Thanks for the info, guys. I basically want it as a part of my SHTF arsenal. I have an AR 15, but I would like the extra punch of the 7.62 round. Also, my wife could probably handle the AR ok, so that would give us 2 in a fight if necessary. The AK would also be suitable for hunting, if needed in a survival situation, although I'll add a real hunting rifle down the line. All of course, just in case, since I usually do my hunting by stalking the wild frozen pizza at Albertson'd Currently, since I have been out of work for 5 months, I would look closely at the lower price models. But, when I'm working, I make decent money, so I could go higher, once the checks start coming in. As far as building my own...... may that's an option for you, but it would require a full class, with a great deal of hands on, for me to be able to do that. I'm all thumbs until I have some lessons an practical experience. Don't get me wrong, I can learn to do most anything reasonable. I suture wounds (part of the job), and have done quite a few through and through lip lacerations, involving the vermillion border (the margin where the mucous membrane of the lips meet the normal skin- a 1 mm error would leave someone with a permanent deformity, a "step off", that would not be good), all with great success. But I'm not going to learn to do it from a book, or figuring it out for myself