Getting to the Bottom of the AK Parts Kit Shortage
It’s no secret among students of the Kalashnikov that the supply of parts kits, with which many rifles are built, is at a historic low. Prices are higher than ever, kits that many thought would be available forever are now gone, and on the whole, the available variety is somewhat uninspiring. Considering that most former Soviet nations no longer use the AK, it should be reasonably expected that parts will dry up at some point. However, for the world’s most produced rifle, now seems a little too early for that to happen.
As with anything, the Internet forums have been rife with speculation as enthusiasts try to uncover the cause of this shortage. A leading theory that has emerged is that the European Union’s (EU) newly proposed arms regulations are affecting imports. Some readers may remember that following last year’s string of terrorist attacks, most notably those in France, the EU quickly set out to impose new restrictions on firearms within its member states. These new regulations tightly control even deactivated firearms and their parts. The threat to US collectors is certainly real, but I wanted to get to the bottom of the issue, so I reached out to the folks at Arms of America. They responded quickly and had some interesting information.
Arms of America’s Polish AKM kits are noteworthy because the company has said that they do not expect more to arrive once this batch sells out. Some folks have seen this as validation that the EU controls are in place and enforced. Arms of America has a different explanation:
As far as the Polish kits what is happening is the Polish Military is forming a new defense force similar to our National Guard/Army Reserve. The previous Government oversold the stockpiles of AKM’s they had on hand and we are told they have no plans to release anymore AKM/Tantal rifles in the future. The only way we will see anymore Polish AKM kits is if someone purchased some over a year ago during the last tender and have yet to demill the rifles and bring the parts in.
So as of now, the EU is not the limiting factor with respect to parts from Poland. Rather, Poland’s new reserve force will be taking the remaining supplies. If I had to guess, we will one day see Polish AKs return in relatively significant numbers, assuming laws don’t change drastically here in the US. However, the AKM is still a perfectly viable rifle and the nation’s security forces plan to reissue them.
Arms of America also emphasized the impact instability in the Middle East has had on availability and prices:
The other major obstacle we are up against is the conflict in the Middle East has driven the prices up drastically and the rifles are worth much more in complete form vs selling to America to disassemble for parts kits. By the time we purchased some of the rifles and paid for the disassembly we would have to bring them in and sell the parts kits for close to $500 to turn a profit (which would not even include the barrel). The good news is we have a small line of a few thousand AKM kits we will be offering for $299 on the way and that might possibly be the last time US customers see AK parts kits from Military Surplus rifles under 300. WBP, which is an Arms Factory in Poland was well aware of what would happen with the availability of AKM rifles several years back and starting producing new parts for the US Market.
This is nothing new. We’ve all heard similar news from Arsenal in Bulgaria and Cugir in Romania. The conflicts in the Middle East have created a nearly insatiable and constant demand for small arms. When faced with a deal to sell a rifle as is or cut it and ship it thousands of miles across the Atlantic, most are choosing the former.
Because the original concern related to the EU’s proposed restrictions, Arms of America had this to say:
As far as the EU policy you are referring to that is also a serious threat on the horizon.
So right now, the proposed EU policy changes are just that, proposals. However, they still pose a threat and companies like Arms of America will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on the situation. I’ll update this article if I learn more.
An information security professional by day and gun blogger by night, Nathan started his firearms journey at 16 years old as a collector of C&R rifles. These days, you’re likely to find him shooting something a bit more modern – and usually equipped with a suppressor – but his passion for firearms with military heritage has never waned. Over the last five years, Nathan has written about a variety of firearms topics, including Second Amendment politics and gun and gear reviews. When he isn’t shooting or writing, Nathan nerds out over computers, 3D printing, and Star Wars.