Question by vic8379: Where can I buy an Ak-47 and what do I need?
I’m about to move into my first apartment so I’m thinking about purchasing a firearm. I was thinking and there can’t be anything more intimidating to a burglar than to walk in on somebody with an AK on hand so that’s what I want to go with. I have no clue where to look for one though? We have a few gun shops around here but I havent checked them yet or would it be better to purchase online? Also what kind of prices can I expect and what kind of license do I need to keep a gun in my home for self-defence and to take to a firing range.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Patrick
intimidating is not important, you don’t want to second guess a burglar with “intimidation”, you want to kill them. An ak-47 is a horrible weapon to use for apartment self defense, it’s high powered round will penetrate walls with ease, inflicting collateral damage.
If your after a big gun, go with a shotgun, it is by far the best home defense weapon. In the event of a break in your adrenaline will be running, you will be shaking and innaccurate, a shotgun requires virtually no aim, and the burglar will not get back up. I reccomend a 12 gauge automatic for maximum firepower.
Otherwise just get a handgun w/ hollow point rounds. Hollow point rounds fragment and do not go through walls easily, but they inlfict massive damage on the target. Also, you can take a handgun with you when you leave the house (you could get a weapon permit depending on the state) therefore, it won’t get stolen if your apartment gets burglarized while you are not there.
An ak-47 (semi-auto) is available at any gun store, and requires less intensive background checks than a handgun.
ak’s range from $ 400-1000 depending on the quality and/or brand name.
Read all the answers in the comments.
Give your own answer to this question!
Chris says
idk what license you would need but i think you have to have a clean criminal record to qualify for a firearm permit. as for an ak i have no clue what all you would legally need.
get one off the streets from some gangbanger or something. go to the bad side of town and ask. just make sure not to look too out of place or go at night and don't take anything valuable.
Listen says
In regards to the previous "illegal" statement… they are Illegal to be imported, but there are certain laws that permits them to be traded, if I'm not 100% correct about the law I apologize, but I know for sure they are not completely "illegal"
Arthur says
buy an alarm security system instead
Man of the house says
Well, since the other answers are so long, the only thing I'll say is that AK-47 are illegal in the US.
Michael Moore says
Please step away from the gun cabinet !!!! Forget the AK and think do you really want an AK for self-defense ? Would a sight of an AK be more intimidating then the sound of a pump shotgun ? If you have an AK you need to get out of bed. Pump a shotgun and you can stay in bed. Over penetration with a assult weapon would put so many more people in danger then a shotgun.
A A says
Patrick's answer is almost right on the money.
Do not buy an AK clone for "home defense" unless you live out in a rural area. 7.62X39 rounds are simply too powerful for that purpose and will tear up your apartment, plus neighboring apartments. Simply put, a bad choice for HD.
I second his recommendation of a shotgun for HD, but his comment of not really needing to aim it is WAY off. You must still aim it.
Yes, because the shot "spreads" after it leaves the barrel, it can be more forgiving of a poorly aimed shot, but a miss is still a miss, and one can easily miss with a shotgun.
Also, all background checks are the same whether purchasing a handgun or a rifle or a shotgun. The only difference with getting a handgun is that you may be able to obtain a license to carry it concealed, depending upon the state you live in. The background check for a concealed carry license can be significantly more intensive than for purchasing.
All in all, if you want an AK clone, you can find them almost everywhere. Go to your local gunshops, check out gun shows and check on the internet auctions sites like gunbroker.com and auctionarms.com.
Generally speaking, a decent quality AK clone will run between $ 350 to $ 900 depending upon the country of origin and manufacturer. Norinco MAK90's are usually pretty good quality, and the Romanian WASR10 is usually on the low end of the spectrum for quality. Still a dependable weapon, but a little rougher around the edges.
Shop around, ask lots of questions.
Good luck.
(Oh yeah, regarding steve's advice: Don't shoot to KILL. Shoot to STOP the threat! Shooting to KILL can very likely land you in jail for an otherwise legitimate self-defense shooting. Your goal isn't to KILL the intruder, it is to STOP the intruder, no matter what any keyboard commandos on the net say. If your goal is to KILL the intruder, you have committed murder/attempted murder in the eyes of the law.
Just so you don't misunderstand me, I'm not picking on steve. I'm correcting a common misconception amongst gun owners that there is a difference in how you aim when shooting to stop versus shooting to kill. There isn't. You take whatever shot will stop the threat immediately, including headshots if available. The difference isn't in how you aim, or even how you think. It's in how you explain it to the police so you don't go to jail when it's all over.
If you tell the police that you were shooting to kill, be prepared for a long and lengthy stay at a nearby federal prison. If you tell the police that you were shooting to stop the threat, and the bad guy happened to die, that's not likely to land you in jail, unless the circumstances involved did not allow for deadly force.)
Man of the house: No, they are not. If you don't know the answer, don't just make something up or repeat what others have told you.
steve says
An AK-47 is actually classified as a medium powered rifle cartridge, not high power, but everything else Patrick and others said is right on the money. Especially important is the advice not to try and intimidate a bad guy. Seriously, if there's any question in your mind as to whether or not you would be willing to kill someone in self defense, you shouldn't own a weapon, period. The bad guy will just take it away and shoot your a$ $ with it! Many times I've heard people say things like how the sound of a pump shotgun being racked can scare a potential assailant off. Sure it can, but if it's really a hardened criminal, he might think he's up against someone so stupid he just now thought to load his gun. In a nutshell, you just can't count on being able to intimidate an intruder. Get yourself a suitable handgun or shotgun, practice with it a lot, keep it locked up when you're not there (so someone doesn't break in and then shoot you when you come home), keep it loaded and ready when you are there. And if you ever do have to shoot someone, don't shoot to wound, shoot to kill!
jim p says
im assuming u live in the US since ur buying a firearm.
dude, if u live in the states, you do NOT need an AK for self defense…u live in the STATES, not a war zone bro. save ur money
plus the AK is pretty expensive for ur first weapons
and are u aware of how powerful that round is? i mean how often are u gunna get robbed? the round will do more damage to ur house than the robber! lol
if u want house protection but u want firepower, then save ur money and pick up a colt M1911A1
its .45ACP which has ALOT of stopping power for a handgun.
OR if u want a rifle, get the M4 or M16. those rifles use the .223 round. the .223 round is designed to shatter vital organs in ur body, although it does not have stopping power. it was designed for killing, not for stopping power.
plus the AK is pretty bulky and heavy it would be a pain carrying it around in an apartment god forbid u had a robbery
oh and since u live in the states its gunna be extremely hard to find an automatic AK..ur gunna most likely find a semi-auto.
in a gun fight u dont wanna be intimidating, u want to be smart.
here are some great sites where i purchase my firearms:
<a href="http://www.impactguns.com” target=”_blank”>www.impactguns.com
<a href="http://www.guns.com” target=”_blank”>www.guns.com
try some of the gun company name's sites
here are some
armalite
rockriver arms
bushmaster
tiberius
colt
ruger
the average price for handgun can range from anywhere from $ 399-$ 699
a rifle can cost $ 899 and over
hope u make the right decision bro
Sloan R says
Yes I want you to get an AK47. I own four of them and they are the best all around rifle you can own. But for liability reasons I want you to get a 12 gauge pump shot gun for home defence. When living in an apartment you have to worry that in the event that you should have to fire a shot in self defence that it could overpenetrate into your neighbors dwelling, injuring or killing them. This is why you need a 12 gauge with a short stock ar just a pistol grip and a short 18 1/4 to 20 inch barrel. Do not use slugs or buckshot. Use magnum BB loads or smaller down to #8 birdshot. The smaller the pellets the less chance of overpenetration into other rooms in your own apartment. I keep one loaded with buck for parking lot use and one handloaded with rocksalt for indoors. I'm not necessarily out to do more than incapacitate.
Now enough on that. Let's get down to the AK47 business. Shop online for the rifle and the shotgun. contact the company whose price you like the best. They should try to find you a Federally Licensed Firearms dealer in your area that they can ship it to. You will have to pay the dealer a small fee (don't pay more than $ 40) and shipping. You cannot have it shipped direct to you. I can't tell you about licensing to possess a firearm where you live. You will have to check with the local authorities. Good luck and have fun with the AK and don't forget to practice with the shotgun.
C J says
Generally, you can buy a semi-automatic AK in just about any gun shop. Century Arms is offering one that seems to be decent, and it's made from American parts. Also, you can look online and find some imports from Romania, Czechkoslovakia, and Egypt. Prices range from $ 350+ depending on what model you get.
I'm not sure about your licensing requirements, as you did not say what state you're in. You'd have to check with your local laws on that one. Most states don't require registration for long guns, and the AK is no exception.
If you're in an apartment, I would warn you against using the AK-47 for defense. Most of the ammunition used is steel cored, and it would penetrate many walls if it were to hit one, and risk wounding or killing others in your building. Firing off any weapon in an apartment runs that risk, not just the AK.
For home defense in an apartment, I would go with either a handgun with frangible ammunition, or a shotgun with low velocity shells, which they even make in buckshot now.
The AK is a good weapon, no doubt. But not for apartment defense.