It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => The Departed => Topic started by: Glock32 on December 24, 2013, 11:21:27 AM
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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 (http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-mikhail-kalashnikov-20131224,0,474931.story)
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Our grandson has one of his rifles.
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A man whose mechanical genius may surpass John Browning. RIP.
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Here's our grandson's Kalashnikov rifle.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Firearms/Enfield.jpg)
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A Mauser?
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I don't really know anything about it, other that him telling me it was a Kalashnikov.
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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:
(http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff269/halo707/Boomsticks/SAR1_001_zps3e3b3be6.jpg)
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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:
(http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff269/halo707/Boomsticks/SAR1_001_zps3e3b3be6.jpg)
You are most likely correct.
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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.
(http://picturearchive.gunauction.com/4481005356/9532198/smle-1.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg)
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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.
(http://picturearchive.gunauction.com/4481005356/9532198/smle-1.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg)
I seem to recall that he said it was a Lee-Enfield.
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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..."
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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:
(http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff269/halo707/Boomsticks/SAR1_001_zps3e3b3be6.jpg)
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.
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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.
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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 (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm)
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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 (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm)
Heh. Mosin looks good! ::thumbsup::
IIRC didn't G or somebody say the more highly sought after models were the Finlander variants?
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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 (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm)
Heh. Mosin looks good! ::thumbsup::
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.
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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 (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm)
Heh. Mosin looks good! ::thumbsup::
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!
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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 (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm)
Heh. Mosin looks good! ::thumbsup::
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.
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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 (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm)
Heh. Mosin looks good! ::thumbsup::
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.
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I paid $175 for my Norinko SKS. Just sayin...
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Chinese made?
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Chinese made?
Yep.
My SKS is Chinese, my Saiga is Russian, and my Mauser is German. I'm just an equal opportunity firearms enthusiast!
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Libertas, the last time I looked, Russians were going for about a buck fitty. The Finns (when found) were going four bills and up.
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Libertas, the last time I looked, Russians were going for about a buck fitty. The Finns (when found) were going four bills and up.
Thanks Alan.
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Yes the Finnish rifles are the cream of the crop. They captured a bunch of Russian rifles and stripped them down to basically the receiver, bolt, and magazine and replaced everything else. They rebarreled them, put them in two-piece stocks, and redesigned the trigger and sear mechanism for a much cleaner break. They also ground off the hammer and sickle stamp on the receiver with obvious disgust.
The one I have is a M39 like this one:
(http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerdog/cgnmilsurpknowledgebase/1941m39finnishmosinnagant/IMG_3993.JPG)
The M28 is another sought-after Finnish Mosin-Nagant. That's the model used by Simo Häyhä (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4) during the Winter War between Finland and the USSR. He has the most confirmed kills for any sniper in history at 505. Later in the war he got shot in the face and had half his jaw blown off. He survived and managed to live a full life afterward. One of the most badass guys that people have never heard of.
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The M28 is another sought-after Finnish Mosin-Nagant. That's the model used by Simo Häyhä (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4) during the Winter War between Finland and the USSR. He has the most confirmed kills for any sniper in history at 505. Later in the war he got shot in the face and had half his jaw blown off. He survived and managed to live a full life afterward. One of the most badass guys that people have never heard of.
His accomplishment came with OPEN SITES! Of course his average shot was around 300 yds, I think, but it's still a great accomplishment.
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The Finns were fierce and had to be, being so outnumbered, and as far as winter-fighters go they are among the best ever.
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.....and as far as winter-fighters go they are among the best ever.
Yeah, the Germans came up a little short there.
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.....and as far as winter-fighters go they are among the best ever.
Yeah, the Germans came up a little short there.
And the French. Russian winters? Pah!
Oops!
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They were both arrogant and assumed they could whip the Russians before winter set in. I don't think either were able to appreciate the vastness of Russia, and the Russians' ability to buy time by temporarily ceding useless, scorched earth to the enemy.
The Germans were caught so unprepared in the winter of 1941 that they had to have collection drives back in Germany for winter clothing and furs. German infantry were subject to Russian winter still equipped with summer gear, they had to build fires under the oil pans of their tanks and trucks to get them to start. It's one of the major factors that prevented them from capturing Moscow. They were so close they could see the spires of the city.
I can't imagine how miserable it must have been to fight on the Eastern front during winter.
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The oil thing was big...and not enough fuel to keep things warm and move forward...classic over-extension...you outrun your supply lines and risk them to destruction and have nothing local to forage? Strikes one, two and three...you're dead!