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Re your #10 - Hear Here; Amen, and Ditto!!!

While stationed in Ft. Benning GA back in '69-70, I had the privilege of befriending an old "Lifer" who was, at the time, assigned to the US Army Ordnance Research and Development Team.

They had done considerable comparative studies between the two systems, and exposure to adverse conditions such as submersion in mud, extensive firing without cleaning, and being run over by a jeep that would disable or destroy "Jammin' Jenny" might ugly up an already ugly AK - but it usually would come up blazing away despite all.
The Ordnance testers were apparently frequently astounded by how much abuse the AK could withstand.

During 'Nam it was pretty well understood that there were lucrative kickbacks to the Pentagon from the Contracted Manufacturer of the Jenny (and if you were there you know who that was) and quality control was frequently compromised and flaws overlooked for corrupt "consideration", leading to more than a few needless American casualties.

I've also heard from more than one informed source that the powder was also shoddy, causing excessive fouling - which Jenny would tolerate very little of.

I got my orders changed from DaNang to Inchon about a week before deployment late in '67, but have known many Vets who were "In Country". Most of them who were deep in the doodoo knew that they were much better armed with a shotgun, M-14 (if they could recapture or buy one on the black market) or an AK.

Rangers on LRPs apparently routinely carried AKs in the bush, but would try not to use them in proximity of friendly forces, as they had a distinctive report and greenish muzzle flash, which could draw friendly fire.

In one of my recent gun magazines, they had a blurb on a retrofit of Jenny that replaces the fragile over-barrel gas tube with a piston and oprod system a-la AK or FAL.

That should help things out a bit, but in the personal opinion of this old soldier and gun-nut, I continue to consider the Jenny a piece of unreliable, un-battleworthy piece of junk and it's puny, PC 5.56mm round best suited for woodchucks and squirrels.

I'm not a big AK fan either - but given the choice between the two in a series pi$$!n' contest, I'd go with the AK without hesitation.

If my SKS would take an AK magazine (legally) it would be pretty much all I'd need out to 100 yds or so.
After that it's the scoped Mauser.

I do NOT, BTW, believe in the "Spray and pray" technique...
well, not the first half of it, anyway.

In short; Yeah; Komrade Kalisnakov is, IMHO, right on.