I think I win!!

[Mars4Hire]

Hey all,

Lengthy story follows. Sorry, but I just gotta tell it.

I'm relatively new to the Ak owner scene. Shot them tons while overseas etc but never really spent anytime thinking about them beyond the user skills.

Anyway I wasn't really looking for one but a guy I know (not well, more of an acquaintance) says to me in passing that he wanted to sell his Ak and wanted me to spread the word.

So I asked him what kind it was and he says, "it's a Chinese knock off from Polytech." I asked what a Chinese knock off was and he says, "it's not Russian it's a knock off made by the Chinese."

So I said, "Oh ok" (cuz I'm brilliant).

Anyway I had the fore thought to ask if it was preban and what he was looking to get for it. He said yes he thought it was since he "bought it new, back in the late '80's." He said he wanted $900 for it and that it came with 6 30rd mags and 2 5rd mags. I didn't even know there was such a thing as 5rd mags but whatever. He said he bought the mags at the same time he bought the gun.

Ok so here is the NO WAY(!) part..... He said he would throw in all the ammo he had for it which was 940rds in a wood crate.

So I said ok I would pass it along. So on my way home I thought maybe I should buy it since I don't have one and had most of the price he was asking. So I called him the next day and said I wanted to see it because I was thinking about buying it. On my way to meet him I stopped at the bank took out $700 I had set aside thinking I would leave it as a deposit.

When I got to his house he showed me the gun and we talked for a bit. The gun looked UNUSED as did all of the mags. So he said something about needing to sell is ASAP cuz he need some cash for something. I told him I had $700 on me but that that was all I could do for now and if he could wait till Oct 1st I could probably come up with the rest.

Well he looked at me and said he would take the $700. He said he was planning to to the local gunshop that day to sell it and wasnt sure what kind of deal he could swing and that since he hasn't shot it since he bought it, nor plan on doing so, that the $700 would be a "win" for him and cover what he needed the money for anyway. I asked him several times before driving off if he was certain he was ok with the deal. He was adamant that he didn't have any issues. He even handed me the original sales receipt.

I drove off thinking I did ok but, had no idea just how well.

The Gun is a Polytech AKS-762. There is not a scratch or mark on it it. It's as if it literally came out of the box. It has an underfolder stock, spike bayonet, matching SN#'s on the guts and a threaded nut at the end of the barrel (which I presume is so i can attach some sort of muzzle break etc there). It's inner parts (guts) are shiny and bright.

As a matter of curiosity I called Polytech Parts and spoke to a "Chloe" to see if I could find more out about the gun. After that discussion and giving her the Sn she researched it and called me back and said that they imported it in Dec 1988. HA!!!!

She suggested That it was worth "a lot more" than I paid. She even got into the magazines with me and said that as I described them they were original polytech and that they are pretty hard to find and that she has seen them go as high as $90+ each.

So it seems like I did pretty good.

Questions-

What do you folks figure its actually worth? I haven't had a chance to surf around and get some comparable prices. Anyone have any ideas? I have no intention to sell it but just as a "gee wilikers" thing it would be nice to know.

Should I accessorize it? Since it's pristine, I am inclined to leave the gun as is. But I have surfed around at some photos and see some guys tricking their AK's out with optics etc. Thoughts on that?

I've tried to attach some pics. Which I've never done before so I'm hoping they show up.

Anyway thank you for indulging a noob.

http://www.gunsnet.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1750&d=1347370991

[Wild Bill]

You won for sure. I would not do a thing to it. You could seriously affect the value of a collectible AK. If you want a tricked out AK, get a Romanian WASR or SAR and change it up. The SAR is my favorite shooter AK.

[imanaknut]

Welcome to the group !!! :welcome:

Congrats on a great purchase. Also nice to see that you called the Keng family, as they have the real scoop on the Poly Tech struff. I have spoken to them many times myself. Nice family!

Anyway, if you do modify the rifle in any way that changes if physically and is not reversible, you have made mine more valuable by taking a perfect example of the treasured Poly Tech double underfolder out of circulation. Do nothing to that rifle. It is fairly rare and very hard to come by, and for what you stole it for, quite an investment.

The ammo you got in the deal is near $200. The rifle originally shipped with 3 Poly Tech mags, which were the only Chinese mag with three witness holes in the spine area. Most had chrome followers but there were some with black followers. The 5 round mags were for areas that mandate a limit for hunting purposes.

Value wise the double underfolders have been going for over $1500 with some new in box selling for crazy numbers. Check sold auctions on Gunbroker to get an idea on how great a deal you got.

Enjoy your new rifle! Please leave it as it is as it represents a piece of history that unless we have a major change in government, never to return again.

Again, welcome to our group, and I hate you!!!! ( :D In a good, jealous way :D )

[El Laton Caliente]

Naw, that there double underfolder ain't worth much... I'll give you your money back out of it... </evil laughter>

$1400 to $1600 is about right these days. For the high end I'd like to see the original box with it, but extra mags, if Poly also make up for that. Really nice buy. Wish I could find one like that. I would consider buying a shooter and making that a safe queen...

Sounds like that is Chinese ammo also. If Chinese steel core I would say more like $300 in value threre...

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

I hate you.

AWESOME DEAL MAN!!!!!!!

[Mars4Hire]

T the idea
Welcome to the group !!! :welcome:

Congrats on a great purchase. Also nice to see that you called the Keng family, as they have the real scoop on the Poly Tech struff. I have spoken to them many times myself. Nice family!

Anyway, if you do modify the rifle in any way that changes if physically and is not reversible, you have made mine more valuable by taking a perfect example of the treasured Poly Tech double underfolder out of circulation. Do nothing to that rifle. It is fairly rare and very hard to come by, and for what you stole it for, quite an investment.

The ammo you got in the deal is near $200. The rifle originally shipped with 3 Poly Tech mags, which were the only Chinese mag with three witness holes in the spine area. Most had chrome followers but there were some with black followers. The 5 round mags were for areas that mandate a limit for hunting purposes.

Value wise the double underfolders have been going for over $1500 with some new in box selling for crazy numbers. Check sold auctions on Gunbroker to get an idea on how great a deal you got.

Enjoy your new rifle! Please leave it as it is as it represents a piece of history that unless we have a major change in government, never to return again.

Again, welcome to our group, and I hate you!!!! ( :D In a good, jealous way :D )

First: Thank you for your response. It was a recommendation by you to another noob on here that caused me to call the Kengs. You had suggested that calling Chloe would reap solid intel.

Second: I am not inclined to modify the gun and the responses thus far have reinforced that so thank you to the others for that support as well.

Third: And here is where i struggle. I've never been much for safe queens. That being said I understand the concept of the collectability/ preservation concept. So now i have a dilemma it would seem.

As for the ammo its Norinco with a black steel(?) Casing.

3 of the mags have chrome follower the rest are black.

Lastly, what is meant by the term you guys used, "double underfolder"?

So thanks to all who replied with the friendly "hates" :-D and the info and the welcome. I look forward to the learning.

MARS

[deth502]

you have an underfolder stock on it, i know youve figured that part out by now.

every other ak, except for yours, the bayonet is detachable and clips on underneath the rifle. the chineese were different in th fct that they attached the bayonet perminantly to the rifle, which folded under when not deployed, hence the term "double underfolder" as both the stock and bayo fold under.

[imanaknut]

I agree that having a nice rifle like any of the Poly Techs makes you want to go out and enjoy it. That leads to the dilemma, if is a rare rifle, shooting something that rare would be a treat, but at the same time, depending on condition, some collectors will not be happy with a rare firearm that has been played with.

What really is a dilemma is that you paid less than half the current value of the rifle, so if you did take it out and shoot it, and of course clean it thoroughly after use, you really won't lose money. If you paid full value for what they are currently selling for, then yes shooting it would hurt, but you paid so little that you really won't take a loss by shooting it.

Again, personally, my safe queens are taken out of their safe every now and then, and even though I don't shoot them, part of the joy of owning such a piece is the upkeep. Just oiling a Chinese rifle that were imported in numbers less than 400 gives you a good feeling.

And I do have a couple of Chinese specials that I bought two of. One is a true, still in box with wrappings and just looked at, the second is one that I bought knowing it had been shot, and it gives me the chance to enjoy shooting a very rare rifle knowing that as long as I treat it nice, it really won't lose much in value.

That said, further, I have fired the Chinese rifles with underfolding bayonet, and honestly was not happy. The bayo had a twang that vibrated into the support hand and after a few shots got annoying.

The mags with the black followers, do they have the three witness marks for loading like the chrome follower mags? If so that would make them early Poly Tech mags. Some Poly Tech mags were marked as such on their floor plate.

[deth502]

Just oiling a Chinese rifle that were imported in numbers less than 400 gives you a good feeling.



holy shit, didnt know they were that rare.

[imanaknut]

Deth502, not specifically talking about the double underfolder, but Mr. Keng did hint that since he and the Chinese were trying to figure out what would sell in the US, they brought in some variants in very limited numbers, but unfortunately George Bush the First decided that our constitution was meaningless, and he forced ATF into enforcing the "sporting purpose" clause of the 1968 unconstitutional Gun Control Act.

As an aside, one of my conversations with the Keng family was about his side folder with the Galil style butt stock. Keng told me that the orange plastic wasn't selling, and he saw a Galil and decided to try that stock on the AKS-762 sidefolder. Unfortunately he forgot to tell the Chinese to use a different serial number designation, and it wasn't until several left the building did he realize it. Because of that he has no idea how many were imported, but he did say that the number was between only 200 and 400. Most rifles were imported in small numbers because as said, they were trying to figure out what would sell in a market that they knew was firearm hungry, but unfortunately at the time still anti-"commie" weapons.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Third: And here is where i struggle. I've never been much for safe queens. That being said I understand the concept of the collectability/ preservation concept. So now i have a dilemma it would seem.
MARS
No dilema, Amigo.

This ones easy.

Sell the rifle for twice what you paid for it.

Keep the ammo, maybe some of the mags.

Buy the shooter AK of your choice.

Put rest of money in pocket.



















...or you could just buy a drum and bump it till the handguards catch fire. It's your rifle...

[buxman66]

^^^ funny shit! But damn that's the truth.

[Schuetzenman]

I see nut took care of you on this. Mark me down for sell it for double what you have in it, buy a current offerning that is not collectable and pocket the difference. Ak rifles in 7.62x39 are all very similar in how they feel, sound and group. There are no stand outs in my opinion based only on who made them. One can occasionally find a rifle that groups tighter than normal but that's about it, no magic other wise.