[rlmorel]

I read a fascinating evaluation of the AK-47 by a USMC Major who was doing solitary duty somewhere in the horn of Africa (from the book “Imperial Grunts”) where he contrasted an AK47 and an M16.

In his demonstration to the author, he showed an M-16...now a good, reliable weapon, accurate and well maintained, made to conserve ammunition, and as he shot a magazine, he pressed a button, and the magazine smoothly ejected into the dirt and he was able to slap another one in effortlessly and continue shooting.

When he shot the AK47, he showed how comparatively inaccurate the weapon was, but stressed the advantage that it had when it came to being used by untrained personnel in bad conditions, where it could be used even when covered with grime and not being cleaned for extended periods of time. When he needed to change the magazine, he had to grasp the magazine and pull it out.

He said this was because the gun was made cheaply, to spray bullets, and to the regimes using it, the cost of losing magazines by dropping them into the dirt was considered more of a problem than losing the life of the person shooting the weapon who might not be able to change out a magazine as swiftly.

I thought that was an unusual and interesting analysis.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***When he shot the AK47, he showed how comparatively inaccurate the weapon was,***

Inaccurate, yes. But the VALMET and GALIL versions were super accurate, from what I have read.

[atomic_dog]

Back in the 80's I recall reading an article, I think it was in Naval Institute Proceedings, by a USMC officer who stated that the differences in ground warfare tactis between the US and the Soviet Union could be summed up and contrasted by the fact that in a M-16 the first click out of safe is Semi-auto but with an AKM the first click out of safe is Auto.

And technically they are AKMs. There were only between 200 and 300 AK-47's produced for evaluation and several design changes were incorporated for reliability and efficiency of production that resulted in the weapon we know today.

[omega4179]

It has been said if our guys had to use the AK they would still win and if their guys had something else they would still lose.
Infantry rifles no longer decide wars, and the M-16 suits our boys better.

[Chode]

not necessarily so... fastest mag change for an AK you will ever see 8^)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kqfsukN6CE&feature=endscreen&NR=1

you may have to hit replay since it’s just over two seconds long and might finish before it’s fully downloaded