The best People's Gun

What's the best People's Gun? By that, I mean the gun that is both affordable and easily available, with ammunition that is affordable, and that is easy to use for a beginner. M4's, the barbie guns, have got a ridiculously high price point for entry level shooters, and some people think that a 1911 is only good if it costs over 1500. What about the other end of that scale? Cheap, simple, reliable, common. A gun for the proletariat.

I vote SKS, the stripper clips are supposedly easy to load, and the gun can be had for under 300 bucks, which is not true of the AK platform.

My vote was for the sub 2k. You can get 33 rd magazines for it, 9mm ammunition is widely available, it's at or around $300, and it can be folded.

Progurt wrote:My vote was for the sub 2k. You can get 33 rd magazines for it, 9mm ammunition is widely available, it's at or around $300, and it can be folded.

The question, though is of the effectiveness of the 9mm vs 7.62x39

AK's can still be had in my area for not so crazy prices, at gun shows.

The SKS, especially Russians and the ex-mil Chinese, are climbing, fast.

Xela

I voted for the Sub2k, but that's because mine finally came in after a 2 1/2 month wait. Sure, it's not 7.62x39, but it will take out a cinder block, so there's that:

I don't think that there can be a serious debate about the people's gun. The AK is the people's gun. That it has been jacked up in price here in this capitalist country shouldn't take away from it's history as the gun of revolution. It is cheap (everywhere but here), reliable, dependable, can be learned by children (unfortunately), and it has a good enough round and accuracy that it is a favorite whipping boy of anti-gunners. The SKS is great, but it was put out to pasture by a design that was just better.

Caliman73 wrote:I don't think that there can be a serious debate about the people's gun. The AK is the people's gun. That it has been jacked up in price here in this capitalist country shouldn't take away from it's history as the gun of revolution. It is cheap (everywhere but here), reliable, dependable, can be learned by children (unfortunately), and it has a good enough round and accuracy that it is a favorite whipping boy of anti-gunners. The SKS is great, but it was put out to pasture by a design that was just better.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Fortunately, AK's were not as expensive as they are now back when I got my first AK back in the spring of 2007 (I got a Romanian SAR-1 for $389.00).

A basic Saiga conversion isn't incredibly expensive, and while it may not quite look like an AK in a military configuration, one will still end up with an affordable, quality AK that came off the same assembly lines as Russia's military AK's.

What is even more sickening that higher AK prices over here in the USA is the high prices on SVD's, given that very few of them made it into the country before they were banned from import. Consequently, they are essentially collectors' items (a genuine Russian SVD can sell for $12,000+).

I have noticed that a shop has a Chinese NDM-86 SVD chambered in 7.62X51mm NATO selling for $2500.00, but sadly, I do not have that kind of money to spare, even though that is a good deal for a Dragunov.

They were never banned from import. It was some weird gentlemans agreement between the US and russia to just stop the shipments and not import anymore.

Caliman73 wrote:I don't think that there can be a serious debate about the people's gun. The AK is the people's gun. That it has been jacked up in price here in this capitalist country shouldn't take away from it's history as the gun of revolution. It is cheap (everywhere but here), reliable, dependable, can be learned by children (unfortunately), and it has a good enough round and accuracy that it is a favorite whipping boy of anti-gunners. The SKS is great, but it was put out to pasture by a design that was just better.

Couldn't have said it better.

As much as I love the SKS, the AK rifle is just superior. Simple, easy to maintain, and accurate enough. Perfect proletariat rifle.

I voted other. Remington 12ga. 1100 would be my choice for hunting, sporting and home defense if I had to choose one.
I love my Polish M60 and it's history. I still want a Yugo milled SKS. When it comes to throwing a projectile, you can't go wrong with a shotgun because of the different ammo that can be used. Slug, buckshot, birdshot, all for specific purposes. I like the fact that I can change barrels and chokes. The reason I like the auto better than the pump is that the sound of a pump may inspire the invador to shoot torwards the direction of that sound. The 2000 sounds like a good watermelon patch gun!

you can't go wrong with a shotgun because of the different ammo that can be used. Slug, buckshot, birdshot, all for specific purposes.

not to mention that with a reloading press you can make anti drone, armor piercing flechettes, A mini flame thrower, grenades, and many more home remedies to shit you'll never have to deal with... like T-rex.

I like Cali's "whipping boy of anit-gunners". So true. So sad.

I went with the SKS. Sure, you can argue the AK will put out more rounds per minute. How many average people can hit anything with full auto? The SKS is more accurate (a bit), and even cheaper than the AK. My "paratrooper carbine" cost $39. (Granted, in 1994!) I guess you could say there are more AK's available today. When you say "peoples gun" do you mean all around firearm, or just defense or military?