Topic: Mikhail Kalashnikov

[Glock32]

Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the famed AK-47 assault rifle, died on Monday, December 23rd at the age of 94.  A humble man with a natural gift for mechanical ingenuity, and a patriot who fought for his country as a tank commander in WWII. It was the injuries he sustained in battle that gave him the freedom to dream up what would become the Kalashnikov rifle, during his long convalescence.

RIP Mr. Kalashnikov.


http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-mikhail-kalashnikov-20131224,0,474931.story

[oldcoastie6468]

Our grandson has one of his rifles.

[AlanS]

A man whose mechanical genius may surpass John Browning. RIP.

[oldcoastie6468]

Here's our grandson's Kalashnikov rifle.

[AlanS]

A Mauser?

[oldcoastie6468]

I don't really know anything about it, other that him telling me it was a Kalashnikov.

[Glock32]

It looks more like a sporterized Lee-Enfield to me, but maybe it's a Russian sporting rifle. Kalashnikov did design other firearms, including machine guns and bolt action hunting rifles.

Generally though when someone says Kalashnikov they're talking about this instantly recognizable design:

[oldcoastie6468]

It looks more like a sporterized Lee-Enfield to me, but maybe it's a Russian sporting rifle. Kalashnikov did design other firearms, including machine guns and bolt action hunting rifles.

Generally though when someone says Kalashnikov they're talking about this instantly recognizable design:

You are most likely correct.

[Glock32]

Here's an example of a sporterized Enfield.  The Lee-Enfield has a pretty distinctive looking magazine.  They are superb rifles in their own right.

[oldcoastie6468]

Here's an example of a sporterized Enfield.  The Lee-Enfield has a pretty distinctive looking magazine.  They are superb rifles in their own right.

I seem to recall that he said it was a Lee-Enfield.

[Libertas]

Glock knows his rifles!

The AK is iconic, unfortunate that the largest markets for it were totalitarian regimes and muzzieland, but that's more a quirk of fate thing than anything, and a bit ironic that something ingenious and durable came out of the environment he was born into, but a good product is a good product and the legacy of the man cannot be denied.  I like that he laments its use by terrorists, but as he says "Where the goat is tied..."

[OldSailor]

It looks more like a sporterized Lee-Enfield to me, but maybe it's a Russian sporting rifle. Kalashnikov did design other firearms, including machine guns and bolt action hunting rifles.

Generally though when someone says Kalashnikov they're talking about this instantly recognizable design:

My son bought a used -47 about a year ago and says he likes it.  It's a very good shooter, saying at long range it's nearly as accurate as the AR-15 in .223 that he used to own.  I couldn't tell you, I've never shot either model and frankly don't care to own either model.  I'd LIKE to get my hands on an M-1 Carbine, but just don't have anything like the money that would take.

[Glock32]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

[AlanS]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

Reminded me of this.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

[Libertas]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

Reminded me of this.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

Heh.  Mosin looks good!   

IIRC didn't G or somebody say the more highly sought after models were the Finlander variants?

[AlanS]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

Reminded me of this.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

Heh.  Mosin looks good!   

IIRC didn't G or somebody say the more highly sought after models were the Finlander variants?

Correct. The Finns took a piece of coal and made a diamond out of it.

[Libertas]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

Reminded me of this.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

Heh.  Mosin looks good!   

IIRC didn't G or somebody say the more highly sought after models were the Finlander variants?

Correct. The Finns took a piece of coal and made a diamond out of it.

Do they ever come up for sale anywhere?  Most what I see are usually old Soviet models...I'm sure they work...they either shot Germans or themselves with 'em!

[AlanS]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

Reminded me of this.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

Heh.  Mosin looks good!   

IIRC didn't G or somebody say the more highly sought after models were the Finlander variants?

Correct. The Finns took a piece of coal and made a diamond out of it.

Do they ever come up for sale anywhere?  Most what I see are usually old Soviet models...I'm sure they work...they either shot Germans or themselves with 'em!

The Finns do come up for sale occasionally, but be prepared to pay. They go for about 4X the price of Russians.

[Libertas]

The AR-15 may be like a Corvette but the AK is like a tractor.  You could probably pull one out of the muck in the jungles of Vietnam where it's been laying for over 40 years and I'd half expect it to still fire.

Reminded me of this.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

Heh.  Mosin looks good!   

IIRC didn't G or somebody say the more highly sought after models were the Finlander variants?

Correct. The Finns took a piece of coal and made a diamond out of it.

Do they ever come up for sale anywhere?  Most what I see are usually old Soviet models...I'm sure they work...they either shot Germans or themselves with 'em!

The Finns do come up for sale occasionally, but be prepared to pay. They go for about 4X the price of Russians.

So, in the $800-900 range?  Still, might be worth it.

[Alphabet Soup]

I paid $175 for my Norinko SKS. Just sayin...