A lot of people in the internet is asking this million-dollar question.

“Is it possible to own an AK-47 rifle in the US?”

The short answer is: It depends.

Depending on your location (sadly it’s not available in some states), licenses, age and many more. It also depends if you want a full-auto or a semi-auto one. Due to the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act of 1986, obtaining a genuine AK-47 assault rifle became more difficult, especially for civilians. There is a common misconception that full-auto firearms are illegal here in the US. It’s possible to own a full-auto weapon here, but it’s a lot more expensive and you need to undergo a rigorous background check before you can purchase one.

But basically, if you’re a US citizen, you’re living in one of the states that allows this weapon, you have the necessary documents and if you can find an authentic AK-47 that’s available for transfer, you can get your hands on one of these guns.

Once you get your gun, read some training manuals on how to properly use and maintain this gun then off you go to the target range.

But before that, we will cover some of the laws governing the use of assault weapons in the United States of America that every gun owner should know:

1. The federal firearms Act of 1938 that requires that gun manufacturers and generally people in the act of selling weapons must have a Federal Firearms License (FFL) and these people are not to, under any circumstance, transfer these firearms to convicted felons.

2. The Omnibus Crime Control and safe streets act of 1968 have put a ban on the interstate trading of handguns and they have also increased the minimum age required for the purchase of guns to 21.

3. The Gun-free School Zones Act of 1990 prohibits the knowing possession of firearms by unauthorized persons in a school zone.

4. Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires a background check be done on most of the firearm purchases made, all dependent on both the seller and the area where it is being sold.

5. Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 criminalizes with only a few exceptions the importation, manufacture, sale or possession of firearms with less than 3.7 oz metal content.

These laws and many more are all put in place to serve the purpose of maintaining law and complete order in the community and to reduce that amount of misuse that has been occurring in the United States.

Advantages of owning an AK-47

Now you know the laws, here are some reasons why owning an AK-47 as a civilian is pretty amazing:

  • Due to its simple and rugged design, the AK-47 is considered by many as one of the most reliable guns of all time. A Humvee once drove over one and it still fired as if nothing happened.
  • The 7.62mm bullets that this gun uses packs a mightier punch and delivers more kinetic energy than the 5.56mm rounds. More energy means more stopping power. This makes the AK-47 a good choice for home defense.
  • Again, because of its simplistic design, it’s easier to clean and field strip than other assault rifles. The safety acts as a dust cover for added protection from the elements.
  • It fires when you need to. Due to its loose parts and the gas piston system it uses, jamming will be the least of your worries.

Disadvantages of the AK-47

Just like every firearm out there, it comes with its drawbacks too.

  • Modern AK rifle variants usually weighs 6.8 lbs or more. Hard to carry for long periods of time.
  • The powerful 7.62mm bullets produces heavy recoil which makes the weapon difficult to control. You can install an AK recoil reducer to minimize this issue.
  • 7.62mm bullets weigh more than the 5.52mm ones meaning you can carry less.
  • Effective range is just 300 yards. Not a huge issue if you’re planning to use it only for home defense.