Posted on 12/16/2020 10:12:01 AM PST by PROCON
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Like the M16 and many other rifle arms since the early 1900s (and a few pistols, most notably Israel’s Desert Eagle), the AK-47 is gas operated.
Here's What You Need to Remember: There is a relevant cultural and historical legacy at work here. American arms are informed by a history and a legacy in which a colonial farmer could shoot down a squirrel or a British officer with a rifled musket from a hundred yards. Russian arms, meanwhile, are informed by a history of a lot of peasant soldiers slogging through the mud to engage. No wonder, then, that the two have evolved such distinct comparative advantages.
Recently, Blake Franko of the National Interest published an article about the ubiquity of the Kalashnikov AK-47 and its variants. He focused on how its popularity is the result of its reliability in the hands of all kinds of shooters, in the toughest and dirtiest environments. This reliability made the AK-47 a formidable adversary and a valuable acquisition for American troops in Vietnam, when their M16s were jamming from shooting and local conditions.
But there is more to the story that is worth exploring. It might have been useful to go on for a few lines to explain why the AK-47 was so reliable in those conditions. The Kalashnikov’s success has to do with its gas operating system.
Like the M16 and many other rifle arms since the early 1900s (and a few pistols, most notably Israel’s Desert Eagle), the AK-47 is gas operated. That means that the recycling of the action after a round is fired is not the product of the blowback of the fired round, as in most pistols and a few submachine guns like the old Thompson, but by the pressure of the hot, highly pressurized gas in the barrel of the newly expended round. Through a little port in the barrel, this highly pressurized gas can push back to operate the action and reload another round for fire, whether automatic or semiautomatic.
But there is a big difference between the Kalashnikovs and the M16 types. The former use a plunger-type action, essentially a rod whose front end captures the pressure of the round ignition, pushing the rod back to recycle the action. This is called a long-stroke gas piston. The latter use a hollow tube to return the gas pressure to the action to be recycled, which is called direct gas impingement. The AK-47 is more reliable in dirty conditions than the M16 variants, while the latter is more accurate in combat situations. Here’s why: the AK-47 design protects the action from contaminating powder debris. That way, it doesn’t foul up so quickly—but it has a long metal rod bobbing back and forth that interferes with accurate shooting. The gas action design of the M16s doesn’t have that long rod bouncing in the way, so it is more accurate in automatic or rapid-fire semiautomatic action. But it brings the polluted gas back to the action, and therefore fouls more easily than the AK-47. We’ve dealt with this problem for decades now, and we are still struggling with it.
There is a relevant cultural and historical legacy at work here. American arms are informed by a history and a legacy in which a colonial farmer could shoot down a squirrel or a British officer with a rifled musket from a hundred yards. Russian arms, meanwhile, are informed by a history of a lot of peasant soldiers slogging through the mud to engage. No wonder, then, that the two have evolved such distinct comparative advantages.
Both have advantages and either will be a good choice.
In the possibly upcoming SHTF scenario an AR would probably be a better choice due to parts and ammo availability.
At the moment ARs are still available and cheaper than AKs.
Have one of each.
L
Depends on whether you are the military or are a partisan.
In the military, if you crack a bolt lug, a quartermaster will give you a new bolt. If you step on a magazine, a quartermaster give you a new one.
The partisan has no quartermaster. His rifle must run or he dies. His mags must run or he dies.
On a higher level we could compare bolt/bolt carrier mass ratios, anti-pre-engagement and underside.
If we must fight civil war 2, I’ll take an AK.
Have one of each?
One is none, two is one and three is the start of nice collection :-)
Indeed.
L
I have a M1-A, civilian version of the M-14 rifle. It’s a great, accurate long range rifle with a terrific wallop. Indeed, I shot Expert in 1968 (that’s right, 1968; I’m an Old Fart) in Officers’ Basic and really came to like that rifle. However, after seeing the Kenosha action, I’s far prefer a M4 in that type of situation. The M1-A is just too long, heavy, and awkward. If Rittenhouse had one, his assailants probably would have disarmed him, killed him, and gone on to use the weapon for other, worse mayhem.
My wife was dressed as a WWII WAC and she had a spectacular large display set up. She and her friends went over to see R. Lee. He didn’t seem that interested, so my wife said that it seemed like he liked her wiener dog more than her uniform. R. Lee got very excited and said, “Oh, was that your wiener dog?” and then he went on and on about how much he loved his own little wiener dog.
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Oh, how true for our really great deceased companion animals. When one dies, if often hurts more than when a human dies. A couple of years ago I lost an AST/Lab mix I’d had for over 13 years since he was a puppy; hurt like Hell. Now my oldest is a nearly 11 year old Great Dane, who’s one of the two best dogs I’ve ever had. Losing him in a year or two will be real Hell.
Forgotten Weapons channel did the ademtest with the same result. The mud ca me into the ak and or jammed all the time.
Portland looks a lot like the Gaza these days and the Izzys got the Tavor right for this specific purpose
Bull pup configuration fits perfectly in backpack at minimum legal length, chunky and fits in tight to your body with no exposed barrel so it's hard for someone to grab and take away from you, takes a 40 rd mag with minimal mobility or balance issues if you worry about that sort of thing, very nice in tight quarters, perfect in and out of cars and unusual profile makes it hard to recognize and easy to conceal under coat or hide pretty much anyplace if necessary.
A little clumsy and slow compared to light weight M4 style carbine, but better than an AK, built like a tank, stone cold reliable and more than good enough for self defense in serious situations. Adequate with a suppressor if so inclined
Gonna be hard to claim self defense at 50+ meters so a Tavor with your preference in compact day/night optic is a perfectly adapted self defense tool for use in the unique urban environment we may inadvertently get caught up in there days. Easy and fast to disable by pulling the trigger pack and/or bolt carrier if the situation warrants and cheap enough to abandon if you have to. What's not to like?
Yea, I guess we are showing our age when we remember that article! It would be fun to know what year that was..... they all seem to run together now haha.
fits nicely into a shotgun scabbard too
Yep the SIG 55X series is nice. The Israeli Galil is a very fine AK variant.
For some recent "practical accuracy" comparison of the two platforms (and many others), an excellent YT channel is 9-Hole Reviews.
Ak47 it is, then.
I’ll have to try that. Been eyeing options for putting a scabbard on the bicycle.
Your keyword is “slightly modified”
In the field, that shiite don’t fly.
I started reading gun rags when I was 10 or 11. They do all seem to run together, but that article stuck and made an impression on me.
The Galil is a reverse engineered Valmet M62 which is the AK-47 perfected by the Finns.
Valmet made a 5.56 version of the M62 using a sheet metal, AK style receiver.
All the Galil goodness but about 7.5 lbs in weight which is lighter than an M-16 from the 1980s. Better workmanship too. The Valmet M76 is typically more accurate than a rack grade M-16 or Galil
The latest SIG 551 with alloy lower receiver is a really nice carbine and it only weighs about 8 oz more than a AR M4. It also has the option to use the superior M16 STANAG. magazines. Swiss mags cost about $65 each in the US - if you can find them.
What is your actual expertise? You make a lot of odd statements but never answer when you somebody questions you.
Are you even a veteran?
Do you have a Tavor?
That trigger slap is nasty, trigger pull is long and heavy, and the length of pull on bull-pups make them very uncomfortable. At least for me. I’m sure an after-market trigger replacement would do wonders.
I keep reading that IDF soldiers want to go back to the M4 or Galil after similar complaints with the Tavor and it’s cumbersome structure.
I believe France is abandoning their bullpups.
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