AK47 Manual?
- Thread starter vperlman
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https://archive.org/stream/firearms-ak-47-assault-rifle-operators-manual/ak-47assaultrifleoperatorsmanual#page/n23/mode/2up
US Army's operators manual for the AK?
What exactly are you trying to get information on? There are better works out there..
but.. if youre just looking for info on maintenance, assembly and dis-assembly, sight adjustment, etc.. thats not too bad a place to start..
US Army's operators manual for the AK?
What exactly are you trying to get information on? There are better works out there..
but.. if youre just looking for info on maintenance, assembly and dis-assembly, sight adjustment, etc.. thats not too bad a place to start..
AK's generally arent very picky on maintenance.. keep them relatively clean.. and use minimal lube on all surfaces that receive friction during operation.. and they'll typically run forever...
Do be advised that all AK's arent created equal however.. there is a huge difference in quality control from one manufacturer to the next.. big difference in stamped vs. milled components, etc..etc..
They all come apart and go back together the same basic way.. all require the same basic maintenance, etc...
but.. the most meticulous maintenance wont turn a WASR into a great gun... no matter how hard you try...
and you can take a milled receiver czech gun and damn near run over it with a truck after leaving it buried in the mud for a year... then spray it off with a hose.. and run a thousand rounds through it without a bobble..
HUGE difference in quality.. which significantly impacts how much you need to baby (or not) your AK..
the finest AK I ever "owned" (didnt really own it.. it was issued to me..)... was an old (built in the 70's) East German AKM... I carried it in Iraq for about 4 months back in 2004... that thing was one of the ugliest rifles I had ever set eyes on.. almost no finish left on any of the metal surfaces.. lots of very evident wear on the bolt and in the chamber.. pitting on the outside of the barrel.. etc..etc.. but.. it ran, and ran, and ran, and ran.. not a single mishap with that rifle.. ever... was reasonably accurate out to 100 meters (cant ask for a whole lot more than that out of an AK).. and was covered in dirt/sand/sweat/funk.. pretty much perpetually... I'd break it down about once a week and brush all the gunk out of it.. and apply a little motor oil to the appropriate surfaces (we had no "gun oil" on hand for a couple of months).. and it never failed..
If you get a decent rifle.. maintenance isnt nearly as much of an issue with the AK.. as it is with the M4 or other assault and battle rifles...
Do be advised that all AK's arent created equal however.. there is a huge difference in quality control from one manufacturer to the next.. big difference in stamped vs. milled components, etc..etc..
They all come apart and go back together the same basic way.. all require the same basic maintenance, etc...
but.. the most meticulous maintenance wont turn a WASR into a great gun... no matter how hard you try...
and you can take a milled receiver czech gun and damn near run over it with a truck after leaving it buried in the mud for a year... then spray it off with a hose.. and run a thousand rounds through it without a bobble..
HUGE difference in quality.. which significantly impacts how much you need to baby (or not) your AK..
the finest AK I ever "owned" (didnt really own it.. it was issued to me..)... was an old (built in the 70's) East German AKM... I carried it in Iraq for about 4 months back in 2004... that thing was one of the ugliest rifles I had ever set eyes on.. almost no finish left on any of the metal surfaces.. lots of very evident wear on the bolt and in the chamber.. pitting on the outside of the barrel.. etc..etc.. but.. it ran, and ran, and ran, and ran.. not a single mishap with that rifle.. ever... was reasonably accurate out to 100 meters (cant ask for a whole lot more than that out of an AK).. and was covered in dirt/sand/sweat/funk.. pretty much perpetually... I'd break it down about once a week and brush all the gunk out of it.. and apply a little motor oil to the appropriate surfaces (we had no "gun oil" on hand for a couple of months).. and it never failed..
If you get a decent rifle.. maintenance isnt nearly as much of an issue with the AK.. as it is with the M4 or other assault and battle rifles...
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You win the Internet today, Dave. Lol
lol.. that was spoken as an owner of 2 WASR's in times past (I bought them as cheap training rifles to be used by students in classes...)... one had broken furniture within a week (really crappy pistol grips and stocks on those things..)... neither was nearly as reliable as it should have been.. and one couldnt keep a 5" group at 50 yards from a bench...
Century used to do a terrible job assembling rifles... combine that with the fact that the WASR's we're already starting out with mediocre parts at best.. and you end up with a bubba gun.. where little can be done to salvage it (I know there are plenty of people out there that think WASR's are awesome.. but.. if they would do a side by side comparison with AK variants that are actually done RIGHT.. they would see a distinct difference..)...
thankfully they were both purchased when you could readily get them for about $299 (yes.. Im old.. lol..)... and then later sold for every penny that I had in them when they went up to being about $499 new a few years later...
Century used to do a terrible job assembling rifles... combine that with the fact that the WASR's we're already starting out with mediocre parts at best.. and you end up with a bubba gun.. where little can be done to salvage it (I know there are plenty of people out there that think WASR's are awesome.. but.. if they would do a side by side comparison with AK variants that are actually done RIGHT.. they would see a distinct difference..)...
thankfully they were both purchased when you could readily get them for about $299 (yes.. Im old.. lol..)... and then later sold for every penny that I had in them when they went up to being about $499 new a few years later...
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I've had and still have many interesting firearms. My AKs are my favorite, close second is the FAL. Russian, Polish and Romanian AKs are in my opinion very similar in most ways. Yugoslavian are by far the best of the bunch. Czechoslovakia/The Czech Republic never ever produced an AK47. Ever. They produced the VZ58 which uses a short stroke piston more like the SKS. Nothing except the bullet is the same.
You can gain a tremendous amount of knowledge from YouTube if you edit it and can realize what's wrong.
What is it you're looking to find out? The first few times it can be confusing to figure it all out but with practice you will be a very seasoned owner in not too long.
I have built them professionally and personally and believe they are an outstanding firearm. WASRs did sometimes suffer from canted barrels but that was about it. There online reputation was far worse than their actual abilities.
You can gain a tremendous amount of knowledge from YouTube if you edit it and can realize what's wrong.
What is it you're looking to find out? The first few times it can be confusing to figure it all out but with practice you will be a very seasoned owner in not too long.
I have built them professionally and personally and believe they are an outstanding firearm. WASRs did sometimes suffer from canted barrels but that was about it. There online reputation was far worse than their actual abilities.
Also, just keep it clean as with any rifle. Not much else to worry about. They're very forgiving and will undoubtedly last a very long time.
And please don't believe anyone that says that an AK is only good out to a hundred meters. I would never want to be downrange of ANY rifle. They have been used by more people than any other weapon ever created. They cannot possibly be as bad as some would say.
Use your head and you will have a great firearm for a very long time.
And please don't believe anyone that says that an AK is only good out to a hundred meters. I would never want to be downrange of ANY rifle. They have been used by more people than any other weapon ever created. They cannot possibly be as bad as some would say.
Use your head and you will have a great firearm for a very long time.
the issue with an AK and 100 meters isnt about the bullet having the ballistic ability to kill/injure past that distance.. its about the weapons inherent accuracy (or lack of it)..
neither the AK or the 7.62x39 were designed for shooting at long range (or even intermediate range by comparison with most modern assault and battle rifles).. most "good" AK's Ive seen/used are 3-5 MOA guns.. 5 MOA at 100 meters = a 5" group if you do absolutely everything perfectly.. add in the challenges provided by imperfect firing position, weather conditions, elevation, relief, moving targets, the shooter being on the move, stress of combat, etc..etc.. and youre likely looking at 10" groups on a good day for a well trained and capable shooter.. the average run of the mill guy would be challenged to keep the group to 2 feet or less.. (as I have seen countless times on civilian, police, and military ranges)..
stretch that out to 150 meters and you can increase those numbers by well more than 50% (accuracy problems associated with the round will start to come into play and impact results... in addition to the accuracy issues the rifle itself brings)..... which is substantially wider than your average human target..
engaging targets at 200 meters.. is a complete waste of time and ammo for all but the best shooters, pulling the trigger under the most optimum of conditions.... at best you are just keeping heads down at that distance... and getting lucky if you are hitting what you are aiming at...
AK's with precision modifications, etc.. are another story.. I have seen a couple of souped up AK's capable of holding 2 MOA out to 100 yards.. which frankly is remarkable in my opinion for that weapon system..
As someone that has been downrange of a variety of rifles, to include AK's.. I would agree with you.. no one should want to be on the receiving end of one at any distance.. but.. if the shooter is much more than a hundred yards out.. he is most likely in a position of serious disadvantage if I have something better suited for longer range engagements.. there are far better intermediate range options.. and just about anything is better at ranges longer than intermediate..
AK's have been used by more people than any other weapon system for a variety of reasons.. the single most important of which is they are CHEAP on the military market.. they have been sold by the millions at prices far lower than the M16/M4 family of weapons, or any offerings from FN, HK, etc.. to armies all over the globe.. they are also super easy to maintain.. it doesnt take a whole lot of training to get a soldier up to speed with one.. they take a lot of abuse and keep on working.. they dont require a ton of maintenance.. etc..
Im not sure about WASR's and canted barrels only... Ive seen them come from Century with really poor welds.. loose gas blocks.. and a number of other problems.. canted sights were pretty big problem them for a while and a very common complaint among purchasers..
You are correct about the VZ58 being different in function to AK's and all of the variants being made over the years.. the point made about the Czech gun should have been made with more clarity.. weapons coming from the CZ plant(s) have a history of high quality.. all former eastern bloc weapons are not created equally.. a better example would have been to use a Yugo or Polish gun vs a WASR... I would also agree that the Yugo guns are among the best of breed..
I would argue that the online reputation that the WASR has obtained is legitimate.. if you get one that is "good" out of the box.. great.. but.. too many people did/do not... if you want a plinking/fun gun.. it might be a good purchase (cheaper than other options, etc..).. but.. if you want a serious gun, for serious use.. there are far better AK options for only marginally more money..
neither the AK or the 7.62x39 were designed for shooting at long range (or even intermediate range by comparison with most modern assault and battle rifles).. most "good" AK's Ive seen/used are 3-5 MOA guns.. 5 MOA at 100 meters = a 5" group if you do absolutely everything perfectly.. add in the challenges provided by imperfect firing position, weather conditions, elevation, relief, moving targets, the shooter being on the move, stress of combat, etc..etc.. and youre likely looking at 10" groups on a good day for a well trained and capable shooter.. the average run of the mill guy would be challenged to keep the group to 2 feet or less.. (as I have seen countless times on civilian, police, and military ranges)..
stretch that out to 150 meters and you can increase those numbers by well more than 50% (accuracy problems associated with the round will start to come into play and impact results... in addition to the accuracy issues the rifle itself brings)..... which is substantially wider than your average human target..
engaging targets at 200 meters.. is a complete waste of time and ammo for all but the best shooters, pulling the trigger under the most optimum of conditions.... at best you are just keeping heads down at that distance... and getting lucky if you are hitting what you are aiming at...
AK's with precision modifications, etc.. are another story.. I have seen a couple of souped up AK's capable of holding 2 MOA out to 100 yards.. which frankly is remarkable in my opinion for that weapon system..
As someone that has been downrange of a variety of rifles, to include AK's.. I would agree with you.. no one should want to be on the receiving end of one at any distance.. but.. if the shooter is much more than a hundred yards out.. he is most likely in a position of serious disadvantage if I have something better suited for longer range engagements.. there are far better intermediate range options.. and just about anything is better at ranges longer than intermediate..
AK's have been used by more people than any other weapon system for a variety of reasons.. the single most important of which is they are CHEAP on the military market.. they have been sold by the millions at prices far lower than the M16/M4 family of weapons, or any offerings from FN, HK, etc.. to armies all over the globe.. they are also super easy to maintain.. it doesnt take a whole lot of training to get a soldier up to speed with one.. they take a lot of abuse and keep on working.. they dont require a ton of maintenance.. etc..
Im not sure about WASR's and canted barrels only... Ive seen them come from Century with really poor welds.. loose gas blocks.. and a number of other problems.. canted sights were pretty big problem them for a while and a very common complaint among purchasers..
You are correct about the VZ58 being different in function to AK's and all of the variants being made over the years.. the point made about the Czech gun should have been made with more clarity.. weapons coming from the CZ plant(s) have a history of high quality.. all former eastern bloc weapons are not created equally.. a better example would have been to use a Yugo or Polish gun vs a WASR... I would also agree that the Yugo guns are among the best of breed..
I would argue that the online reputation that the WASR has obtained is legitimate.. if you get one that is "good" out of the box.. great.. but.. too many people did/do not... if you want a plinking/fun gun.. it might be a good purchase (cheaper than other options, etc..).. but.. if you want a serious gun, for serious use.. there are far better AK options for only marginally more money..
Wassenaar
From the Wassenaar Arrangement.. is what I have heard in the past.. and what wikipedia says (not that I find wikipedia to be a reliable or credible source of information very often)..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassenaar_Arrangement
WASR is the name that century arms assigned to AK47 rifles they source out of Romania....
From the Wassenaar Arrangement.. is what I have heard in the past.. and what wikipedia says (not that I find wikipedia to be a reliable or credible source of information very often)..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassenaar_Arrangement
WASR is the name that century arms assigned to AK47 rifles they source out of Romania....