fmjcafe
Member
A U.S. Army soldier holds a Kalashnikov rifle, in Baqouba, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003. Many U.S. soldiers are carrying Kalashnikovs they have confiscated from Iraqis. ( AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
US Troops carrying AK`s?
- Thread starter fmjcafe
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A U.S. Army soldier holds a Kalashnikov rifle, in Baqouba, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003. Many U.S. soldiers are carrying Kalashnikovs they have confiscated from Iraqis. ( AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
winstonsmith
Member
Everybody and their mother has an AK over there. Ammo must be pretty easy to find. Plus, in a shoot out where the parties can't see each other, having the same weapon as the bad guys could cause them to cease firing, or at least get a little confused.
I don't know, my .02.
Jack
I don't know, my .02.
Jack
El Tejon
Member
Note the stock!
Iwannacoolgun virus is everywhere.
Iwannacoolgun virus is everywhere.
Combat-wombat
Member
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Well, I think AKs are less prone to jamming than the M16, so in the dusty environment of Iraq, they are better choices. Jessica Lynch got captured because her M16 jammed from the dust.
OEF_VET
Member
Judging from what he is (and isn't) wearing, I'd say he's mosst likely a Reserve Civil Affairs or PsyOps soldier. Notice the old school flak jacket versus the Interceptor vests everyone else is wearing, and the lack of LBV/LCE. Also, he's got his chinstrap behind his neck, rather than in wearing it properly. the soldier on the far right has a 4th ID patch on his Kevlar, but I'd wager this soldier is Reserve CA/PsyOps, where the standards are generally a bit more relaxed than the average Regular Army line unit. Therefore, he's more likely to get away with carrying a non-issued weapon. Although, in the current fight, I wouldn't doubt that some of the more anal officers in those line units are relaxing their standards a bit too.
OEF_VET
Member
C-W, Lynch was captured because she was hurt too badly in the wreck. From what I've read, the truth is that she was out of the fight before it began in earnest.
El Tejon
Member
OEF, note all of his extra mags for fighting as well as the stock.
The only other thing this guy needs for his buddies back home is a BAK. What REMF/pogue what to be photographed by his typewriter. You need a really, really big BAK.
The only other thing this guy needs for his buddies back home is a BAK. What REMF/pogue what to be photographed by his typewriter. You need a really, really big BAK.
Aikibiker
Member
Looks pretty smart to me. His two buddies only have pistols. If I was in a war zone and a pistol was all I had you can be darn sure I would do my best to get a rifle from somewhere.
You could do worse then a full-auto AK for close quarters street fighting and the mad minute of an ambush.
You could do worse then a full-auto AK for close quarters street fighting and the mad minute of an ambush.
Could it just possibly be that based on experience the troops want a more reliable weapon than the M-16? And possibly one that's more maneuverable in close quarters urban combat?
Somehow I kind of doubt the Iwannacoolgun virus is very prevalent in front line troops whose life depends on their equipment.
BTW, I'm not interested in starting any war over whether or not the M-16 is reliable or not. I've heard all the arguments about keeping them clean and they're reliable. I'm too old to be in combat so I rely on opinions of folks that have been there and done that. Particularly my son-in-law who is currently on active duty and was assigned armorer's duty as extra duties. It's not his primary job. He was in Kosovo and is probably heading to Iraq pretty soon.
OEF_VET
Member
Aiki,
Look real close in the front seat of the HMMWV. You can just pick out the handguards of the M-16A2 that the TC left in the truck. This is a very convienient place to stick your rifle while riding when you don't expect an ambush, or when you're a true REMF and don't want to be able to effectively fight back. It also looks cooler to just have that cool M-9 which fits in his high speed thigh holster, versus that clunky M-16, which just gets in the way.
I'd be willing to bet good money that the TC's (truck commander) LBV/LCE is sitting between the front seats, right in front of the radios. Lord knows he won't need things like ammo or water on him in case someone decides that's a good moment to ambush some American infidels.
Look real close in the front seat of the HMMWV. You can just pick out the handguards of the M-16A2 that the TC left in the truck. This is a very convienient place to stick your rifle while riding when you don't expect an ambush, or when you're a true REMF and don't want to be able to effectively fight back. It also looks cooler to just have that cool M-9 which fits in his high speed thigh holster, versus that clunky M-16, which just gets in the way.
I'd be willing to bet good money that the TC's (truck commander) LBV/LCE is sitting between the front seats, right in front of the radios. Lord knows he won't need things like ammo or water on him in case someone decides that's a good moment to ambush some American infidels.
Aikibiker
Member
OEF_VET,
I missed that, I concede you are a better photo analyst then I.
I would submit that he doesn't have his rifle. The Humvee does, and if SHTF I am sure Mr. Murphy will have firm control of that weapon. For all intents and purposes the TC has an M9 as his only weapon.
Looks like someone in the background has another long-gun with a wood handguard but it is to blurry for me to make out.
I missed that, I concede you are a better photo analyst then I.
I would submit that he doesn't have his rifle. The Humvee does, and if SHTF I am sure Mr. Murphy will have firm control of that weapon. For all intents and purposes the TC has an M9 as his only weapon.
Looks like someone in the background has another long-gun with a wood handguard but it is to blurry for me to make out.
Keith
Member
Does anyone know how to tell whether that's a 47 or a 74?
Keith
Keith
Could be that it's what he's been carrying in the humvee because it's easier to swing around and maneuver in the confines of a vehicle. My uncle (investigator for Harris County DA) was recently issued an AR-15 with a collapsible stock for that very reason...the higher-ups wanted them to have something that was easy to position within a car.
Makes a lot of sense with the ambushes they've been running into while driving.
brad cook
Makes a lot of sense with the ambushes they've been running into while driving.
brad cook
WonderNine
member
If my experiences with the SKS compared to my Mini-14 is anything to go by, I'll take the AK over the AR any day of the week!
OEF_VET
Member
Keith,
No muzzle brake and steel mag vs. bakelite, so I'm guessing it's an AK-47.
Aiki,
Yeah, he does technically have just an M-9, but that was apparently his own foolish doing. He made the concious decision to exit the vehicle with a weapon that isn't fully suited to fighting. Of course, there's the train of thought that a pistol is only intended to fight with until you can get to your long gun.
Personally, though, given the hostile environment, with nearly daily killings of GI's, you wouldn't see me without each and every weapon I had available to me on my person.
DigMe,
Without the doors on the HMMWV, he can just as easily keep the weapon in his left hand with the muzzle pointed out and the handguards resting on his right leg. If the TC is like most GI's I know, he probably rides with his right foot on the door jamb anyways.
Before anyone criticizes that as being easy for someone to take the weapon away from the TC, I challenge you to try it. It's not as easy as you might think, especially if the TC has a good grip on the pistol grip. Any attempt to grab it away is going to result in a series of lead injections into the body cavity.
No muzzle brake and steel mag vs. bakelite, so I'm guessing it's an AK-47.
Aiki,
Yeah, he does technically have just an M-9, but that was apparently his own foolish doing. He made the concious decision to exit the vehicle with a weapon that isn't fully suited to fighting. Of course, there's the train of thought that a pistol is only intended to fight with until you can get to your long gun.
Personally, though, given the hostile environment, with nearly daily killings of GI's, you wouldn't see me without each and every weapon I had available to me on my person.
DigMe,
Without the doors on the HMMWV, he can just as easily keep the weapon in his left hand with the muzzle pointed out and the handguards resting on his right leg. If the TC is like most GI's I know, he probably rides with his right foot on the door jamb anyways.
Before anyone criticizes that as being easy for someone to take the weapon away from the TC, I challenge you to try it. It's not as easy as you might think, especially if the TC has a good grip on the pistol grip. Any attempt to grab it away is going to result in a series of lead injections into the body cavity.
Well they do make orange bakelite 7.62 mags too. You can tell it's the 7.62 by the angle of the mag, the lack of a muzzle break, and the lack of palm swells or whatever you call them on the front handguards. I can't make it out with the stock folded up but that appears to be a forged receiver too, which no '74s had. It appears to just be a run of the mill, old milled AK47 (not even a newer AKM). I don't recall any '74s with the underfolder stock anyway...
telomerase
Member
According to Yahoo! news
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...p/20030824/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_ak_47_heaven_1
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...p/20030824/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_ak_47_heaven_1
George Hill
Member
If I was over there, I'd be packing a snagged AK as well.
El Tejon, it ain't an HK.
It's a "Klack", and an older, well-used one, at that.
If Uncle Sam is giving Knight's Armaments lots of money to build an M16 variant that uses captured AK magazines and ammo, it ain't because they have iwannacoolgun virus. The KISS principal comes to mind.
See a bunch of SpecOps folks carrying Comrade Mikhail's offspring around these days. Think they're infected?
It's a "Klack", and an older, well-used one, at that.
If Uncle Sam is giving Knight's Armaments lots of money to build an M16 variant that uses captured AK magazines and ammo, it ain't because they have iwannacoolgun virus. The KISS principal comes to mind.
See a bunch of SpecOps folks carrying Comrade Mikhail's offspring around these days. Think they're infected?
SodaPop
member
What does a Mini 14 vs SKS have to do with an AK vs AR?
MPFreeman
Member.
Soda,
I think he may be refering to the SKS action is similar to the AK? But I know the Mini 14 is not the same action as the AR, so I don't know either..
I'm curious too.
I think he may be refering to the SKS action is similar to the AK? But I know the Mini 14 is not the same action as the AR, so I don't know either..
I'm curious too.
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