this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
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Ukraine has been using a patchwork of different weapons and calibers since the wars beginning. If we want to say all infantry weapons being sent are of the same caliber they have two old Soviet weapons and now NATO standard hardware. Grunts can carry a 7.62x39mm AK, a 5.56x45mm M4, or a 5.45x39mm AK. Ukrainian soldiers have been spotted carrying even older caliber weapons like the Mosin's 7.62x54mmR, 7.62x51mm NATO in FAL rifles, and I wouldn't be surprised if older equipment is in use. If this drags out long I'm guessing we will see the gradual standardization around 5.56 with NATO equipment as stores of Russian surplus runs out if it hasn't already and Ukraine is relying on captured ammunition for it's AK platform weapons.
On another note I am surprised the US hasn't supplied 5.56 chambered AK's, habits die hard in soldiers and I'm sure many would like to have an AK made reliably in the caliber being supplied.
And the majority of weapons will use a small variety of ammo. Handguns will vary more widely, but then, handgun ammo will be much less in demand. The US army doesn't even issue handguns to infantry (with few exeptions).
I thought that NATO chambered AKs are relatively rare. Why would US have them anyway? They already got all that M4s.
Izhmash actually exported sporter AKs in .223 for the civilian market for a good number of years. It was a fairly less common model but they are around. Zastava (serbian) made 223 AKs as well. There are US made rifles as well. I would not want to carry any of those odd ducks into battle though when everything around me is 5.45 and 7.62x39, or an AR in its proper caliber. In particular I don't think the mags are interchangeable with AK74 mags and you wouldn't want to risk using the wrong ammo anyway.
Pretty sure there's a lot of 5.56 from NATO in the recent days. On the other hand, that Soviet stockpile won't last forever, especially this keeps dragging on...
You're right about the export AK, tho. Interesting that a lot of them is NATO chambered but with standard AK magazines.
Oh for sure there's a ton of 5.56 in Ukraine, but the mags used by .223/5.56 aks are not standard ak mags which makes them unsuitable among probably other reasons to carry into battle.
Oh for sure there's a ton of 5.56 in Ukraine, but the mags used by .223/5.56 aks are not standard ak mags which makes them unsuitable among probably other reasons to carry into battle.
They are... Not common, I just figured if we're manufacturing the American RPG's for soldiers we might do something similar with American AKs, though I guess learning a new rifle is easier than learning a new rocket system.
No one in the US makes a good AK. Leave the NATO AKs to Poland and Bulgaria.
I say this as an American who owns two American-made AKs.