AK-47 inventor: U.S. troops in Iraq prefer my rifle to theirs

blaire576

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Last update - 13:25 17/04/2006
AK-47 inventor: U.S. troops in Iraq prefer my rifle to theirs
By Reuters

Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the world's most popular assault rifle, says that U.S. soldiers in Iraq are using his

invention in
preference to their own weapons, proving that his gun is still the best.

"Even after lying in a swamp you can pick up this rifle, aim it and shoot. That's the best job description there is for a

gun. Real soldiers know that and understand it," the 86-year-old gunmaker told a weekend news conference in Moscow.

"In Vietnam, American soldiers threw away their M-16 rifles and used [Kalashnikov] AK-47s from dead Vietnamese soldiers, with

bullets they captured. That was because the climate is different to America, where M-16s may work properly," he said.

"Look what's happening now: every day on television we see that the Americans in Iraq have my machine guns and assault rifles

in their armored vehicles. Even there American rifles don't work properly."

Some U.S. troops in Iraq have reportedly taken to using AK-47s in preference to the standard-issue M-16. The Cold War-era

gun, renowned for its durability and easy handling, is plentiful in Iraq.

Kalashnikov designed his first weapon in 1947 and is still chief constructor at Izhmash arms factory in Izhevsk in the Urals

mountains.

The factory's director Vladimir Grodetsky told the news conference that around a billion rifles had been produced around the

world using parts of Kalashnikovs or based on the same design, only 10-12 percent of which were made in Russia.
 

jtice

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I would rather have an AK-47 over our Troops current issued M-16 rifle any day.

Alittle less accurate, but alot more reliable.

~John
 

nirad

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I personally have both rifles, and find the AK more reliable. The AK can go for rounds and rounds without being cleaned. I have never had a jam/misfire with an AK even with the barrel so hot you could fry an egg on it.

I also find that my M16 tends to be much more accurate and has better shot groups than the AK. I also like the plethora of accessories and barrels for the M16 better.
 

Jumpmaster

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blaire576 said:
"Even after lying in a swamp you can pick up this rifle, aim it and shoot..."

Whether the bullet will actually hit what you aim and shoot at is another debate altogether, I suppose.

"Look what's happening now: every day on television we see that the Americans in Iraq have my machine guns and assault rifles in their armored vehicles. Even there American rifles don't work properly."

This was put out by Reuters? Geez...

JM-99
 

CM

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If Stoner was alive, do you think he'd be quoted as saying he preferred the Kalishinikov? Of course not. Besides, it's from Reuters as jumpmaster said.
 

Sturluson

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There's nothing wrong with Reuters. Mainstream international news org, about as innocuous as ice cream.

The Kalashnikov v. M16 debate has gone on for forty years. Most agree that the Kalashnikov is a more robust design. Ho with a big Hum.
 

ABTOMAT

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Except for Special Forces I don't think you see regular US soldiers carrying AKs if they've been issued M-16s. I believe that armored troops who normally don't get rifles will pick up folding stock AK's. Lots of "contractors" use them though. On the gun boards it's opinion that Kalashnikov's just doing advertising for his design. Not exactly hard fact.
 

270winchester

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the issue of power has not yet be mentioned. the troops often find the 7.62x39 providing more kockdown power, if not as flesh wound linflicting as the HV NATO and 223Rem rounds. There has been request to bring back the 308, and the 6.8SPC has been specifically developed to talor to the AR platform(of course over the years there has been some good 308 ARs).

THe gas driven system of the Stoner design has been under fire for years, but you can't beat the accuracy of the ARs. I was fortunate enough to see some long range(around 600 meters) by AR shooter and I challenge an AK to do that.
 

powernoodle

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I have 3 AKs and 3 ARs, none of which have been fired in the last 3 years or so. And I live 30 minutes from Knob Creek. Shame on me.

I've always been a fan of the AK. I like their simplicity. The stamped versions tend to be crapily made, but they still go bang every time. And bulk ammo is plenty cheap.

Think I need to go shootin'.

Mikhail Kalashnikov has always been a self-important blowhard, btw.

cheers
 

bwaites

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Actually Stoner and Kalishnakov met, and got along quite well, I understand.

I'll take the American gun, but in 6.5 Grendel, please!! Oh and with the necessary parts to also fire the .50 caliber Beowulf cartridge as well, just in case I need some real close range stopping power in maneagable size.

Bill

BTW, has anyone seen any reports of misfires/jams on M4/M16 models in Afghanistan or Iraq?
 

guncollector

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This is one of the all-time great debates in the firearms community, the only bigger probably being the .45 (big/slow) vs. 9mm (fast/light) debate.

Kalashnikov, a brilliant gun designer, from what I've read is not beyond shameless self-promotion these days. Can you blame him? Here he designed one of the truly ubiquitous assault rifles of the modern era, and he lives on a crappy Soviet government pension.

Bottom line, my read on the AR vs AK debate is this: It comes down to training and tactics. Troops armed with either rifle are deadly with appropriate training and tactics.

The AR is optimized for a professional army trained in marksmanship, with superior logistics support. The AK is optimized for poorly-trained troops, with little-to-no marksmanship, and little-to-no logistical support.
 

bwaites

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Jessica Lynch was not a report on jamming/misfiring, but an action report on a specific incident, which happened to involve her particular weapon.

I'm referring more to a report on whether it actually has happened and been reported consistently like the reports and analysis from the Vietnam War.

Bill
 

guncollector

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bwaites said:
I'm referring more to a report on whether it actually has happened and been reported consistently like the reports and analysis from the Vietnam War.

In all fairness, the M16 was really still in its "beta" phase at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Improperly formulated ammunition and poor weapons-maintenance-training were the primary cause of stoppages and malfunctions in the early phase of the M16's introduction.
 

bwaites

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That is sort of my point, EVERY gun occasionally jams. By my experience, it typically happens to the least prepared or most surprised handler, so a single report, especially as an explanation for a bad outcome, doesn't especially surprise me.

On the other hand, I've fired hundreds, maybe thousands of .223 rounds through M16's, M4's and Mini14's without a single jam.

All of my rounds were on semiauto, but I've NEVER had a jam or misfire in my or my friends guns. Our guns MAY be better cared for than a typical soldiers, but still NEVER, in comparison to what the press makes sound like is an epidemic problem, so bad that soldiers are switching to another, non-issue, weapon? Doesn't make sense.

Bill
 

Jumpmaster

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bwaites said:
Jessica Lynch was not a report on jamming/misfiring, but an action report on a specific incident, which happened to involve her particular weapon.

Actually, her weapon jammed and she failed to perform SPORTS. Sounds like a jamming/misfiring to me. You asked if there had been any reports of misfires/jams happening in Afghanistan/Iraq and this was a report of that. Maybe I misunderstood and you were looking for an actual detailed statistical study of jams/misfires. I do not know if anyone has compiled a detailed list of failures...yet. I'm sure that will come in time.

This came straight from my Drill Sergeants at basic. She was trained in the same basic training battalion I was -- difference...we were taught how to perform SPORTS to clear a malfunction. I also read that maintenance and difficulty keeping the weapon clean contributed to the malfunction(s) (her's and her fellow soldiers'...)

And speaking to the reliability of the M16, I can attest that the ones I have shot were very reliable. I've been issued several M16A2's and none ever failed to feed or extract. The only time I had a problem with my own AR-15 was when I bought some reloads from an "ATF-certfied (re)manufacturer" that didn't bother to do a full resize on the neck. Ended up taking them back and exchanging them for gov't issue .30 cal. for my M1 Carbine.

JM-99
 

bwaites

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JM,

Yes, I'm looking for the actual reports on Jam/Misfire info. We've been at this for more than 3 years, I'm thinking that by now, there should be some fairly detailed analysis of the problem, if there is one.

Especially in light of the militaries penchant for demanding reports!!:)

Bill
 
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