Any one watch CBS news? At least two shots of Americans armed with AK47s

[Alex146]

Wtf? We can't even buy American guns for our troops? Something is very fucked up in the US military.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. AK's may be more reliable than the ones these boys were given... and on

the other hand... there was a shortage of ammo some time back and we had to start (outsourcing) the manufacturing of ammo... this was in the news. AK's are much more willing to take what the sandy environment dishes out without jamming.

[Alex146]

2. Yeah

but with all the billions we spend we can't make a better gun?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Maybe we could get Hallibacon to make them... fer about a mil apiece. n/t

[tenncohee]

4. Americans with AKs?

Alex,

The uniforms and equipment that we are providing the Iraqis is of the same pattern that our services use.

The only way to tell the difference is the pattern of the desert camo. The cut of the uniforms, helmets and armor are identical. The Marines have their new "digital" pattern camo, the Army and AF have the "coffee stain" BDUs and the Iraqis have the "chocolate chip cookie" camo pattern that U.S. forces used in Desert Storm.

The Iraqis are of course armed with AK-47s or variants that the government purchased from the former SovBloc, and were ironically delivered by Halliburton.

The M-16 variant that U.S. forces are using currently is VERY reliable. Not to say that the AK is not, it may even be better in some respects, but it is doubtful if Americans would carry or use them except in an emergency "battlefield pickup" situation.