AK Sponsor
Posted: 8/30/2006 5:55:36 PM EDT
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I am new to the darkside, and it is a common interest that brings all here. there is a select few in this country who care enough about their weapons to learn their origin, history, or even why they go bang when the trigger is pulled. for the most part people i interact with on a daily basis, who are gun owners, havn't a clue. the combined ak knoweledge and experiance on this site is awe inspiring. this meeting place is truly a gift. i have seen very few posts on "AK philosephy" i am a young man and could benifit from your thoughts as well as all the technical information. what does your rifle meen to you?is it your toy, your tool, your idle? you may have a safe full, you may just want one, it doesn,t matter. "without me my rifle is useless"i am calling you out, my fellow AKENITES- do your worst to shed some light on the darkside. if i am barking up the wrong tree, let me know. "a coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man only one" |
wow! cool kit john. |
Is that a Yugo stripped in that pic? Very nice pic, interesting to say the least! I for one, would love to get some background and insight into that one, especially the stock carving. Nice gun 
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Wow - I have been waiting a while for someone to ask me this. I am 20 years old and I only own one gun. The AK-47. (don’t worry guys, I plan on getting many more). The funny thing is I live in California so it was not easy, logical, or cheap for me to get an AK since it had to have a 10 round fixed magazine. The reason why I got one is because I believe it to be one of the most underappreciated pieces of art made in a very long time. Mikhail Kalashnikov really did not have any formal education in engineering yet he made a weapon that could quite possibly be the best weapon ever made. So cheap that in some countries they could be traded for a chicken, so reliable that they basically never have to be cleaned and could be dragged in mud, dirt, sand, or even submerged in water (and they still sell ) and still fire, so simple that even a 7 year old can shoot it, andas we all know, they do. It is a masterpiece. The name and symbol of the AK-47 is so famous where ever there is a conflict or a revolution – it withstood the test of time (the design and a lot of times the actual weapon). I have so much respect for the AK and it’s creator that it angers me that no one really realizes how revolutionary his child was. Not many inventions made 50 years ago are still in use today in the same original format. I think before one is allowed to hold an AK they must have appreciation for it’s beauty. I made my girlfriend watch Tails of the Gun: The AK-47 on the History Channel (if you haven’t seen it – see it) before I let her hold it. Also in the movie Lord of War, Nicholas Cage has a part where he is talking about how wonderful the AK is – it made me feel good that it is getting some positive publicity.
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Well said! |
Yes, I agree. It is nice to know that there are young men out there, who have this kind of Passion and respect for Firearms. |
Im a fan of the AK also. I don't worship it LOL..  but it's a very rugged carbine. From all I ever read on Mr. K he did a good job of putting existing designs and a few of his own to come up with the AK. Alot of different rifles systems went into the AK. The Garand is one . I like history on any rifle. I normally read what I can on developments and such. While not trying to be a ba hum bug guy the AK always came across to me as the enemy's weapons and terrorist. Mr K was just another enemy of our country. I served during the Cold War and a commie was a Commie to me. I realise he is just a old man who help put together a very robust rifle that has stood the test of time.The AK is not really that cheap. As far as the cost of the rifle. The labor is what is cheap for the most part. Most countrys that you can trade a chicken for an AK is a country that Communist USSR flooded AK's with for free. If you ever worked as a machinist and or know manufactoying you will see all the cuts and such that it takes to put an AK together. The reciever is the easiest part. The barrel has to held to specs as the trunnions and bolt, carrier, extractor ...ect.... Its not just a simple file and hammer and you have an AK. Want to talk about a weapon that has stood the test of time ?? Look at the M2 by the late great John Browning. 80 + years and still in our militarys service. While lighter M@ replacement is developed, for our infatry guys , it will be a long time before John Moses Brownings creation, leaves the battle field. Im betting the AK will be there for a long time to come also. It's that well made carbine for what it's intended for. The last two range trips have been AK days only. I think Sunday will be another..... WD |
 These kits came from weapons that were either captured or turned in by the Serb Militia's,there is alot of history behind them. 
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I don't get philosophical about firearms. All of my guns are tools. From $70 Mosin Nagants to $10k+ machineguns, they are all equal in my eyes. I don't believe in "safe-queens"...all of my guns get used regularly and all of them get equal care. I appreciate and acknowledge the history behind many of my guns. I know that my Garands, Mausers, Mosins and SKS's might have seen action in WWII, Korea or Vietnam. And some of my AK and FAL kits were likely to have been fired in anger at some point. However, that doesn't really enhance or detract from my feelings about the guns. Several of my rifles were given to me by family members and there is some sentimental value attached to those particular firearms, but that's related to my feelings for the person...not the rifle. |
not firearms. art. i don't have nearly the same respect for other guns. i like 'em but do i think there art or just a good design - i would go with good design for most. |
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Since this is the AK side I love the AK, but most definitely see them as tools. Great tools. My focus on firearms has changed a great deal in the last year or so, no more collecting, just shooting and having shooters. I do enjoy seeing everybody else’s treasures though. |
| Thats one of the best things about collecting AKs,they are tools that can be put in service anytime.I have several and while I don't really consider any of them as "Safe Queens",most of them,pretty much,fall into that category as my range time is limited these days. |
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nice to hear some positive viewpoints. thanks for the replies.i feel that the design aspect of the ak is most crucial because it was the first, or one of the first,where the designer didn't start from scratch. it is a kind of masterpice that barrows from other sucessful guns. i even believe i've seen the hated ak safety on a browning patent rifle. correct me if i'm wrong. a tool like any other? a hammer is a tool, but in the hands of a craftsman it is an instrumant. i have witnessed this myself.a tool unlike any other imo, but i'm no expert. i just would like to celebrate this rifles sucesses, and while doing so learn from all of you. i will always be a baddddd speller. "Rifles are like women, there ain't no ugly ones. just some plainer than others, and those are usually the ones that work best under all conditions" |
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The guns are tools, no more no less, it is the empowerment they bring that makes them important to me. I believe deeply in personal responsibility, it is my duty to protect my family, my community and my country in that order, not to mention feed them in times of need. Having a gun makes those things possible. I choose AKs because they are a versatile, reliable tool. They were designed to be "a single rifle for every soldier", they have thier drawbacks, but thier versatility makes them an outstanding rifle. It is the security that owning such a pwerful tool gives me that I relish. I know that as long as I am armed to a point that I can fairly deal with the issue at hand that all will be well. As long as I own such a weapon my family will have something to eat, and that they can sleep well at night never fearing that somebody will attack them as they slumber. |
I don't like to get mine out of the safe much not sure if being exposed to light will hurt them On a serious note, a week and a half a go I stood in a pouring rain for over an hour shooting. Kind of like it when the rain starts how everyone jumps in their trucks and leave. I put around 500 rds of .22 in a puddle in the on a rock and shot till they were gone. Kind of nice reaching into the water to get the ammo and loading two mag. Then setting one mag. back in the water and shooting the other. and then repeating the process. |
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I enjoy handling and admiring the weapons of warfare. They are the "Warrior's Tools," and I am a yound warrior. I like to learn from the past, and the weapons of yesterday's warriors still intrigue me. On a more practical note, I respect the power of firearms. As the saying goes, "God made all men; Sam Colt made them equal." The power of a firearm levels the playing field of a 6'5" 220lb man and that of a 5'4" 115lb woman (me and my wife!) Both armed, they are a formidable opponent to the other. In regards to the AK, I originally was drawn to it in order to have a platform to shoot the (at the time) VERY common/cheap 7.62X39 from the plentiful and robust AK-47 magazine. From a logistics standpoint, I liked the rifle. My first was a VEPR K. I liked it, but I began wanting a closer "clone" of what our enemies used against us in Vietnam, etc... After having a few AKs, I began shooting them more often. I REALLY enjoy shooting my Polish underfolder. In fact, I have qualified with it and can now carry it on duty. I liked dispelling the myths that it is "slow" and "innaccurate." Hog-wash. It keeps right up with the Mini-14 which my department issues, and packs a heavier punch (we've had 4 shootings involving vehicles in the past 2 years, showing the inadequacy of handgun and 5.56 ammo for penetrating glass/body panels.) So, now I like AKs because I like their handling capabilities, and the 7.62X39 cartridge. I think it is just as suitable in the squad car as it is in the museum.
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AK Sponsor