I read this on the Reuters news online.  

Kalashnikov says Iraq shows his gun is still best


Apr 17, 10:14 AM (ET)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the world's most popular assault rifle, says that U.S. soldiers in Iraq are using his invention in preference to their own weapons, proving that his gun is still the best.

"Even after lying in a swamp you can pick up this rifle, aim it and shoot. That's the best job description there is for a gun. Real soldiers know that and understand it," the 86-year-old gunmaker told a weekend news conference in Moscow.

"In Vietnam, American soldiers threw away their M-16 rifles and used (Kalashnikov) AK-47s from dead Vietnamese soldiers, with bullets they captured. That was because the climate is different to America, where M-16s may work properly," he said.

"Look what's happening now: every day on television we see that the Americans in Iraq have my machine guns and assault rifles in their armored vehicles. Even there American rifles don't work properly."

Some U.S. troops in Iraq have reportedly taken to using AK-47s in preference to the standard-issue M-16. The Cold War-era gun, renowned for its durability and easy handling, is plentiful in Iraq.

Kalashnikov designed his first weapon in 1947 and is still chief constructor at Izhmash arms factory in Izhevsk in the Urals mountains.

The factory's director Vladimir Grodetsky told the news conference that around a billion rifles had been produced around the world using parts of Kalashnikovs or based on the same design, only 10-12 percent of which were made in Russia.

Depends on how you look at it.  We've spent 40 years improving it, making it work.  They've spent almost 60 years making it... cheaper.

Looks like 'ol Mikhail has been sampling a little too much of his other product!

"Since 1949 Mikhail Kalashnikov has been living and working in his native town of Izhevsk. In 2004, he began promoting his own brand of vodka."

The AK of Vodka... no joke!

Quoted: I read this on the Reuters news online.   Kalashnikov says Iraq shows his gun is still best Apr 17, 10:14 AM (ET) every day on television we see that the Americans in Iraq have my machine guns and assault rifles in their armored vehicles. Not on my TV!  Then again, it is the Soviets...Can you say Photoshop?

ETA:
I brought a Marine to Calverton last week, and he had never shot a SKS until he shot mine!
I will ask him about guys shooting AK's.
I already put in a request for an AK receiver from the sand box.

Bill H.

Quoted: Quoted: I read this on the Reuters news online.   Kalashnikov says Iraq shows his gun is still best Apr 17, 10:14 AM (ET) every day on television we see that the Americans in Iraq have my machine guns and assault rifles in their armored vehicles. Not on my TV!  Then again, it is the Soviets...Can you say Photoshop? ETA: I brought a Marine to Calverton last week, and he had never shot a SKS until he shot mine! I will ask him about guys shooting AK's. I already put in a request for an AK receiver from the sand box. Bill H.

I think I did see you guys.  Was the Marine wearing a blue third bn. shirt?

eta: when deployed, never seen a u.s. serviceman carrying an AK...  Didn't notice the psd's carrying any either...

I have both, and I pick the  AR over the AK any day of the week.  I have not seen any news footage of our fighters carrying AK's.   Anyway, I just thought you guys would find the whole thing amusing.

Aside from some SpecOps operators who carried AKs strictly because they were going 'native' and needed to blend in, nobody carried an AK47 over there......

They are a lot of fun to shoot though!!

Most folks are only familiar with the crap we get here, the worst of the worst AKM's and things the monkeys in Vermont nailed together.