[Mr Rogers]

I’m trying to imagine the accuracy of an AK-47 at 500+ meters...do the bad guys ever hit anything?

FWIW, I suspect the ranges also depend on what part of Afghanistan you are in, but 500+ meters is a LONNGGG way for an Afghan to try shooting.

[world weary]

The AK isn't a terribly accurate weapon at any range from what I hear from soldiers coming back. Afghani marksmanship is still more of the "spray and pray" variety, unless you get a sniper team engaging you.

500+ meters is excessive range for their weapons, and hitting anything at that range is more a matter of luck, our soldiers are trained in deliberate fire (single aimed shots) and are more effective. Also current doctrine having snipers being a battalion asset leaves platoons shorted when having to engage at long distance, including some long guns at the platoon level is probably the right call for Afghanistan, and we'll probably start doing that once the lessons are fully digested, if it isn't already being done.

Saying WW1 soldiers were better equipped to handle Afghanistan is also something I disagree with. Sure they had long rifles (what else were you going to arm them with at that time?) but they didn't have our comms/training/air support/mobility/etc...

[1st I.D Vet]

Its not the Ak’s so much as the 7.62 round on a belt fed machine gun mounted on a tripod up high... lots of punch from a distance

accuracy by volume

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I’m trying to imagine the accuracy of an AK-47 at 500+ meters...do the bad guys ever hit anything?

I've got an SKS, whhich shoots the same 7.62X39 mm round as an AK, and as far as accuracy goes, it's good for about 100-150 yards. After that, the bullet loses energy fast and drops like a rock.

[maine-iac7]

I suspect the ranges also depend on what part of Afghanistan you are in, but 500+ meters is a LONNGGG way for an Afghan to try shooting."

Let me guess - you haven't fought at one of the firsbases in the high mountains of north eastern Afghanistan.

OUr troops have been forced to build tiny,open firebases in the fishbowl bottoms of valleys - surrounded by tree studded hills and mountains.

The Taliban have the advantage of shooting DOWN - which means the bullets WILL land on the firsbase.

I'll leave it there = but you might want to talk with a soldier who's been there. Nothing trumps boots on the ground knowledge.

[jonascord]

My contacts among the now senior NCOs tell me that the average taliban and jihadi use the "If Allah wills it," method of markmanship. The method is known among US police as "Spray and Pray."

It's odd that I don't hear these kinds of marksmanship complaints from the Corps...

I wonder why?

[B4Ranch]

>FWIW, I suspect the ranges also depend on what part of Afghanistan you are in, but 500+ meters is a LONNGGG way for an Afghan to try shooting.<

That’s a dumb thing to say, especially since you are “Retired military.”

[Armedanddangerous]

I think the Hajjis are now mostly using the 5.45 AK-74s and the dragonov or SVD sniper rifles.

[Grimmy]

I don’t know anything about this new M4 that the troops are carrying, but the M16 has no prob reaching out and tagging someone in a lethal manner at 500 yards/meters.

This is probably more a matter of training failure than weapon ability.