Don't tell Mikhail - Kalashnikov to be dropped by Russians

[Watcher]

Interesting to see what they replace it with:

http://themoscownews.com/russia/20110927/189073543.html

[Christel]

Sounds like the Russian army is trying to enter the same century as the rest of the world.

[Tower75]

Ah, you beat me to it

I found a link on the BBC News site while on lunch.

It is interesting, but as they say - they've got an almost unlimited supply of the things. Why do they need to manufacture more?

I thought they were replacing the AK74M with the AN94 anyway - guess not. I still reckon that the "AK"ness wont disappear. Whatever they make next it'll just be a more modern "AK".

Still - would it cost less to FTR all the rifles in store then buy/design a new one?

[Watcher]

Just had a look at the AN94 on Wikipedia; sounds awfully complicated. The AK never recoiled much anyway.

[Tower75]

Just had a look at the AN94 on Wikipedia; sounds awfully complicated. The AK never recoiled much anyway.

Very complicated for something Russian built. A recoiling breech-bolt inside a recoiling receiver/barrel assembly in semi-auto mode - a mode that fires two rounds!, then set the barrel to stay locked upon full-auto rifle. ? ? ?

Why they designed something so odd and un-Russian is beyond me. After all. All you need to have to fix a Mosin-Nagant or an AK is a rock.

[IainWR]

Having a) met Major-General Kalashnikov and fired his design alongside him

b) used a number of other military issue weapons

c) done a certain amount of work as a professional evaluator of military toys:

Tinkering with the basics of the AK concept is a fundamental shift. The -47 is simultaneously the simplest, most reliable and one of the least accurate, military assault rifles available. The military philosophy that values the first two of those at the expense of the third is, in many circumstances, deeply to be valued. In particular, if the battle is intensive and profligate of resources, these qualities are deeply to be desired. However, if the action is occasional, irregular, conducted at long range and with high regard for resources (including human life) then a weapon such as the SA80 Mk2, which is : complex, reliable only if properly cared for but phenomenally accurate for a general service issue weapon
may be a better bet.

Question: are the Russians changing their fundamental military thinking?

Iain

[Watcher]

Does that mean we don't get the videos of Zapad '81 etc with the boys racing out of their BMPs with their AKs blazing. The end of an era...

[ovenpaa]

Does that mean we don't get the videos of Zapad '81 etc with the boys racing out of their BMPs with their AKs blazing. The end of an era...

Just look for the re-runs :lol: I doubt we have heard the last of the AK quite yet.

Imagine what would happen if Russia did replace it and sold of their AK stocks to the highest bidder. How many to the Yankee dollar and how long before they were flooding the black market at bargain basement prices...

[IainWR]

They pretty much are flooding the market already.

There is at least one respected online study of firearms legislation that uses the local price of a -47 as a reliable indicator of the availability of both legal and illegal weapons.

Iain

[Watcher]

For the old and bold (who once watched the IGB) ZAPAD is available on YouTube for a real nostalgia fest!!