After 10 years of not living in the USA and not being able to buy firearms, I have been on kind of a buying spree the last year or so. Though I am going to offload one of my 22 pistols, I wanted an AK style, more to make sure I have than anything else. The best neutral person to ask IMHO was my nephew, he has a passion for the AK platform and is constantly researching the topic.
I am lazy and don't like too many calibers to keep track of, so I wanted an AK chambered in 5.56 NATO. My nephew said if you don't mind spending an extra $200 the FB Radom AK Beryl, a batch of Polish made AKs in 5.56 were delivered to Atlantic Firearms. My nephew said the gun is a rare bird and should hold its value and if you custom it should go up in value, maybe. To quote my nephew bar none best AK chambered in 5.56 NATO.
So after a little price hesitation ($1599 delivered) I opted to cash out a some bit coin and buy one. I will only have one, so it might as be one of the best. I called a local dealer I have recently bought some guns from to inform them I am having a gun sent to them, dealer goes fine and agreed with my nephew, the beryl is a rare bird and he looked forward to seeing on in person.
Once received I will do a test and in future I will get the top rail you can buy for optics, all proprietary of course pricey too.
I hope so and I found a different supplier who can get it to me next week, or so they say. Plus the first one was using 14x1 threading, vs 1/2 x 28. I spoke to the dealer receiving the gun where I bought my other stuff and they told me don't go there because it's harder to find a can for it. Yes, I plan to get probably a Dead Air suppressor for the AK and AR, my nephew and the dealer agreed one of the best for AK platforms and will easily handle the AR.
what is your budget? With the new Taipans coming out, forward cocking lever, you will start to see the rear cocking coming up for sale on airgun nation classifieds. Drop my name there if you need a reference, also Blackpaw. you won't regret a Czech made Taipan. Utah airguns have new 25 cal Taipans for $1150, used you could probably get one for $800-$900. My buddy has been turkey hunting with his Taipan long in 25 cal and took one out last week at 60 yards, yes he is an exceptional shot, but still not bad for a "BB gun" Taipans also have a cult following and are built like a tank.
Check out the used / pre-owned guns on Airguns of Arizona, their customer service is second to none. I had an issue with a new gun, and they replaced it no questions asked and actually upgraded me Brocock Ranger XR. If you keep your eye out you should be able to pick up a Daystate Revere or Huntsman or a Brocock for the budget you have.
Also, check out Krale.com, dutch store, and the AGT Vixen in 22. AGT is Czech. I have a preference for Euro made guns. Krale is a first rate place, been there several times at their store in The Netherlands. I have bought two guns from Krale. AGT guns are boring accurate. The Vixen has a CZ barrel and is a bottle gun, so would work great with a portable compressor.
For the Price point I would recommend the Viper Long from AGT. Trust me, this Viper is tier one level, trigger, accuracy and quality. Krale's price on the Vixen is in your range, if interested. The price will vary depending on exchange rate, they are made in the Czech Republic.
However, there is another really good option my buddy Alex did recommend to me, AEA Element 2.0. $600 I know Alex personally, and though he is a "big YouTuber" the guy has nothing but integrity and I am one of the few people in USA who know Alex really is. Snowflakes freak out when he kills pigeons so he hides his face to limit the drama. I spoke to Alex on the phone after he got the gun, he said that regulator's consistency rivaled that of his Edguns of Prophet II, trust me the other two brands are much more expensive. Here are some links, two of Alex's videos with the AEA out shooting things.
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