AK47s For EveryBody

[VeryCoolCat]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060417/od_nm/russia_kalashnikov_dc;_ylt=AtlB.h4ePys86jDyBoBLcXCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3NW1oMDRpBHNlYwM3NTc-

Can anyone actually confirm that US soldiers are dropping their m16s in iraq. Most likely NOT the marines, but is it true. Is the possiblity of a jamming m16/ar15 in iraq so high that they are still scavenging enemy weapons?

[donger]

Where's that dead horse?

Seriously, this topic has been beat to death. Just do a quick google search and you'll have tons of info to compare the two rifles.

[RRangel]

I don't doubt that they can be used if they had to, but right now our forces are a little bit better regimented than that.

Contrary to what is said an AK isn't perfect and can break or also be unreliable and you don't know if whatever you pick up has been properly maintained.

When I served we did know they weren't accurate and their troops didn't train to use them accurately. At least not like a 500m rifle.

I think the old Russian designer loves to toot his horn.

[brando]

No, soldiers are not dumping their M16s and M4s for AKs. You can buy an AK for as little as $50 over there, but you are still issued a weapon that you are responsible for with your life. Personally owned weapons are frowned on, so much so now you get in big trouble if you have anything other than your assigned weapon.

I was lucky when I was there. I was rolling with Peshmerga fighters every day, and they were armed with AKs for the most part. My whole team used our M4s, but some of us had AKs tucked away just in case things got extra ugly. I had a shortened AK that I strapped to the side of my A-pack. In fact, I could fire it while still attached to the side.

The only real advantage of having an AK handy over there is if you get in a prolonged fire fight far from other forces (we were very remote). Here's a pic:

[ALTSEC972]

Jesse.... while this is true..... lots of guys I know have moved over to the AK for short periods of time, because they started running out of 5.56 ammo, and had a much easier time picking up unspent ammo off all the dead bodies of insurgents.

Realistically speaking, I'd rather have a couple of guys in my unit using 7.62 at a minimum..... especially going house to house, for days on end, without any resupply.

Sure, the sound thing may have it's merits..... but having an overabundance of ammo, to simply pry from the dead terror trash that was just fragged, seems like a much more logical answer to me...... But WTF do I know??

[ALTSEC972]

Brando... where's the pic??

[brando]

The pic is an attachment, taken on the floor of my room in the safehouse. During my whole year downrange I never once saw a US soldier use an AK in an engagement with the enemy. I did hear of one that did, but only because his M4 took a round and was rendered inop. It's not like troops are ditching their trusted rifles and carbines for a POS AK (a good many of them are total POSs over there).

Here's a pic with an RPK (yes, I know it's green, but up north it ain't so desert-like).

[Jeff Rambo]

$50? The going rate last I checked was $219.

[brando]

Hehe, depend on quality/type/etc.

[superhondaz50]

I bet you wish you could've brought those home!

[brando]

That and the brand-spanking new MP5 sitting in the TOC.

[VeryCoolCat]

Thats too bad they don't let you take home souvenirs like those of previous wars, I wonder if the blackwater guys are allowed to take home stolen aks but thats another topic.

Great picture, I'd love to fire a fa ak but your doing it for necesesity rather than for enjoyment.

[brando]

Customs is customs. Personally I wish they'd let us bring back stuff if it was demilled, but in this day and age you can't do diddly with weapons. Some people, however, take some major risks and get stuff back. But there are also some who get caught and get much more than a slap on the wrist.

Iraq was crazy. To get a weapon all you had to do was talk to anyone in the security forces. Chances are they'd know someone who knew someone, etc. AKs were cheap, as were RPKs and PKMs, MP5s about $1000, MP5K about $3000 and even old Pattern 14 bolt rifles could be had. Glock and Walter P99 pistols were much more expensive than stateside at roughly $1000. It was a very strange world coming from California.

[superhondaz50]

my uncle had a buddy who went to iraq and he said it was just a pool of different guns, he said some iraqies even had old ww2 nazi weapons, like an MP44, did you ever see anything like this?

[blkA4alb]

how much for an RPG? oh the joy..