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My new tricked out Ak-47, home protection gun.

7K views 25 replies 5 participants last post by  Sam Dunham 
#1 ·
OK, before you guys say anything, I may be a little paranoid, having about 3 years worth of food put back, enough guns and ammo to arm a 3rd world country, but I look at the shape our country is in, and I did not have one good clip fed auto matic. I had been considering buying an AR 15, but recently had my mind changed. I have done work on numerous Ar-15's, custom trigger, barrels, and tighter pins, but it still doesnt take very much dirt to make them not fire, had this happen recently. A friend and I went to the range, just had cleaned his guns meticously, while firing off the sand bags, one grain of sand got into the locking lug recess, not letting the bolt rotate fully closed, would snap, not fire. I stripped and cleaned good, got it back to running. One large grain of dirt/sand was all it took. I have personally poured sand thru a SKS or Ak while firing them, and it will go bang and function every time. I had been perusing online sale, always the bargain hunter.
A local young man had gotten a good Romanian AK-47, put on a quad mount forarm, Car-adjustable stock, cushion piston grip and cushion adjustable front pistol grip, that clanmps on the bottom rail. He had replace the dust cover, with a Tunnel scope mount with picatinny rails on each side, and the Gas tube cover with machined alum replacement pic. rail. Also had a Tapco Custom 2 stage trigger, 3#. It has the mounting bracket on the side, for soviet bloc scope and mount. He had about $700 in this, and had 6 mags. He had gotten into shooting benchrest .22's locally, coudlnt afford both toys, so I traded him a CZ 452 .22lr, varmint barrel, with a 1# trigger I had reworked, and a BArska Varmint 6x24x44 on it. I had had this for years, and the prices had doubled since i bought this one, so we traded even!
Got home, loaded her up and procedded to kill oil cans and 20oz pop bottles with ease at 100-150 yds, open sights. I shot if off bags, on paper at 125 yds in my field, would group about2" with open sights, cant do much better with anything with square open sights, a little better with a MIAI and peeps. If you hold it looselly, with the good trigger, it will about empty itself. If someone can help me, I will email pics to post. I figure it would be good to have, if everything goes south!
 
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#4 ·
Maybe I should have said small clump. It stopped one of the bolt head lugs from rotating all the way shut, Ie the whole bolt head and when that happens, the firing pin cant reach the cartridge. Really just a small gritty smudge. I was a full time gunsmith for over 12 years, been doing it for 30 years total, and have had several issues over the years with Ars. I had several Colt H bars, new out of the box, lubed to the gills that would not do 1/2 a mag without jamming. A lot has changed in the last 20 years on them, 10x more reiliable than they used to be, but still some minor glitches. If I ever build one, will be a gas piston version, ultra reliable, no gas exhaust in rec., can run 3 clips thru one on full auto, and break it down, pull the bolt, will still be cold. I have never, ever had a AK, from the best machined recievers to the crappy sand jockey stamped ones ever jam.
 
#5 · (Edited)
"Clip fed automatic" huh.....

2 Colt ARs. Thousands of rounds. Not one fail to fire.

But then I don't "personally pour sand thru while firing them",

And mine aren't "clip" fed.....;)

But I must say this type of firearm would not be my first choice if faced with hard times.

I'd choose much more conservatively.
 
#6 ·
I've never had any issues with my AR's either ........match rifles or run of the mill "blasters". I like the rifle, and would trust it. Sure, it requires more attention to maintenance (no DI system with tight tolerances will ever be as inherently reliable as a piston system with sloppy tolerances), but alot of the bad rap the rifle gets is largely "urban legendary" and unfounded in my opinion....
A prime example happened at a local HP match. A retired Marine had reloaded all the ammo for the club juniors. During a rapid fire string, both juniors who were shooting had repeated stoppages caused by failures to go into battery. While we were checking the rifles over, the Marine is proclaiming to everyone how you "have to keep an AR clean or they'll jam" and "they need to make these kids clean their rifles better". All of us reload, and knew what was up right off the bat (brass undersized....later confirmed to be WAY undersized) and told him. Sure enough, when we gave them different ammo, both rifles ran like champs. Now the kicker: The guy witnesses the whole thing.....the problem.......the fix.....everything. Yet, 20 minutes later I overhear him telling another spectator "yep, you gotta keep those AR's clean.....they're not as reliable as the M-14's we had when I was in"........:rolleyes:
And the legend is perpetuated.......
 
#7 ·
And the legend is perpetuated

Indeed. Gunstore leaning on the counter B.S. mostly. Dana posted this a few doors down in this very forum......

The M16 and its ammunition were changed and modified repeatedly in the months and years after the uproar of 1967. The current firm, Colt Defense LLC, provides rifles to the American military and to many government organizations around the world. Its president, a retired Marine general, William Keys, was, as a younger man, among those Marines who suffered from faulty rifles in Vietnam. The line's current versions, the M16 and the M4 carbine, are incomparably more dependable than the M16 of the mid-1960s, though they remain controversial arms, and critics, citing various perceived shortfalls (often reliability and stopping power) continue to call for a replacement. Many of the complaints have been over the standard ammunition that the American military's M16's and M4's fire, which troops have reported passes too easily through lightly clad Afghan and Iraqi men and often fails to deliver incapacitating wounds.

The AK-47 and Type 56 rifles, two variants of the Kalashnikov that were common in the early years of the Vietnam War, have largely been phased out and replaced by an extended family of descendants that were made in the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, the former Warsaw Pact nations, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and other countries. Some of the original rifles are still in use and can readily be found in Afghanistan. Together the entire Kalashnikov line - routinely and erroneously called AK-47's - are the most abundant firearm on earth, and the predominant weapon of war today.
http://www.esquire.com/print-this/ak-47-history-1110?page=all#
 
#8 ·
Guys,did not mean to hit a sore spot, just relating my and several buddies of mine issues that have occured. Several of my friends served in Nam, LRRPs and regurlar Army and Marines, and most still have a AR-15, but every one to a man use them for varmint hunting, and would hesitate to stake their life on them. These guys are all some of the most dedicated benchrest and handloading shooters that I know of, all have at least a dozen benchrest/varmint rifles that are super accurate out to 1200yds, with the right guy behind them. They use the ar-s Pdog and coyote hunting, even deer hunting when changing the upper to an appropriate caliber. That said, the gun behind the bedroom door, is always a 12 gauge 870 pump, or a Soviet block AK, or derivative thereof.
If you noticed, I said that they have worked out most of the bugs, and are 10x better than 20 years ago. And Bowcephalus, I did say clip fed automatic, when I should have said "box magazine fed semi-automatic. " Split hairs if you wish. I did not think anyone here was that anal retentive. I am not a big semi-auto, or select fire, or full auto fan, until I need one. I feel they give the antis to much to rage about, have them, shoot them, but dont parade them around. I agree it is all of our rights to legally own and use any legal firearm that we can obtain, but dont rub peoples nose in it that are gonna sqwauk about it.

Again, I did not mean to upset anyone, but with my experience with these types of weapons, and being very profecient, with any type of weapon, from a long bow to bolt action, or Glock, I will only put my life on the line with a weapon I have ultimate trust in. I have tried the tests by pouring sand, dust thru weapons to see if they woud function as mentioned above, I paid for them, and if I want to see how well they work, function, as we read about, I will. I take better care of my weapons, than most folks do their kids.
I have several mauser custom scout type rifles I have built, .308, 8mm, 30/06, with 1000 rounds for each of them, lever actions, with 500 rounds each, and 1000 rounds for each of my handguns, is that a "Conservative" enough weapon mix for you fellers. I have competed on a national level, at the NMLRA, and medaled 31 times, twice in International matches and placed 4th and 7th in World standing at these matches. I am not a rube, did this for a living for a long time, and learned my gunsmithing skills, from a retired Marine, who lived 2 doors down from my farm. I was learning how to thread a barrel and chamber one on a lathe at 15, doing glass bedding, truing actions, poishing locking lugs in recievers before I could drive. This man had served in Vietnam, as a sniper, retired out as a Armorer, building rifles. I was fortunate to be able to spend quality time with him, and learned a lifetime of wisdom, in a few years. He died from cancer, from Agent Orange, when I was 21. I still have one of his lathes. I will not post on this subject anymore, since some of you have taken offense at this, just relating what I know from personal experience, not Gunstore Counter BS as stated above. I have probabley shot more firearms, for score, at ML matches, .22 matches, BP Cartridge matches and benchrest and high power matches, than 4 -5 people will in a lifetime. I have done hot bluing, parkerizing, accurizing rifles and revolvers, 1911 pistols since a teenager. I could go on and on, have spent better part of my life becoming a dedicated shootist, in every aspect of the word, from realoading, bullett casting, bullet swaging, case preparation, chrono testing, and several load data journals filled over a lifetime. I am hardly a guncounter BS'er.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Nothing anal about noting the difference between how a Garand is loaded vs. an AR. That's not splitting hairs. The two are distinct and not interchangeable.
And for the record Koger, most around here don't take offense to the facts. It's stuff like "pouring sand through rifles while firing them" and "one grain of sand" shutting down an AR, and bumpfiring, "If you hold it looselly, with the good trigger, it will about empty itself" that gets the attention of folks around here.We weren't "offended" LMAO. You are awfully sensitive, "I will not post on this subject anymore....", for one with so much life experience. Don't be so flighty man.
 
#11 ·
I have several mauser custom scout type rifles I have built, .308, 8mm, 30/06, with 1000 rounds for each of them, lever actions, with 500 rounds each, and 1000 rounds for each of my handguns, is that a "Conservative" enough weapon mix for you fellers.
Again, you missed the point.......;)
 
#13 · (Edited)
And a pretty level headed point of view.....

The point is Koger that you should buy whatever your billfold and experience lead you to. But the debate you raised here is very common and you should have expected the replies you got.

Were I to grab a gun when things "go south" it won't be to go to war. I'll avoid that like thirst, hunger, cold, and people.
 
#14 ·
None of this really matters reletive to the individual experiance "One" has with a weapon system. I have had about a half dozen AR's over the years, including two of the old SP#1's with no failures. The only Quirk the AR has is that it must have a little lube on the Bolt rings to run 100%. The shorties have to have a larger chamber due to the catridge still being up into expansion when the bolt starts to turn. This is an impingement timing thing that is not a problem on the longer gas tubes. I think the best way to goe on a shorty is a 20 inch BL, shortend an 1/2/28 right in front of the FS. I know many people like AK's but personally would much rather have a good M-16! The last real M-16 I had experiance with was an issue gun at the last Police job. It was the old type, SP#1, so old that it was stamped AR-15, then M-16 Government issue. It ran like a Champ with everything I fed it!!!!!!!!! My survival gun is a Ruger 10-22 std. model. It may be shy defense wise but it is more than a bad headache! lol I can eat with this gun, carry lots of rounds, and it is not as loud.
 
#15 ·
Thanks Sam. Bowcepahalus, that was a great video, that one ran great. Just going from my experience. Sam I aggree, a good .22 will handle 90% of your needs. We have a bunch of meth cooks and addicts in this county, they bust an average of 5-7 labs, per week! I have a methhead across the road from me, on ankle bracelet, living with his mom too stay out of prison. He has 32 arrests on drug an related charges, a rotating door letting them out, then arresting them again. I and my wife, who take care of my disabled parents, have real need, of guns that will stop intruders. I work full time for the Justice Cabinet, here in KY, never ending story. We have had 26 home invasions, murders here in the last 23 months, lots of times the house is burnt to destroy a lot of evidence. Getting worse all the time.
 
#19 ·
Right with you Sam. If I don't do anything illegal, I have nothing to hide, and I just don't do politicaly correct! I have my CCDW permit, a range at myhouse and and am always armed. I recently contactedlocal DA about acouple of runins with the methead across the road from me. He had beaten up his mom, she came to my house to use the phone, he had tore her phone lineout of wall. He came after her was going to force his way in my home, i was at work, wife pulled her .357 river andsenthim home. After speaking tthe Da and sherriff, they said if anything like this happened Again, drop him, he was paid for, no charges or investigation would be needed! Theyalso told him that, which has been a deterent so far, untill he gets toohigh to remember!
 
#21 ·
Note that many of the new and improved AR15 designs being introduced replace the AR's traditional direct impingement gas system in favor of a gas piston design (similar to the AK's). There is a reason for this. The gas system is the area of the AR that's most prone to fouling and attendant poor functioning since powder residue and heat are directed into the action. Pouring enough sand into any firearm action will eventually lead to a failure - it's only a question of time.
 
#25 ·
The Army could switch over to something like the HK 416 for standard issue and probably be good to go for many more years, barring some revolutionary breakthrough in ammo or the advent of pulse rifles or ray guns. It would seem to be a relatively easy (and comparatively cheap) transition as it's basically the same thing, and the piston would improve reliability. Accuracy may suffer, but it would still be plenty good for an infantry rifle. Of course, why would they do that when they can blow a few billion on a new system that will probably be plagued by scandals, cost overruns, etc.
I was shocked at easily the AK seized up in the video Bow posted. I had always accepted that they were uber reliable and left it at that. The scenario shown seems quite likely during a pitched battle, as I'm sure that making sure your safety/dust cover is up would the last thing on your mind. I'm not saying they aren't reliable (they're still tops), but it was suprising.
 
#23 ·
Right with you Sam. If I don't do anything illegal, I have nothing to hide, and I just don't do politicaly correct! I have my CCDW permit, a range at myhouse and and am always armed. I recently contactedlocal DA about acouple of runins with the methead across the road from me. He had beaten up his mom, she came to my house to use the phone, he had tore her phone lineout of wall. He came after her was going to force his way in my home, i was at work, wife pulled her .357 river andsenthim home. After speaking tthe Da and sherriff, they said if anything like this happened Again, drop him, he was paid for, no charges or investigation would be needed! Theyalso told him that, which has been a deterent so far, untill he gets toohigh to remember!
OK, I'm gonna just ease out of this one folks. That should clarify things enough for ya Sam. If not, PM me.
 
#24 ·
That was Koger's statement, not mine. Mine is a generalization that covers many areas of survival that may have unlimited scenarios. "Hearsay" and other statements that are not solicited by me or any other person on this site do not make it inclusive either subjectively, or objectively! For myself? I am retired LEO and know the law will require any decisions I make to be more directed toward a previous understanding of the laws etc. and how I react to any situation. In otherwords, I'm educated in due process and lethal force requirements.
 
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