Mikhail Kalashnikov Dead

[Dagobert II]

Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, the arms designer credited by the Soviet Union with creating the AK-47, the first in a series of rifles and machine guns that would indelibly associate his name with modern war and become the most abundant firearms ever made, died on Monday in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic, where he lived. He was 94. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mikhail-kalashnikov-inventor-of-ak-47-dies-at-94/2013/12/23/624e40be-6bf5-11e3-b405-7e360f7e9fd2_story.html

[CenTexDave]

Good riddance. Thanks to him every Muslim born gets an AL-47 as a birthright.

[sojourner truth]

Have to remember that when he inveted the thing, Sgt. Kalishnikov was fighting Germans to save his country. I doubt he ever thought or dreamt that it would become what it is.

Shoot, I have one in my closet and swear by it. If I actually had to choose between it or my AR15, I'll take the AK any day. As much as I hated the guys who were shooting at me with them, I can still admire a weapon that does what it is supposed to do when it needs to do it.

Unlike the sorry ass M16s we got in Viet Nam at first. They improved over time for sure, but there were plenty of guys I knew who wished they had their M14s back.

[CenTexDave]

That's the problem - the initial M16 was about worthless. I liked the M16A1 though. And,like you said, the M14 had superior firepower.

[mac]

well.....the initial m 16 was awfully useful for cutting the wire on the C Ration cases.

the M 14 was given to me in Schofield barracks to escort it to RVN as my first sniper weapon. once in country i was able to swap it out for a 1903A3 rechambered for the win .300 mag. with a zeiss 6 -20 scope and i was very glad to make that swap. i never did find much good to say about the M 14 'cept it was lighter than the BAR. I got my first AK off the ground in country but for some reason and somehow, when I finally got it home it had morphed into a SKS!......so, I had to buy one, years and years later on my Berlin Tour.....and it was made in the DDR.....so, maybe i came out ahead in that whole deal. like SJ I have my AK relatively near and prob'ly wouldn't trade it for anything legal....it gives a whole new meaning to the term "let er rip".....if you know what i mean.....and if you don't, that's prob'ly a good thing.......mac (there's no doubt in my miitary mind that some dammed remf at LBJ took home my "liberated" AK....to build up his.....resume..


That's the problem - the initial M16 was about worthless. I liked the M16A1 though. And,like you said, the M14 had superior firepower.

[Ludwig]

The M-14 is the only weapon smaller than a howitzer that I could hit a target with at 750 yards... with iron sights. I would have gladly traded my AR for one.