SA80 " The Reluctant Rifle"

[huntervixen]

Going back a few pages, before this thread degenerated into a "you said he said, my dads bigger than your dad bun fight" Rearlugs was talking about carrying an AK in Iraq, I wonder how many times around the world thats happened in Western Army's?

A good REME friend of mine who returned from Afghanistan last year was astonished at some of the AK's recovered from the battlefield, one example he distinctly remembers was a heavily battered and very well used 1956 made AK47, no maintenance for 30+ years, very coked up, in fact almost smooth bored with build up! Heres the thing, it still went bang when you pressed the trigger, both on full and Semi....now it probably wouldn't hit a barn door at 6ft.... but it still functioned, thats what I call reliable!!

Probably rolled across the boarder in 1979 when the Soviets invaded, even then, it was more than likely a rear echelon issued piece.

So chaps how long would an L85A2 remain operational without cleaning? Not 30 years I would guess!

[DL.]

So chaps how long would an L85A2 remain operational without cleaning? Not 30 years I would guess!

Text book answer, off the top of my head, you should gut out the gas parts after 800 - 900 rounds, however I would be very surprised if the rifle couldn't go on firing with a minimum of intervention for thousands of rounds.

Is it not time we raised the matter of cleaning the TMH under the hot tap? :lol: I kid you not, there is a three page discussion about this on Army Net.

Edit : I must have been exaggerating it's only a two page thread, here's a link for those in the green suit -

https://www.armynet.mod.uk/forums/viewt ... 35&t=11239

[ovenpaa]

Reminds me of a friend doing geophysical stuff for oli in N Africa many years ago, he was quite friendly with some of the camp guards and said they had the shiniest cleanest AK's he had ever seen. Chatting one day he asked one particular guard about field stripping and the guard admitted he had no idea how to strip the rifle and had only been told to clean and oil the external surfaces daily. He did not know how to shoot the rifle nor did he carry any ammunition either as it had never been issued.

[huntervixen]

Now then, would that be MOD issue hot water, thats been taken from a river by BAE Systems and sold to the Government at £1,000 per liter, I think thats how these things work isn't it? :lol: :lol:

[Chapuis]

Reminds me of a friend doing geophysical stuff for oli in N Africa many years ago, he was quite friendly with some of the camp guards and said they had the shiniest cleanest AK's he had ever seen. Chatting one day he asked one particular guard about field stripping and the guard admitted he had no idea how to strip the rifle and had only been told to clean and oil the external surfaces daily. He did not know how to shoot the rifle nor did he carry any ammunition either as it had never been issued.

Reminds me of an old police constable who told me that during the war two officers used to be sited 1/2 a mile apart on railway level crossings on the railway line that ran down to the docks. One was issued with the rifle the other had the two rounds of ammunition. If they saw german parachutists or some other threat they were to each blow their whistles and run towards each other so as to reunite the rifle with the ammo.

[Strangely Brown]

Reminds me of an old police constable who told me that during the war two officers used to be sited 1/2 a mile apart on railway level crossings on the railway line that ran down to the docks. One was issued with the rifle the other had the two rounds of ammunition. If they saw german parachutists or some other threat they were to each blow their whistles and run towards each other so as to reunite the rifle with the ammo.

Not unlike Germany in the 1970's during the Baader-Mienhoff scare; there was a Ferret Scout Car from 4th RTR outside the main gate of Hohne camp. The Ferret carried a Browning .30 Cal Machine gun in the turret but had 7.62mm (GPMG) Link hanging over the turret for affect!

[Tower75]

A good REME friend of mine who returned from Afghanistan last year was astonished at some of the AK's recovered from the battlefield, one example he distinctly remembers was a heavily battered and very well used 1956 made AK47, no maintenance for 30+ years, very coked up, in fact almost smooth bored with build up! Heres the thing, it still went bang when you pressed the trigger, both on full and Semi....now it probably wouldn't hit a barn door at 6ft.... but it still functioned, thats what I call reliable!!

See, you say that, but - from a purely objective point of view - what is the merit of having a firearm that will function until Dooms Day, but cannot actually hit anything?

[Sandgroper]

A good REME friend of mine who returned from Afghanistan last year was astonished at some of the AK's recovered from the battlefield, one example he distinctly remembers was a heavily battered and very well used 1956 made AK47, no maintenance for 30+ years, very coked up, in fact almost smooth bored with build up! Heres the thing, it still went bang when you pressed the trigger, both on full and Semi....now it probably wouldn't hit a barn door at 6ft.... but it still functioned, thats what I call reliable!!

See, you say that, but - from a purely objective point of view - what is the merit of having a firearm that will function until Dooms Day, but cannot actually hit anything?

Clear the crud from the barrel and it would probably be OK.

[Doz]

See, you say that, but - from a purely objective point of view - what is the merit of having a firearm that will function until Dooms Day, but cannot actually hit anything?

Amongst other things, if someone points it at you and you hear it going bang then you're unlikely to stand up and try and attack him!

[zzr1100]

Back in the day we dug an ak47 out of a river bank ... Washed it off in the river, put a fresh mag in it ... And it worked