Guns & Outdoors Forum

Today is the anniversary of the death of Mikhail

Mikhail Kalashnikov
"It is a thousand times harder to make simple things than complicated ones”


The AK and variants have been used in more coupes, conflicts, and by warlords than any other weapon.
It’s on about six different country flags, and the official military rifle of about 60 countries world wide.
I don’t think there is a single “episode” in Africa, Asia, or South/central America that didn’t involve prolific use of the AK, PK, or RPK.

I mean, it’s a crude weapon. A weapon built for defense (Mikhail’s words), and a weapon for conscripts. It takes extreme abuse, and still keeps going.
In the words of Samuel L. Jackson
“ when you have to kill every motherf’cker in the room, accept no substitute “

I mean… there isn’t much that Russia has built with any degree of reliability other than the AK…

I carried one in a place while doing a thing. And I carried it for that very reason stated above. Along with the gained respect for carrying something my indigenous cohorts were carrying as well.
But I had a .308 Win with me as well.

I am a fan of the Kalashnikov platform, and a big fan of the 7.62x39 round.

Not saying I don’t like other platforms, but the AK has a brutal simplicity to it that has my respect. A tool born of necessity and has had a staying power that is pretty unmatched.

The AK is a tool that every gun nut should understand and enjoy.

But the current prices are stupid. An AK should not be a $1000+ rifle.

When an AR is cheaper and more reliable than an AK, Houston, we have a problem.....

Been reading about some modern "base model" AKs that have issues. Mainly metallurgy or tolerances.

I used to have a couple personal ones. Not currently. Just don’t want to buy feed for one.

I respect the design and reliability of the AK platform. Can’t argue with their effectiveness. I applaud the dudes in sandals beating them out of old farm equipment in caves in a third world poop hole.

But I also like good triggers, optics, modularity, ergonomics, and not owning a commie bastard weapon. IE: I prefer the AR15 platform.

I remember reading a magazine article about the various Soviet weapon systems. It mentioned Soviet conscripts going home after sacking Berlin who screwed captured light bulbs into the walls of their log cabins and expected them to work. THAT is the quality of operator the AK was designed for, and really, at the end of the day, at least a third of the average troops would rather eat, drink, sleep, and screw than give a moment's care to their weapon.

You really have to hand it to Mickey T. for understanding his audience.