briansmithwins
Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2005
- Messages
- 4,631
Making lots and lots of crap is still making crap. Communism is not know for it's cutting edge technology, or even good ideas for that matter. That would be like the US still using the 1903 or M1 Garand. Both great rifles, more accurate than an AK and vastly better ergonomics. Reliability is better on the 1903 and M1 as well. Stating that a rifle has been in service for 60 years does not make it a good rifle. Having a rifle in service for 60 years means that either your country sucks and development or that it is not willing to accept that better rifles have since been invented. Or both. One could say the same thing based on the age of the AR platform. It is an older design that may need to be replaced. But the simple fact of the matter is that the AR is far more accurate and is slowly, I mean really really slowly, being replaced. And no I do not own and AR. And this thread is entirely based on opinion as there is no real way to say that one is the greatest ever and one is the worst ever. So even though 50 million were made that means that there are 50 million rifles out there with sub par accuracy, horrible ergonomics, bad sights and overstated reliability.
I guess we'll have to disagree than. I've been shooting my Aks at local matches and doing ok. I usually come in in the top 1/3rd of shooters.
4MOA accuracy is still good enough to hit 12” plate at 300 yards, which is a common target at the matches I shoot. The sights are very fast close up and usual out at longish range (300 yards or so) too. Not target sights but the AK ain't a target rifle.
As for ergonomics, if you run an AK like an Garand, it's just fine. charging handle is in the same place, Mag release is in the same place, the safety is different but that's more than made up for by the AK's 30 round mag as opposed to the Garand's 8 round clip.
Reliability? You really want to argue that there is a more reliable rifle in crappy conditions when used by illiterate peasants to whom a steel hoe is high tech? Which rifle would you argue is more reliable in real world conditions? Will an AK fail is abused too much? Sure. But so will anything made by men.
BSW