Originally Posted by
bombim
I thought one of the selling points of the AK was that the operator does not need a whole lot of practice and training. Isnt this why it is considered to be a perfect rifle for the guerrilas/irregulars/peasant armies who don't get the training that professional armies of volunteers get?
Examine that line of thinking for a second and apply it purely to the operation of the rifle and eliminate the maintenance aspect. With any rifle, you need to become proficient in the basics in order to fight effectively with it. Most AKs have inferior sights when compared to other rifles. Their triggers are usually inferior. As are the ergonomics in general. Reloading is generally less efficient.
In general for this discussion, if the sights are poor, the trigger is sloppy, the ergos are bad and the mag changes are awkward, how then would it be easier to master? Irregulars need a rifle that can be abused and still function every day. You're rarely going to see irregulars in the bush wars of Africa at training camps doing walk-back drills or malfunction drills. Have you seen some of the training videos around the web from the camps in Afghanistan? These guys aren't exactly trying out for BUD/S. I understand that not all irregulars are like this and there are some exceptions (Chechnya), but by and large the AK is adequate enough for their needs.
Anyone who has run the AR and AK platforms in the bush will tell you that they each bring their own strengths to the table. The AK can literally be assembled in a cave somewhere in the mountains and can operate in austere conditions for years. Will it be the best rifle in the world? No, but it will get the job done where other rifles would fail. The AR is accurate, has a good trigger, good mag-well and is comfortable to shoot, among other things, but compared to the AK is more complex and can't be easily assembled from parts in a cave.
Also remember that the AK has been suppled to the conflict regions of the world for decades by communist governments. These rifles are ubiquitous and have become part of the culture of these places. The ammo is plentiful, as are the parts and the knowledge to maintain the rifles. Why carry an AR in a place where everyone has AKs and there's literally hundreds of millions of rounds laying around for them.
In short, the AK is perfect for irregulars because it was built for the needs of the lowest common denominator. It's accurate enough, strong enough, simple enough and producible enough to equip the masses for the fight against imperialist capitalism, but there are certainly alternatives that offer more features and ease of use for a bit of trade off.
I've been issued the AK, learned how to use it and if given the choice, would still rather have an AR.
Nothing man-portable is guaranteed to end a fight.
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