"AK-47: The Weapon That Changed the Face of War," (BookTV; C-Span2 Dec 9 and 10, 2006)

BookTV (C-Span2 weekends) ^ | 12-9-06 | BookTV staff

[VOA]

After Words: Larry Kahaner, author of "AK-47: The Weapon That Changed
the Face of War," interviewed by Peter Singer

On Saturday, December 9 at 9:00 pm EASTERN: repeats Sunday,
December 10 at 6:00 pm and at 9:00 pm on BookTV (C-Span2 weekends)

Description: In his book, "AK-47: The Weapon That Changed the
Face of War," author Larry Kahaner traces the rifle’s role in wars
from Vietnam to Iraq. According to the author, no tool has
spread so much raw power to so many people in so little time
in the history of warfare. Mr. Kahaner discusses the book with
Peter Singer, who directs a project on 21st Century warfare for
the Brookings Institution.

[P8riot]

A number of years ago, they sold a Chinese SKS carbine with a short barrel that uses an AK removeable magazine. I got one for $130. new.

Yes, I know. Today however, those paratrooper models bring as much as a budget AK, and no one I know wants to part with theirs.

Thanks for the info on the bullet diameter. I haven't attempted to handload any 7.62x39, since I fire mostly Wolf through my AKs and it is not reloadable. I haven't picked up enough reloadable brass yet. I do enjoy handloading the .308 as I have a rifle that responds very well to ammo tweaking.

[P8riot]

I don't know what you mean by interchangable magazines. Do you mean magazines which will fit AK's and SKS's?

I guess that's what I was referring to. I am not familiar with the SKS mags with the "duckbill", but I hear the quality runs "hot and cold", and anyone I know that's used them has had problems with them.

[P8riot]

I'm looking for another SKS to buy. I want the same type and model I had before. This will be the one with the spike bayonet and shorter barrel. The ones I have seen imported lately have a blade bayonet and some sort of long flashhider which I don't particuarly like.

I assume you are talking about the Norinco (Chinese) Paratrooper model. Norincos are among the better quality SKS's. The ones that re imported now, and are so inexpensive, are the Yugoslavian models with the grenade launcher and blade bayonet. They're good starter rifles, but I prefer the Norincos myself too.

[ASOC]

The outfit that made your weapon is Kahr (DBA AutoOrdinance) - check out their site, they have an on line owners manual. Check it out, and do a full PM on your weapon, a good way to sense the things karma, for lack of a better term. You *do need* special tools/some training to pull the gas tappet.

BTW, all the receivers are machined, back in the day they used billets (a solid block of metal), now days they machine from castings.

The Rugar Mini 14/30 use blowback, sort of like the tappet, to cycle their weapons - messier to clean up but easier to maintain. And weapons maintenance = better safety and reliabiity.

[USMCPOP]

About a year or two after I got the paratrooper model, I bought a brand new Bulgarian AK clone with a solid milled receiver for $165. Prices went up, then back down for some reason. I have one used Chinese SKS I got for $45. I have no idea what the going rate is these days. Of course, at the same time, you could get 3 East German 30-round mags in an original pouch for $10.

I do wish I had bought more of the 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mausers back when they were coming in in quantity. I did find a short-barrel carbine model with matching numbers about 5 years ago for $125. I think it was. Can't beat Swedish quality.

[Tailback]

It is the height of arrogance and ignorance.

Let me guess, you've never fired a round in a highpower service rifle competition. Who's the ignorant one? When shooting in military service matches we used unmodified off of the rack M-16A2's and standard M-855 issued ammo. The rifle that I went distinguished with in civilian matches only had a match grade barrel and a trigger job. The AK-47 is a great CQB weapon for urban stuff, as long as you keep the targets closer than 150 yards.

[300winmag]

Agree with the first. The second is hyperbole.

You haven't talked to my eye doctor then.

However, American ingenuity to the rescue. This is actually my SHTF weapon, the only one that I don't keep locked up, although it resides in an undisclosed location.

[Hazcat]

The outfit that made your weapon is Kahr (DBA AutoOrdinance) - check out their site, they have an on line owners manual.

The only thing I see on their site is for the Thompson. You're saying they made the Universal Arms M1 Carbine?

[ASOC]

Here you go - mash here They had an OEM relationship. Read any of the M1 sites with Kahr as a search word. They finally went into th ebusiness themselves. The Universal did not enjoy a good rep due to quality problems associated with surplus parts. Hope this helps

[Hazcat]

Thanks! I have heard the same thing. That is why I am interested in the number of springs in mina as I heard the single spring models are better. The only problem I have had is with a 15 round clip I have. It feeds the 30 round fine but it does not like the 15. It is an old one and probably just a weak spring in it.

[Shooter 2.5]

I have seen everything from Mini-14's to SKS's in order to qualify for a Garand at High Power matches. I even witnessed a guy try it with a Springfield Trapdoor in 45-70. I have never seen anyone use a AK. I think most beginners who are serious about shooting High Power use some sort of AR. They start out with it completely unmodified but that doesn't say in a few years the triggers and ammunition doesn't improve. Actually other than buying a heavy barreled AR there really isn't anything that can be done to an AR to improve them. The triggers lighten up if you shoot them enough. The only suggestion I ever did with mine was put weights in the rear stock and set screw the front sight.

I witnessed a guy shoot an AK at a welding tank at just a little over 300 yards. He was hitting on a consistant basis. He told me he must have bought a good one. Personally, I think they might be pretty good rifle but if someone just blasts away without taking care of the barrel, they lose accuracy because of neglect. It's not unheard of to hear someone claim they never clean their AK's and they never have a problem. I think not hitting anything after ruining a good barrel is a problem.

[FreedomPoster]

That'll work.

I really like the crank'em'in 75 round (? - I think) Chinese drum mags.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Not mine.

[DMZFrank]

Even so the M-16 is vastly more controllable on full auto due to it's straight line from muzzle to stock design, smoother gas system and recoil buffer.

[Tailback]

One of the best shooters I've ever seen uses takes a factory Armalite match AR-15 and adds a hooded rear sight and stock weight. He'll outshoot anybody in my state and is a member till he's sick of it of the All National Guard shooting team. (The national guard's version of the army marksmanship unit) He's one of a couple of dozen double distinguished shooter's in the history of the program.

Even old match shooters that grew up on the Garand and M-14 have converted to the AR-15 if they wanted to stay competetive. I get sick to death of guys that make outrageous claims that they get sub minute-of-angle groups with the AK-47. Taking your cocky rear end to a match with real shooters is a very humbling event. My first State National Guard competition I attended I won top new shooter, I wasn't even in the same zip code as the experienced guys. It took years to develop the skills needed to go distinguished and that was after 15 years of qualifying Expert in the Army and Army Guard. There is simply no comparison to the accuracy of a well trained M-16 shooter and anyone with an AK-47.

As far as the reliability argument, after 19 years in the military with the M16A1, M16A2, and M4 I've had ONE, yes that's ONE jam. That jam occured during basic training in 1987 and it was caused by a faulty round where the bullet actually was shoved back into the case and stovepiped. I have never had a jam with an M16 type weapon after tens of thousands of rounds caused by the rifle itself and I've been issued some trashed rifles in my military career.

[P8riot]

Let me guess, you've never fired a round in a highpower service rifle competition.

I fired, and placed, in 1,000 meter rifle competitions (among others) at Camp Perry, VA and Quantico back in the 1980s when I was in the Navy. We were firing unmodified M1 Garand rifles with open sights. I have observed, but never competed in NRA sanctioned events.

Thanks for taking my "arrogance and ignorance" statement out of context. I was just using it to describe folks who think that quality is the monopoly of US weapons manufacturers.

[Tailback]

I witnessed a guy shoot an AK at a welding tank at just a little over 300 yards. He was hitting on a consistant basis.

BTW, I never said the AK isn't good within certain parameters. A high quality milled reciever AK is a fine SHTF weapon for someone that is more concerned about reliability and long term storage than a more precision instrument. You have to realize though that the guy that can hit 80% with an AK at 300 yards probably has the skills to hit 95% with an AR15, and could probably get in the 80% range at 500 yards with the same AR15 and ammo.

I often tell guys asking me for advice on what to buy to get a good AK or SKS. That being said, if a guy that has real skills and knows how to care for firearms asks me, I tell him to buy a high quality AR15.

[Tailback]

You know very well that I didn't take your comment out of context. It is pretty obvious that your post was intended to be insulting towards me. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt however and say that maybe my first post was misleading in that I didn't mean to completely dismiss the AK-47 for any purpose. The AK has its uses, but I get very tired of reading on gun boards, Free Republic, and other internet venues how lousy the M-16 and/or AR16 are. I've fired many weapons, I was a unit armorer, I was a heavy and medium machinegunner, I was a member for three years of a state level shooting team. The M-16 is an outstanding weapon that is incredibly accurate and reliable when properly cared for.

[Tailback]

Ping so that you can laugh at me.

[300winmag]

Ping for some weekend gun porn and AK vs. AR commentary.