This may be a stupid question, but as you say that you have been hanging around people with a lot of these weapons, why didn't you get them to show you all you need to know?

Originally Posted by Cabana

This may be a stupid question, but as you say that you have been hanging around people with a lot of these weapons, why didn't you get them to show you all you need to know?

Because if they're like some of the loonies I've met, I'd have to say that my 3 year old grand-daughter has a better idea weapons care than they have

Must be something on YouTube. As I remember they are very simple weapons.

Originally Posted by Rumpelstiltskin

For various work purposes, I've spent large chunks of the past year around functioning AKs. The only thing I know about them is how to turn the safety catch/fire lever onto 'non-random-accidental-death', something that has saved a number of cameramen's lives so far, in a trigger-happy,bumpy SUV, hashish-infused environment.

Essentially, I think my lifespan might be slightly expanded by the ability to a) strip b) clean c) fire an AKM in a difficult, sandy/muddy environment. I wouldn't post this if it hasn't have become an issue already. (i very quickly learned how to use an FN on semi-auto for pant-wettingly scary defensive suppressive fire, but that's another story).

Wot i want is: a deact, dry-firing AK at a reasonable price. Not to current welded specs, but earlier ah-so-that's-how-it-works specs, so I can clean, strip, oil and reassemble to a degree I'd feel comfortable with for future assignments in unstable durka-durka countries. I'd be happy negotiating down from <£500.

I don't yet have a licence .

Over to youse.

I see you got fixed up ok, so will share this with you:

Back in about 94/5 I landed at Maputo airport and at the bottom of the steps getting off the aircraft (there was no immigration, no security, no customs at the time). The war was staggering to an end and my business partner stepped out of a 4 x 4 and greeted me with the words "you might need this" handing me an AK47 with 2 mags.

I asked him if he would run me through stoppage drills etc and he replied: "If it stops firing, change the magazine".

Thankfully I never had to use it.

Originally Posted by eodmatt

I see you got fixed up ok, so will share this with you:

Back in about 94/5 I landed at Maputo airport and at the bottom of the steps getting off the aircraft (there was no immigration, no security, no customs at the time). The war was staggering to an end and my business partner stepped out of a 4 x 4 and greeted me with the words "you might need this" handing me an AK47 with 2 mags.

I asked him if he would run me through stoppage drills etc and he replied: "If it stops firing, change the magazine".

Thankfully I never had to use it.

Notwithstanding its rough construction (not a Parker Hale mind you) that is actually part of its robustness, the AK-family of weapons do not require much care and maintenance to "work." Precision fire (save I suppose for the Dragunov variant) is not their strong suit but as we all unfortunately know they have been used to kill many, many of us over the decades.

In my experience back in the day and now with several now in my personal arsen....erm collection, since they are gas piston driven vice direct impingement, the fire control group and bolt do not foul nearly as readily as our M16 variants (the HK 416 preferred by many of our SOF is piston driven of course).

The usual stoppage I encounter is when shooting extended periods of auto fire such that the chamber heats to the point it will cause the varnish on the steel shell casings to soften thus causing them to stick in the chamber, but this is even less frequent that stuck cartridge issues in the M16/M4 since the steel rim of the casing is harder for the extractor lip to rip through than the softer brass.

About the only immediate action for stoppages I have experienced has been to pull the charging handle fully to the rear and push forward with the heel of the hand (assuming the stoppage is not a lack of ammunition in the magazine). Another aspect of the AK that can cause soem difficulty for those unfamiliar with it is the magazine has to be inserted at a very acute angle to engage the front lip of the mag, unlike the straight slide motion for the M16/M4 and the SA80a1.

Originally Posted by Rumpelstiltskin

"neighbours said he'd developed dispiritinglly stupid concepts for American cable channels"

They couldn't be any stupider than what we've already got over here.

Didn't you get given a briefing on the AK47 on the HEFAT course?

I used AK's or slightly upmarket variants thereof for about 10 years - the only way they are going to go wrong is if you really really try to fuck them up with gravel/mud/sand bath - mostly it would be a mag failure in a el cheapo nasty magazine. The only difficulty you might have putting it together is getting the cover back on.

Just buy a small aerosol can of Q20 to give everything a massive squirt and you'll be fine. If you do get somewhere where you find the odd one lying about just practice taking it apart for a day or two while you sit around waiting for something to happen and you'll be fine.

We put one in front of people with no wpns experience & they got it apart fine. Back together, just make sure the bolt is aligned correctly in the camtrack.

And remember the little lever to remove the gas tube.

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