fireside44
member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,145
I did a search for threads about AK's but there wasn't much there in terms of a comprehensive thread so I wanted to start one for all the AK guys, who seem to be a distinct minority here in terms of SA rifles. This is for us, fans of the AK, and no others. Legitimate criticisms welcomed, but, THIS AIN'T AN AK VS AR DISCUSSION!
I have really grown to enjoy these rifles and have found virtually all the myths about them to be false. When I spent time with one I realized just why this is the most popular mass produced semi auto rifle of the modern era. As time has passed I have even learned to love it's "deficiencies" and work around or correct them altogether. Here goes:
I hated the irons, a little dedication and practice and I found that, though a bit crude, they are about all you need in a fighting oriented weapon. Yes, most sporter type rifles have nicer irons but in terms of what it was designed for they work as well as any. They still aren't my favorite irons but I can use them as effectively as my favorites at the distances I encounter, out to about 200 yards.
The weight. Not as light as some, not as heavy as others, but still extremely handy as they are carbine length. They are reasonably quick to shoulder. You can get on target with plenty of speed. Yet the rifle still feels like a solid, sturdy piece of equipment.
Ease of use. It's a very basic layout, nothing fancy in stock form. Women and children have no trouble understanding the principles of operation after ten or fifteen minutes of instruction. This is big for me because one rifle can serve many. I have taken a youth of grade school age, who had never fired a weapon at all, ran through the basics, and he was able to make hits at 50 and 100 yards on 15" by 15" steels without much difficulty. Biggest complaint for him was the trigger slap, which for a little guy was a bit uncomfortable. Now I understand why child armies are possible.
Accuracy. Yep, accuracy. All the myths of the inaccurate AK have been dispelled for me. Sure, there are junk builds, worn out rifles, and horrible shooters that will cause it to live up to it's inaccurate reputation but I've yet to see a quality build that will shoot much worse than 3MOA with a competent shooter behind it. The AK-74 guys have shown 1.5 and 2 MOA groups pretty regularly. For what it's designed for, it's more than accurate enough. I see little difference during rapid aimed fire with other rifles when both targets come back with a huge hole in the center. Mission accomplished.
Reliability. After doing a couple builds and rebuilds which had me pulling my hair out trying to get surplus mags to feed correctly, gas systems tuned, and a variety of ammo to feed it was nice to know I could order a box of surplus mags, never test them, and have the gun run like a top when I finally loaded them up for the range. I had incredibly bad luck with surplus FAL mags, not to say it's a certainty, but at the point I bought an AK it was a serious relief to not have to dink around with mags.
To me the AK magazine is the other half of the genius of this design. Incredibly tough, plentiful, and affordable. I've yet to have a single misfeed with a surplus AK-47 mag. And the gun feeds anything; cheap steel case, high dollar brass, hollowpoints, fmj, and even soft points.
Cost. Yes, the cost of AK's is on the rise due to increased demand. But I also think people are coming around and seeing the beauty of this design. I am not a fan of Russian rifles at all, but there is something special in the AK. You can get a great rifle for fairly reasonable though I would only purchase a cheap build (read Century) if I could examine it myself first. And the working class man can afford to shoot this every weekend with the cheap steel case Wolf/Tula/Golden Tiger ammo. Major plus for me, cause I like to shoot.
Maintenance. What maintenance? I hate cleaning guns, I like to shoot. This thing is easy to clean and can be oiled with just about anything greasy. If you don't have something greasy don't worry about it. Five or six hundred rounds or more between cleanings is nothing to sweat about, though I do usually wipe down the gas piston, mostly to keep it shiny, lol.
Accessories. The aftermarket accessories market seems to have exploded. No, it can't touch the AR world in terms of variety, none can, but it is growing very fast. There are all sorts of aftermarket goodies that correct some complaints, such as the safety lever, charging handle location, etc. I have no problems with these things after some time spent on the range with it but it sure was nice to find a good mount to co-witness a red dot with. My future plans include a six position adjustable stock because that Warsaw length job is just a bit too short for a man over six feet in height in some shooting situations.
I would seriously recommend those who have been fence sitting or semi-interested to give this rifle a try. All the things listed have made this my favorite general purpose rifle in my safe far and away. I used to prefer other weapons, no longer.
So, AK guys, why do you love your AK?
I have really grown to enjoy these rifles and have found virtually all the myths about them to be false. When I spent time with one I realized just why this is the most popular mass produced semi auto rifle of the modern era. As time has passed I have even learned to love it's "deficiencies" and work around or correct them altogether. Here goes:
I hated the irons, a little dedication and practice and I found that, though a bit crude, they are about all you need in a fighting oriented weapon. Yes, most sporter type rifles have nicer irons but in terms of what it was designed for they work as well as any. They still aren't my favorite irons but I can use them as effectively as my favorites at the distances I encounter, out to about 200 yards.
The weight. Not as light as some, not as heavy as others, but still extremely handy as they are carbine length. They are reasonably quick to shoulder. You can get on target with plenty of speed. Yet the rifle still feels like a solid, sturdy piece of equipment.
Ease of use. It's a very basic layout, nothing fancy in stock form. Women and children have no trouble understanding the principles of operation after ten or fifteen minutes of instruction. This is big for me because one rifle can serve many. I have taken a youth of grade school age, who had never fired a weapon at all, ran through the basics, and he was able to make hits at 50 and 100 yards on 15" by 15" steels without much difficulty. Biggest complaint for him was the trigger slap, which for a little guy was a bit uncomfortable. Now I understand why child armies are possible.
Accuracy. Yep, accuracy. All the myths of the inaccurate AK have been dispelled for me. Sure, there are junk builds, worn out rifles, and horrible shooters that will cause it to live up to it's inaccurate reputation but I've yet to see a quality build that will shoot much worse than 3MOA with a competent shooter behind it. The AK-74 guys have shown 1.5 and 2 MOA groups pretty regularly. For what it's designed for, it's more than accurate enough. I see little difference during rapid aimed fire with other rifles when both targets come back with a huge hole in the center. Mission accomplished.
Reliability. After doing a couple builds and rebuilds which had me pulling my hair out trying to get surplus mags to feed correctly, gas systems tuned, and a variety of ammo to feed it was nice to know I could order a box of surplus mags, never test them, and have the gun run like a top when I finally loaded them up for the range. I had incredibly bad luck with surplus FAL mags, not to say it's a certainty, but at the point I bought an AK it was a serious relief to not have to dink around with mags.
To me the AK magazine is the other half of the genius of this design. Incredibly tough, plentiful, and affordable. I've yet to have a single misfeed with a surplus AK-47 mag. And the gun feeds anything; cheap steel case, high dollar brass, hollowpoints, fmj, and even soft points.
Cost. Yes, the cost of AK's is on the rise due to increased demand. But I also think people are coming around and seeing the beauty of this design. I am not a fan of Russian rifles at all, but there is something special in the AK. You can get a great rifle for fairly reasonable though I would only purchase a cheap build (read Century) if I could examine it myself first. And the working class man can afford to shoot this every weekend with the cheap steel case Wolf/Tula/Golden Tiger ammo. Major plus for me, cause I like to shoot.
Maintenance. What maintenance? I hate cleaning guns, I like to shoot. This thing is easy to clean and can be oiled with just about anything greasy. If you don't have something greasy don't worry about it. Five or six hundred rounds or more between cleanings is nothing to sweat about, though I do usually wipe down the gas piston, mostly to keep it shiny, lol.
Accessories. The aftermarket accessories market seems to have exploded. No, it can't touch the AR world in terms of variety, none can, but it is growing very fast. There are all sorts of aftermarket goodies that correct some complaints, such as the safety lever, charging handle location, etc. I have no problems with these things after some time spent on the range with it but it sure was nice to find a good mount to co-witness a red dot with. My future plans include a six position adjustable stock because that Warsaw length job is just a bit too short for a man over six feet in height in some shooting situations.
I would seriously recommend those who have been fence sitting or semi-interested to give this rifle a try. All the things listed have made this my favorite general purpose rifle in my safe far and away. I used to prefer other weapons, no longer.
So, AK guys, why do you love your AK?
