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Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

economist.com

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Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#41

Post by brc »

troels wrote: post #39
jandrewrogers wrote: post #29

The article does a somewhat poor job of explaining the success of the AK47 in the context of the time it proliferated. Because the discussion of such things tends to be dominated by fanbois of one military rifle or another, the good and bad of the weapons tends to be overstated. One of the biggest advantages of the AK47 is that it could be manufactured en masse with relatively simple manufacturing equipment that was…

However, its operational ergonomics are atrocious I had to read that twice and I'm still not sure. You mean economics, right?

I know very little about weapons, but I can tell he means it is not a comfortable rifle to use. I assume that means inaccurate shooting due to poor positioning, or perhaps he means they are difficult to carry. Ergonomics is ergonomics no matter whether you're talking a chair, a keyboard or a rifle.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#42

Post by mcv »

jandrewrogers wrote: post #29

The article does a somewhat poor job of explaining the success of the AK47 in the context of the time it proliferated. Because the discussion of such things tends to be dominated by fanbois of one military rifle or another, the good and bad of the weapons tends to be overstated. One of the biggest advantages of the AK47 is that it could be manufactured en masse with relatively simple manufacturing equipment that was…

I once read that when the M16 was adopted for use in Vietnam, it had some modifications that reduced its reliability (which got fixed in later versions). In Vietnam, they became infamous for their unreliability, to the point that Viet Cong soldiers would loot every bit of equipment off fallen US troops except for the rifle, and US troops would sometimes carry 3 M16s so they had a better chance of having a functioning rifle when their first one jammed.

Jamming is a really big issue. When you're crawling through the jungle and suddenly you see someone who's about to shoot you, and you pull the trigger, you want bullets to start coming out of your barrel. There may not be any time to unjam it or get a backup weapon.

So yes, the famed reliability of the AK47 is absolutely a factor. Easy to make, hard to break. Any product fitting that description is going to be easy to sell.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#43

Post by mcv »

jere wrote: post #2

>The gun is nothing special. Its controls are unsophisticated; it is not even particularly accurate. But this simplicity is a reason for its success. Compared with other assault rifles, the AK-47 has generous clearance between its moving parts. That is bad for accuracy, but it means that the mechanism is unlikely to jam, no matter how clogged it gets with Sudanese sand or Nicaraguan mud. Designed to be operated by So…

That reminds me of a quick lock-picking trick that worked better with highly accurate parts with little clearance, than with cheap parts with lots of clearance.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#44

Post by [deleted] »

brazzy wrote: post #32
nhebb wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll see your Wikipedia link and raise you one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_dimensions_of_quality When you're getting shot at and your life depends on being able to shoot back, reliability trumps all other metrics.

I submit that availability trumps even that. In many cases, you would not have a gun if it wasn't as simple and cheap to make as the AK-47.

[deleted]

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#45

Post by JackpotDen »

malkia wrote: post #17

During my mandatory army service (Bulgaria) I was given AK-47. I had to be responsible for the gun for the whole 1997, but shot only few times, since the country was going through hard period, and we were not allowed much ammo. Also had to make sure that I shoot on manual, or was it semi-automatic. From what I remember I had to get used to my weapon, as each one was uniquely biased, so you had to understand yourself…

>alert bullet

Warning shot.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#46

Post by malkia »

JackpotDen wrote: post #45
malkia wrote: post #17

During my mandatory army service (Bulgaria) I was given AK-47. I had to be responsible for the gun for the whole 1997, but shot only few times, since the country was going through hard period, and we were not allowed much ammo. Also had to make sure that I shoot on manual, or was it semi-automatic. From what I remember I had to get used to my weapon, as each one was uniquely biased, so you had to understand yourself…

>alert bullet Warning shot.

Thanks for the correction!

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#47

Post by jandrewrogers »

mcv wrote: post #42
jandrewrogers wrote: post #29

The article does a somewhat poor job of explaining the success of the AK47 in the context of the time it proliferated. Because the discussion of such things tends to be dominated by fanbois of one military rifle or another, the good and bad of the weapons tends to be overstated. One of the biggest advantages of the AK47 is that it could be manufactured en masse with relatively simple manufacturing equipment that was…

I once read that when the M16 was adopted for use in Vietnam, it had some modifications that reduced its reliability (which got fixed in later versions). In Vietnam, they became infamous for their unreliability, to the point that Viet Cong soldiers would loot every bit of equipment off fallen US troops except for the rifle, and US troops would sometimes carry 3 M16s so they had a better chance of having a functioning…

The M16 was initially quite reliable. What happened is that after it was deployed in Viet Nam, a bureaucrat unilaterally modified the ammunition design without consulting the designers of the M16. The rifle became significantly less reliable with out-of-spec ammunition.

By 1967 the action was modified to eat dirty, out-of-spec ammo reliably and the materials were modified to better resist corrosion in excessively wet environments. The result was a reliable action that has not needed to be materially modified since.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#48

Post by jandrewrogers »

troels wrote: post #39
jandrewrogers wrote: post #29

The article does a somewhat poor job of explaining the success of the AK47 in the context of the time it proliferated. Because the discussion of such things tends to be dominated by fanbois of one military rifle or another, the good and bad of the weapons tends to be overstated. One of the biggest advantages of the AK47 is that it could be manufactured en masse with relatively simple manufacturing equipment that was…

However, its operational ergonomics are atrocious I had to read that twice and I'm still not sure. You mean economics, right?

Nope, I meant ergonomics.

All of the operational mechanics (safety, trigger, magazines, bolt, etc) are very poorly designed for efficient user operation. A number of AK47 clones produced by countries attempt to at least partial rectify that situation. Also, the AK47 has terrible rapid fire characteristics; even a well-trained operator will have a hard time putting bullets on target.

By comparison, the M16 has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most effective rapid-fire actions ever designed, and with excellent user ergonomics. Even in "spray and pray" mode, an M16 will put a lot more lead on or near the target than an AK47.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#49

Post by thatthatis »

alexeisadeski3 wrote: post #18
thatthatis wrote: post #8

I think this was well explained in the intro to Lord of War. An amazing movie that asks interesting questions about success as a motivator.

Amazing movie? I'll call it pretty solid. Interesting questions? No...

Well, it appears we have different opinions. I think that's probably on net an ok thing.

Re: Why did the AK-47 become so popular?

#50

Post by cranklin »

antocv wrote: post #31
cranklin wrote: post #22

Okay, I get that the AK is the most popular military rifle in the world, but there are many superior rifles that are just as reliable. I happen to own an AK and - the gun looks/feels flimsy, - muzzle flip results in a nasty cheek slap, - the receiver looks like folded sheet metal, - safety is hard to engage/disengage and leaves a nasty scratch on the receiver, - the magazine doesn't fit right in (must insert the lip…

Always has to be an american guy claiming something is wrong with AK and prefers M1A who has used the guns only in his collection and perhaps shooting out in a gun-range on fine weather-days.

Wrong. Try again. I shoot rain or shine. 2 major competitive shoots a month and 1 small competitive shoot per week. I have to reload an average of 2 flats of ammo per week just to keep up with my shooting.

Let me be more clear. I own 2 AK variants (owned 3) and one M1A. The M1A runs circles around the AK's... and I'm not partial to American made firearms either.

Or, you can blindly trust your Hollywood action movies or clueless bloggers on their so-called knowledge of firearms.

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