If, for some reason, you want an authentic Russian Kalashnikov rifle, your time to get one might be running out. The price of the civilian firearm in the U.S. has more than doubled, according to Russia’s U.S. trade representative Alexander Stadnik, owing to sanctions on Russian manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern.
According to the Moscow Times, brand-new AKs by the now-banned manufacturer sold out in early September after sanctions went into effect in July. Stadnik says resale prices for the weapon are now up to $1,500 — up from a $600 suggested retail price.
Of course, the numbers, coming from a Russian trade rep’s mouth, should be taken with a few grains of salt. Intelligencer’s cursory overview of Saiga resales — the most popular model — found that some prices are in fact going up and over $1,000, but not quite hitting the $1,500 mark at the moment.
For those willing to shell out some extra bucks for a different, authentic Russian Kalash, there’s always the Molot manufacturer, which has not (yet?) been sanctioned.
