Just how reliable is the AK?

[MilitaryArms]

Putting dirt in the receiver wasn't enough, what happens when you scoop dirt into a magazine?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[johnnydollar]

Amazing video! Thanks for posting it.

[031131]

I think my favorite ak ability to how they can shoot under water. Sure the chance of actually needing to shoot underwater are like .000000000000000000000000000000001 but the idea that you can is nice.

[C hawk Glock]

When it comes to a SHTF rifle I value the qualities of the AK. Here's why.

The AK needs precious little maintenance. It requires absolutely no lube. It can be cleaned in a creek without solvents or modern lubes and it will still work flawlessly. Special cleaning kits aren't required to keep it running. It has large, simple parts that aren't easily lost in the field (unlike the ARs firing pin retaining pin).

If I'm alone in the woods worried about my well being, the LAST thing I want to worry about is the state of my rifle. I have other things I'll need to focus on besides making sure the precise amount of lube is applied to various parts. Hopefully fights will be few and far between so my rifle will mostly be a silent companion. But if I need it, I want to know it will be ready.

People say the com-bloc calibers aren't ideal because you won't be able to find them. My view is, if you're looking for ammo after the S hit the F, you weren't prepared. Since avoiding gun fights is paramount to your survival, having 500-1000 rounds tucked away is all you should need for months if not years of survival. If your plan is to get I too fight after fight and burn through thousands of rounds, you should probably rethink things. If you think ammo will be lying on the streets post SHTF, you're probably mistaken. How many cases of ammo do you think folks found abandoned in the streets after Katrina or during the LA riots?

Some folks think ARs make sense because they share parts commonality with the US service rifle. They think they will be able to easily repair their semiauto rifles with parts they find in abandoned M4s left lying about by dead soldiers. Question; if you have a broken semiauto AR and you see a M4 laying in the street, won't you simply pick up the M4 and use it?

These are a few of the things I think about at 12:30 in the morning while laying in bed with my iPad. LOL

I have had this same conversation here on DC and the vast majority sounded off about the AR being superior. While I think they (AR's) are more reliable then they get credit for, it's not AK reliable. A good friend of mine told me a story about them finding caches of AK's in the Gulf War (1st time) and were told to burn them and bury them in large pits. He said on several occasions that he would dig one up after being burnt and they would function flawlessly.

[kdydak]

Here is the same person doing a reliability test of an AR (Colt 6920).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwoZ6SS_pY

The results are almost identical. The only place where AR scores worse is if you pour dirt into the lower the trigger has problems resetting.

[C hawk Glock]

Here is the same person doing a reliability test of an AR (Colt 6920).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwoZ6SS_pY

The results are almost identical. The only place where AR scores worse is if you pour dirt into the lower the trigger has problems resetting.

Yeah I saw that as well. Now lets burn one and see how she does!