[moab]

I was having an email correspondence with a friend of mine about AK's. How AK's have been able to level the playing field for so many that otherwise could never have afforded an effective combat rifle in some of the dirtiest, poorest places on earth. (LOL! I guess that includes me! Dirty and poor!) No matter how hammered, wired or duct taped together an AK always fires. And how that simplicity has allowed it to be made cheaply, repaired cheaply and simply, and fired in ways not even imagined with other rifles.

And how cool it would be to have a contest, way out in the desert (or some other middle of nowhere place), with a vice rest and string trigger pull system, behind bullet proof glass - to find the most f'd up AK to ever fire! And the best AK to fire under the most adverse circumstances. It could be like a contest every year to see who could build the most handmade funky AK ever and still have it fire. And the most solid AK to fire under the strangest circumstances.

Of course someone would end up killing themselves unsafely test firing. But it would be neat to see how messed up you could make an AK and still get it to fire. Cambell soup can receiver cover, leaf spring bolt carrier, dinner utensil sites, stamped receiver out of a car door etc. etc.

Then theirs the foreign object category where you pour sand into an open receiver, gravel in the barrel, running water hose into the action while auto firing, the semi truck drive over and then fire, the list goes on.

You hear all these stories about AK's firing under all these adverse conditions and with strange repair materials. It would be interesting to see how far you could go with it. And see just how hardcore each manufacturers AK really is.

So instead of Burning Man - I propose FUAK 2008! (Or I guess we could clean it up for the kids.) Anyway show us your entry pics of the strangest repair jobs you've ever seen on an AK. Or the strangest conditions you've ever seen an AK be test fired under.

 

[TheRedHorseman]

Does "I'm bored and have a pile of parts in the garage, so I'll build the ugliest POS pistol caliber conversion imagineable!" count?

 

[moab]

LMAO!

But can it shoot Red Horseman?! Can it shoot?!!!!!!!!! (still laughing...)

 

[69X55SS]

Someone post the pic of the AK that was held together with toothpicks that was test fired by a fellow member :shock:

 

[TheRedHorseman]

LMAO!

But can it shoot Red Horseman?! Can it shoot?!!!!!!!!! (still laughing...)

Feeds beautifully, I haven't been able to chew through the wife's restraints long enough to install the extractor and take it out to test fire. It should run just fine.

 

[BillC]

Is that bondo TRH? LOL

 

[TheRedHorseman]

Nope, no bondo.

If the divots from the horrid looking(but solid) weld job annoy me enough, I'll just braze them over and leave the brass bare.

 

[moab]

That gun is almost as ugly as 69S's avatar/profile pic thingy there!

 

[69X55SS]

That gun is almost as ugly as 69S's avatar/profile pic thingy there!

As opposed to the creativity and forethought behind yours ?

:twisted: :lol:

Doesn't anyone have a pic of the AK that used toothpicks instead of rivets ?

I knew I should have saved it last time ..............

 

[moab]

69X - that was sincerely meant as a compliment. that dog freaks me out everytime I look at it! very cool.

 

[moab]

So your serious about this toothpick AK aren't you? I've got to see this.

 

[synweap223]

moab, send me your e-mail in PM. I 'll send em to you. Saved a copy for posterity, and for people that really think those rivets take serious abuse. :grin:

 

[Jay Cunningham]

Does "I'm bored and have a pile of parts in the garage, so I'll build the ugliest POS pistol caliber conversion imagineable!" count?

You should put some Big Dots on that.

 

[moab]

SYN - Why not post it again here for everyone to see?

I still can't believe these are the only two AK's we have seen in the "UGLY" and "Can't believe that thing shoots!" catagories.

Speaking of AK's always shooting. I keep reading about and seeing on TV. Futureweapons and other shows that profile various weapons systems. And an article written on the Army website (can't remember what it's called). About calls for new assault rifles, particularly from the special forces, with larger calibers and better reliability than the M4. I couldn't believe the Army actually admitted that the M4 was not reliable. Or at least not as reliable as they thought it should be.

Anyway the winners of many of the submissions (if not most) use an operating system exactly like or similar to the AK! Every time I see a new show or read a new article it's about some new rifle with the AK's gas piston operating system - that is reliable as hell.

And how ridiculously untrustworthy the M4 is. The Army article actually detailed several after action reports from soldiers that blamed M4 jams on battlefield failures. One of the guys that got a medal for that attack on the fuel convey early in the Iraq war got it because he fought off attackers with an M4 that would not operate. He had to chamber each round one at a time. He just kept cycling thru the typical firing procedure you learn in boot camp. To get a single round to fire each time. Took him like 5 seconds to fire one round. Tap the mag, hit the bolt forward button etc. etc. (whatever you call that button it's been decades since I had to do it. so forgive me.)

The Army report went on to talk about the many units in the middle east that keep all their M4's in tents to keep them from getting sand in them. As they fear malfunctions so much. And it's the only way to keep them firing.

How long has it taken for the US to admit that the "commies" made a better rifle? I can't believe they are admitting it at all. But the new rifles being detailed on the military channel and other main stream venues are incredible. Alot of them still cling to M16/M4 variant. But have still changed to a gas piston instead of the gas directly hitting the bolt and spreading crap all thru the receiver.

Anyway, if I can find that Army article I will repost it. Hard to imagine an article like that two or three decades ago.

 

[synweap223]

moab,

First off, I dont like to post pics I didnt take, and ESPECIALLY when I cant give credit where its due. I do have them saved, and even offered to send them privately to you, but instead you call me out here on the forums. Nice. There is a search function here you know. And it works well. :neutral:

Go here:
http://www.theakforum.net/phpBB2/viewto ... =toothpick

Page two, you'll see it. If I recall, it fired 3 rounds before it started to come undone.

The M4 is a good rifle.And its been taking a LOT of heat lately. Its tight tolerances are inherent to its accuracy. And thats why its considered a tackdriver. The AK is loose and crude by comparison (from measurement standings guys! I love AK's too!!) So its quite simple really. In a AR, while very accurate, 1 grain of sand could cause a stoppage that short an armorer could fix, and thats even with the newfangled piston systems. With an AK, while not as accurate as an AR, but still combat accurate, pull it buried COMPLETELY from a dirt berm, rack the action and it'll run. Which would you prefer?? I made my choice. :grin:

 

[moab]

sorry for the double post.

 

[moab]

synweap223 - I think you misunderstood my request. And misunderstand peoples expectations and rights when posting images online.

No one "was calling you out". All I said was how about posting the pics for everyone to see? Instead of just me. I was excited by your contribution. And was hoping it would be shared by all of us. Like the original poster intended.

There is no copyright infringement or any other damage done by posting pics that others have already posted themselves online. (Unless your selling them - which isn't the case in a forum.) No one has an expectation of their posted pics not being copied or spread all over the internet. Quite the contrary. If anything it's a compliment. That's why they put them out their.

He got an AK to fire with toothpicks for rivets. And posted the pics on the internet. I'm sure he's very happy to see them reposted. Anywhere. If he had sent the pics to you privately that would be another matter.

Thanks for finding and posting the original topic.

I put the following in parenthesis because it's really straying off topic. But I wanted to agree and comment on what you said:

(I agree with what you are saying about the AR vs the AK. There is a time and place for a rifle with such tight tolerances, that make it extremely accurate. However that place is not on the battlefield IMHO. I've shot the AR alot. If I needed a range gun to keep hermetically sealed in a hard case. And shoot on a dirtless, grassy range the AR would be a great choice. But I think historically we have all heard enough stories about servicemen being let down by the AR's "inappropriate use" - shall we say - as a "combat" rifle. If it can't fire in every condition, accurately to an average combat distance, it shouldn't be used in that environment. It does score high on the accuracy part.)

The AK is the right rifle for "combat". Which was the original spirit behind this topic. Finding out just "how reliable" it could be under the most extreme conditions and/or repairs.

Toothpick rivets are pretty awesome! I think I'll start collecting images and movies of AK's in weird conditions and with weird replacement parts. It's cool to see just how much it will put up with and still provide service. That would be a cool sticky for images. Simply to show - just how reliable it is.