Welcome to the group !!!
Yougaddabekiddingme!!!!!
No, seriously the question is how much do you want to spend? The Chinese pre-ban (pre-George Bush the First-ban) are going up in price because of their scarceness and the fact that no more can ever be imported unless we get our constitutional rights back completely, which doesn't seem likely. If you have the money, check the going prices for the Poly Techs and early Norincos and after getting ideas as to what they truly are selling for, make the plunge. You really can't go wrong if you can find any Chinese for a reasonable price. Check Gunbroker for what are high prices these days. Note which ones are getting bids and which are not.
Post ban Norincos, from NHM-90, NHM-91, MAK-90 and 91, BWK-92 are just as nice as the pre, but just neutered to make Bush1 happy. Just steer away from any B-west Made in USA Norincos as some were ok, but most not, and there really is no way to tell them apart.
Many people like the Egyptian Maadis because they were made on Russian machinery, but the Egyptians didn't believe in making nice looking rifles, so the finish on them was horrible out of the box. The only true pre-ban Maadi would be a Steyr import ARM. All others were post ban. Again, having a Maadi in a collection is nice!
The Europeans run the gamut from the now Banned SAR series which were true Romanian military issue, the only issue AK imported into the land of shall not be infringed. There were earlier Romanians which were nice, and the current ATF approved WASR series which are hit or miss.
Bulgarian, Hungarian, all nice.
Russian, well unfortunately an agreement between the USA and the former Soviet Union, and still recognized by the current Russia are not importable. There are VEPRs and Saigas which are nice variants, with the VEPRs being more an RPK than an AK, and the Saiga able to be converted to an AKM look-alike.
Not to mention the zillions of now USA made AKs using USA receivers and parts from anywhere.
And that doesn't get into whether or not you want fixed, underfolder, or sidefolder, and which caliber, 7.62x39, 5.45x39 or 5.56x45!
Lots to choose from, suggest checking our different AK forums as well as the auction sites for ideas of the many variations that have been and still are available to those of us with rights that shall not be infringed, but have been.
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