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Around the Water Cooler: AK
By Rich Grassi
The Editor tries the Romanian AK with XS Express Sights and Big Dot on the 200+ yard target.
It wasn't as hot as it could have been. I was walking left flank and my partner had the right on a two-man patrol. The terrain was rugged with lots of vegetation including cactus. He was armed with the "tactically-correct" AK47, a gun known for reliability if not for gilt-edged accuracy. I was "retro" with another reliable gun but one more in line with frontier technology. Our "interdiction" patrol was another phase of last week's hog hunt at the hunting lease owned by Rich Lucibella, Publisher of SWAT Magazine and run by Ashley Emerson - a hunter, inventor, firearms researcher and author.
We left our fixed posts behind and covered some ground to find hogs. While the environment would have been ideal for the M&P15 I'd been using, its caliber wasn't. I had the chance at some precision sniping from the stand. On the move, it could present some challenging shots.
My partner was armed with his Romanian AK47. We'd tried the gun on Ashley's range, where we found we could hit at distances just past 200 yards using the top of the XS Sight Systems Big Dot on the AK. (So much for Big Dots being worthless at distance!) The rear sight was the shallow "v" of the classic express sight meant for fast shooting on dangerous game. While the hogs we hunted weren't particularly dangerous, you "could get hurt this way." Besides, we had some concern of wounding an animal and letting him get away.
The AK was loaded with Cor-Bon DPX, loaded with the Barnes bullet.
I used the Marlin .45-70 Guide Gun. The rear sight was the XS lever rail with ghost ring rear and a white line front sight. Quick to mount and amply powerful, we had the Guide loaded with Cor-Bon DPX. This load features the 300 grain Barnes X-Bullet, all copper, at a nominal 1900 fps. I felt comfortable the rig could do the job.
I don't expect as a matter of defense to have to go out on field patrol. I do think that such activity can be a valuable training tool. You learn how to see instead of look and listen instead of hear. The chance you'll get a snap shot helps hone the reflexes.
We came back empty handed. It was a successful trip though. I got to see a mule deer run in the twilight. We found cat tracks - not a tabby, who would last moments in such an environment. I got to see and walk country I'd never have gotten to enjoy.
The company was great too; Ashley Emerson, who was very instructive and entertaining, his friend Chris, Dick Williams of Surefire - he supplied some interesting lights and the cans for .308 and 6.8mm SPC, and Dave Biggers, XS Sight Systems - an expert with lensatic compass.