U.S. troops using confiscated Iraqi AK-47s (favored over M-16s)

boston.com ^ | 8/24/2003 14:00 | Andrew England

[King Prout]

time to feed da bears

[RussianConservative]

This deal not work so well when fighting asians, such as Chinese....they just keep coming. Take care of wounded, later, much later.

[RussianConservative]

''We just do not have enough rifles to equip all of our soldiers.....said Lt. Col. Mark Young, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.

I understand point. Look, 67 Armor Regiment...why would tanker carry assault rifle? He gets pistol...sucks if tank destroyed and you dismount.

[MeanWestTexan]

I am a former Apache pilot (Army). I still remember my first day of side arm training. The instructor's first words went like this:

"You are a pilot. If you are using a sidearm, it is because you are on the ground. Which means you are f!#@$d, and the sidearm will not do a damn thing to un-f!@#!@@ you. Ergo, we will not be spending much time. . ."

That speech, and the proper method of taping a single, illegal, unautorized, and Geneva-convention-banned hollow point bullet to the grip (for reasons everyone can figure out) are the only things I clearly remember.

[Jack Black]

I can't recall a single jam while firing several thousand of rounds through my FAL. Many of them in some of the sandiest places you can imagine (sand dunes, for instance). I have a real FN, though. I've heard various clones are not as uniformly great, though the DSA's are supposed to be as good.

What make of FN did you fire that jammed?

I will say that the Russian habit of making their cartridges taper probably does improve loading, as they claim.

[Jack Black]

Amazing. I have read of such things once or twice. A *4* gage. It's really a small cannon more than a gun, eh?

[Atlas Sneezed]

For a machine weapon i'd take the MP-5 any day...

---

It would seem that an MP-5 is good against little but civilians without body armor. (But lots of fun for plinking!)

[donozark]

After USSR invaded Afghanistan, and applied the newly designed AK-74 and 5.45MM bullet to the Mujihiden, they termed it the "poison bullet." Dr. Fackler has done some interesting studies on this particular round. Doctors Without Borders also had some complaints about it. Borrow a round from someone and examine the air cavity in the tip. Causes it to yaw-extremely so-after hitting flesh/organs. The Muj laid up in caves for days after being hit and died of septicemia, intestinal content leakage,etc. Very painful death. Hence the term "poison bullet."

I would note that Dr. Kalashnikov was upset when USSR replaced his 7.62X39MM with the 5.45MM. I would further observe, inspite of all the praise the AK-74 received in USSR/Afgah War, the weapons fame apparently did not carry over to modern day. Specifically, I saw very few examples of the AK-74 on TV during our battles in Afgh. Lots and lots of AK-47s, but few if any AK-74s. All my readings seem to back up this conclusion. Likewise for Iraq. No real explanation as to why/what happened to all those the Russians left behind in Afgh.

Also, most of the AK-47s I have observed/read about in Iraq, seem to be of Russian manufacture-or copies thereof. Most seem to have the underfolding stock. I HATED the one I had! I still prefer a full-length stock. Damned underfolders rattle, shake, vibrate,etc.

[Centurion2000]

Amazing. I have read of such things once or twice. A *4* gage. It's really a small cannon more than a gun, eh?

But it makes such lovely holes ..... and it kicks a little :)

[caisson71]

We worked some with LRRPs, extracting and inserting. It's pretty tough throwing a grenade in jungle canopy. Even throwing a smoke grenade was tough. An M-79 was another story.

[u-89]

The man told me that when they set up ambushes they used claymores. While some of the others used their rifles when the trap was sprung he threw grenades. That's what the man said and for the reasons stated in my first comment.

One time they came up on some NVA men in a campsite and they snuck in close and tossed a bunch of grenades. When they went in to check the bodies he grabbed an arm to roll one over and the thing came off the body. He took a back pack off this individual as a souvenir to show what grenades can do. It is full of holes and covered in blood.

This is not to say he never used his rifle because he did, including a time when they were pinned down by a MG in front of them blocking their escape from a base camp they just did a hit and run on. With large forces coming up on them from behind they could only move foward. He rushed the MG post killing the two man crew with his M16. He couldn't believe they didn't gun him down but as he says it wasn't his time to die but it was theirs. He got a medal for that. I read the citation.

[cavtrooper21]

Bad math on my part. TOE calls for at least 180 (6 - 30 rnd mags) plus ammo carried in ruck.
As a scout I carried 9 mags (plus some extras) and screw the bandoliers for the same reasons you mentioned.
Don't care much for the M16 either, but when all you got to drive is a clunker it's what you drive....
Till you can snag something better from someone who really has no more use for it.

[caisson71]

Ah, claymores! Now that is the cat's meow in an ambush. Your friend is luck to be walking upright and breathing fresh air. The Lord must have had something greater in store for him.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

It's just something I read years about why Israel giving up their FN's for Galiels(a variant of the Valmet)in the 1980's.

[Jack Black]

What are you doing with your other hand or am I afraid to ask?

The important thing when shooting really big bears with pistols is to learn to do it with only the left hand. This leaves the right hand free to make the sign of the cross, which all Catholics are taught to do before first communion.