The current state of the 5.56 AK market

[BravoOneFour]

So I've been shopping around for the right 5.56 AK for months, and I'm starting to come to the conclusion that there just isn't a well made 5.56 AKM on the market that isn't going to be upwards of 2 grand. There are of course options like the ACE, the beryl and the yugo variants, but finding a solid built AKM in 5.56 just isn't doable for some reason.
The Beryls are nice, but their optic system is bizarre and I'm not a fan. The ace is just plain ugly, and the zastava/yugo variants have a very limited market for furniture, and I plane on running MWI alpha furniture on it.
I was debating the giving PSA a shot, but their reviews are so all over the place that I can only come to the conclusion that their QC is entirely incompetent. Even if I had good luck with one, I don't feel like I could ever trust it.
Does anyone out there have any good recommendations? I'm not looking for input by guys that have put a few mags through a rifle and call it reliable, I want some real high round count input. Guys that really run their gun. If I have to drop 2500 on a SLR, then so be it, but maybe I've missed a hidden gem out there.

 

[kawtech87]

https://armsofamerica.com/wbp-jack-rifle-556-223-cal/

I have a WBP Jack in 7.62x39. I wouldn't say I'm a super high round count guy. But I've have/had almost every variation of an AK there is and the WBPs are very well built rifles. I'm sure it would serve you well. Takes standard AKM furniture as well and has the standard AKM side mount optic rail

 

[AllenM]

Interesting timing for this post. I know it's not a production rifle, but just finishing this 556 AK on a milled Sharp's Bros receiver for a customer.

It seems well built...
But you are probably right about the cost.

 

[sadclownwp]

I thought the newer PSA AK's were good to go after their 3rd gen? Or maybe that was the ones that had FN barrels.

 

[knutty]

Im a big ACE fan but at this point I see almost zero reason for a 5.56 AK given the entry cost.

 

[BravoOneFour]

I thought the newer PSA AK's were good to go after their 3rd gen? Or maybe that was the ones that had FN barrels.

No, their QC has still been really bad. It's really a shot in the dark. And most people in the price range for a PSA honestly don't shoot high round counts normally. So likely they are fine for the average joe, just not heavy users.

 

[BravoOneFour]

Im a big ACE fan but at this point I see almost zero reason for a 5.56 AK given the entry cost.

The Ace is a well built gun, I just hate how ugly it is.