Trading Tradition for Function

1911 on bottom was traded for the AK

I recently traded my S&W 1911 for a Yugo M-70 AK-47. Some of you may believe I made a good move and some of you are considering tracking me down and kicking my ass. I debated doing this trade for quite some time and took quite an emotional beating from a good friend of mine when I told him I made the trade. Putting aside bias towards a certain platform and nostalgia for a tried and true piece of Americana, this was a smart move on my part.

The 1911 is as American as apple pie and pickup trucks, but in my situation it was a redundant firearm that was easily replaced by my Glock 19. The 1911 has amazing knockdown power and would stop a threat with one well-placed round, but so will any caliber firearm. No one shoots only one round in a life or death situation. The 1911 is by no means a piece of junk or a dying platform. For my situation the 1911 just didn’t make sense and the cost of .45 ammo is insane compared to 9mm or even 7.62x39.

We can talk Glock vs. 1911 another time; this is about finding purpose for what you choose to have for personal defense and discarding items you no longer have use for.

From a recent AK playdate

The AK platform has genius in the simplicity of its design. The tolerances are loose which allows the ability for the firearm to function even when caked with mud and crap on the internals. If you believe we are at risk of a foreign incursion, you most likely have a Combloc firearm in your safe already. This platform is used by every country we view as a threat to our homeland and getting used to its function and manual of arms is a smart decision. If something were to happen like “Red Dawn” or any other invasion scenario, you would have an abundant amount of ammo ripe for the picking.

I try to keep firearms that have the same caliber as the military and law enforcement as well as our main adversaries overseas for the purposes of ease of sourcing ammunition in a SHTF scenario.  A bare bones armory for some people would maybe have these common items:

•          AR-15/10
•          12 gauge shotgun
•          Pistol (9mm, .40, .45)
•          AK-47/74

The AK-47 is a great firearm; just don’t expect it to hold 1” groups at 500yds. This rifle in my opinion loses its competitive edge after 300yds. In a survival situation you most likely will not be engaging any threats further than 150yds anyway. Choosing a main battle rifle is not an easy choice and the AR-15 and AK-47 both have their advantages, and that is why having both is a great idea. It is hard to argue that the AK platform is not a quality addition to your collection considering the starting price.

A used WASR can go for as low as 400.00 and finding a comparable firearm is difficult at best in that price range. The price and availability of ammunition is often overlooked when purchasing a firearm. For example: 1000 rounds of .308 is around $750.00 while 1000 rounds of 7.62x 39 is around $230.00. According to my fingers and toes that makes it about 69% cheaper to shoot the AK. The savings on ammo alone would allow for you to get more trigger time for less money which in turn translates into a higher level of proficiency with your firearm.

If you are in the market for an AK do your homework prior to stepping foot into a gun shop. Certain manufacturer’s AK variants have their issues in which you should look for such as canted sights, mag wobble, and poor rivet work. The more informed you are the better off you are in general. If you have an AK with some issues, it isn’t the end of the world. Send it out to a reputable company such as Rifle Dynamics. Here is a link to an article on such a build from our friends at Olmsted Risk Solutions.

Range day 

Diversity in your firearms collection can be a good thing and a bad thing. Having multiples of any firearms is a great idea if you are planning to issue out these firearms to your group. However, a situation may arise in which you would be forced to leave your secure location and you may have to ditch or destroy what you are unable to take with you if you are in a hurry. You don’t want to be leaving firearms to the very threat you are bugging out from.

What are your thoughts on the AK variant platform and does the price and availability of ammo sway your decision making process when purchasing firearms?

Stay Fit and Keep that Warrior Mindset!!