I find this forum to be a bit of an oxy moron....not to insult anyone however....

The AK-47 is known to be capable of being lubed with motor oil, buried in a sand pile, pulled out and fired without failure!  Not sure anyone with an AK really needs to worry so much about cleaning them.

If you doubt me just simply check out this simple 2 minute video!

AK-47 buried 18 years filled with motor oil and fires!

Cheers!

AtotheR

Capable? Yes.....  nice knowing it is capable but I spent somewhere between $500 and $1100 on my AKs and plan to continue at least providing basic cleaning and maintenance for them. They are not "white glove" clean by any stretch but at least kept free of rust and other deterioration.

Maintenance is not to make it work.  It's to make it work reliably.

Check out AK Operators Union's videos on YouTube - no cleaning or lubrication often brings failure at some point for most rifles in their 5000-rd test.  They always lubricate the test AKs, even though they don't usually clean them during the test.

I clean my AK like I clean all my other guns, my guns are my children.

This. No reason not to clean them.  They are a long term investment that need to work perfectly when called upon.

You should always clean your AK after every shooting session. The only people who don't clean their AK are third worlders who live in shithole countries and lazy Americans. Every country who Issues or Issued the AK has a strict cleaning regimen detailed in their manuals. If you watch youtube videos of the war in Ukraine you will even see the men of Donbass cleaning their AKs at the end of the days fighting.

If it takes you longer than 10 minutes you're either doing it wrong or sippin' a beer and taking your time. A simple field strip, run a boresnake or otis through the barrel, wipe the other parts with a rag or paper towel, lube and reassemble. There's no need to scrape carbon with a metal tool and no magic involved. If you shoot corrosive primed ammo water is all you need. Flush the rifle with water, clean and lube.

 This ..

The guys in the Sand Wars often report AK rifles failing due to lack of maintenance.

The AK is just a machine.  All machines need maintenance in order to operate properly and so they don't wear.
If you're wealthy and can afford to dump a rifle and buy a new one, good for you.
However, most of us have to pay hard earned money and allowing that money to be wasted due to the lack of simple cleaning and lubrication is rather stupid.

My AK47 is the 1st weapon I actually enjoy taking apart and cleaning. The thing is so simple it's nutz. I clean and inspect all parts after every range session. I can't say that about my AR (which I love). The AR has lots of little parts compared to my AK. My AK might just be my favorite firearm of all time. I love shooting it. Just can't get enough of it. It's also super clean, and ready to protect my family at all times.

and i press the like button here

Also a good idea to tear it down and give parts a quick inspection for any indications of unusual wear or potential issues.