A Romy Rumor?

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  • tpy77

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 27, 2007
    1,196
    P.G. Co.
    First of all, the below post may be more rumor than reality, so before anyone goes:omg: :omg: just remember this may be only rumor. Romania has been a NATO member for a while. I'm trying to learn more.

    WHAT IS GOING ON WITH AK RIFLES?.
    THE AK RIFLE MARKET HAS BEEN CRAZY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, AND FOR GOOD REASON. I HAVE KNOWN WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE THAT HAS CREATED THIS SITUATION BUT WAS NOT AT LIBERTY TO POST AN EXPLIANATION UNTIL NOW. I HAVE CORRECTED THE STORY BELOW FROM MY FIRST DRAFT AS NEW INFORMATION HAS COME TO LIGHT. BUT THE END RESULT FOR US IS THE SAME. THE IMPORTATION OF INEXPENSIVE AK TYPE RIFLES FROM ROMAINIA APPEARS TO BE OVER. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AS I NOW UNDERSTAND IT.
    THE MAIN SOURCE OF AK RIFLES INTO THE U.S. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS BEEN THE COUNTRY OF ROMAINIA AND PARTICULLARLY THE CUGIR FACTORY WHICH WAS A STATE RAN MANUFACTURING PLANT. THEY HAD CONTRACTS WITH THE IMPORTERS HERE AND WERE BUILDING AK RILES FOR EXPORT TO THE CIVILIAN U.S. MARKET. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THEY HAVE SHIPPED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF AK RIFLES INTO THE U.S.
    FOR SOME TIME ROMAINIA HAD DESIRED AND BEEN PETITIONING TO BECOME A NATO MEMBER NATION. ONE OF THIER ROADBLOCKS HAD BEEN THE FACT THAT THEY HAD BEEN PRODUCING LOW PRICED AK RIFLES FOR EXPORT ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TO THE U.S. CIVILIAN MARKET. I AM TOLD THAT THE POWERS THAT BE IN WASHINGTON HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUED THIS FOR PROFIT "PROLIFERATION" OF AK RIFLES INTO THE U.S. THAT THE U.S. WOULD CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THEIR ENTRY INTO NATO. FINALLY IN 2004 THEY WERE GRANTED PROBATIONARY MEMBER NATION STATUS TO NATO BUT WITH THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT THAT THEY WOULD CEASE FLOODING THE MARKET WITH INEXPENSIVE AK RIFLES. AS SOON AS THEY ACHIEVED NATO MEMBERSHIP THE GOVERNMENT "PRIVATIZED" THE FACTORY AND WITHDREW SUBSIDIZED SUPPORT. APPARENTLY THE ROMAINIAN GOV'T ALLOWED PRIVATE MANAGEMENT TO TAKE OVER THE FACTORY AND CONTINUE PRODUCTION FOR SOME TIME WHILE CLAIMING THAT SINCE THE FACTORY WAS NOW PRIVATELY OWNED THEY HAD NO CONTROL OVER SHUTTING THEM DOWN. STILL THE SALES OF THESE RIFLES HAUNTED THEM ON THE POLITICAL FRONT AND THE PRIVATIZATION AND MISMANAGEMENT THAT FOLLOWED MADE THE BUSINESS LESS AND LESS PROFITABLE .
    STILL, THEY CONTINUED TO BUILD FOR A LONG TIME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THE CASH FLOW THAT THE SALES OF THE RIFLES PROVIDED. THAT IS UNTIL RECENTLY. LATE LAST YEAR A MAJOR AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER SET UP A NEW FACTORY IN ROMAINIA. THEY COULD NOT DO ALL OF THE WORK IN HOUSE AND DECIDED TO JOBBER OUT BUILDS ON SOME OF THEIR STEEL PARTS TO A NEARBY FACTORY. WHEN CUGIR WAS APPROACHED WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RE-TOOL AND MAKE AUTO PARTS INSTEAD OF RIFLES THEY JUMPED AT IT. IT SOLVED THEIR POLITICAL DELIMMA WHILE ALLOWING THEM TO MAINTAIN A REVENUE FLOW, AND ATTACH THEMSELVES TO A NEW UNDERTAKING THAT HAD ESTABLISHED MANAGEMENT SKILLS. AS OF NOW THE CUGIR FACTORY IS DONE WITH FIREARMS MANUFACTURING AND ALL OF THE ROMAINIAN AK PRODUCTS ARE DRYING UP FAST.

    ON ANOTHER FRONT. CENTURY ARMS HAS HAD AN ONGOING AND VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT WITH THEIR YUGO B-1 AND AB-2 AK BUILD RIFLES. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE ONLY A FINITE NUMBER OF KITS TO BUILD THESE RIFLES WITH AND THOSE KITS ARE NOW EXHAUSTED. CENTURY'S YUGO RIFLE PROJECT IS NOW DONE.
    SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?. MY EDUCATED GUESS IS THAT WE WILL SOON SEE SOME U.S. MADE AK RIFLES COMING TO THE MARKET. BY THAT I DON'T MEAN ENOUGH PARTS TO BE U.S. COMPLIANT, BUT COMPLETELY MADE IN THE UNITEDS STATES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT SINCE NO MORE PART SETS CAN BE IMPORTED INTO THE COUNTRY WITH BARRELS INTACT, AND SINCE THERE AREN'T THAT MANY PARTS SETS LEFT HERE WITH BARRELS, THEN ANY NEW BUILDS WILL ALSO HAVE TO HAVE U.S. BARRELS. COMBINE THAT WITH ADDITIONAL U.S. PARTS, FURNITURE AND U.S. LABOR. AND YOU HAVE A VERY EXPENSIVE U.S. MADE AK RIFLE. I WOULD ALSO GUESS THAT MOST IF NOT ALL OF THESE RIFLES WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF POLY STOCK SINCE WOOD STOCKS MADE IN THE U.S. WOULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE. UNFORTUATELY WHEN THESE LAST IMPORTS SELL OUT I REALLY THINK THE DAYS OF THE INEXPENSIVE AK RIFLE ARE GONE.
    NONE OF THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE AND THE FACT THAT WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE A STRONG PRO-GUN CANDIDATE LEFT IN THE RACE. THIS TOO DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR THE FUTURE OF THESE TYPES OF RIFLES.

    FORTUNATELY WE STILL HAVE A FEW AK RIFLES LEFT IN STOCK AND WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO HOLD THE PRICE. BUT DON'T WAIT. THEY ARE SELLING FAST. SEE A COMPLTETE LISTING OF OUR AVAILABLE AK RIFLES BELOW.

    :omg::shocked:

    -------------------------
    It wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a kit if you ever want one, however. Whatever happens we're probably going to look back on this time as "The Good Old Days", later.
     

    Half-cocked

    Senior Meatbag
    Mar 14, 2006
    23,937
    Classic Arms has a reputation for "the sky is falling!" type marketing hyperbole.

    This sound familiar?

    "This may be the last batch of the ------------ ever imported into this country, ever!"

    ...then 8 months later, "We just uncovered a stash of ------------ that our importer swears accidentally got hidden behind a pallet of Chinese-made dog food...."

    :D
     

    tpy77

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 27, 2007
    1,196
    P.G. Co.
    Classic Arms has a reputation for "the sky is falling!" type marketing hyperbole.

    This sound familiar?

    "This may be the last batch of the ------------ ever imported into this country, ever!"

    ...then 8 months later, "We just uncovered a stash of ------------ that our importer swears accidentally got hidden behind a pallet of Chinese-made dog food...."

    :D

    I sort of imagine this is the case. They had "uncovered" a few more parts kits and the prices had gone up to around $189.99 for the top quality ones [which got lost between a pallet of Mosins and Mausers, no doubt].

    LATE RUMOR BREAKING NEWS;
    Below is something I just heard concerning the above

    ---
    Classic is trying to stampade customers into their showroom by scaring them. My Century rep has told me emphatically that this rumor is not true. Century sold out their inventory at the Shot Show as they do every year, and the NATO summit has tied up shipments out of Romanian while it was in progress, but the Cugir operation will resume shipping on the 16th. Century has shipments currently clearing customs, and more are on the way. Classic Arms sells Mosin-Nagants. They know a lot about them. They don't know AKs, but they're trying to get a piece of the market.
     

    Half-cocked

    Senior Meatbag
    Mar 14, 2006
    23,937
    I have heard good things about Classic Arms from a few people...

    But this sort of sales tactic, plus the fact that they hawk chrome-plated M44's ( :sad20: ), makes me wary of buying anything from them.


    LATE RUMOR BREAKING NEWS;
    Below is something I just heard concerning the above

    ---
    Classic is trying to stampade customers into their showroom by scaring them. My Century rep has told me emphatically that this rumor is not true. Century sold out their inventory at the Shot Show as they do every year, and the NATO summit has tied up shipments out of Romanian while it was in progress, but the Cugir operation will resume shipping on the 16th. Century has shipments currently clearing customs, and more are on the way. Classic Arms sells Mosin-Nagants. They know a lot about them. They don't know AKs, but they're trying to get a piece of the market.
     

    trbon8r

    Ultimate Member
    Classic is ok to deal with. I think the owner was fed a line of BS, fell for it, and is now passing it along as fact.

    I bought my Yugo AK from them, and a Mauser. Classic grades the Mausers they sell for bore condition and overall appearance. Everything was as described, and I was happy.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,748
    PA
    I for one would be more than happy to buy a 100% made in USA kalishnikov rifle, they are plain cheap to produce reguardless of labor, if DPMS can make a $700 AR, an AK style rifle could be made and sold for $500-$600 with a nice walnut stock, modern armorkote type finish, and with more variants than produced in former com-block countries, imagine a 6.8spc or 308 domestic AK made by DPMS (or any other US gun company) capable of 2" groups at 100yds with a solid machined pic rail dust cover for mounting an optic (ultimate deer rifle), funny thing is that it would be about the only thing we could not pawn off to china for production. Domestic production, more weapons going to law abiding citizens, in turn more gun owners, and almost any small mom and pop gun company could make them, I say bring it on.
     

    h2u

    Village Idiot
    Jul 8, 2007
    6,699
    South County
    This is what I pulled from another board:

    "Thanks to the assistance of a member on another Board who called the Cugir factory the actual situation is now known.

    Due to the security measures for the NATO Summit in Bucharest, NO transportation of weapons is being allowed in Romania which prevents shipments out of the country through the port of constantza or any other shipping point.

    The Good News is that shipments including WASRs will begin as of April 16th".
     

    GunnyHwy

    Active Member
    Oct 18, 2007
    632
    Howard County
    I got a yugo just before the price increase and I am glad that I did. Personally I believe the supply will be shut off soon due to bans not supply.
     

    trbon8r

    Ultimate Member
    I got a yugo just before the price increase and I am glad that I did. Personally I believe the supply will be shut off soon due to bans not supply.

    I picked up a Yugo as well. At a little over 400 bucks, it was the best deal going in the AK world in my opinion. Prices have gone up some, but you can still find deals if you look around.

    I'm slowly picking up spare Yugo parts while I can. Should another federal ban be enacted, there could well be prohibitions regarding the sale of parts that could be constructed into an "assault weapon". Get 'em while you can, and at the same time keep fighting to make sure a ban doesn't happen. As the old saying goes, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,748
    PA
    I have been more than happy with my $450 yugo M70 fixed stock, I have been wanting to pick up an underfolder when time and money permit. If nothing else they are great fun to shoot, and 7.62X39 is fairly cheap compared to 5.56X45, and taking one to a carbine class will get you some funny looks.
     

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