You could get a Romanian SAR-3 which is chambered in .223.
You could get a Romanian SAR-3 which is chambered in .223.
The $35 each magazines are a consideration. The ,223 version of the Russian Saiga is easily modified to use surplus and more common Galil magazines, and plastic versions are also available at around $15 each. There are now folding stock units for the Saiga, some of which take either an M4 push-pull stock or M16A1 solid stock but fold to the gun's left side [maintaining a clear ejection port and access to the AK selector]
And if you have a few examples of fired brass with mangled caswe mouths, not uncommon considering the AKs VERY certain extraction/ejection cycle, a few reloading tools and supplies and a little time, they can become 7.62 x 25 reloads for a Czech Vz52 or Tokarev TT33 pistol, both of which are very reasonably priced and available to those with C&R licenses...for now.