Double30,
Maybe you missed it�I was talking about the best military rifle, not the best military rifle for civilian use.
The trigger on an SKS may be more complex than an AR or AK but it can be easily dismounted and disassembled in the field for repair.Not so easy with the AR or AK.Most.
This is true in the case of the AK, but not the M16. A cartridge tip is all that is needed in the way of tools to completely disassemble the M16 trigger group, which is way easier than the SKS. If you break a part in the fire control unit of an AK, you�re SOL.
On a sillier note , to most folks the SKS is less threatening in appearance than the AK or AR and there are times when that can be an advantage.
Again, military service� Where militaries are concerned, I doubt this is a feature that ever enters anyone�s mind. Actually, if I�m �walking in the valley of the shadow of death� I want to look like the baddest assed SOB on the planet.
I have long felt that aimed disciplined fire is superior to putting alot of lead in the air with few hits to show for it.
In most situations, I�d have to agree with this. However, at times laying down a carpet of lead is needed to ever get to the point to where you can employ your aimed fire discipline. That�s called fire suppression�Once you have suppressed the enemy, you own his @$$!
As for countries dropping the SKS in favor of the AK, I'll bet its because thats what the PRC or Mother Russia decided to send them.
You�re right, but you�re drawing the wrong conclusion. Russia really did force the AK on most Warsaw Pact nations whether they liked it or not. Most would have been happy to take the AK because it�s superior to the SKS in most every way. The problem is, many of the Warsaw Pact nations either just bought their SKS�s or just set-up manufacturing to make them�Either way, they had some serious skin in the game when Mother Russia told them to adopt the AK.
And adopt they did�Few professional military men would ever choose the SKS over the AK, but we�re talking economics here. (I�m not picking on your beloved SKS, because I happen to think it�s a good weapon�But I also think there are better weapons.) It�s interesting to note that in 1974 when the Sov�s went to the AK-74, not one nation followed them. This was based primarily on economics again, and to a lesser degree that many didn�t buy into the SBHV (small bore, high velocity) school of thought. Now, many did eventually adopt the 5.45 cartridge, but it took decades. Regardless, literally no one stuck with the SKS when the AK was another option.
As for your comments about the AK�s in Vietnam. Yes, there are many untrained troops that used the AK to hose down the entire zip code. In talks with a veteran friend of mine, there were times where very professional soldiers used the AK with disciplined fire to great effect. He related several stories of his unit being pinned down by the enemy to the point that air support was their only hope. After a run from a Specter or some other gunship, they would then do a mop up.
Now, keep in mind, that my buddy carried an average of 28 twenty round magazines when he went on patrol. He was a walking ammo store! When they did their mop up, often they would find dead NVA�s with an AK and 4 magazines. Proving once again, it�s the Indian, not the arrow.
