Kalashnikov Was a Genius
- Thread starter benEzra
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OEF_VET
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Actually Navy, he is a red, white, and blue patriot, it's just his colors are stacked one on top of the other, instead of in a Stars and Bars pattern. I personally believe he was truly dedicated to Mother Russia vs. the USSR.
Frank
Frank
BDM
Member
Ill tell ya Im a die hard AR guy and the debate over the two could go on on,but I have to say the AK was a genius design for a guy who started out as a tank mechanic and had an insatiable loyalty to his country and a desire to put the simplest most reliable desin in the hands of the infantry man,he is a great man and designer.
OEF, I know, I was just referring to his stint when the bear wore red and yellow. Even among our sometimes enemies you should realize that America has no monopoly on good men like Kalashnikov and they deserve respect no matter who they fight for.bad_dad_brad
Member
Just bought a SAR-1 today. Always wanted an AK. Love my AR - but I always wanted to try the other side. She is a little rough around the edges but not that bad,- some rust on the trigger, needs some serious de-greasing, and the front sight post seems a smidge off to the right, and that furniture needs some attention, but all in all for $360 from my dealer she seems like a heck of a good buy.
Wolf ammo - $2.69 for twenty rounds - pretty cheap plinking - bet I can get it cheaper as well.
The AK-47 is good enough for what it is for. Simple. Was Kalashnikov a genius? Who knows, but rememember what A. Einstein once said:
"Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler."
Pretty much defines the AK.
I will try to post a shooter's impression after I take her out. I am just as excited about any gun I have ever purchased, to shoot this rifle.
Wolf ammo - $2.69 for twenty rounds - pretty cheap plinking - bet I can get it cheaper as well.
The AK-47 is good enough for what it is for. Simple. Was Kalashnikov a genius? Who knows, but rememember what A. Einstein once said:
"Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler."
Pretty much defines the AK.
I will try to post a shooter's impression after I take her out. I am just as excited about any gun I have ever purchased, to shoot this rifle.
stevelyn
Member
Mikhail Kalashnikov is pictured in this months' issue of Soldier of Fortune posing with a wristwatch with an AK-47 theme and a nice looking combat folder called the AK-47. Incidentally the blade is shaped like the AK bayonet.
Perhaps he has finally learned about capitalism.
Perhaps he has finally learned about capitalism.
gun-fucious
Member
if you can handle a 5.5 meg file you can watch his genius in slow motion:
http://www.bsg-dornier.de/schiessen/filme/hsp/kalashnikov.mpg
http://www.bsg-dornier.de/schiessen/filme/hsp/kalashnikov.mpg
rock jock
Member
My respect for Mr. Kalashnikov dropped considerably when he recently made the decision to market products under his name through a German company rather than U.S. His reason was that he felt it would be a betrayal of the Motherland to use a U.S. company to make a little money since we were enemies in the Cold War for 40+ years. Never mind that it was Germany, not the U.S., that invaded his country and killed millions of his fellow Russians in WWII. Nevermind that it was the U.S. that set the stage for the demise of Communism in his country, a system I might add that prevented him from becoming rich from his rifle design. Nevermind that is the U.S. that has sent billions in aid to Russia to help its failing economy. And finally, nevermind that it is the U.S., not Germany, that has hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of fans of his rifles and from whom will probably come most of the purchasers of his name-branded merchandise. While I own a Kreb's AK-103 and enjoy it much, I can assure you I will NOT be buying any Kalashnikov products.
LAMPROPELTIS
Member
Did you ever see an ak-47 next to a stg 43/44? Maybe Mr Kalashnikov feels he owes the germans somthing.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
gun-fucious - great link! Interesting to watch the slo-mo and noticed that rear site jumps up each shot!!
Marko Kloos
Moderator Emeritus
The AK is a fine design, and it fills its intended purpose very well: a reliable, easy-to-fix rifle for peasant conscripts with little training. It does have drawbacks...it has vestigial sights, shoots a round that's ballistically inferior to both 5.56x45 and 7.62x51, has a stock length of pull that's only suitable for Siberian midgets in winter clothes, and can't be scoped worth a crap without buiding outriggers on the rifle. Even if you could scope it easily, it would be like putting a 200 MPH speedometer on a Pinto. The ergonomics are horrible, the safety lever is arguably the clumsiest solution ever put on a fighting rifle, and the trigger is mediocre and can't be tuned well thanks to the archaic cable spring.
On the plus side, the AK is sturdy as a truck, tolerates lots of dirt and abuse, and can be gunsmithed by a peasant blacksmith. Every design has its strong and weak points, including the ones designed by Moses Brownign and Saint Mikhail.
On the plus side, the AK is sturdy as a truck, tolerates lots of dirt and abuse, and can be gunsmithed by a peasant blacksmith. Every design has its strong and weak points, including the ones designed by Moses Brownign and Saint Mikhail.
Duncan Idaho
member
Kalashnikov is a filthy commie. Some genius. 
We routinely applied "GI Boot maintenance" to M1 rifles anytime they hung up from dirt or crud, although they didn't do it often. Not the thing to do with the M16; boot maintenance will probably break the fragile little charging handle latch if not the charging handle itself.
Jim
Jim
I don't really know or care who came up with the design for the AK, but it is brilliant. Elegant simplicity, and it works. Other rifles do specific things better, obviously, but the design itself probably can't be beat for an effective, functional, and reliable battle weapon. I love my AR, but from a pure "design" perspective I like the simplicity of the AK.
.45Ruger
Member
WOW! the AK vs. AR debate seems alot more friendly than the usual 1911 vs GLOCK, much better. I do have to day that I really enjoy shooting my SAR 1. The design is old, but still works very well, kind of like the 1911.
I've never had to use boot maintenance to my AK, but I did apply it to my FAL when I mistakenly set the gas too low and an empty got slammed right back into the chamber instead of ejecting (the FAL locks up really badly if this happens, you have to kick the charging handle pretty hard, too).
The only problems I've ever had with my AK involve Saf-T-Trainers (1 piece plastic bullets, basically snap caps without the springloaded firing pin cushion) and a 10 round mag, something lets the second Saf-T-Trainer from the top slide out from under the top-most one in the magazine when I load up all 10 Saf-T-Trainers and practice loading drills.
Kharn
The only problems I've ever had with my AK involve Saf-T-Trainers (1 piece plastic bullets, basically snap caps without the springloaded firing pin cushion) and a 10 round mag, something lets the second Saf-T-Trainer from the top slide out from under the top-most one in the magazine when I load up all 10 Saf-T-Trainers and practice loading drills.
Kharn
Jack19
Member
While I'm an AR guy at heart, I love my RRA with a Bushie Superlight barrel, I picked up an Arsenal SA M-7 a couple of months ago. All I can say is WOW!!!
Unlike the SAR-1 I had a couple of years ago or the pre-ban Polytech I had 10 years ago, the SA M-7 rivals my AR for accuracy out to 100-150 yards. I'm very impressed with my current version of the AK...and it's US made to boot....
Arsenal, Inc. SA M-7 Review
Unlike the SAR-1 I had a couple of years ago or the pre-ban Polytech I had 10 years ago, the SA M-7 rivals my AR for accuracy out to 100-150 yards. I'm very impressed with my current version of the AK...and it's US made to boot....
Arsenal, Inc. SA M-7 Review
Richardson
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4V50 wrote that Kalishnikov took the gas design from other rifles. Look at the SKS, and you'll note striking similarity.
Kalishnikov was great at picking the best of others, in terms of reliability, and incorporating it into a new design.
RIchardson
Kalishnikov was great at picking the best of others, in terms of reliability, and incorporating it into a new design.
RIchardson
OP
OP
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
Actually, the length of pull is perfect for me (5'6", 152 lb) and I've never even been to Siberia!
I had to shorten my Choate stock for my mini-14 because it was uncomfortably long.BryanP
Member
Somebody's political/personal beliefs have nothing to do with their abilities in other areas. Heck, I personally think that Nathan Bedford Forrest was Grade A Scum, but that doesn't change the fact that he was a tactical genius.
St. Gunner
Member
Marko,
The AK was designed for a scope with the side rail. With the mount it can be removed and return to zero when you slide it back on. I'm 5'11" and weigh 230 lbs, not exactly a midget, but I can still shoot the gun well, it sits closer to my face than some other guns do, but it seems to really help in pointing. Attached below is a pic of a K-var mount on my SAR. I was in a gunshop fixing to buy a Bushmaster when this grizzled ol marine told me I was stupid as a doorknob if I bought a that mattel toy. He said if I really wanted a rifle to buy an M14 variant, if I wanted something that went bang everytime, shot decent, was easy to put a scope on and was cheap to feed, buy one of them Commie guns on the shelf, he had three of em. So I bought it, took it home, cursed myself for buying such an ugly gun, then shot it and fell in love.
Rifle $350
8 30rd mags, $144
10rd and 40rd with rifle
Softside case $50
K-var mount $90
BSA 42mm reddot $50
1000rds of sp ammo $100
Total $784
Do that with any AR variant, you might get the rifle, it won't be as reliable, and to outfit it will set you back almost as much as a complete AK set-up.
The AK was designed for a scope with the side rail. With the mount it can be removed and return to zero when you slide it back on. I'm 5'11" and weigh 230 lbs, not exactly a midget, but I can still shoot the gun well, it sits closer to my face than some other guns do, but it seems to really help in pointing. Attached below is a pic of a K-var mount on my SAR. I was in a gunshop fixing to buy a Bushmaster when this grizzled ol marine told me I was stupid as a doorknob if I bought a that mattel toy. He said if I really wanted a rifle to buy an M14 variant, if I wanted something that went bang everytime, shot decent, was easy to put a scope on and was cheap to feed, buy one of them Commie guns on the shelf, he had three of em. So I bought it, took it home, cursed myself for buying such an ugly gun, then shot it and fell in love.
Rifle $350
8 30rd mags, $144
10rd and 40rd with rifle
Softside case $50
K-var mount $90
BSA 42mm reddot $50
1000rds of sp ammo $100
Total $784
Do that with any AR variant, you might get the rifle, it won't be as reliable, and to outfit it will set you back almost as much as a complete AK set-up.
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