It's just a deal where they licensed the name/bought the rights etc.
Of course there's been and are several US AK makers, Century among them, and high end ones, if on a more boutique maker status. The inexpensive Russian Saiga's and E. European imports were and are making it difficult to compete on price.
My hope is that they do have some sort of technical advising, or tooling support from the Kalashnikov concern, and can actually produce Izhmash or Molot-quality AKM's, 103's etc. and maybe an easy-to-SBR AKSU-type. And do it for less than a Krebs. Hopefully the booth pictures are just to add "flash" and attract interest. I don't think the market needs a bunch of mid-grade AK's in Cerakote/Duracoat colors festooned with rails. Anyone who wants to do that to their AK can Tapco**** them afterward to their heart's content.
And I'm not sure about the "getting parts" comment. There's tons.
922r compliance parts for FCG, and the new barrels because of the import regs changing, US domestic made receiver flats, stock sets.. you name it. Although I wouldn't expect any less for a media-drone to accept that at face value, since such a (non-existent) problem as "foreign rifle - hard to get parts" seems at least nominally plausible on it's face.
