If you remember the song "where have all the flowers gone" Replace the word (Flowers with AKs)-- |:-)
Going back in time as I was getting a bi-Weekly bonus from working on a military base as a contractor, I started this insane hobby of acquiring a fire arm or two,
Aside from the usual offerings of Smith revolvers and colt 1911s there became a flurry of AKs, Like Neo said "Guns, Lots of Guns". SKSs at $99 at Cabelas, Regular wood furniture century AKs at $249 and the Yugo underfolders at $289, While I passed on the wood furniture AK offerings but I did get a couple SKSs and Yugo underfolders, and at this time there were only a few ARs from time to time in shops, Seemed like the AKs continued to be relatively available and the ARs started to sell, More and more until more ARs sold than condemns annually, They AR stayed strong and the AKs slowly seemed to go quiet, I remember the old AK vs AR debates from the 90s and early 2000ds,
At this time nearly everyone I know who has guns has an AR, But only a few have AKs, Im thinking that the AK guys might have 42 AKs stowed away for D-Day just as the AR guys do,
As I travel between Pittsburgh and Phila I stop at gun shops as I visit areas near the turn pike, And aside from all the AK and AR style shotguns, I still see tons of ARs in 223/556 yet I don't see AKs too often,
Example,
I swing past two shops in Pittsburgh this weekend which are east of the city and one has 1 AK which surprised me and 6 or 7 ARs,
The other which is a smaller shop has 2 ARs and no AKs,
I thinking that the AR is Americas choice and the AK has moved away from curiosity and desirability,
I understand you cant outfit an AK with all the FARKLES (accessories) like the ARs, In reality I only use irons on my potential defensive intermediate round rifles as I know if I needed one to bug out with, The batteries would be dead or I would break something laden with costly glass optics, So to me, I don't need 17 rails attached to my primary rifle,
OK, Yep I rambled a bit,
But.... WHERE HAVE ALL THE AKs GONE?
I think some 100 million have been produces, Far more that the AR at this time,
Enough said, Back to tinkering about the house.
Sincerely,