EA-74 Pre Order

[QuebecoisWolf]

Since Andy mentioned it while I was placing a pre-order, I think it's something worth repeating:

Get 5.45 ammo NOW and in quantity. The second half is already done for you since spam cans are big and contain cheap, high quality ammo (though corrosive). Since Obama and his followers have already shown a willingness to meddle with surplus firearm importation, it is a very real possibility that we could see bans or new red tape on ammo, especially military surplus ammo. Aside from Hornaday's rather pricey 5.45 (over 50 cents a round despite being steel case and would likely skyrocket in price if ammo availability became an issue), there aren't any domestic manufacturers.

The good news? 5.45 AKs are much less prevalent than 7.62 AKs, which means that you shouldn't have as much trouble finding cheap ammo.

 

[Dan44]

After all the interest in 74's I was thinking of selling one of my two. A Romanian CUR2, I've had it for years and haven't shot it in over ten years. Blasted 150rds through it and decided it's too fun to sell.
If you're on the fence on a 74 go ahead and jump.

 

[STALKERFRIEND]

When will the first run of these start becoming available if we preordered one? I can't wait to take mine home.

 

[AlpineDude67]

For what it is worth, I went in and did all the paperwork on the receiver early this week, just to make sure I am covered even if they don't finish the builds before October 1. Anybody who has not done that yet should go do it. They are so incredibly busy right now with everybody rushing to get one last thing, etc. I am sure they will not have every one of them done in the next two weeks or whatever. It sounded to me like a number of them won't be delivered until early October.

I would love to get mine tomorrow, but I would rather they take the time to do the job right and ultimately give me something I can enjoy for a long time. It is not like we are going to be able to sell these things off and just buy another one if they aren't right. This is something we are going to have for a long time.

I'm honestly not at all worried about it - everything I've seen tells me those guys don't have slap-dash-crap in their DNA, they want to put out a quality product because they know their reputation depends on delivering the goods and they seem to take real pride in what they do for a living. They aren't going to rush the builds, they'll do them right.

 

[AlpineDude67]

Since Andy mentioned it while I was placing a pre-order, I think it's something worth repeating:

Get 5.45 ammo NOW and in quantity.

Yes. There is almost no domestic ammo produced for the 74, and what is produced here is incredibly expensive. The 5.45 spam cans of corrosive ammo, Russian 7N6, are much much cheaper than either 5.56 or 7.62 now.

Russian/US relations aren't exactly warm and fuzzy right now and who knows what Obama might do through executive action.

If I could, I would buy all of the ammo I will ever shoot out of it this month. I can't quite afford that, but I have already bought a pile of it and will be buying more as soon as funds allow.

 

[Dan44]

I purchased my first AK in 1986 and have seen 7.62x39 come and go over the years. I suspect the same could happen with 5.45, most if not all surplus 5.45 comes from Eastern Europe (Poland , Bulgaria) and the Ukraine, not Russia. That’s where the new production comes from, if that closes up, and I don’t think that will happen, they like our money, some other ex-commie nation will pick up the slack.

 

[QuebecoisWolf]

I purchased my first AK in 1986 and have seen 7.62x39 come and go over the years. I suspect the same could happen with 5.45, most if not all surplus 5.45 comes from Eastern Europe (Poland , Bulgaria) and the Ukraine, not Russia. That’s where the new production comes from, if that closes up, and I don’t think that will happen, they like our money, some other ex-commie nation will pick up the slack.

IF they're allowed to pick up the slack. I have some Norinco 7.62 ammo that I got cheap at a "big pile of junk" table at a gun show. I put aside a box as a historical curiosity - it's illegal to import now.

 

[Dan44]

When I got my first 74 in 1997 the talk on the net was "what if they stop importing ammo". that was 15 years ago and it's still being imported.

 

[AlpineDude67]

If you can afford to buy it now, the only reason not to is you think it will be cheaper later, or you can't store it.

Given what 5.56 costs now, i am liking 19 cents a round for 5.45. I am hoping it drops a little bit in 6 months or so, but I don't think the spam cans for $135 or whatever they used to be is coming back.

So I am buying some now, and will buy some more in a few months, when it will probably cost about the same, possibly less.

After the recent ammo scare, I really don't want to find out in a year or two that the ammo is suddenly $1 a round. It is cheap enough now that you can lay a bunch in and make sure you are covered no matter what happens. I'm not going to have pallets of the stuff, but there is really no reason not to have say 10 or 15k rounds laid up if you can swing it. After all, I need it for the zombie apocalypse anyway.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Not to mention that you can buy a 5.45 upper for an AR and use anything you don't feed to your AK-74.

 

[Pkf655]

Are these sold out?

And second can we request a folding stock or type of wood if we are willing to wait?

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Does anyone know if Engage still has some of these left?

 

[Tons of Guns]

They might, but I don't think they will sell you one anymore if you are a MD resident. I bought mine a couple of weeks ago and I just made the deadline. I think they stopped taking paperwork from MD residents on this stuff on the 23rd.

Does anyone know if Engage still has some of these left?

 

[swinokur]

why don't you call them?

 

[Engage Armament]

Does anyone know if Engage still has some of these left?

We still have some left. Rifle paperwork is good up until the 30th and you can pick up after the 1st.

We are working on a MD compliant AK for post 1 October as well.

 

[Engage Armament]

Are these sold out?

And second can we request a folding stock or type of wood if we are willing to wait?

No folding stocks are available on this run. We are building a lot of fixed with wood furniture but the only wood furniture available is the surplus Bulgy wood.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Andy:
Please check your PMs and e-mail. I'm trying to buy an EA-74. I can pay immediately, but can't do paperwork until the 30th...being in California on travel at the moment. Thanks.

 

[awptickes]

We are working on a MD compliant AK for post 1 October as well.

Wait, what?

 

[Engage Armament]

Wait, what?

Will be ironically over the counter as well.

We're not down and out bro, this law is ******** and if they want to pass ******** they'll get it thrown back in their face.

 

[VikingFan65]

Love it! Thanks Andy!!