Shot Show 2020.

[Hodgie]

Absolutely. You get what you pay the and I don't think their WWSD rifle is priced way out of line at all.
That said, you don't need to buy THAT 2020 WWSD carbine to get a really lightweight, quality gun.
You WILL pay more than a basic M4, because the barrel can't be had cheap, but that Faxon barrel is THE best value in quality when seeking super-light barrels. (I saw the test they did comparing it to the Ballistic Advantage pencil barrel)

I could have gotten my weight down further by throwing more money into titanium parts, but in the end, I've never handed it to anyone who has said, "Eh, it's a little lighter than my AR" - the response is always various versions of "Wow, that's LIGHT."

I don't think a TON of people are going to run out and buy these lowers. Partly because the design isn't for everyone with no adjustable stock, or way to change grips, but also because people just don't know what they don't know - they think polymer, and they think "junk".
That's OK... I'm super excited by this news. For me, it's the most exciting thing I've seen from SHOT because all that other stuff is beyond my reach. THIS is what I've been waiting for!

The only reason they are selling these complete rifles and KE Arms brought the lowers back is because of the ridiculous demand that their project brought in 2018. Most of the parts they finalized on were out of stock everywhere including the Faxon barrels who they did several manufacturing videos with. The older lowers started selling used for more then double new which was crazy.

Making the molds was a huge investment for KE Arms so I’d have to believe it’s going to pay off. I would expect the 1st few runs to be already sold out the minute they come out of the mold.

Only time will tell but it never seems like there isn’t a tremendous amount of disposable money when it comes to firearms.

[Emptymag]

The only reason they are selling these complete rifles and KE Arms brought the lowers back is because of the ridiculous demand that their project brought in 2018. Most of the parts they finalized on were out of stock everywhere including the Faxon barrels who they did several manufacturing videos with. The older lowers started selling used for more then double new which was crazy.

Making the molds was a huge investment for KE Arms so I’d have to believe it’s going to pay off. I would expect the 1st few runs to be already sold out the minute they come out of the mold.

Only time will tell but it never seems like there isn’t a tremendous amount of disposable money when it comes to firearms.

I'm going to pre-order ONE stripped lower for sure.
Part of me says to wait to see if there are any bugs they missed when they tweaked the design, but I think they all have a good reason to make this right the "first" time.

Also, I wonder if the price will climb after pre-order sales end. These always cost at least $130 in the past.
I did see my note that I paid $89 for mine on clearance, so seeing these NOW for the same price is mind boggling. As mentioned previously, that's about the same (or less) than putting together/buying a standard lower.

I'd buy 4 of them at this price if I could.

[Hodgie]

Absolutely. You get what you pay the and I don't think their WWSD rifle is priced way out of line at all.
That said, you don't need to buy THAT 2020 WWSD carbine to get a really lightweight, quality gun.
You WILL pay more than a basic M4, because the barrel can't be had cheap, but that Faxon barrel is THE best value in quality when seeking super-light barrels. (I saw the test they did comparing it to the Ballistic Advantage pencil barrel)

I could have gotten my weight down further by throwing more money into titanium parts, but in the end, I've never handed it to anyone who has said, "Eh, it's a little lighter than my AR" - the response is always various versions of "Wow, that's LIGHT."

I don't think a TON of people are going to run out and buy these lowers. Partly because the design isn't for everyone with no adjustable stock, or way to change grips, but also because people just don't know what they don't know - they think polymer, and they think "junk".
That's OK... I'm super excited by this news. For me, it's the most exciting thing I've seen from SHOT because all that other stuff is beyond my reach. THIS is what I've been waiting for!

Flowing both In Range TV and KE Arms I would be confident they get these right the 1st time and if for some slim reason there is an issue KE Arms would fix it fast. They are small but have excellent customer service and a big respect in the competition community.

If I remember correctly there's a list of upgrades that went I to the design in this video.

[esh21167]

I disagree with just about everything you say. Regarding PSA the current line of PSA AK’s have been kicking serious ass for quite sometime now and they continue to expand their overall manufacturing in huge ways as compared to most other manufacturers out there who are just trying to stay afloat all while offering fair priced products people actually want.

I understand your point and I respect your opinion. I guess my point was that many AK collectors prefer import rifles over imported kits on US receivers over imported kits on US receivers with US barrels over complete US rifles. PSA is making reliable AK variant rifles, they just might not appeal to a large segment of that community. If you want an AK type rifle that functions, PSA will deliver. If you want an AK type rifle that gets closer to an original (disregard the semi/select fire factor), you probably want an OG barreled kit built by a pro on a receiver like Childers or 74U LLC.

I just find it a little ironic that on AK Files, members who seem to be 'all in' with prebans, custom builds, correctness, etc. seem to be falling all over themselves concerning the PSA rifles. But Robski likes 'em...

[Emptymag]

Who the he'll can afford a "collectible" AK - and how many really CARE where it was made as long as it works?

I suspect the answer has a lot to do with why PSA is pushing out so many variants.
I regret selling my lowly freaking WASR, but I won't pay current used market price to replace it when I can buy a brand new AK from PSA.

[Hodgie]

Who the he'll can afford a "collectible" AK - and how many really CARE where it was made as long as it works?

I suspect the answer has a lot to do with why PSA is pushing out so many variants.
I regret selling my lowly freaking WASR, but I won't pay current used market price to replace it when I can buy a brand new AK from PSA.

The spiker and future double folder are what interest me the most. I have a MAK90 and have looked into what it would cost for a decent outfit to do a proper conversion and with parts we were talking in the $700-$800.00 arena. Originals are $3k plus now and there aren’t that many out there.

[raxar]

Who the he'll can afford a "collectible" AK - and how many really CARE where it was made as long as it works?

I suspect the answer has a lot to do with why PSA is pushing out so many variants.
I regret selling my lowly freaking WASR, but I won't pay current used market price to replace it when I can buy a brand new AK from PSA.

Exclusivity.

Of course the people with a safe full of older imports will shit all over the new stuff. If the new stuff does the job just as well the value of what they have will go down and they will be less special for having it.

[Emptymag]

Flowing both In Range TV and KE Arms I would be confident they get these right the 1st time and if for some slim reason there is an issue KE Arms would fix it fast. They are small but have excellent customer service and a big respect in the competition community.

If I remember correctly there's a list of upgrades that went I to the design in this video.

Yeah, I saw that video last night.
The big, quiet guy with KE Arms was apparently with CAV-15 and GWACS Armory so he's got many years invested in that lower.

Looks like they did work a slight undercut to the trigger guard area.
I hope they do put a trapdoor butt plate on it because it DOES have a storage area built inside. Mine is a later production unit and has no trapdoor - you have to unscrew it to open it.

They are also offering it in that putrid FDE for all the FDE fans, so yeah, they know what they are doing in terms of making something people want.
I can't wait to start thinking about a new build. I had a few ideas floating around, but this lower release has me truly excited to build something.

[esh21167]

Who the he'll can afford a "collectible" AK - and how many really CARE where it was made as long as it works?

I suspect the answer has a lot to do with why PSA is pushing out so many variants.
I regret selling my lowly freaking WASR, but I won't pay current used market price to replace it when I can buy a brand new AK from PSA.

The spiker and future double folder are what interest me the most. I have a MAK90 and have looked into what it would cost for a decent outfit to do a proper conversion and with parts we were talking in the $700-$800.00 arena. Originals are $3k plus now and there aren’t that many out there.

Exclusivity.

Of course the people with a safe full of older imports will shit all over the new stuff. If the new stuff does the job just as well the value of what they have will go down and they will be less special for having it.

No dog in the fight, but you can drive your choice of vehicle too. Many will get you from point A to point B with equal reliability. But there's a difference between a Hyundai and a Bentley. Maybe not a perfect analogy, but you get the point. To each his own.

[raxar]

No dog in the fight, but you can drive your choice of vehicle too. Many will get you from point A to point B with equal reliability. But there's a difference between a Hyundai and a Bentley. Maybe not a perfect analogy, but you get the point. To each his own.

The difference here is that a lot of those AK's were not Bentleys. The Romanians and Egyptians were pretty damn rough. In 2003 wasrs were a joke, everyone wanted the SARs, then ATF decided they couldn't be imported any more and overnight the turds became the new standard to judge all others.