I expect to be stoned-AR/AK

[jim in Anchorage]

Yes, I am sticking a branch in the hornets nest,but what is the charm of these guns? A military gun whose very existence is because it can be mass produced cheaply,yet people are willing to pay $2000 for them. If you are that worried about SHTF,buy a generator and 300 gal diesel.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

OK I own basically one of the closest things to a "real" AK you can get, I have a Saiga rifle converted to standard config and it it about $700 in total. Second I don't want it for SHTF I want it for fun. It's great to shoot, was fun to build and customize and work on, and was money well spent.

Also the AK may be cheap to manufacture but it is without a doubt the most rugged, reliable military rifle out there. It runs covered in mud, sand, water, you name it. There are 50+ year old AKM's in use right now that have spent 50 years being beaten and cleaned with boot laces/motor oil and will eat whatever ammo its given every time.

 

[Grey_Mana]

As a toy, they are great. As a tool, they are great. Are they the best use of $2000 in preparing yourself? Well, yes. If you need to take from somebody else to survive, or armed people want to take from you, then having a better gun is 1, having less gun is 0 gun.

For most disaster scenarios, being physically fit is critically important. Being able to carry stuff, to run from danger, to not immediately fall down or pass out if you're hit by something/someone, to be able to toil at digging, clearing, rebuilding. To survive dysentery, or the bird/swine/monkey flu.

Nobody likes to think about hard work and sickness. Shooting zombies, that's kinda fun to think about.

 

[ScrwnyM4]

I own a AR, but it has nothing to do with SHTF. I simply wanted one... With that said the appeal for me is that I was in the military and am well aware of the capabilities of the platform. As long as they are kept clean and lubed they are reliable and accurate weapon platforms that can be converted to many different calibers. With one lower receiver you can build many different guns. Another is that if you are in to the whole tactical thing, I can't think of another rifle that has so many available accesories... That is it for me in a nut shell...

 

[DMK]

A military gun whose very existence is because it can be mass produced cheaply,yet people are willing to pay $2000 for them.

Are you talking about the AR or AK? They are very different rifles. Do your research.

The AK was designed to be simple and cheaply produced. ARs are more expensive and were designed as a lightweight rifle to be manufactured using techniques and materials borrowed from the areospace industry (in the late 1950s/ early 1960s).

I own one AK, just for the charm of it, because it is cheap to purchase ($300 for my SAR1), cheap to feed and uber reliable. I like the rifle for its simplicity and ruggedness, but I won't buy another. In fact, I actually prefer the SKS to the AK.

I own 7 ARs because they are fun to build, very accurate, easy to maintain, lightweight, versatile, have many optional features and configurations, excellent sights and great ergonomics. I built my first one from parts because I'm a gearhead and love to build things. The first time I took it to the range, I fell in love with how it handled and how it shoots. If I could only have one rifle, it would be an AR, with several uppers in different calibers.

Basic M16A1 type clone chambered in .223/5.56

AR15 chambered in 22LR

AR15 chambered in 7.62x39

 

[benEzra]

I'm sure that lever-action and falling-block aficionados felt similarly when military-style bolt-actions displaced "traditional" civilian rifles in the early to mid 20th century.

The AR platform did not become the dominant centerfire target rifle and defensive carbine in the United States because of concerns about "SHTF", but because of its merits (accuracy, ergonomics, modularity, versatility).

With regard to the AK---if Winchester came out with a semiauto .30-30 that was even more rugged and reliable under adverse conditions than the Model 94, used interchangeable detachable magazines of 5, 10, 20, or 30 rounds, had a built-in optics mount, and priced it at $400 to $700, do you think anyone would buy it? Because that's pretty much what a civilian AK is, a detachable-magazine autoloading .30-30 built for extreme reliability and durability.

 

[jackstinson]

I am constantly trying to understand why so many folks here seem to think that the ONLY reasons for anyone to a firearm are; self-defense, SHTF, or Zombies. There are other reasons you know. Most of my guns I bought just for FUN
You remember "fun", right???
Blasting a target with a couple hundred 7.62x39 Brown Bears from an AK-type on a sunny afternoon is just plain FUN!
What other reason do I need?

 

[SSN Vet]

well ..... some people chose not to put their head in the sand and saw the threat of a potential Obama admin. for exactly what it was.... liberal gun grabbers who would bankrupt the nation.

Unless one was not of legal age or lacked the funds.... I don't know what anybody has to complaign about. The writing was there on the wall for all to read.

It should be no surprise that lot's of people read it and decided to get while the getting was good.

Some read it earlier than others and benefited from their foresight.

I put together my nicely converted Saiga for $425 and a kit build AR middy for $675. Both of these were quite a financial stretch for a Joe middle class guy like me, with kids to feed and a mortgage to pay. But I found a way.

Now, I enjoy and respect them as useful tools that are a pleasure to use and to master.

It is what it is....

Frankly, I'm a little tired of listening to all the whining and think that energy could have been better spent being thoughtful and resourceful instead.

Example... Small rifle primers were out there to be had... for those willing to put in the energy into the search. I made some phone calls and was willing to drive a little ways and within a few weeks replenished my meager stock.

Get over it people....

and OBTW... After seeing my first New England ice storm 11 years ago.... I quickly punched the generator and fuel storage tickets .... not to mention putting a wood heat option in the middle of my house building plans and maintaining my fire wood inventory at ~ 6 cords.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

A military gun whose very existence is because it can be mass produced cheaply,yet people are willing to pay $2000 for them. If you are that worried about SHTF,buy a generator and 300 gal diesel.

I'm afraid I don't understand what purchasing a AR15 has to do with being worried about SHTF. This may come as a total surprise, but there are people on this forum who enjoy shooting for the sake of shooting and not preparing for a disaster. Some folks even have such rifles purely for the sake of competition and don't even have a box of MREs in the closet.

 

[clemsonu0219]

I'm afraid I don't understand what purchasing a AR15 has to do with being worried about SHTF. This may come as a total surprise, but there are people on this forum who enjoy shooting for the sake of shooting and not preparing for a disaster. Some folks even have such rifles purely for the sake of competition and don't even have a box of MREs in the closet.

Yep.

 

[CoRoMo]

Yes, I am sticking a branch in the hornets nest,but what is the charm of these guns?

It would take a thread a mile long to answer this question, because every AR owner and every AK owner here would have to make a couple posts describing their opinions. If making a blanket assumption as to the pretenses of AR/AK enthusiasts is your way of stirring up a hornets nest, I guess you accomplished that. Just don't be so quick to judge.

 

[KenWP]

Since I have no idea what SHTF even is I would guess I will never have any need for a AR or AK or any other kind of rifle that looks like that. I have my semi auto 22s for rapid fire and I have my elaphant guns for the really big stuff and I have 30-06s and such to keep food on the table. What else could a guy need or want. Also have a few shotguns for birds and what ever else a shotgun works for.

 

[CoRoMo]

I have no idea what SHTF even is

S*** Hits The Fan

 

[Dravur]

Oh joy....

Another "Why do you need such and such gun" thread. I guess the other 500 threads on this weren't enough.

How about this.... You buy whatever gun you want, and I will buy whatever gun I want. I wont care that you bought a .475 Thunderboomer but have never been to Africa and no intentions of ever shooting anything larger than a chipmunk and I expect you not to care when I buy the rifles that interest me.

Nuff said

 

[BMF500]

I bought my SKS just for fun. They are incredibly reliable, affordable, and just plain ol' fun. For pactical purposes I routinely use it for hunting hogs, and I have even used it a couple of times for deer hunting. As far as SHTF, I hope that never happens.....

 

[DHJenkins]

You got another rifle effective to 600M that can carry 100 rds in one mag?

Seriously, that's like asking "why on earth do you like pickles?"

To each his own, and I'll spend my money however I like.

 

[test drive]

when the S realy does HTF someone will try to take your generator and 300 gal. of diesel and they won't be asking nice-like.:banghead:

 

[hso]

If you are that worried

You've made a false assumption based on your lack of appreciation for these rifles for simple shooting enjoyment.

whose very existence is because it can be mass produced cheaply,yet people are willing to pay $2000 for them

Again, you've made an incorrect assumption based on not understanding the rifle type. $2,000 ARs aren't intended to be mass produced cheaply, $700 ARs are. A 2k$ AR is intended as a precision rifle. You can add a bunch of "stuff" onto a basic AR and drive the price up, but that isn't the rifle. A base 2k$ AR is for competitive shooting at 1,000 meters.

what is the charm of these guns?

Their good ergonomics and minimal recoil make them enjoyable to shoot. Their historical role makes them interesting. I don't understand on a gut level why my buddy ever paid for a Roush Mustang, but I accept on an intellectual level that he enjoys it in spite of my not wanting one. On the other hand, he understands on a gut and intellectual level why I have the guns that I have and doesn't disparage my firearms collection or that I drive a 10 year old Toyota with over 200,000 miles on it.

 

[John-Melb]

AR/AK as a "SHTF" gun? Bah Humbug!

My "SHTF" gun's a Hawken!

 

[Deanimator]

With TWO uppers and EVERY accessory, my AR didn't come CLOSE to $2000.

I was having problems with neo-Nazis who were posting death threats and maps to my home on usenet when I bought it. It would have been a very handy tool if any of those goosestepping kiddie diddlers had ever grown a pair and acted on their impotent threats. Under those circumstances, a generator wouldn't have been of much use to me.

 

[LRaccuracy]

I own an Ak and an AR for only one reason.... BECAUSE I CAN.

What I do with them at any point in time is my decision.

 

[CoRoMo]

Jim... come back and tell us how the flames were received.

FWIW, I think it is only sensible to use effective battle weapons for HD/SD. Otherwise, I'd just keep a large screwdriver on my nightstand.

 

[ezypikns]

Just because we have thoughts......

doesn't mean we should always express them.

And I really like this quote:

How about this.... You buy whatever gun you want, and I will buy whatever gun I want.

That just about says it all.

 

[Justin]

Yes, I am sticking a branch in the hornets nest,but what is the charm of these guns? A military gun whose very existence is because it can be mass produced cheaply,yet people are willing to pay $2000 for them. If you are that worried about SHTF,buy a generator and 300 gal diesel.

If the whole point of the AR15 platform is to be "produced cheaply" and offers no other advantages, perhaps you'd care to enlighten us as to why AR15's in various configurations now absolutely dominate the field in every form of competitive shooting that allows them. From old-school High Power Service Rifle matches to New School Multigun/3 Gun competitions, the AR15 is the choice of the vast majority of competitors, and so far as I've seen, all of the winners.

I mean, sure the AR would make a good SHTF gun, but I'm not the sort of guy who sits in his basement, surrounded by pallets of MRE's fantasizing about Mad Max.

 

[tac34]

If the S*it really does HTF someday you will finally understand.