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Thread: PKM Unit Cost

  1. #1
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    PKM Unit Cost

    A question was asked about PKM machine gun pricing and I thought it was of value to share with forum members. The price of the basic machine gun is in the 1000s of dollars up about 4K depending what as included, however, some had a wild idea that you could get combat ready used PKMs for $300.00 to $600.00 and expect not find a piece of scrap. Our post follows:

    PKM units costs vary with what is included with each gun such as spare barrels, tripod, Bipod etc. We have been dealing in Eastern Standard equipment since 1985 and have some experience

    The cost of guns in the hundreds is either pure luck or most likely it will get you a piece of scrap that will fail at the moment of truth (anyone for used parachutes, climbing ropes or used or counterfeit aircraft parts ??). The price in the 1000s is more realistic on par with and MG-3 (roughly). The Unit cost for MAG-58/M-240 is up there about 10-12K plus which is overpriced, even accounting for labour, which is not a huge factor. Please keep in mind the largest cost comes with the finishing and qualification of smallarms and this is costly and time consuming in itself . This makes a PKM or MG-3 series gun as pretty good value and nothing to cry about. You cannot compare a civilian semi auto gun that has gone though none of the time consuming and expensive qualifications

    To get an accurate idea you need a formal legitimate request with specific numbers and what is included with each gun. It is unfair to expect a supplier to provide an offer for war material for informational purposes only. Some military customers have done this heavily since 2001 without any intention of buying anything. Picture yourself going to work everyday and getting nothing in return for you efforts?. It is important to be respectful of other people's time, if you except others to be respectful of yours. That means a legitimate enquiry backed up by people who are qualified to actually buy. Please keep in mind that it is a formal request for war material, and not window shopping at a department store. Most suppliers want to be helpful, butt the way people are treated goes both ways. An e-mail coming out of the blue from an unknown entity asking for war material cannot always be taken seriously unless properly backed up with a proper introduction to show this is a legitimate request. Try sending an unidentified email to Boeing asking for their best offer and delivery for an F-18E and see how far you are going to get?. A formal offer that you can “take to the bank” from a legitimate supplier, and not some guy in his basement in his underwear behind a computer as one distributor said about the AEY scandal in 2008, takes a formal request for quotation. This is the way proper professional offers are presented in professional business.

    I hope this helps and is written in a constructive light to the poster and others for better information and a little background

    P.S. Smaller items such as PKM Links and Cans can be advertised for sale such the link below, however, offers for machine guns with the proper controls, guaranteed certifications, delivery, qualified parts that are not counterfeit require some effort. I don't doubt what was said in book mentioned, but someone got lucky buying confiscated equipment or goods that were given as aid. You are truly gambling to go into a life and death confrontation after picking up “bargains” and hoping like hell they actually work a the moment people start fighting, killing and dying. You and I get to go home at night. These people who put their lives on the line do not.. Please show the value of their lives and the risks that they take with some respect, just as if it were your spouse or son or daughter out their on the line. Its not about equipment, its about people and doing a professional job the right way

    http://cainalongbranch.com/PKM_Links

  2. #2
    Administrator imanaknut's Avatar

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    Some great info for Canadians and people who have the right to keep and bear arms that has not been infringed, but unfortunately in the USA unless the machinegun was registered with ATF prior to May 1986 there is no way an honest citizen in the USA could own one.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Helen Keller's Avatar

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    or get somebody to import GOOD PKM kits again and build semis.
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    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar

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    Almost makes me wonder if you can get the barrels from them or not. I was under no ilusions about getting a full auto PKM from them. I have their page book marked though for the next time I need some belts, the problem is it sounds like you need to by a tone of belts to place an order.
    Doobie Doobie Doo..

  5. #5
    Senior Member hazmat's Avatar

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    The guy I work for at the MG shoot during Sturgis has one (Hungarian) built on a Wiselite FA receiver. I'm not sure what he paid for it, but I saw the paperwork on it complete with the red ink stamp that said 'Restricted Transfer'. Damn shame, really. I think every household should have at least one belt-fed for home defense.
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  6. #6
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    As far as we know there is still and import ban on "machine gun barrels" as such however, the FAIR trade group and possibly others is fighting that. A little more on FAIR below

    http://www.fairtradegroup.org/

    Regret we could not do much on smaller numbers of PKM links. In fact this year we found that we were actually losing money shipping one case and had to do a price break, effective 1st July for, under 10 cases and over 10 cases just to break even on the single case sales. Please keep in mind what we have is the container (as in 20ft sea container) price. Before that we saw other advertising for the same belt, only used for the very high price of $40.00 plus dollars per belt, and ours are Brand new, factory qualified links at almost half that price for a complex link that is costly to make and has a lot of labour/hand work to finish.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pathfinder View Post
    As far as we know there is still and import ban on "machine gun barrels" as such however, the FAIR trade group and possibly others is fighting that. A little more on FAIR below

    http://www.fairtradegroup.org/
    As far as I know the ATF is still being picky about certian barrels being imported, read poloticly incorect barrels. It would be great if the FAIR trade group got that reversed but, I am not holding my breath. Rumour had it for a while that some one was going to start making them in the US. I never heard if anyone actually did. I was under the impression that a company did start making them here but, wasn't going to sell to the general public until they filled some orders. Then I never heard anything more. Which is a shame I would like to get another spare barrel for my PKM. I would imagine with the wars in IRAQ and Afganistian winding down that it won't happen now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pathfinder View Post
    Regret we could not do much on smaller numbers of PKM links. In fact this year we found that we were actually losing money shipping one case and had to do a price break, effective 1st July for, under 10 cases and over 10 cases just to break even on the single case sales. Please keep in mind what we have is the container (as in 20ft sea container) price. Before that we saw other advertising for the same belt, only used for the very high price of $40.00 plus dollars per belt, and ours are Brand new, factory qualified links at almost half that price for a complex link that is costly to make and has a lot of labour/hand work to finish.
    No worries I totally understand that. Given what if any orders you would get from the general public for PKM belts and cans I can't imagine it would be profitable manufacture and then sell small quantities here and there. Sadly I don't have a ton of money to order a lot of belts and go shooting all the time. The good news is I already have a pretty good suply of belts though.
    Doobie Doobie Doo..

  8. #8
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    For the volume actually needed to both produce and qualify a military barrel with a proper chrome lined bore, it would not make too much economic sense to produce these barrels in the United States for a domestic market, coupled with export permit delays for any International sales. The original or originally licensed PKM manufacturers have been doing this for years and over time even their market is shrinking. Sadly, the U.S. Domestic market and the U.S. Government's on again, off again purchases provide no stability for domestic production. There is just no business case for it that we can see

    Quote Originally Posted by Penguin View Post
    As far as I know the ATF is still being picky about certian barrels being imported, read poloticly incorect barrels. It would be great if the FAIR trade group got that reversed but, I am not holding my breath. Rumour had it for a while that some one was going to start making them in the US. I never heard if anyone actually did. I was under the impression that a company did start making them here but, wasn't going to sell to the general public until they filled some orders. Then I never heard anything more. Which is a shame I would like to get another spare barrel for my PKM. I would imagine with the wars in IRAQ and Afganistian winding down that it won't happen now.



    No worries I totally understand that. Given what if any orders you would get from the general public for PKM belts and cans I can't imagine it would be profitable manufacture and then sell small quantities here and there. Sadly I don't have a ton of money to order a lot of belts and go shooting all the time. The good news is I already have a pretty good suply of belts though.

  9. #9
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    Other American domestic sources, small quantities

    Has anyone heard of any powder developments that would allow our 300gr advanced .338 Lapua Magnum Generation II projectile to effectively achieve 2000 yard / 2000 meter extreme range while still using the standard .338 Lapua Magnum Cartridge case? More information on the whole development program can be seen on our website link below (1)

    We welcome any comments including any "faint hope" developments , including powder developments or other & also larger calibers that may be adapted. There is a song for that, but only if you are RCAF * As our American Marine Brothers and Sisters would say: Ooh Rah!

    We welcome any information, ideas or referrals. Powder capable of only 1500-1700 yards meters for our .338 Lapua Magnum Generation II development program, while interesting, is not really that interesting to us as it has not been were we are going since 1993. We are looking for a “generational powder improvement” not just an incremental one. In order to achieve one's goals in life it is important to have a vision or long term plan, even if it may be on the “outer frontier” of possibility. This may not be for most people, but then we are not most people; not any better or worse, just different, and we are "completely cool" with that. The late President Theodore Roosevelt’s in the "Man in the Arena" speech in Paris in 1910 also had something to say about that. President Roosevelt’s speech also can found on our Service "A Tribute" page at the base of its main page (3) which was written in tribute to the service and sacrifice of the people in the field and our allies as they "stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves". You and I get to go home at night. These people do not. This is where our first loyalty lies . Yours should also, and probably does also in many cases.

    (1)

    http://cainalongbranch.com/OrdnanaceDevelopements


    (2) Coming in on a wing and a prayer

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B69CquvLHgY


    (3)

    http://cainalongbranch.com/Tribute

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