"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.

[ExGeeEye]

Nivver shot an AK or variant. 'Twould be interesting.

The Chinese Mdl. 54 (SKS) awaits my next chance to go to a range. I have been recently tempted to add a fiberglass folding stock, scope (mounted on an aftermarket receiver cover) and bipod (replaces the bayonet) to the beast. It's still outside the budget.

I did not despise my -16 until I went to the desert, whereupon it required constant care. I ended up wrapping the receiver in plastic (in such a way I could rip it off in a hurry).

[Shooter 2.5]

Yep. Apples and oranges.

[archy]

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.

The stamped receiver of the SovBloc AKM was never meant for long range accuracy, and neither is the short 16 inch barrel; neither are the open sights with no windage adjustment particularly capable of precision work. But someone minimally skilled with an AK can also operate the 24-inch barrelled RPK, a horse of a very different colour, particularly when the 4-power 1P29 telescopic sight is used.

And at that point, if the shooter has demonstrated real skill and talent, the triggerpuller can move up to a SVD or SVDS sniper's rifle, if he or she is capable of dealing with the recoil from the more serious rifle.

[archy]

Clearly, your Firearms Cat is going to choose the Mouser rifle.

[archy]

The ugly but simple truth is a dead deer doesn't require four of it's buddies to remove and treat the wound, feed him and support him till he recovers.

Or one quick shot to the head from a PM Makarov pistol, thence to move on in a mood for payback.

[archy]

Pistol ammo?
7.63X39mm round is pistol ammo?
Who knew?

Indeed 7,62x39mm M43 is. But try not to drop one on the *Krink pistols* on your foot.

[archy]

However, the Swiss chose the same operating principles, and refined it. The result is an AK-47 (in 5.56mm NATO) as Rolls Royce would build it. And priced accordingly.

And one other neat feature: the magazines can be snapped together, saving Swiss supply NCOs the loss of rolls and rolls of Swiss top-quality duct tape. Sometimes with bizarre results....

[tcostell]

You sound like a lucid guy with regard to accuracy so let me give my (slightly detailed) 2 cents.

The AK has a couple of accuracy problems, and I suspect you're right about neglect being the most prominent.

First off, the sight picture isn't what I would call stellar, but since I also have a POSP telescopic sight for mine, that fixes the problem. Second, when it gets dirty accuracy suffers more severely, in my experience, than with other rifles.

Third, when that barrel heats up there is nothing anyone can do to make the gun accurate short of cooling it off. On mine, the first 5 shots can be put in silver dollar at 100 yards, The next 5 will be in a coffee can, and the next 10 will be anywhere within 6 inches of those.

There is a great deal of variance in those guns and I'm told that some hold center better than others, but with mine, either it's cold, or it's going to give unsatisfactory accuracy.

Of course it's also a hell of a lot of fun to bump shoot it. The empty shells form a line in the air about 1 foot apart each, and will reliably fly 10 feet from the point of fire.

More fun cannot be had with your clothes on.

[Gideon Reader]

The Krinkov is NOT a pistol. It has a folding stock on one model and a telescoping wire stock on another.
The fav of Usuma and the Doctor.
Neat meat, but I do not see it as more than a REAL CLOSE up last minute, last resort kind of thing.

Pistol? Nahhhhhhhhhh!
:~)

[archy]

The Krinkov is NOT a pistol. It has a folding stock on one model and a telescoping wire stock on another.

The fav of Usuma and the Doctor.

The Russian tankisti I've chatted with do NOT call their AKS-74U shorty versions of the AK the *Krinkov*, but malysh, [little naughty fella] okurok, [cigarette butt] suchka, [slut] or Xusha [little Xena]. You are correct that the AKS-74U in the 5.45 caliber chambering has a stock, but the American *Krinkov* pistol variants do not- and they are indeed manufactured, licensed and sold as pistols, often using Yugoslav or Bulgarian components, and usually in the older 7,62x39mm M43 Kalishnikov cartridge.

Neat meat, but I do not see it as more than a REAL CLOSE up last minute, last resort kind of thing.

Point is, the 5.45 bullet has a better chance of penetrating soft body armour than 9x18mm PM or 9x19mm Parabellum pistol ammunition. But a better pick for that sort of thing would be the Canareyka [canary] version, with silencer and BS1 Tishina GP30 suppressed grenade launcher fitted.

Pistol? Nahhhhhhhhhh!

Pistol indeed the *Krinkov* is. The feds have so decreed.

AK47 Pistol 7,62 x 39, semi auto, this super short version sports a 8 inch threaded barrel with flash hider& side mount scope rail for optics, built with new parts on a new US receiver with grey Dura Cote finish and black poly hand guard. Comes with one 30 round high cap mag and rifle case for protection. Built by the crew at Red Jacket Firearms; backed up by a 5 year warranty. If you are in the market for a super short, affordable and cool AK pistol then this is the one for you !!

AKPSHORT
   $599.00       LIMITED INVENTORY ON THESE

[activationproducts]

No they do not have the same diameter bullet. The .308 cartridge uses a .308" weighing in the 147-168 grain neighborhood (generally). The 7.26 X 39 cartridge uses a .310" bullet weighing in the 123 grain neighborhood.

[Centurion2000]

I thought that pistols with a front handguard were classed as short barrelled rifles and subject to the NFA taxes ..... is this really just 599.00?

I can see this being a particularly cool PDW myself.

[Gideon Reader]

Obviously you are CORRECT. Who would think that such a piece of crap would ever be made, no less purchased.
I have a strong feeling that those who will acquire these travesties, also enjoy Tec-9's and turn their handguns on their side and raise it over their hears in "moronic combat mode".
Go figger. :~)

[archy]

Obviously you are CORRECT. Who would think that such a piece of crap would ever be made, no less purchased. I have a strong feeling that those who will acquire these travesties, also enjoy Tec-9's and turn their handguns on their side and raise it over their hears in "moronic combat mode". Go figger. :~)

I really, REALLY hate to tell you this. But the gesture of turning a handgun on its side dates clear back to the days of horse cavalrymen with flintlock pistols, who at a gallop could have the rush of air blow the gun's priming powder from the pan. Tilting the gun 90º with the lockwork up on top helped ensure that some powder would remain around the touchhole. This is but one reason why lengthy edged weapons remained popular in those days.

With the current crop of minimally reliable pocket [and larger!] semiauto handguns, the manual of arms is reversed, and the potential weapon's ejection port should be pointed downward in hopes of helping empty brass clear the weapon in the event of an ejector or extraction malfunction. Frequently the *cool guys* do it exactly backward, pointing the ejection port upward, increasing the possibility of a *stovepipe* jam should an empty case fail to fall clear from the weapon before the feeding cycle.

Good.

[TalonDJ]

How do you like that forward mounted sight? Mine mounts to the side, is quick detachable and puts the scope over the receiver. Have 3-9x on it that I love. I ain't much of a shot but it can hit clays at 100 yards so that keeps me entertained.

[archy]

I thought that pistols with a front handguard were classed as short barrelled rifles and subject to the NFA taxes ..... is this really just 599.00?

Partly. Pistols with a vertical foregrip remain a NFA weapon. And happily, the former weight restrictions of the now-expired *Assault Weapons Ban* no longer apply, another restriction that previously applied.

I can see this being a particularly cool PDW myself.

Wear earplugs or earmuffs if you go to shoot one. And sunglasses.

[Centurion2000]

Wear earplugs or earmuffs if you go to shoot one. And sunglasses.

But of course, I shoot a 454. Funniest moment I ever had on the range:

Child on next lane: "Daddy, daddy .... that man's gun is shooting fire!!"

[300winmag]

How do you like that forward mounted sight?

I like it because I wanted a 1x optical sight for up-close work. It's easy to acquire without demanding a precise stock weld. And the Leupold was on sale for $60. I wasn't about to spend more for an Eotech that costs more than the weapon itself. (The fact that the scope on my Remington 700 costs more than the rifle itself is perfectly logical to me, OTOH.)

[Ditto]

They were cheap to build, and easy to maintain, if they were maintained at all. They really didn't need much care, which is a good thing for a "non-professional" military. Or a bunch of terrorists or criminals.

That's exactly what "changed" the face of war. Every tin pot dictator could field a force of semi trained or even totally untrained thugs armed with AK's easily and cheaply available on world arms markets and create a rather lethal force virtually overnight. You see 10 year old kids carrying them in Africa and globally, the AK has killed more people than any other firearm in history.

[ctdonath2]

...and yours for just $2199, semi-auto.