PMCI MARCH 2019

pmcimagazine.com
FIREARMS: THE AK-47 - YOUR FRIEND OR FOE
AK 47
Rarely has a weapons system had an impact on the cultures and ideas of man as has the AK-47. The
AK-47 has even been embellished as a symbol of state as is the case in Mozambique whose tricolour
flag depicts the AK-47 in crossed arms with a hoe set against the background of a star and book. While
Mozambique is the poster child of State failure and oppression, they seem to have captured the eternal
struggle of man in part with their choice of symbols. Call Sign Lunchbox tells more...
With our hands, we can choose
to create or destroy and the
implements of the hoe and AK-47
reflect those instinctual drives in
representational motive. The AK-47
can be the implement of destruction
or revolution. It can maintain order
or destroy it. It is used in the hands
of both the freedom fighter today as
well as the oppressor.
So, herein lies the disturbing truth many in modern
society eschew in a clamour of ignorance or outright refusal;
violence itself is a central and active ingredient in change.
Violence is so much a part of our fibre and DNA that many
look to purely ignore it despite the overwhelming evidence
to the contrary. Thus, the AK-47 sits in our psyche as both
liberator and destroyer. It’s a tool to be mastered and
respected, whose use can bring good or ill in the echo of a
muzzle flash.
The AK-47 represents to many our shared behaviour, our
legacy of violence and change. Think deeply on violence.
Look to the AK-47 and learn its lessons and parts in history.
Coming to an understanding of the characteristic role
the AK-47 plays in the triumphs and tragedies of mankind is
unavoidable in the profession of arms. Believe in peace as
you may, but power does come from the barrel of a gun as
Mao Tse Tung avows.
Always remember, order demands violence, and if taken
too far, order becomes tyranny and the AK47 will be seen in
the hands of Partisans and Revolutionaries alike no matter
the side or conflict that surfaces. The AK47 in all its millions
of copies, evolutions, and brands has become the undying
symbol of both the tyrannical and the revolutionary. It is
found in the hands of fighters on all sides and is a tool that
is unavoidable in the 21st century battle space we occupy.
Private Military Contractors (PMC) would do well to
master it’s manual of arms and know it’s capabilities and
limitations because it is a near certainty that the AK47 will
be fielded against him and even more likely to be used by
himself and his teams in many conflict areas around the
globe.
The AK47 is a lethal platform and companion to any user
who takes fire and manoeuver seriously. The 7.62x39mm
round possesses all the adequate accuracy and energy
transfer needed in an assault rifle platform. Additional
equipment options abound for the AK and its more modern
version the AKM. One can field a wide array of accessories
including grenade launchers like the GP-25 and GP-30 as
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