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http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/AK- ... story.html

Looks more like a AK-74 to me.

BamBam wrote:http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/AK- ... story.html

Looks more like a AK-74 to me.

Or possibly an AK 103.

I'd say it's a 74 or 103 (which are relatively rare compared to the 74) going on the front sight block which has a bayonet lug and the style of muzzle brake, as the 47 didn't have a bayonet lug on the fsb nor a muzzle brake.It always makes me smile when the media call every AK variant an "AK-47".

Alternatively it could be a Saiga that has been dumped for some reason, or a deac.

Probably chucked over the side of one of her majesties just prior to some inspection or other.

The solent and Plymouth sound must be littered after various units came and went.

We has AKs etc up the ying yang. Once it was realised that they were not going home (and if they did what would we do with them) they got ditched.

Most were still in pres in their crates

It bears all the hallmarks of a shameless plot to entice "blood-thirsty-neo-criminal-they-must-all-be-eradicated-shooters" to become peaceful anglers !!

I suspect Maggot's explanation is the correct one, unless vehicle ferries pass nearby in which case it could be a lorry driver who dumped it.

Re the military souvenirs, a guy I worked with years ago didn't return to Blighty and demob after WW2 until 1947 having spent time first in the occupation army in Germany after VE day (best days of his life, a succession of thieving / black marketeering / spending the gains on cigarettes, whiskey and women he said) and then Palestine (warmer but much less fun!) On the troopship back to Southampton, the PA announcements about illicit souvenirs started 24 hours out and were repeated with increasing frequency to one every few minutes in the English Channel. The gist was that every soldier and his kit would be searched on the dockside and anybody with a weapon was guaranteed a spell in the glasshouse instead of demob. He told me there were literally lines of soldiers throwing an amazing arsenal into the sea - a 'Spandau' included. He tossed a small Beretta auto that he'd carried right across Europe and the Middle East and was really sorry to see it go. Of course on the dockside, there was no inspection, the troops were formed up in ranks and marched off to the station.

Laurie wrote:I suspect Maggot's explanation is the correct one, unless vehicle ferries pass nearby in which case it could be a lorry driver who dumped it.

Re the military souvenirs, a guy I worked with years ago didn't return to Blighty and demob after WW2 until 1947 having spent time first in the occupation army in Germany after VE day (best days of his life, a succession of thieving / black marketeering / spending the gains on cigarettes, whiskey and women he said) and then Palestine (warmer but much less fun!) On the troopship back to Southampton, the PA announcements about illicit souvenirs started 24 hours out and were repeated with increasing frequency to one every few minutes in the English Channel. The gist was that every soldier and his kit would be searched on the dockside and anybody with a weapon was guaranteed a spell in the glasshouse instead of demob. He told me there were literally lines of soldiers throwing an amazing arsenal into the sea - a 'Spandau' included. He tossed a small Beretta auto that he'd carried right across Europe and the Middle East and was really sorry to see it go. Of course on the dockside, there was no inspection, the troops were formed up in ranks and marched off to the station.

My kit was searched by some officious t*@t of a PO...actually I told him exactly what I had.

None of it was illegal (bits of Pucara, copper cones from 66LAWs that had burned and been polished and engraved) and had FFEs.

He took the lot and gave me a right Paddington Stare when I suggested he had a great collection without even getting his feet wet!!

After the Gulf I collected more souvenirs found stashed in vehciles or binned that came back than I got originally. Squaddies are all cleptomaniacs. Usually they dont even know what they will do with it but will borrow or "creatively re allocate" it anyway. I gave most of that away as I did not pick it up myself so it had no story to it, just junk then.

My one regret was I had a DSHK (or is it DHSK...Dushka!!) bolt. I binned it. In hindsight left in a waggon only an armorer would know what it was.

A lot of our vehicles got rifled by the REMFs at Emden. Several took a dump in them.....you could'nt write it!!

These days (I was telling Chris B etc about this) our local gravel dredging company at Marchwood is regularly dredging up clips and singles of 40mm Boffors ammo and 2pdr Pom Pom rounds. Tons of it got heaved over the side after the war, then the need for dredging increased....oh bugger

These days (I was telling Chris B etc about this) our local gravel dredging company at Marchwood is regularly dredging up clips and singles of 40mm Boffors ammo and 2pdr Pom Pom rounds. Tons of it got heaved over the side after the war, then the need for dredging increased....oh bugger [/quote]

As an ex-RN Gunner, and a Bofor "trigger man" from the `60`s I would like to get my hands on a 40mm shell(or just the case) for a keepsake.