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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

President Barak Obama signed Executive Order 13661 this past week, which bans imports from eight select Russian arms exporters. The news was released only hours before the jetliner in Ukraine was shot down, presumably by Russian mercenaries.

The effect on those firms which import certain styles of guns was immediate. One such firm in Colorado, with whom I have done business, has announced on their Facebook page that sales of Saiga rifles, Saiga shotguns, Vepr rifles and Vepr shotguns, as well as spare parts would be affected. As far as I can tell (and know) the ban includes all newly manufactured Russian arms from one Russian firm, but it may not include demilitarized guns the Russians are exporting.

The ban, again as far as I know, does not affect commercial brands of common ammunition made in Russia or Ukraine by Russian owned firms, including Barnaul brands, Brown Bear, Silver Bear and Golden Bear ammunition, nor does it apparently affect Red Army Standard brand ammunition, the makers of which are partnered with Century Arms.

I do not agree with the ban because I think Obama can be doing much more, and I do think he sees an opportunity to throttle the import of Russian armaments.

The worst part of the ban is how the ban affects the only newly manufactured Russian rifle that uses the 7.62x54 cartridge. Up until Vepr started exporting its rifles to the United States, the only semiautomatic rifle to fire the Russian rimmed cartridge that you could buy was the Draganov, and all its various iterations. The most popular one was the Romanian PSL Dragunov.

Sometime last year demilled PSL kits disappeared completely, and I think I know why: Not enough domestic parts are available. In the AKs, several companies make a number of parts for AKs such as rifle barrels and other accessories, including fire control groups.

Last year, however, only APEX Parts Inc, another firm with which I have done business, carried a PSL kit with no receiver and no barrel. The lack of an available barrel was the problem. Last I saw the cost for a new barrel, undrilled, was over $400, and the cost of a steel stamped 80 percent receiver was $60, if you could even find one. The same with the magazine. I saw them going for $150 at one place last year. The kit itself was around $500. At that time, for an additional $500, you could buy a decent AR-10 new.

This year matters are slightly different. One company is offering an "armorer's kit, with no barrel, no receiver, and none of the other accessories necessary to build a PSL rifle for around $149. Unless you were an AK or Russian armaments phreak, you are not going to lay out that kind of wampum and then add the labor, necessary tooling and all the attendant insanity that goes with building a Russian rifle.

Enter the Vepr. New everything. You can get a new Vepr sniper rifle complete with Picatinny rails and magazines for about $1,200, or $1,300 delivered. Helluva deal to be able to fire 7.62 rounds for about half what 7.62 NATO goes for.

But like a prankster, Obama decides to take away the punchbowl at just the right time.

Loads.

Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:

Prices for rifle ammunition were mixed, while prices for pistol ammunition were lower across the board. Prices for used rifles were mostly lower, while prices for used pistols were mixed.

Pistol Ammo

.45 Caliber, 230 grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: O.D. Green Supply, Tulammo, steel cased, .29 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, steel cased, .29 per round (From last week: -.01 Each )

.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: I.Q. Metals, HSM, RNFP, factory seconds, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Store Brand, reloaded, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged)

9mm Parabellum, 115 grain From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds (Limit 2 Boxes): O.D. Green Supply, Tulammo, Steel cased, FMJ, .19 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Freedom Munitions, Store Brand, FMJ, Reloads, .20 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks) )

.357 Magnum, 158 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Rare Ammo, Geco, FMJ, .39 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 250: LAX Ammunition, Store Brand, Reloaded, .34 per round (From Last Week: -.04 Each (!) (-.06 Each over Two Weeks))

Rifle Ammunition

.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Munire USA, Tulammo, steel cased, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Munire USA, Tulammo, steel cased, .22 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each (-.04 Each over Two Weeks))

.308 NATO 145 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt, Barnaul, steel cased, .41 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: SG Ammo, Silver Bear, steel cased, .45 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks))

7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Depot, Wolf, steel case, .21 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,080 rounds: SG Ammo, Red Army Standard, steel case, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))

.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: +.01 each
Cheapest, 50 rounds (5 box limit): Ammomen, Federal Champion, .08 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 325 rounds: Trop Gun Shop, Federal Champion, .10 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))

Guns for Private Sale
Rifles

.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $570 Last Week Avg: $609 (-)
California (209, 209): Palmetto State Armory: $600
Texas (297, 309): Mixed Build: $575 (Same Gun) (!)
Pennsylvania (154, 154): Doublestar star-15 carbine: $500 (!)
Virgina (212, 205): MMC: $625
Florida (415, 413): Bushmaster AR15 Mod XM15-E2S: $550

.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,080 Last Week Avg: $$1,140 (-)
California (47, 43): Smith & Wesson M&P10 $1,000 (Same Gun)
Texas (56, 54): DPMS Oracle: $900 (Same Gun)
Pennsylvania (23, 23): Bushmaster: $1,200 (Same Gun)
Virginia (47, 41): DPMS Oracle: $1,100 (!) (Same Gun)
Florida (81, 75): Smith & Wesson M&P 10: $1,200

7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $520 Last Week Avg: $520 ()
California (36, 41): M+M M10-762 : $650
Texas (62, 54): Zastava: $500
Pennsylvania (54, 51): Saiga: $500 (Same Gun)
Virginia (77, 73): WASR : $450 (!)
Florida (141, 125): Zastava: $500

7.62x54mm (Dragunov Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $1,000 Last Week Avg: $1,000 ()
California (0): None Available
Texas (0): None Available
Pennsylvania (0, 0): None Available
Virginia (1, 1): Romak PSL: $1,200
Florida (7, 7): Romak PSL: $800 (Same Gun) (!)

Pistols

.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $395 Last Week Avg: $422 (-)
California (156, 151): Rock Island Armory: $425
Texas (232, 215): Tisas: $400 (Same Gun)
Pennsylvania (189, 185): Rock Island Armory: $450
Virginia (190, 185): Tisas: $350 (!)
Florida (380, 385): Llama: $350 (!)

9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $439 Last Week Avg: $446 (-)
California (152, 153): Ruger P94 : $400
Texas (336, 333): Glock 26: $435
Pennsylvania (198, 209): Glock 19: $450
Virginia (228, 227): Glock 19: $460
Florida (469, 452): Glock 26 : $450

.40 caliber S&W (Glock and other semiautomatic) Average Price: $426 Last Week Avg: $410 (+)
California (94, 94): Sig Sauer SP2022: $425 (Same Gun)
Texas (136, 148): Smith & Wesson SD40: $400
Pennsylvania (116, 118): Glock 22: $430
Virginia (122, 126): Glock 27: $450
Florida (234, 231): Glock 23: $425

Used Gun of the Week: (Ohio)

Romak PSL Sniper Rifle Chambered in 7.62x54R

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com


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