AR this, AR that — between the politicians, anti-gunners, and all y’all on our side who daily weigh in on the lack of AR availability, you’d think this was the only combat/competition/survival and all around damn fun gun ever to be had.

Sure, it seems everyone wants one or five these days, but scarce supplies are putting the kibosh on that in a big way. So, time to look at another viable resource for your combat/competition/survival and all around damn fun gun.

There was a time, not all that long ago, when AKs and SKSs had fallen into the same pattern of scarcity today’s ARs have. Remember the former POTUS Bill Clinton’s Assault Rifle Ban of 1994? Yup, AKs and SKSs were about as rare as gold hen’s teeth back then. Today? Well, you probably won’t find tables of them at your local gun show or a dozen to choose from at your favorite gun shop, but they are in better supply than just about anything with an AR prefix.

To help you jump into the fray of the “alternate” AR, we highly recommend The Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS. Authored by one of our favorites, Patrick Sweeney, you’ll not only get the down and dirty on this nifty, gritty long guns, including ammo selection, makes and variants, DYI and gunsmithing tips, and a load of other useful info. Injected with a healthy dose of the edgy wit Pat’s known for, this is also one fun read.

Give it—and the AK and SKS—a shot. We think that, with the aid of this book, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well-rounded your gun safe can become.

Click here to order The Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS