Just got my very first gun!

[V4Vendetta]

"If you're very tall and can't figure out how to get on the sights then you should purchase a slip on buttpad to help get the length of pull needed (much chaeaper than the "American" length replacement stocks)."


I'll look into that. I'm 6' tall.


"I'd save the money you plan on spending for the drum and buy some hand picked AK mags for $12 each. If your single drum has a problem with your 75 rounds of ammo in it you've got no solutions while you're being shot at. If you've got four 30 round mags that you spent $48 for you've got the option of carrying out a mag exchange and getting back in the fight."


When I get home I'm going to time how long it takes to change magazines. Once you hit empty, if you still have BG's standing, you can have a problem. A good 75 round drum would be nice for that situation. Don't worry as I'm still planning to get a few more stick shaped 30 rounders.

"The price that you'll pay for a laser will equal the cost of good training with the AK."

I could tape a $3 laser pointer from the "Dollar General" on to it & save $150. . I already looked for classes in my area. There aren't any.

 

[Stiletto Null]

Just to be realistic, if you find that reloading is a problem with 30-round magazines, maybe you have problems that one guy with a semiautomatic faux-assault rifle won't be able to solve.

But seriously, those 75-rounders are overrated. Bulky, heavy, and generally a pain. (IMO)

Now, if you got a faux-RPK with a bipod, and mounted a red dot and used it as a deployed weapon (rather than shoulder weapon), then we're talking.

 

[V4Vendetta]

I never said I had trouble reloading a 30 rounder. I enjoy it. But reloading takes precious moments.

1. You have to push & hold the ejection switch.
2. You have to pull out magazine.
3. You have to grab fresh magazine.
4. You have to insert fresh magazine.
5. You have to pull back the rack.
6. Re-Aim.

A drum would be very useful for riots & zombies. I'll still keep the stick clips though.

 

[orangeninja]

Congrats on your new gun purchase. Now you'll have to join the NRA or the like to protect your investment, legally and financially.

 

[V4Vendetta]

"Now you'll have to join the NRA."


I checked on that. Too expensive.

 

[Billy Sparks]

At the very least look into going Grass Roots NC GRNC which is a very politically active group here in NC. They will help you keep that rifle here in NC.

I am not that much taller or bigger than you and I had no problem firing the SAR1. I agree you are not pulling it into your shoulder. It is actually a great round to fire. If I was you don't mess with the drum they are heavy and throw the balance off horribly.

BTW you are wearing eye and ear protection while firing the rifle, right? Your glasses can probably take care of your eyes but you really need to make sure you have ear plugs in.

 

[hso]

But reloading takes precious moments.

At the beginning of the day in Paul's class I was taking 4.25 seconds to go from "click" to "bang" with a mag change.

At the end of the day it was 2.6 seconds.

 

[V4Vendetta]

"BTW you are wearing eye and ear protection while firing the rifle, right? Your glasses can probably take care of your eyes but you really need to make sure you have ear plugs in."


I use earplugs with earmuffs over them. The earmuffs block out 25 decibals & the plugs block 32.

I don't get involved with politics but thanks for the reccomendations.

 

[AJ Dual]

"Now you'll have to join the NRA."

I checked on that. Too expensive

You can join here for only $25, ten dollars less than the standard price.
http://www.nramembership.org/
I think they're an authorized NRA recruiter, and as such, get a comission for each membership.

I remember what it was like to be broke. But please, please, please, "get involved in politics". If every gun owner who thought it was thier right voted like it, or hell, even voted, we'd have almost none of the stupid rules we have now. (And that criminals don't follow anyway...)

Also, on the drum magazine....

If you are actualy confronted with a senario where you need a drum magazine, you're outnumbered, they're going to flank you, and you're going to die anyway.

If you actualy find yourself in a trouble situation at home where you can actualy have that AK with you, (or in your car, although that's going to make a traffic stop "interesting" to say the least for a younger guy, even if you're "legal"...) Honestly though, 80% of all criminal encounters simply take the presence of a gun to resolve, the other 9% only need 3-4 rounds. And that is all it will take. Most criminals are oportunists, and any resistance is clue #1 to move elsewhere for easy prey. The rare fraction of a percentage that is more determined will still shove off once they realize they're up against a high capacity military style rifle.

The drum is a kewl range toy, but in a real firefight it's unwieldy, and can cause you some serious hurt. Emptying it rapid fire is likely to make the rifle to hot to hold, and might literaly make the wooden handgaurds smoke. If you're serious about SHTF preparation, (riots, hurricaine, whatever...) I'd hold off for some other more pratical accessories, more ammo, 30 round magazines, pouches to hold them, maybe one of those decent Russian quick-mount scopes (the 4X power one is more than adequate, more is overkill) that utilizes the siderail mount. Or even better, the Russian "Kobra" red-dot sight.

The Russian optics are nothing compared to high-end Western optics that cost 4-5 times the price of your SAR, but they're far superior to the cheap low-end Chinese crap at Wal-Mart, or in gun stuff catalogs.

It's true the drum was military issue, but it's primarily intended for the PRK which was a heavy, long barreled AK variant used as a squad automatic rifle with a bipod. It was filling a role somewehere between the WWII American BAR, and the current M249 SAW. It would only be employed as part of a fire team, and have troops with standard AK's supporting it.

If you are in a situation where standard 30 round AK mags aren't enough, you need to skedaddle, post haste.

Also, a good plinking accessory would be the 20 round AK mags for the Hungarian AMD65, which was a small AK variant for tank crews. The 20 round capacity is still pretty high, but it dosen't stick down much further than the pistol grip, and makes shooting from a bench easier.

 

[cslinger]

I checked on that. Too expensive.

It is $25 bucks a year or basically a couple of AK magazines or a few boxes of 7.62x39. Owning an AK makes you political like it or not. Join the NRA or other organization. It is part of our duty as gun owners.

Other then that. Heck of a first gun ya got there. Nothing like a good ole' AK.

 

[Lupinus]

When I get home I'm going to time how long it takes to change magazines. Once you hit empty, if you still have BG's standing, you can have a problem. A good 75 round drum would be nice for that situation. Don't worry as I'm still planning to get a few more stick shaped 30 rounders.

If you have thirty little friends that can all run faster then said bg's and you have that many left over a simple magazine change is what you are worried its time to seriously reevaluate this situation. A) you ain't got the marksmenship skills to worry about and shouldn't have engaged, B) theres enough of them you shouldn't have engaged and instead should have saif holy sh*t and ran for caver, D) are going to die anyway and should take the time for a mag change to come to terms with this and say your prayers. A magazine change doesn't take much time at all, now if we were talking ten round mag vs 30 round mag then its worth it, but we aren't. And what happens when your nice heavy bulky gets in the way drum magazine has a failure? You are screwed without a backup whereas a 30 round mag you can swap out no problem. Guns similer to yours use thirty round mags and not drums, there is a reason for this.

I could tape a $3 laser pointer from the "Dollar General" on to it & save $150

Yeah and be sol and jwf when it falls off and when you don't have time to sight in when something goes bump in the night cause its shifted. Seriously, theres a reason scopes aren't duct taped on, moves to much. Learn irons, use irons, then spend some money and get A) better irons, B) red dot, C) inexpensive scope (simmons 50 and under whammer jammers as well as bushnells are good inexpensive options). Laser sights are often overrated, go to the range and try shooting 50 yards away on a sunny day, how well can you see that lilllll bitty dot 50 yards away? Now try finding it in a split second.

In short you aren't blasting full auto and you don't need a drum and it would quite likly be counter productive, get a few thirty rounders if they wont do it you are screwed anyway and should have gotten out of dodge to begin with. On top of that, how many thirty round mags can you carry? How many drums? Three mags gets you more ammo and thats only on in the gun and two elsewhere, you can hold more then two on your person. And forget the cheap lazer learn the irons, for gods sake hold the gun right before you seriously injure your shoulder, and after you are capable with sights step up to something worth having.

 

[V4Vendetta]

"Owning an AK makes you political like it or not. Join the NRA or other organization. It is part of our duty as gun owners."

I thought my duty as a gun owner was to educate others about the sport, be safe, defend myself, my family & defend others in need.


"Or even better, the Russian "Kobra" red-dot sight."

Where do I get that?

 

[hso]

Stick with irons and don't waste your money on toys at first. The best thing to do with the AK is to take it to a good gunsmith and have the sloppy "V" notch rear sight cut into a crisp "U" about the width of your pistol sight. Lacking a pistol tell the gunsmith to cut a 0.1" square notch in place of the "V". I got to handle an AK this weekend with this one simple modification and it was amazing how it helped with aiming. It's the only thing I'm doing to mine.

You're over at the StratTac frequently. PM Paul Gomez and ask him when his next AK class is and where. If he's going to have one here you can crash with us and save the motel expense.

My wife had next to no AK handling skills and she was making "click" to "bang" mag changes in less than 3 seconds by the end of the day.

 

[Stiletto Null]

"I thought my duty as a gun owner was to educate others about the sport, be safe, defend myself, my family & defend others in need."

Emphasis mine. Welcome to politics, enjoy your stay.

Kalinka Optics.

 

[V4Vendetta]

"You're over at the StratTac frequently. PM Paul Gomez and ask him when his next AK class is and where."


The what? I have no idea what StratTac is.

 

[Bridger]

What you need now is more ammo, some training in the basics of marksmanship (perhaps one of our members in your area can offer to help?) and more shooting.

Set aside 100 bucks and look for a used .22 or buy a new Savage bolt action or Marlin Model 60 semi-auto. .22 will keep you shooting more, help you learn the fundamentals, so that when you use your AK you aren't just wasting ammo and actually doing something useful.

I know it's easy to think you know your needs best, but listen to us. We have tons of years of experience on this board, and many of us have been young with a first gun and no training as well! I know I thought I thought better than everyone else telling me to get a .22 for a first gun, but then it was my second and now gets used more than anything.

But I suppose it depends, do you want to be a rifleman, or just make noise? Zombies aren't scared of noise man! They only understand headshots. You should be confident popping zombies out to 100 yards with iron sights.

 

[DRZinn]

You should be confident popping zombies out to 100 yards with iron sights.

300.

 

[iamkris]

When I get home I'm going to time how long it takes to change magazines. Once you hit empty, if you still have BG's standing, you can have a problem. A good 75 round drum would be nice for that situation.

1) All the 30 round or 75 round drums in the world aren't going to help you if you can't hit anything. Focus on learning to shoot first...save the toys for later. (have you ever had a 75 rnd drum on your rifle? they are heavy and unwieldy)
2) Position, Aiming, Breath Control, Trigger Squeeze, Follow Through
3) Skip the red dot...learn iron sights first....optics come later
4) Skip the laser sight...they don't make you any more accurate.
5) Spend the $75 you would on a drum and buy a used Marlin or Glenfield rifle and a few bricks of .22's. The marksmanship that the little rifle will teach you (if you take the time to let it) will be vastly more useful than a drum ever will be.
6) Spend your money on ammo and practice versus toys

Case in point -- I taught an NRA First Steps class to some of the neighborhood kids (9-10 yr olds) along with their dad's this weekend. When we got to the range, some homies showed up with a goofy Cobray looking thing with a laser sight on it. Pathetic. From 7 yards they blasted away rapid fire at a silhouette target. Somewhere around 50% of the rounds actually impacted their target. Meanwhile the boys were competeing to see who could get the smallest groups with my .22 LR at 50'. The ** LOSER's ** 5-shot group was around 3", the winner came in under 1".

 

[Stiletto Null]

300.

With an AK?!

 

[Mizzle187]

My first gun was a sweet 55 Tula SKS. Still have it and shoot it. As far as drums IMO range toy. Being your only gun and God forbid you needing to use it the drum is gonna get in the way becuase chances are your not gonna be in the wide open blasting your gonna hopefully be finding cover,etc... Would I say eventually buy a drum? Sure but once you have a good inventory of 30 rounders and ammo(buy 7.62X39 in bulk-buy as much possible as you can and as often as you can-trust me). I have drums for my AK and AR's but I didnt buy them for year and years later and I wouldnt have doen that unless I had a minimum collection(.22 rifle,shotgun,pistols,) Now if you find some crazy deal on one sure but dont count on it. I wouldnt put a laser on a AK anyway. I personally dont like optics on them or the sks either but thats just me.

 

[DRZinn]

Depending on the rifle, the standards would be a bit different. But yes, I'd say hitting a man-sized target at 300 yards is a reasonable goal.

Caveat: I've never fired an AK or any of its clones. I'm going on what I've heard about it, which leads me to believe that it's a lot less accurate than many other rifles but still good out to about 300.

 

[mod12]

you can become an NRA associate member for 10 bucks. go to their website.

 

[orangeninja]

Owning an "AK" is a highly controversial purchase. The NRA ensures you get to keep that purchase in the future.

 

[AndyC]

As for the drum-mag, I carried one on convoys in Iraq and it's a heavy, rattling, unwieldy bugger - it was backed-up with 6x30-rounders in my vest and 10 more in a grab-bag; when I wasn't in a vehicle, I replaced the drum with a regular 30-round mag. I eventually ditched the drum-mag totally when I realised that too much of my available ammo would be useless to me if that drum broke in a bunfight with the locals.

That being said, if you want a drum-mag and you have the cash, go for it

 

[neoncowboy]

neoncowboy,

So I can embarras myself in front of other people? . I shot the bottles from around 30'. I'm still training.

NO! There's nothing to be embarassed about being a beginner at this or anything. Just try to be teachable.

Really, the weelend at RWVA is *really* fun: you will learn a LOT, spend time with a great group of people and leave motivated to help take back territory from the pansy socio-leftist-media-federal-elite who have spent the last 40 years eroding our gun rights and driving our nation into the crapper.

It's a *really* fun time. There'll be 9 year old girls there fer' cryin' out loud! If they can do it, anyone can!

So, how long are you going to let your vanity be an excuse standing in the way of taking action to become a rifleman? What's your plan, keep practicing with no instruction so you can really solidify those bad habits you're teaching yourself?

I guess if you don't wait too long we might be able to train those poor practices out of you, but it'd sure be easier to make a rifleman of you if you'd just get off to a good start by coming out for some instruction on the fundamentals straight off.

Think about it. It's well worth the price of admission. You can eat by the campfire with us Friday night if you want to.