But, I could get an AK...

Meanwhile, I'm sitting on several AK blanks and parts kits are getting pretty cheap....

Stormy, keep an eye on CDNN (cdnninvestments.com) they're out of stock on the AR556 as well, but they tend to get things back in VERY quickly so they're a good barometer of the general market. They were the first to start getting regular shipments of bulk .22LR in a while back. Before any of the big box stores even. That's when we knew the market was rebounding back towards normalization.

The new WASR AKs are really nice compared to how they used to be, but be sure to look over an AK for sight and gas block cant. Meridian Ordnance and Spivey Arms will do a build for you at a reasonable price if you buy a kit. DDI builds some nice stuff with nitrided barrels. Polish CHF chromes barrels are now available here, and the Random factory is setting up shop to build US AKs, their Beryl looks great if you want a 5.56 AK. Stay away from Palmetto, and the Century C39 guns and their stamped "US Made AK" have crappy cast parts. There is also nothing wrong with the Yugo rifles if you can live without the chromed barrel. I'd love an AR, maybe I'll pick up a lower and some mags but I'd rather pay off my credit card before buying anything I don't really need. I do really like the AK and the beautiful simplicity of it. You still see Saigas around, but usually not in 7.62x39. 

SSOK wrote: I probably paid about that or more for my AR during the last freak out. That was with a free stock, barrel, and handguard (thanks again!) so I'd say you didn't do bad

So, not an evil black rifle, but my Riverside Arms 215 Side-by-Side 12ga came in the mail today. Didn't realize it until I took a better look at it, but It's a black walnut stock with a "B" prefix on the serial number, which means it's the higher end one, just a hair below the Savage guns of the same make. It's a "rabbit eared" hammer gun and the bores are perfect. Not sure of what the fixed choke at the end is, but it's definitely got the defined ring of a forcing cone up at the muzzle ends of the barrels when looking from the chamber end down. That means it's smaller than cylinder which is good since I plan on using it for upland birds, ducks, and skeet/trap. Only issue I've found so far is that the front bead is missing (easy to replace) and the stock has a small crack and a chip at the tang. Taking it to a well reviewed gunsmith in the area either this weekend or next week after work to get him to give me a definite chamber length (likely 2-3/4 but for roll crimp, not star crimp) press in a new front bead, make the stock repairs, and get the general A-OK on shooting it.

I'll snap some photos tomorrow and post them up. She's pretty for being a "bargain" gun that's closer to 100 years old than 90. Nice checkering, case hardened frame, deep satin blued barrels, and the bores are immaculate. A little clean-up on the locks and receiver and I expect her to turn some heads.

Evil Black Rifles are so boring anyway. Everyone and their mother (here in Texas, that's literal) has an AK or an AR variant, and I simply find no love for them. The AR's very selling points make it characterless. They don't recoil, they put the bullets where you want them, they're so customizable you can make yours look just like everyone else's... And if you convert them to .308 or any of the fun calibers, they're so expensive to feed you can't properly enjoy a range day.

I would do terrible things to get my hands on a Shiloh Sharps, and I've been dying for any number of custom shop Remington No. 1 rolling blocks. Henry also reissued the original Henry Rifle, and maaaaaaan, I'm in lust.


Edited by DeTrevni - 12 December 2015 at 4:48pm

tallen702 wrote: You're doing it wrong. NEVER sand the furniture, always sand the polymer mag instead. Why? Furniture set is more expensive than the mag by far, and collectors will seriously drop your price when you try to sell it down the road if you've been hacking/sanding on the wood.

Lowers are still only $50 or less. Now is the time to buy if you are thinking about it. Get the lower and you will always own an AR.

impulse418 wrote: tallen702 wrote: DelTon ARs are sub $550 now: link A respectable gun shop employee told me Delton makes most AR parts for other major manufactures. Never did research that claim as I already own a EBR, but is that true?

Partially true, most likely. Many companies, especially those that sell complete guns, source parts from one of just a few actual manufacturers. They may apply a rollmark or brand the stuff themselves or pay for varying levels of QC, but many of the parts come from the same few sources.

Yugo M70B1

Still calling this the best deal next to the milled Hungarian AK63D.

RPK style Receiver/Trunion are dope as hell and are on par with "Durability" of a milled.