AK47 - why do people repeat ridiculous info?

[Lasergunner]

Only the general concept. The AK has a rotating bolt, rather reminiscent of the Garand. The STG has a tilting bolt. The trigger group of the AK is derived from a Browning trigger, the STG from the MP 38/40.

So...The MP3008 was a near identical copy of the British Sten submachinegun. The only significant difference was that the magazine pointed down and not sideways. The Germans were not above using other people's good ideas. The Soviets's siezing of scientists, engineers, technicians and their families is well documented along with the use of captured German soldiers for long term slave labor.

[Lasergunner]

For the "Pics or it didn't happen" crowd, I shot this one with my phone this morning, after reading Laser's post

Attachment 91531

You used an SKS, not an AK. You have not disproved that the VC couldn't fire captured 5.56mm from AK rifles.

[Selena]

You used an SKS, not an AK. You have not disproved that the VC couldn't fire captured 5.56mm from AK rifles.

Oy vey.

[bigfatdave]

You used an SKS, not an AK. You have not disproved that the VC couldn't fire captured 5.56mm from AK rifles.

how is the chamber different in the SKS and AK?

[Loosedhorse]

For the "Pics or it didn't happen" crowd

Uh...

Pic of a VC shooting 5.56x45 from an AK, or it didn't happen?



That picture would sure save Lasergunner the trouble of firing a live 5.56 round--not some wimpy primed case--in his rifle, and posting "after" pics of the rifle, the case, the extraction procedure, the next shot, the target...

And pics of the subsequent ER visit, if any.

(Clarification: I do not recommend anyone try it.)

[Lasergunner]

For the "Pics or it didn't happen" crowd, I shot this one with my phone this morning, after reading Laser's post

Attachment 91531

Did you release the bolt and let it slam home into battery or did you just ease the round into the chamber?

[Detritus]

Best sumation I've ever heard Of this actual rumor came from a friend of my family, a retired MGySgt who did I think 3 tours in SEA, started off as follows "the difference between a Fairy Tale and a Sea Story is that one starts with 'once upon a time' and the other starts 'This Ain't No S---' ". the rest of his comentary was along the lines of what most hear are repeating, that fear, lack of understanding of "How a gun REALLY works", plus other factors made it exceedingly easy for rumors like this to get started and then spread like wildfire.

Heck it's no wonder crap like this survives, we still have people who should darn well know better perpetuating the 5.56 Nato Vs .223 and 7.62x51 Vs .308 incompatability tales/warnings

Worst i EVER heard along this vein, ie "Our ammo works in thier weapons" was back around '96 or '97 and it actually cost the guy who told this tale my business (he was a Belt and Holster maker) because i figured If he was willing to try and pass off a whopper that big, blatant, and easily proven to be utter BS, how could i trust him to be trustworthy in regard to craftsmanship of his goods much less business dealings. Anyway, this turkey told me that for two tours he carried around a Mosin "Because If I could get it in the chamber I could fire it! Ak rounds, US machine gun ammo, or the big rimmed russian stuff! Hell I even shot it out one time using 5.56!!"

Yeah you read that right, joker was claiming with a straight face that a Mosin would shoot, 5.56 NATO, 7.62x51, 7.62x39, and 7.62x54R. I guess since I was young he thought i was also ignorant or simply failed Math.

[pmeisel]

Reminds me of an old saying:

"Why would he tell the truth, if a lie could serve as well?"

I've known a few people like that in my life, they just couldn't help themselves. Rocky Heading, Tom Cooke, wherever you are.... and a couple more that I know where they are at and keep an eye on them.

[Detritus]

Reminds me of an old saying:

"Why would he tell the truth, if a lie could serve as well?"
.... and a couple more that I know where they are at and keep an eye on them.

Yeah, funny follow on about that guy, and his "story"..

That encounter happened in NC where i grew up, in early '99 my family Moved to northern MS. a few months after we got otherwise settled I went looking for a new gun range. First (and only as it turned out, for unrelated reasons) visit to a range outside Tupelo, I got involved in a discussion along the lines of "what's the biggest line of BS you ever heard, politicians excluded". So I related that one. the reaction went exactly like this.

other shooter: "You said you're from NC right?"

Me: Yes

Shooter: So, Now that I know you know him. How IS Bear's holster business doing??

Appearently he had been telling that tale since at least the late 70's early 80's and has/had never backed down from it's truth.

[shep854]

This old story probably came from a misunderstanding of compatible ammunition. The US 81mm mortar round could be fire in the Soviet 82mm mortar used by the VC, but I know of no other similar circumstances.

We were also always required to demolish empty M72 LAW tubes after firing them, supposedly so they could not be used as a launcher for the soviet 60mm mortar (even though no one could explain how that could be done with a tube open on both ends and devoid of a breech cap with firing pin).

A used LAW tube could also make a dandy improvised grenade dispenser; close one end and attach a trip-wire, then carefully fill with grenades whose pins have been pulled, but spoons still attached. Fasten vertically with the closed end down...wire gets tripped, and out come the grenades, spoons popping off...

[shep854]

Back OT: For accuracy's sake, keep in mind that AK-47s have not been made since circa 1950. The military rifle most widely used has been the AKM. Clones, of course, go by a whole alphabet soup of designations.

[Carl N. Brown]

"the difference between a Fairy Tale and a Sea Story is that one starts with 'once upon a time' and the other starts 'This Ain't No S---' "

There is also the corrolary that any political expose that starts with the title "The truth about...." aint.

[WardenWolf]

I heard of someone a while back who actually tried putting a 5.56 cartridge in an AK-47. It can "fire" it, but it doesn't really work right, of course. But this perpetrated the myth that they could shoot our cartridge. Just general stupidity of a few soldiers over in Vietnam that got it started.

[Carl N. Brown]

My brother in laws who actually were in combat in Vietnam told me after they got back that the VC did shoot captured 5.56 ammo ... in captured M16s.

For what its worth, I can take a .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) pistol cartridge, hold the bolt open on my M1 carbine, hook the rim of the cartridge under the extractor and ease the round into the chamber, and fire .32 ACP pistol in an M1 carbine. Does not mean it was commonly done in combat, though.

[bigfatdave]

My brother in laws who actually were in combat in Vietnam told me after they got back that the VC did shoot captured 5.56 ammo ... in captured M16s.

Much more plausible that the gun would be captured with ammo than just ammo alone.