http://www.technologyreview.com/arti...ope.asp?trk=nl

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

"LH" == Leon Heller writes:

LH http://www.technologyreview.com/arti...ope.asp?trk=nl
LH Leon
LH --
LH Leon Heller, G1HSM
LH http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

Interesting, but not really new. In my experience, Russian designs are
often brilliant, it is mainly the manufacture and quality control that
gives trouble.

--
C++: The power, elegance and simplicity of a hand grenade.

I would dispute the definition of "the most successful" firearm merely
because it was the most widely produced / cheapest.


"Leon Heller" wrote in message
...
http://www.technologyreview.com/arti...ope.asp?trk=nl

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

oddly enough, a few years ago I was at a show where Kalashnikov was signing
autographs - found out about it about an hour after he had stopped - but it
was an intesting show (called IDEX)

"Ignoramus17647" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 11:26:51 -0000, Leon Heller
wrote:

http://www.technologyreview.com/arti...ope.asp?trk=nl


Good article. I also try to use the Kalashnikov approach in my
projects. Trying to create what is simple and what works.

The gun, though, is not really as accurate as I would like. 1.5 hours
away from my home, we have a gun range with a "mud pit", where I like
to shoot mine. Unfortunately, I do not go often enough.

My distant relative is a manager of one factory which makes night
vision equipment, as mentioned in the article.

i

--Which commie leader was it that said "quantity has a quality all
its own"? Heh.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : I want to return to
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : the time before time...
http://www.nmpproducts.com/intro.htm
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 22:20:24 -0500, Tony wrote:
I would dispute the definition of "the most successful" firearm merely
because it was the most widely produced / cheapest.

How would you measure success, then?

Longevity perhaps, that would make the Ma Duce more successful.

Tony

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 22:20:24 -0500, Tony
wrote:
I would dispute the definition of "the most successful" firearm merely
because it was the most widely produced / cheapest.

How would you measure success, then?

Did it win any wars? The Soviets lost Afganistan. The M1911 was on the
winning side of 2 major world wars.


"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 22:20:24 -0500, Tony
wrote:
I would dispute the definition of "the most successful" firearm merely
because it was the most widely produced / cheapest.

How would you measure success, then?

Ignoramus29573 wrote:

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 20:34:39 -0500, Tony wrote:

Did it win any wars? The Soviets lost Afganistan. The M1911 was on the
winning side of 2 major world wars.


Well, since AK-47 was the primary weapon of Aghan mujahedeen, you
could say that "it won the war".

i

Get it right! In Afghanistan, the Soviets were testing the AK-74 and the new
5.45X39 ammo. The AK-47 was long gone, replaced in the early '60's by the AKM,
just in time for the Russians to dump all their now obsolete AK-47s in Vietnam.
The stamped receiver AKM was what the AK-47 was intended to be, but it took a
while for the Russians to produce a durable sheet metal receiver.

David

Ignoramus29573 wrote:

Get it right! In Afghanistan, the Soviets were testing the AK-74 and
the new 5.45X39 ammo. The AK-47 was long gone, replaced in the early
'60's by the AKM, just in time for the Russians to dump all their
now obsolete AK-47s in Vietnam. The stamped receiver AKM was what
the AK-47 was intended to be, but it took a while for the Russians
to produce a durable sheet metal receiver.


I do not see the difference between the AK-47 and AKM to be very
meaningful. Both shoot the same. I have one with a milled receiver
(non-auto, obviously), and it would not shoot or function any
different if it was stamped.

Compare the weight. A stamped receiver is a lot lighter than a milled one. It's
also more flexible, making the whole rifle less accurate. Function is the same,
and many parts can be interchanged, but the AKM was a lot cheaper to make and
lighter to carry.

In Afghanistan, the Russians has both AK-47/AKM as well as AK-74, I
believe, but the mujahideen had AK-47s.

In Afghanistan, the AK-74 was being tested, it wasn't general issue yet, many
troops still had the AKM. AK-47s, not necessarily Russian, were supplied to the
Afghan Army troops supporting the Russians. Many of each model ended up in the
hands of the mujahideen.

David

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 01:34:39 UTC, "Tony"
wrote:

Did it win any wars?

Vietnam?
Cambodia?

The Soviets lost Afganistan.
And the US lost vietnam, The AK was used by both sides in Afghanistan.

The M1911 was on the
winning side

Ditto the '303'

of 2 major world wars.

so which were the minor world wars?

Chris
--