line of thought.

 

[goldie]

i saw one,like new,with 3 mags at a local gun store,600 out the door.

 

[Girodin]

Luckily I buy my guns from a shop that has only raised its prices in as much as was required by his suppliers raising prices. I recently (a month or so ago) bought a saiga 7.62x39 for aprox $300 OTD. It runs me 200 or so to do a decent conversion.

No offense but it is hard for me to not think that you got ripped off. If I was and reflect on what I have seen guns going for then I tend to think you didn't do as badly. I saw a beat wars-10 for $800 the other day at a different shop. There is a reason I have done a lot of business with dealer #1 and none with the second.

You have your AK and so like others say dont worry. Maybe something will kikc the price up even more in the future maybe things will calm down or maybe they will stay the same who knows, but now you dont need to sweat it as much.

 

[BornAgainBullseye]

Sorry about what I'm about to say... But that is exactly the reason that the market is over inflated. You should have never paid over $375 for that rig! In my eyes and many others that rifle is not worth a cent more. Prices will continue to be screwed up until people tell these dealers where to stick it with these prices.

 

[geojap]

My goodness. You can buy an Arsenal SLR-106 or SLR-107 for $800 right now which is a much better rifle.

 

[LoneCoon]

Or you can take the time to build your own for about 450.

'Course that's a lot more work...

 

[Jim PHL]

In Jan. '09 I paid $350 for an SKS I probably could have bought in Jan. '08 for $200 - maybe less. Guess what? It's not Jan. '08 anymore. Guess what else? In jan.'08 I wasn't really interested in any rifle and probably would not have bought the same gun for $150. I'm not really a 'panic buyer', just my bad timing that my interest in rifles came when prices were going crazy.

I agree with tradja: You know what? You spent some money, now you have a rifle. If you like it, don't look back or worry about what you paid. Regardless of what happens in Washington, someday (eventually) it will be worth a grand or more. Then you can tell everyone what a genius you were for buying when they were only $700.

 

[plateshooter]

You can always make more money, but you may not always be able to buy that rifle. Just remembering what the last ban was like, I would consider it an investment if a new and permanent ban is enacted.

 

[Shear_stress]

I thought about my response to this thread quite a bit (and considered saying things like "If you didn't want a WASR when they were $300, why the hell would you buy one for $760?"). Well, what's done is done and you've got a rifle you can enjoy. That said--and I am trying to phrase this as tactfully as I can--it probably would've done you some good to shop around a little more.

Just remembering what the last ban was like, I would consider it an investment if a new and permanent ban is enacted.

Bear in the mind that the WASR (like the SAR-series, SLR, Saiga, and about a million and six Imbel FALS) was introduced during the last ban.

 

[Strakele]

I have my reasons for buying this rifle and am not having second thoughts. I've put several hundred rounds through it, and it's a lot of fun. I just get to wondering when I see prices listed in the $400 or $500 range... do those rifles really exist or is that just the last price they went for before they were all sold out, and will be replaced by similar rifles with $600 or $700 price tags.

 

[nwilliams]

What's done is done, don't fret over the price just enjoy the gun. Did you pay too much? In my opinion yes, however a gun is only worth as much as the buyer is willing to pay for it so my opinion doesn't matter. You bought the gun because you wanted it, as long as it makes you happy then it was worth every penny. If a new AWB does hit us then what you paid will be fully justified and you'll be glad you at least have one.

 

[rbernie]

I saw it as... a $700 rifle in my hands is better than a $400 rifle on my computer.

Absolutely true.

These are selling from $600-$850+ on GunBroker. Locally, they're selling for $700. Most of the ones being sold are post-ban versions. If you got a no-ban version (bayo lug intact and threaded muzzle), you got an appropriate deal.

It may suck that there *are* this expensive, but that's just what they cost these days.

Go have fun and shoot the snot outta it.

 

[ccsniper]

here locally, that would be a steel. wasr 10's are going for about a 1000 locally, and yugos are around the same price. i paid 550 for my wasr 10/63 underfolder. but i know the owner of the gunshop and he treats me like a son, i usually get around a 100 bucks off of guns

 

[Ken Grizley]

I just bought my WASR 10 with a chrome lined barrel, new us trigger group to eliminate trigger slap, new us piston, hammer, disconnecter, muzzle brake, and pistol grip with a cleaning kit, sling, bayonet lug, bayonet with sheath and frog, canvas accessories bag, 2 10/30 clips, CA compliant radlock + installation, hand selected for straight sight bases and gas block, shipped for $610. I'd say you did alright, maybe a bit too high, but as long as your sight bases and gas block are straight you did well in this market. You may want to upgrade your trigger group if it hasn't been though, my two cents.

 

[Javelin]

This "OMG Look at the price of these guns" has been going on since gun boards started.

Remember when SKS rifles were $60-$80 TOPS? Yeah not too long ago. Then they were $100,$200, now what are they? Who the heck knows.

AKs were $100 in the early 90s. I mean that was for a top-o-the-line too. You could buy a case of ammo (1000) for $50 and a case of 5.56 for $60. Then the 1994 AWB happened and prices spiked.

Same with the AR platform. ARs came back down in 2005 but not to the $400 level they were in 1993... but well under the $1400-$1500 they were during the 1994-2004 years.

We will see the prices go higher. If there is an AWB then you can basically add a "1" to whatever price you paid for your AK and probably add another $1500 to the price you paid for your AR. Just a fact of life.

I paid $110 in 2002 for a 'pre-ban' Glock 23 magazine that holds 13 rounds.... that was cheap as they were $150 at the time. I still have it to this day (along with a dozen I paid $11 for in 2007). Just food for thought is all and many of those that are complaining do not remember the 1994 AWB or just choose to forget. And it will happen again unfortunately. Just a matter of time with "the one" in office.

What I am basically saying is you had your time to buy what you wanted at bargain prices from 2005-2007. If you did not listen to everyone yelling to stock up now or buy now back then... then your going to pay more today as many did wait and now are shocked. Wait much longer and you may not be able to get your AR/AK for less than the price of a good used truck.

Good luck!

 

[Walkalong]

Originally Posted by Strakele
... a $700 rifle in my hands is better than a $400 rifle on my computer.

Hard to argue, and the way it looks, that may be a pretty danged good deal in another couple of months. Hard to outguess things, but the new Admin is going to try their damnest to ban them, along with AR's etc. I bought 3 1/2 AR's and 1 AK in the 6 months prior to the election.

 

[Clint C]

WOW!

Sorry but I think your nuts. $700.00 for a wasr-10. I'm sorry if you take offence to this but you just payed $700.00 for a $200.00 dollar P.O.S.

For all you guys that think that is an ok deal or its ok that he paid that much for it. You are all nuts also.

I'll tell you all what. I have some half eaten taco shells here that I'll sell to you for fifty cents a piece.

Sorry buddy, but you just got hosed.

I don't care if they are selling for $5000.00 and you payed $700.00, none of you should be paying that kind of money for those things.

You all should be ashamed of yourselfs for supporting this price gouging $#%.

I can see why we are in a deep recession now.

Wow, just wow is all I can say.

 

[Strakele]

Clint, unfortunately it's not possible to walk into my gun shop and tell them their price is too high and I want their AK for $200. I either pay what they want, or I don't get it. Simple as that. I could have stood on principle all day that none of these rifles are truly worth more than $100, but nobody cares. I wouldn't get what I want. Every person on this forum could boycott overpriced AK's at gun shops, but there will still be more people than there are guns clamoring to buy them.

Again, I'm not complaining and I'm happy with my purchase. In the current environment I don't think I could have done much better.

My rifle is 'pre-ban' configuration with bayonet lug and slanted flash hider/threaded barrel, and came with all the accessories. U.S. trigger group and other required parts, no canted gas blocks/sight bases.

I wasn't near old enough to buy a gun when AK's sold for $100. Nobody else in my entire family owned guns until I did.

 

[EraserXIV]

sorry if i'm hijacking, but how have the prices of ARs changed in comparison with the prices of AKs?

it seems as if AKs had a steeper price increase, am i right?