I guess it depends on a few factors.
What are you considering?
How much over regular market price is it?
Are there ammo and mags available for it?
Have you checked prices on armslist,guns America,etc?

Living in Texas, I wouldn't worry too much about registration issues. The republic is likely to reject fed legislation on threat of secession if anything is too draconian.

 

Yup.

 

If you were in CT, CO, NY or CA I would worry about registration. You live in TX I would not worry about that there.

And if you are so worried about a "assault" weapons ban then this would be the time to buy one. Prices will only skyrocket higher. I don't think there will be an assault weapons ban in the forseeable future.

Ammo right now is hard to find and expensive when you do find it.


What type of weapon you looking for?

 

Ammo right now is hard to find and expensive when you do find it.



What type of weapon you looking for?

Funny thing is I have ammo. Been picking some up here and there for a couple years. Just on habit. Lots of 5.56 and 7.62x39

Looking for an AR or AK variant depending on price. Looked the AR platform simply because i like the versatility. Plus 300 ACC blackout is an attractive alternative to the AK round. But 7.62x39 or even the 5.45x39 is soooo much nicer on ammo prices.

 

how much do you want to shoot it?

rifle prices have dropped back to reasonable levels. There's still assholes out there trying to gouge but I've seen the normal pricing coming back.

The problem is ammo. .223 (if and when you can find it) is anywhere from .50 to 1.00 a round! Just not worth it imho.

if you want one to occasionally shoot and "so you have one" I can understand and now isn't THAT bad of a time to buy. What's going to get you is ammo.

 

how much do you want to shoot it?

I plan on a fair amount. We go out about once a month and "de-stress"

Thats whats attracted me to the AK variants, but quality seems to always come on on peoples radars. Harder to find something quality

 

prices in TX are going to drop real soon. Here's why.

2 weeks ago I was in a small LGS. A month ago, they had zero AR's in the store. 2 weeks ago, they had so many AR's that they ran out of wall space and had them laying on the counters. I said to the owner "looks like the AR shortage is over". He then tells me that ALL of those were there on consignment, every one of those were guns that people bought during the panic and attempted to resell them at a profit. They were unable to sell them, and are now trying to dump them at the price they originally paid. Of course since they bought during the panic, they over-paid to begin with.

So now that there is this huge influx of people stuck with guns they don't want, they eventually are going to have to drop the price and take a loss, just to get rid of them.

 

on the local gun trading websites it's evident. there's still asshats asking stupid $ for their WASR AK's. But the price of AR's has dropped significantly.

i'm still not that excited to go buy one. ammo's still too pricey at the moment.

 

Buy an AR-15. They're completely awesome. They're easy to work on, they're modular, and with a chrome-lined bore and parkerized/hard anodized surfaces (pretty typical features) they're durable as hell and rust shouldn't be an issue. Plus there are tons of parts out there and you can modify them in any way that you choose. Everyone should have a rifle of some sort. Shotguns/handguns have their place but they're both intended for use at short range. They just can't do what a rifle can do.

If it gets banned, yours will probably be grandfathered. Could even end up being worth more money after the ban. (Obama is pushing for it - but I don't think any significant bans are going to happen at the federal level right now).

If it gets banned and they tell you that you need to actually turn it in, would you comply? You don't need to answer out loud... I'm just saying this might be a good question to ask yourself before making a decision to buy.

 

The one reason i have kind of but back and forth between platforms is that the 5.56 round is so light. I know it penetrates well but the 7.62x39 is cheap and packs a punch

 

Don't get hung up on the "lethality" of the ammo, penetration, etc. none of that matters when you're choosing between proven platforms. What makes a weapon deadly is the driver. Therefore, pick a weapon that you will shoot a lot, find a reputable shooting school, take a few classes, don't forget the trauma and medical classes, and keep training. It won't matter if you're running an AR or AK, because you'll be so proficient with it.

 

^ This is good advice.

The type of round can make some difference... but it's one of those things that idiots just spend way too much time debating on the internet. The topic gets more attention than it deserves. Meanwhile learning to shoot well is absolutely critical.

If you read any military stories about 5.56 being underpowered... just keep in mind the military is not allowed to use hollow points. The M855s they use are optimized for penetration and not stopping power. Hollow points are much better manstoppers.

And just to put things into perspective: a 5.56 rifle is much more powerful than a 9mm pistol. Many people consider a 9mm adequate for self-defense.

 

Yea, I noticed that all the shops in my town have reasonable prices for most rifles, but the AKs are still really high.. One shop, which was a pawn, so take it with a grain of salt, but had 6-7 AKs and none under $1000.. lol.

 

The good thing about you getting an AR is that you said you had plenty of 5.45 & 7.62. You can buy the uppers for either. I have no personal experience with either upper, but I've thought about it.

 

I've been considering a 5.45 upper for mine. It's so much cheaper to feed.

 

Wait?

Why wait? What if prices go up? AR prices have already dropped back off some. What is going to hurt for a while is ammo. I reload for my AR and getting components is really tough. Powder and primer is pretty much available, but brass and bullets are not. They are as bad as chasing ammo. I dont honestly believe you will have to worry about a national registration.It failed today in the legislature in DC. Even some of the democrats are scared to push it now. If you are worried about registration, buy from an individual off of armslist or gunsamerica. Perfectly legal, no paperwork. Good luck on your decision.

Grady

 

Which brand are you looking at? I picked up my AR the day the Newtown happened. Before prices sky rocketed. The price of my rifle went up to almost $4,500 and have seen others trying to sale it for almost $6,000.

Nothing I hate more than people looking for a quick buck. I went into plenty of gun shops and heard people asking if they could buy two or three of the AR rifles. Just to go and flip a week later and make profit.

I love my LWRC, the best rifle I have ever shot. Just too bad ammo is soo expensive I can only shoot it every so often.

 

Looking at a Larue right now.

 

I got a NIB DSArms M4, 16" barrel, plastic handguards, fixed front sight, no rear sight, flat top upper that I'm selling for $950 + shipping. I got it during the buying frenzy at a steal and I'm just flipping it. Honestly, I usually build, or stick with LaRue, LWRC, LMT, Noveske (RIP). I recommend you go with one of those manufacturers, but if want to save some coin and go with a cheaper M4, I'll sell you the DSArms. PM if interested.