One of the topics that brings the most comments on our Facebook page at Guns and Lace is Ammo availability and cost. Not much else except an anti-gun politician brings out more of an emotional response. I do not know about you, but I'm not a happy camper if denied the ammo I want... I mean NEED, to shoot the center out of the target I'm working on!  So, I've been on the hunt for some answers to affordable shooting and finding a rifle that one can actually buy ammo for. My friends, here is the answer to the second most asked question I get. (the first one, if you are wondering, is are you married?!). The other is always about how can you go shooting, given the current scarcity and cost of ammo?

The Waffen AK74, has the look and feel of an AK47, but is chambered in 5.45x39 instead of 7.62×39. The difference in cost of which is that ammo for the AK74 at the time of this writing is about 2/3 the cost of the AK47. The receiver is Bulgarian, the stock surplus wood, U.S. parts are the barrel, trigger group, and pistol grip. The Tapco mag also adds three U.S. parts to make it legal. Not only is the Waffen AK74 fun to shoot due to its roar and recoil, it's one very accurate rifle in the hands of a proficient woman shooter,  (you men will just have to fare for yourselves, as I'm writing this review as a woman, from my perspective ). With 1-3 inch MOA , many reports state that the AK74 accuracy is better than a standard AK 47 due to a flatter trajectory.

If you have shot an AK47 you will feel like you have an old friend in your arms with the AK74, everything looks and feels the same, the traditional Eastern Europe safety, trigger pull, sights and balance are the same! Reliability, you ask? The AK74 eats military surplus ammo for breakfast, jam free, no matter what we threw at it. This rifle is a bit lighter than a traditional AK47, and if you are carrying it any distance, it'sn't an unwelcome feature.  Waffen Werks does a nice job, with a reasonable fit and finish, at a price that won't break the bank, but best of all the ammo for it's still, and has been, readily available at about half to two-thirds the price of AK47 ammo. I do not know about you girls (and guys) but I love a good bargain! Don't kid yourself, the price of a firearm is soon forgotten, the cost of ammo, well that goes on and on! Get your can opener ready boys, we bought two tins of military surplus online, during the worst ammo shortage on record, each tin containing 1080 rounds for about $235.00 per can, plus shipping.  We had no trouble finding it online with a simple search in stock and ready to ship. 

Can you say, shoot 'em if you got 'em?  This rifle is now one of our primary range rifles here at Guns and Lace, just because we can afford to shoot the darn thing! Now do not get me wrong, there is no sacrifice here, it's a sweet, sweet rifle to shoot! But I can not stop raving about how affordable it's, and yes military surplus is corrosive and the casings are steel, but a quick swab of the barrel with Windex followed by bit of oil, stops any corrosion. (I do not do windows, but I do barrels.) Presto, she is clean and ready to go again until the next trip to the range. - Anna