Are the Russians expecting trouble

AK 47 designs by Germans towards end 2nd WW stolen by advancing Russians.

Anyone figure out why we didn’tt just buy AK47’s and RPG’s for our forces? Cheap as chips and seem to work really well and are battle proven worldwide.

mt – Member
AK 47 designs by Germans towards end 2nd WW stolen by advancing Russians.

Generally accepted as the world’s first assault rifle, the StG44’s effect on post-war arms design was wide-ranging, as evidenced by Mikhail Kalashnikov’s AK-47, and later in the U.S. M16 and its variants. The Soviet Union was quick to adopt the assault rifle concept. The AK-47 used a similar-sized intermediate round and followed the design concept, but was mechanically different.

Same article I pasted from also has this:

StG44s have been confiscated from militia groups by U.S. forces in Iraq.

Quite long lasting then

Berm Bandit – Member

Anyone figure out why we didn’tt just buy AK47’s

1) Relatively inaccurate
2) 7.62 not NATO standard so no interchangeability with allies. Additionally, heavier round than 5.56 so ability to carry large quantities of ammunition reduced. Plus, NATO doctrine believed it to be more advantageous to injure (at least 1/2 soldiers to look after every injured man), 7.62 more likely to result in an outright kill in the event of a hit.
3) Would make us look like two bit narco-guerilla hoods. I don’t suppose we’ll be swapping Land Rover Defender for Toyota Hi-Lux anytime soon either.
4) Was/is (original and variants) the principle assault rifle of our enemy (former now, but possibly future again).

Anyone figure out why we didn’tt just buy AK47’s

Because (like most of the rest of NATO*) we bought the mighty Rifle, Self-Loading, L1A1 instead.

Andy

*I concede that everyone apart from the UK & Canada actually bought FN-FALs, but it is essentially the same rifle.

The old SLR a proper weapon,simple, reliable and made short work of those in its sights.

The old SLR a proper weapon

Photographing people to death? 😀