I remember that before Clinton's executive action in 1994 there was a pawn shop in the town where I worked at the time that was selling new Chinese SKS rifles for $49.95 and Chinese 7.62x39 ammo for 10 cents a round.
So you could, if you were so inclined, buy a new SKS rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition for just a hair under $100 before tax.
That was, by no means, the cheapest you could find it. That was buying it at retail, not ordering it by the case.
In that same general timeframe, you could buy Chinese 7.62x25 pistol ammunition for about 5 cents a round in bulk.
""William J. Clinton
The President's News Conference
May 26, 1994
...
In view of the continuing human rights abuses, I am extending the sanctions imposed by the United States as a result of the events in Tiananmen Square, and I am also banning the import of munitions, principally guns and ammunition from China."
