Yes, very good. One pointer that can help is when discussing the natural wander of the sights as you hold the rifle, it is most important to put most of your effort into keeping the alignment between the front and rear sights than to have the front sight very precisely on a specific spot on the target. If you have the sights aligned to each other, the bullet will go to where the front sight post is, but if the front and rear sights are not aligned properly, then there will be an angular error which will grow with distance and you may miss the target entirely instead of just hitting the wrong part of it.
@@Kuztomshop it serves its intended purpose. It’s similar to how I would introduce this weapon to a recruit. If you need something more advanced I am sure there are probably videos for that. As a US Veteran I approve this video.
I consider these Lucky Gunner videos the Gold Standard of instructional videos. Chris Baker should win awards for these methodical, articulate, and enjoyable-to-watch presentations, both instructional and product review-types.
Very nice and informative video. As a former user of AK47M and AK74 as a service weapon (yeah, old Warsaw Pact serviceman) I must confirm most of your advices except: when finishing the service, to remove the last round from the chamber, the weapon is moved under the left arm and the charging handle is manouvered with the right hand, left hand on handguard. This way, the view on the extractor is unobstructed. On action (combat situation), the charging handle is manouvered also with the right hand, left hand on handguard, except the weapon is on the right shoulder (for right handed). It is faster to go from the pistol grip to the charging handle and back than to make that complicated and "interesting" coregraphy when the weapon is CCW rotated and the left hand is going under the weapon to load it. May be nice in movies but very counterproductive in the real combat... After intensive training, one will now when a round is loaded and the empty magazine must be replaced with a loaded one. Meantime, the weapon is aligned with the target.
Modern American doctrine asks us to always keep the firing hand on the grip. This wasn't the case in the USSR when the manual of arms was developed for the AK. I think the rotation and reaching over the AK is largely from AR-15 shooters who go on to shoot an AK
tip: if your safety is too stiff, field-strip your AK, rotate the safety 90 degrees up and bend it away from the receiver. put it back and check it. if it's too stiff, repeat. if it's too loose, lift it back up and bend it towards the receiver.
Excellent (and timely!) demonstration. The only thing that could be added is mentioning that with the safety on it is possible to retract the bolt just enough to verify the condition of the chamber but not load/unload it. That, and perhaps the addition of subtitles in a certain Slavic language? :)
With the safety on, you can actually pull the bolt back far enough to unload the chamber without feeding a new round into it. At least that's the case with my M70, it might be different with comblocs. Not sure if I'm misunderstanding your comment.
@@borkwoof696 Yugos are different in that you can actually eject the round with the safety on. I don't know if that's true of Zastavas new offerings but on the military M70 it is.
It makes me happy you started with basic firearm safety, I feel like these days with all the channels and articles of Uber operators that the basic safety gets pushed to the wayside. Especially with so many new shooters it is incredibly important.
Good job, good video. Too many people get hung up on AR versus AK and they both bring something to the table. In my opinion the beauty of a Kalashnikov is in it's rugged simplicity.
Absolutly love AK carabines. Used them in Soviet Army more then 30 years ago. Used M4 in Israel Army and continue to use in Israel Police. I admit that M4 a little bit more precise, but the simplicity and reliability of AK for me are more important. In the field there is no always time for cleaning the weapon. And if it not fires when you need it, the precision isn't so important... We been toutch to manipulate the controls by right hand. And it possible to hit the target by automatic fire - just make it short - the trigger have been relized when you hear your weapon fires . Otherwise - great instructional video for beginers - covers all the basics in very short format. Love Your channel 👍
Surprisingly the most comfortable rifle I fired was an M70AB2 (Yugoslavian underfold AK). I also liked the feature to it where the bolt stayed open after the last round.
My dad always told us "every gun you see or touch is LOADED". And then he would follow that up with "the only 'accidental' shootings you ever hear about were with supposedly 'unloaded' guns". Since ALL guns are LOADED at ALL TIMES, this should NEVER happen." Personally I can't improve upon his teaching. I find it easier to get the buttstock into the shoulder pocket (where it belongs) with my elbow raised (mostly). When I teach, I recommend the elbow position that allows the buttstock to fit into the shoulder pocket. For some, that means the elbow is beside the ribs, for others that means a fully elevated elbow. For most, it's somewhere in between.
Love that you just flat out say any time you pick up a gun it's dangerous. Too many people try to sugar coat it with all the "a gun is an inanimate object!" rhetoric
Yeah, it's a good rule to live by. However, both statements ARE in fact true. The REAL problem that produces dangerous situations with man-made things has ALWAYS BEEN stupid humans. Not just with firearms, but anything. The fact is that 80% of humans shouldn't be allowed to even touch a firearm, vehicle, raise children, etc. Nothing good ever comes from those people... just more problems. But the powers that be love money, so they let it keep going. Oh well.
One thing I'll note is generally when loading any magazines I like to face the nose of the cartridges upward a bit. Most magazines leave a bit of wiggle room front to back to accomodate bullets of different weights, which may be longer or shorter than normal, so this can cause some minor binding during loading occasionally. You want all of the rounds with the primer side against the rear, or spine, of the magazine as much as possible. If any binding occurs, a simple downward smack with the bullets facing the sky will seat the rounds properly. This is why you sometimes see soldiers tapping their mags on their helmets when loading them. Goes for any type of box magazine, not just AKs. Also, you can adjust the tension on an AK safety by field stripping the rifle, rotating the safety to 90° upward, and bending in or out accordingly, so it's not too stiff or too loose. Learned that from Rob Ski, and apparently Jim Fuller teaches this, too.
Excellent explanation for the new shooters. There are just two more things that in my experience you need to explain to the absolute beginners - the orientation of the cartridges as you load the magazine, and what to expect when you press the trigger (ie. recoil, sound, muzzle blast)
I'm by no means new to the community, but I'm glad Lucky Gunner puts out videos like this. The informative yet demure tone he carries is a better way to get people into the community than uber tactical presentations that use a lot of jargon. Not to say those don't have their place, just that theyight deter some people.
I think it bears repeating that when you chamber it a round, it is especially important to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. This is because the free-floating firing pin in an AK can, if it is gummed up with carbon or other debris, cause a slam fire.
Good basic review of how to operate an AK platform rifle. I prefer to use the magazine to remove the empty magazine and keep the rifle up at eye level and charge the handle from underneath with my left hand in part because it is a little faster but also because I usually wear gloves (AKs have sharp edges) to avoid cutting my hands and so I can crawl on the ground easier when shooting behind barriers on the range.
A good video for showing new owners how to operate their new rifle. My only additional comment would be that you should spend a few minutes on disassembly and reassembly BC as the owner of a preban Chinese AKM, it took me a while to become proficient at the job, this was pre-youtube afterall.
Loved your safety instructions. See what is behind or around your target. Its very important. And slipping your finger accidentally is a mistake you will never like to happen. Nice training. Thankyou!
Very good instructional video. No nonsense and extremely easy to follow. I just bought my first AK. I have a full safe of AR’s but no AK’s. You never know when you may encounter a deer with a bullet resisting vest as Brandon says.
Small but very important 3 notes: First. The AK safety lever allows you to check if a weapon is loaded with the safety on. This way you can physically verify if your gun is loaded and ready in the dark or in a stressful environment when you have to check the surrounding area for example. To proceed, load a loaded magazine in the rifle with the safety/dustcover down/off. rack the charging handle, then rotate the safety lever up. With the safety lever engaged, pull back the charging handle as far as it will go. While holding the charging handle you can visually or via touch verify a round is in the bolt. Following, manually push the charging handle forward (do not simply rely on the recoil spring) until the charging handle is fully in battery. (This is the way I load an AK every time) Second, While in the US, many shooters zero their rifle straight in the middle of the x on a target at a set range, many in Europe zero their rifles with the front post below the black circle of the bulls eye. Aka this means your rounds will impact slightly higher. The advantage in a practical application by aiming a little lower is that your front post does not obscure the target. Before using your rifle, make sure to understand how the gun is set up. Note number 3: The AK hammer spring rides on the trigger with 2 legs. While uncommon I have seen it possible for the spring to be pulled off with a rag while cleaning. With one of the springs pulled off, this will make an AK very prone to failure and is surprisingly hard to troubleshoot for people not aware of it. Make sure to verify that the springs are retained correctly while cleaning it. PS: the cartridge holding the cleaning kit included with most AKs is itself a multifunctional tool. Knowing what it can do will make your life a lot easier with cleaning and maintenance.
Turning on safety to check AK is not a good practice. Rack the bitch. If rounds arent ejecting change the magazine and repeat. Clearing 1 or 2 live rounds will save seconds when they count.
@@josephroach711 Ammo is often limited how much you can carry and be able to move in addition to the rest of the kit you need to live off/survive. If you only have maybe 120 rounds in magazines (1+3 spare) with no reassurance when resupply comes, losing 1 or 2 rounds by dumping them into the dirt every time you check the gun is arguably not a great practice. (And even if you pick them up, you have to spend time cleaning the mud off them; If you ever had a case get stuck in an AK chamber you know what pain it can be to remove)
@@josephroach711 I humbly agree to disagree. The way the AK is built it seems like the method described above by me is how it was intentioned by design. It literally allows one to check if you have a round chambered in less than a second without having to look at the firearm which is handy as the gun has no last round bolt hold open. It is a very practical functionality of gross motor skills which dominate in stressful situations. This is unlike platforms like the AR and other western weapons where in order to verify if a round is chambered, you have to use fine motor skills to do press checks etc. Finally, I would like to say that nothing is written in stone and everyone is free to use their own technique off course as long as it works for them, though as a rule any platform has attributes which, if utilized, can result in a higher efficiency in operation.
I like the Croatian mags because they have a bolt hold open when the mag is empty. Not just dependent on a click. As soon as you remove the mag the bolt closes. The Maglula people make a great loader to help load the mags. Hard to beat an AK.
@@TheRotorhound Cool cool. I know *some* AK mags can be super expensive, but I haven't looked into the cost of the LRBHO mags since I don't own an AK yet.
Great video. 1 thing to add for new gun owners. DO NOT have any live ammo near you when you are servicing your rifle. It is too easy to pick up the wrong mag . Put it in a different room or safe while you practice or clean your rifle or any weapon
Great video! I was at my LGS not long ago. A first time firearm purchaser was performing the safe handling and operation demonstration with the sales clerk with a Walther P22. The customer did not have any prior experience. It was painful to watch and listen to. The sales clerk must have made the purchaser run through it at least 5 times. When I was new to firearms, I attended an 8 Hr intro to firearms and live fire class with the NRA at a police range. It was a really good class. Back then, there was no TH-cam or instruction videos like this. Keep up the good work.
hello, I've learnt how to use firearms from instructors and for magazine loading I was taught that the outwards pointing curve on the magazine faces away from you, and before every drill, you must check the safety catch is on safe
Thank you for that, living in Israel these days and not having been in the army I am hopefully never going to have to use one but as time has taught me, you never know and to be prepared could save someone’s life
Thanks, Chris. As always, your content is "очень хорошо". I am curious, though, why more right-handed AK operators (at least here in the USA) don't manipulate the charging handle by pressing the rifle into your chest (with left hand on the handguard) and freeing up your right hand to do the charging. This would be instead of sending your left hand over or under the rifle in an awkward way. I've tried both and I must say that the "Left Press/Right Charge" method works MUCH better for me.
It's how we use most other rifles and shotguns. The only exceptions are manually operated rifles, like bolt actions. Getting people to change something so ingrained in us would be like telling right handed people to write left handed. Both are valid ways to do it, there are many ways to skin a cat.
People in Ukraine need to watch stuff like this. A lot of them were armed without getting prior training due to the unfortunate situation. I hope they can still access the internet
This is a very good training video. Thanks! I would add one more caution not to have any loaded ammo/magazines anywhere near the rifle until the student is on the range. One less thing to worry about at first.
The mag release in the ak is also designed to be flipped with your next magazine. Assuming your using your standard steel mags not the new poly bs. Allows you to keep the same motion left hand on mag flick then load.
Nice demo, thanks. I used to have a fully automatic one for a year while I was doing a military service in Europe. Damn, these were loud and we didn’t use protective headphones so I still have tinnitus from it :)
Man I'm happy to see this new video built my shotgun because of this man and I feel confident and comfortable with it.still need one more upgrade that's it.
(Written for those who will need to use a translation program AND have almost no firearms experience) For anyone who has just acquired an AK type rifle... 3 things to note. 1. The AK uses a "double stack" magazine. This means that the rounds do not stack in a straight line in the magazine. For any three rounds (bullets), the first round will only touch one of the side walls. The next will touch the other (opposite) side. The one following that will touch the same side as the first. From the back they make a zigzag pattern. 2. To load the rounds... most magazines I have used have a bump on the follower (plate that covers the top of the spring) that helps force the first round to the side it should go. After that, push the next round down and to the side opposite the round underneath. It is normal to hear clicking sounds during the process. It does not matter what side the round on top is on. The rifle is designed to take rounds from either side of the magazine and feed them into the chamber properly. 3. The safety lever positions and a way I was trained to remember them. Up is safe. (You want what is in front of the rifle to stay standing... unharmed) Down is fire. (You want the target to fall down after being shot.) The position furthest down will fire 1 round per trigger pull/release cycle. If in a "middle" position ("full auto"-normally not available in the USA), it will fire until you release the trigger or you run out of rounds in your magazine. I pray that God will bless those who risk themselves to protect the innocent, oppose tyranny, and free the oppressed. Note: overly simplistic info, but these were things that bothered a friend of mine when she shot her first AK rifle after immigrating from India. (Zero firearms training)
I keep checking your prices, and unfortunately they are too high to place orders. I don’t mind paying fair or even a little more to support your videos, etc… but I can’t throw money away, no matter how good your videos are. Much respect.
10:48 where is the 250 m for battle setting comes from? The 7.62x39 122 grains at 2346 ft/s AKM on setting "3/П" has maximum elevation of the trajectory above line of sights at 31 cm (12.2"). So a torso sized target can be hit with belt buckle hold from 0 to 300 m (328 yards). On setting "2" it is 10 cm (3.9"). So head sized target, chin hold or so, from 0 to 200 m (219 yards). The 7.62x39 AKM leaf sight is calibrated for 7.9 gram bullet flying 715 m/s (122 grains at 2346 ft/s). To check if your ammo is compatible with the leaf, shoot 4+ shot groups with every leaf setting at 100 m (109.4 yards) with the same point of aim. Measure the distance from point of aim to average point of impact of every group. It should be as follows: 1 - 0 cm, 2 - 10 cm (3.9"), 3/П - 25 cm (9.8"), 4 - 44 cm (17.3"), 5 - 68 cm (26.8") To have better idea about the trajectory google "таблица превышений акм/ак-74" (table of elevations above point of aim for akm/ak-74) The 5.45 leaf sight is calibrated for 3.4 gram bullet flying 900 m/s (54.5 grains at 2953 ft/s). 1 - 0 cm, 2 - 5 cm (1.97"), 3 - 13 cm (5.1"), 4/П - 24 cm (9.45"), 5 - 37 cm (14.6")
Great video. But, the first thing you do before you take the steps to clear it, is point the muzzle towards a safe direction, and the you can now safely takes the steps to clear it.
I don’t own an AK and never had the urge to own one but I thought the video was well made and informative. I thought the segment covering the use of a sling was great. Do you have a video dedicated to sling recommendations for an AR? If not, please consider doing one.
"The AK does not have a bolt hold open feature so you have to manually hold it open." Or just flip up the safety why the bolt is open and you will unlock the 'bolt hold open feature' lol
Chris, I enjoy your demonstrations very much. I would like to add one thing to this demo. Just because you hear a click, doesn't always mean you are empty. You could have a malfunction albeit a light primer strike or defective round. It would be wise to check the chamber before reloading a new mag and charging a new round.
I bought an American made AK a few years back and the safety has a cut out for locking the bolt back....love it. Although its stiff as hell and I rarely use it.
You can loosen up the safety by pulling it outwards. If it becomes too loose you can pull your dust cover and push the safety up and push it back the other way. Repeat until you have adjusted it to your liking.
technically speaking, most AKs actually do have a bolt hold-open feature you just hold the charging handle in the rearward position and pull the trigger to lock it into place, kinda weird but it works on every AK i've tried it on
That animation of lining up iron sights is pure money Chris.
Fantastic animation.
Yes, very good. One pointer that can help is when discussing the natural wander of the sights as you hold the rifle, it is most important to put most of your effort into keeping the alignment between the front and rear sights than to have the front sight very precisely on a specific spot on the target. If you have the sights aligned to each other, the bullet will go to where the front sight post is, but if the front and rear sights are not aligned properly, then there will be an angular error which will grow with distance and you may miss the target entirely instead of just hitting the wrong part of it.
What real ADS would actually look like.
Very timely on a 101 on the AK. Just so happens many people just got their first AK this week. Nice work and doing your part here.
seems more like AK-pre-school.
@@Kuztomshop it serves its intended purpose. It’s similar to how I would introduce this weapon to a recruit. If you need something more advanced I am sure there are probably videos for that. As a US Veteran I approve this video.
Thank you for posting. Glory to the brave people of Ukraine.
🤣😂😆
@@mik3ymomo I'm sorry, my sarcasm font seems to be broken.
I consider these Lucky Gunner videos the Gold Standard of instructional videos. Chris Baker should win awards for these methodical, articulate, and enjoyable-to-watch presentations, both instructional and product review-types.
Thanks, Ken!
Massad Ayoob mini-me!
I don't even own an AK but love his videos so much I watched it anyway 🤣😆🤣😆🤣
@@LuckyGunner I'm finding it impossible to move the front sight for windage!
What model AK are you using here?
Very nice and informative video. As a former user of AK47M and AK74 as a service weapon (yeah, old Warsaw Pact serviceman) I must confirm most of your advices except: when finishing the service, to remove the last round from the chamber, the weapon is moved under the left arm and the charging handle is manouvered with the right hand, left hand on handguard. This way, the view on the extractor is unobstructed.
On action (combat situation), the charging handle is manouvered also with the right hand, left hand on handguard, except the weapon is on the right shoulder (for right handed). It is faster to go from the pistol grip to the charging handle and back than to make that complicated and "interesting" coregraphy when the weapon is CCW rotated and the left hand is going under the weapon to load it. May be nice in movies but very counterproductive in the real combat... After intensive training, one will now when a round is loaded and the empty magazine must be replaced with a loaded one. Meantime, the weapon is aligned with the target.
Modern American doctrine asks us to always keep the firing hand on the grip. This wasn't the case in the USSR when the manual of arms was developed for the AK.
I think the rotation and reaching over the AK is largely from AR-15 shooters who go on to shoot an AK
tip: if your safety is too stiff, field-strip your AK, rotate the safety 90 degrees up and bend it away from the receiver. put it back and check it. if it's too stiff, repeat. if it's too loose, lift it back up and bend it towards the receiver.
VERY nice expansion on trigger discipline concept: keep your finger glued to the receiver - very good way of putting it.
Excellent (and timely!) demonstration. The only thing that could be added is mentioning that with the safety on it is possible to retract the bolt just enough to verify the condition of the chamber but not load/unload it. That, and perhaps the addition of subtitles in a certain Slavic language? :)
If anyone would like to provide us with a translation, we'd be happy to upload subtitles in any language.
With the safety on, you can actually pull the bolt back far enough to unload the chamber without feeding a new round into it. At least that's the case with my M70, it might be different with comblocs. Not sure if I'm misunderstanding your comment.
If the hammer is already cocked though, the bolt will go all the way back, even with the safety on. Is this just my AK?
@@PigPharmaceuticals pretty sure that‘s only the case with Yugo AKs
@@borkwoof696 Yugos are different in that you can actually eject the round with the safety on. I don't know if that's true of Zastavas new offerings but on the military M70 it is.
It makes me happy you started with basic firearm safety, I feel like these days with all the channels and articles of Uber operators that the basic safety gets pushed to the wayside. Especially with so many new shooters it is incredibly important.
Good job, good video. Too many people get hung up on AR versus AK and they both bring something to the table. In my opinion the beauty of a Kalashnikov is in it's rugged simplicity.
Absolutly love AK carabines. Used them in Soviet Army more then 30 years ago. Used M4 in Israel Army and continue to use in Israel Police. I admit that M4 a little bit more precise, but the simplicity and reliability of AK for me are more important. In the field there is no always time for cleaning the weapon. And if it not fires when you need it, the precision isn't so important...
We been toutch to manipulate the controls by right hand. And it possible to hit the target by automatic fire - just make it short - the trigger have been relized when you hear your weapon fires .
Otherwise - great instructional video for beginers - covers all the basics in very short format. Love Your channel 👍
Surprisingly the most comfortable rifle I fired was an M70AB2 (Yugoslavian underfold AK). I also liked the feature to it where the bolt stayed open after the last round.
That's a mag thing. They make bolt hold open mags that hold the bolt open until you take the mag out
I have an early 1960s Russian AK-47, the bolt stayed open after the last round too.
@kinkakokosh you obviously have yugo style mags.. russian guns never had bolt hold open feature.
My dad always told us "every gun you see or touch is LOADED". And then he would follow that up with "the only 'accidental' shootings you ever hear about were with supposedly 'unloaded' guns". Since ALL guns are LOADED at ALL TIMES, this should NEVER happen."
Personally I can't improve upon his teaching.
I find it easier to get the buttstock into the shoulder pocket (where it belongs) with my elbow raised (mostly). When I teach, I recommend the elbow position that allows the buttstock to fit into the shoulder pocket. For some, that means the elbow is beside the ribs, for others that means a fully elevated elbow. For most, it's somewhere in between.
Love that you just flat out say any time you pick up a gun it's dangerous. Too many people try to sugar coat it with all the "a gun is an inanimate object!" rhetoric
Yeah, it's a good rule to live by. However, both statements ARE in fact true. The REAL problem that produces dangerous situations with man-made things has ALWAYS BEEN stupid humans. Not just with firearms, but anything. The fact is that 80% of humans shouldn't be allowed to even touch a firearm, vehicle, raise children, etc. Nothing good ever comes from those people... just more problems. But the powers that be love money, so they let it keep going. Oh well.
I await the videos on how to use Javelin and Stinger missiles. Can't wait!
Gotta love the AK. Got mine in the 1990’s.
One thing I'll note is generally when loading any magazines I like to face the nose of the cartridges upward a bit. Most magazines leave a bit of wiggle room front to back to accomodate bullets of different weights, which may be longer or shorter than normal, so this can cause some minor binding during loading occasionally. You want all of the rounds with the primer side against the rear, or spine, of the magazine as much as possible. If any binding occurs, a simple downward smack with the bullets facing the sky will seat the rounds properly. This is why you sometimes see soldiers tapping their mags on their helmets when loading them. Goes for any type of box magazine, not just AKs.
Also, you can adjust the tension on an AK safety by field stripping the rifle, rotating the safety to 90° upward, and bending in or out accordingly, so it's not too stiff or too loose. Learned that from Rob Ski, and apparently Jim Fuller teaches this, too.
Excellent explanation for the new shooters. There are just two more things that in my experience you need to explain to the absolute beginners - the orientation of the cartridges as you load the magazine, and what to expect when you press the trigger (ie. recoil, sound, muzzle blast)
I always enjoy the presentations here. No nonsense and unpretentious. Thank you!
I'm by no means new to the community, but I'm glad Lucky Gunner puts out videos like this. The informative yet demure tone he carries is a better way to get people into the community than uber tactical presentations that use a lot of jargon. Not to say those don't have their place, just that theyight deter some people.
I love that my AK's have military style receivers with the full auto selector. They have semi auto fire control groups, but still nice to have! :)
I think it bears repeating that when you chamber it a round, it is especially important to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. This is because the free-floating firing pin in an AK can, if it is gummed up with carbon or other debris, cause a slam fire.
Good basic review of how to operate an AK platform rifle. I prefer to use the magazine to remove the empty magazine and keep the rifle up at eye level and charge the handle from underneath with my left hand in part because it is a little faster but also because I usually wear gloves (AKs have sharp edges) to avoid cutting my hands and so I can crawl on the ground easier when shooting behind barriers on the range.
A good video for showing new owners how to operate their new rifle. My only additional comment would be that you should spend a few minutes on disassembly and reassembly BC as the owner of a preban Chinese AKM, it took me a while to become proficient at the job, this was pre-youtube afterall.
Best illustration of using iron sights that I've seen - great job!
Thank you so much for this! I LOVE AKs and I’ve purchased a few over the years. I really appreciate this video!
This video was perfect. Professional, no nonsense and useful for even total beginners. Thank you
Loved your safety instructions. See what is behind or around your target. Its very important. And slipping your finger accidentally is a mistake you will never like to happen. Nice training. Thankyou!
Interesting timing for this video to come out. A whole bunch of people just became new AK users recently...about 18,000 to be more precise.
This was helpful for my class
Very good instructional video. No nonsense and extremely easy to follow. I just bought my first AK. I have a full safe of AR’s but no AK’s. You never know when you may encounter a deer with a bullet resisting vest as Brandon says.
I will show this to every new shooter that wants to try the ak out. Excellent work.
Not new to guns, but new to ak's. Very very useful in making the switch from an ar15 incredibly simple
Small but very important 3 notes: First. The AK safety lever allows you to check if a weapon is loaded with the safety on. This way you can physically verify if your gun is loaded and ready in the dark or in a stressful environment when you have to check the surrounding area for example. To proceed, load a loaded magazine in the rifle with the safety/dustcover down/off. rack the charging handle, then rotate the safety lever up. With the safety lever engaged, pull back the charging handle as far as it will go. While holding the charging handle you can visually or via touch verify a round is in the bolt. Following, manually push the charging handle forward (do not simply rely on the recoil spring) until the charging handle is fully in battery. (This is the way I load an AK every time)
Second, While in the US, many shooters zero their rifle straight in the middle of the x on a target at a set range, many in Europe zero their rifles with the front post below the black circle of the bulls eye. Aka this means your rounds will impact slightly higher. The advantage in a practical application by aiming a little lower is that your front post does not obscure the target. Before using your rifle, make sure to understand how the gun is set up.
Note number 3: The AK hammer spring rides on the trigger with 2 legs. While uncommon I have seen it possible for the spring to be pulled off with a rag while cleaning. With one of the springs pulled off, this will make an AK very prone to failure and is surprisingly hard to troubleshoot for people not aware of it. Make sure to verify that the springs are retained correctly while cleaning it.
PS: the cartridge holding the cleaning kit included with most AKs is itself a multifunctional tool. Knowing what it can do will make your life a lot easier with cleaning and maintenance.
Turning on safety to check AK is not a good practice. Rack the bitch. If rounds arent ejecting change the magazine and repeat.
Clearing 1 or 2 live rounds will save seconds when they count.
@@josephroach711 Ammo is often limited how much you can carry and be able to move in addition to the rest of the kit you need to live off/survive. If you only have maybe 120 rounds in magazines (1+3 spare) with no reassurance when resupply comes, losing 1 or 2 rounds by dumping them into the dirt every time you check the gun is arguably not a great practice. (And even if you pick them up, you have to spend time cleaning the mud off them; If you ever had a case get stuck in an AK chamber you know what pain it can be to remove)
@@LifeStyle-uh1ns You absolutely missed the point. But i am not very good explaining in text so i am sorry.
@@josephroach711 I humbly agree to disagree. The way the AK is built it seems like the method described above by me is how it was intentioned by design. It literally allows one to check if you have a round chambered in less than a second without having to look at the firearm which is handy as the gun has no last round bolt hold open. It is a very practical functionality of gross motor skills which dominate in stressful situations. This is unlike platforms like the AR and other western weapons where in order to verify if a round is chambered, you have to use fine motor skills to do press checks etc. Finally, I would like to say that nothing is written in stone and everyone is free to use their own technique off course as long as it works for them, though as a rule any platform has attributes which, if utilized, can result in a higher efficiency in operation.
I’ve been messing with AK’s for a while, but I’m just happy you included left handed considerations with this video.
Rather good time to learn to use an AK, also that is a classy AK.
I like the Croatian mags because they have a bolt hold open when the mag is empty. Not just dependent on a click. As soon as you remove the mag the bolt closes. The Maglula people make a great loader to help load the mags. Hard to beat an AK.
Are those mags particularly expensive compared to standard magazines?
@@sartorialdriver6528 No. $13.
@@sartorialdriver6528 Now priced about $16 at sgammo.
@@TheRotorhound Cool cool. I know *some* AK mags can be super expensive, but I haven't looked into the cost of the LRBHO mags since I don't own an AK yet.
Great video. 1 thing to add for new gun owners. DO NOT have any live ammo near you when you are servicing your rifle. It is too easy to pick up the wrong mag . Put it in a different room or safe while you practice or clean your rifle or any weapon
Great video! I was at my LGS not long ago. A first time firearm purchaser was performing the safe handling and operation demonstration with the sales clerk with a Walther P22. The customer did not have any prior experience. It was painful to watch and listen to. The sales clerk must have made the purchaser run through it at least 5 times.
When I was new to firearms, I attended an 8 Hr intro to firearms and live fire class with the NRA at a police range. It was a really good class. Back then, there was no TH-cam or instruction videos like this. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, Chris!
Just got a polish one not only my first ak but first rifle so this video is definitely appreciated
hello, I've learnt how to use firearms from instructors and for magazine loading I was taught that the outwards pointing curve on the magazine faces away from you, and before every drill, you must check the safety catch is on safe
Thank you for that, living in Israel these days and not having been in the army I am hopefully never going to have to use one but as time has taught me, you never know and to be prepared could save someone’s life
Thanks, Chris. As always, your content is "очень хорошо". I am curious, though, why more right-handed AK operators (at least here in the USA) don't manipulate the charging handle by pressing the rifle into your chest (with left hand on the handguard) and freeing up your right hand to do the charging. This would be instead of sending your left hand over or under the rifle in an awkward way. I've tried both and I must say that the "Left Press/Right Charge" method works MUCH better for me.
Check out this training video: th-cam.com/video/A6yeOmpXIvU/w-d-xo.html
Because most Westerners like to keep their firing hand on the grip near the trigger as long as possible. It‘s also slightly faster.
It's how we use most other rifles and shotguns. The only exceptions are manually operated rifles, like bolt actions. Getting people to change something so ingrained in us would be like telling right handed people to write left handed. Both are valid ways to do it, there are many ways to skin a cat.
Your "Start shooting better" series is awesome and would like to see a "Start shooting better with rifles" series.
Seriously, how do you guys not have over a million subs yet? Most underrated guntuber channel out there!
People in Ukraine need to watch stuff like this. A lot of them were armed without getting prior training due to the unfortunate situation. I hope they can still access the internet
Americans need to watch professor John Mearsheimer's 2015 lecture on the Ukraine crisis which the US caused.
th-cam.com/video/JrMiSQAGOS4/w-d-xo.html
This video would need to be subtitled, or dubbed in Ukrainian, or Russian.
Bought 1k rds of AK ammo from your site for a very reasonable price! Keep up the good work!
Nothing new too a wannabe-be student of weapon craft. But still much appreciated going over the basics.
Keep up the great work! 👍
This is a very good training video. Thanks! I would add one more caution not to have any loaded ammo/magazines anywhere near the rifle until the student is on the range. One less thing to worry about at first.
The mag release in the ak is also designed to be flipped with your next magazine. Assuming your using your standard steel mags not the new poly bs. Allows you to keep the same motion left hand on mag flick then load.
Mentor ‼, yes you Chris.
I think it goes without saying that we all know why this video got published.
You’re 💯 wrong bro.. safety is the key 🖤📌
Nice demo, thanks. I used to have a fully automatic one for a year while I was doing a military service in Europe. Damn, these were loud and we didn’t use protective headphones so I still have tinnitus from it :)
Man I'm happy to see this new video built my shotgun because of this man and I feel confident and comfortable with it.still need one more upgrade that's it.
Looks like we'll need similar vids on PKMs, Makarovs, and the occasional RPG-7.
Great video. Just what I was looking for. Touches on all the basics in a quick, efficient manner.
you are the best teacher for gun I ever meet, thx a lot sir
This was the best instructional video I've seen. Well done sir.
My man out here repping East TN with the great content.
Lucky Gunner: *releases tutorial on using AK-47 for beginners*
Putin: "And I took that personally."
russian iz 132 and serbian m70's do have bolt hold open features
(Written for those who will need to use a translation program AND have almost no firearms experience)
For anyone who has just acquired an AK type rifle... 3 things to note.
1. The AK uses a "double stack" magazine. This means that the rounds do not stack in a straight line in the magazine. For any three rounds (bullets), the first round will only touch one of the side walls. The next will touch the other (opposite) side. The one following that will touch the same side as the first. From the back they make a zigzag pattern.
2. To load the rounds... most magazines I have used have a bump on the follower (plate that covers the top of the spring) that helps force the first round to the side it should go. After that, push the next round down and to the side opposite the round underneath. It is normal to hear clicking sounds during the process.
It does not matter what side the round on top is on. The rifle is designed to take rounds from either side of the magazine and feed them into the chamber properly.
3. The safety lever positions and a way I was trained to remember them.
Up is safe. (You want what is in front of the rifle to stay standing... unharmed)
Down is fire. (You want the target to fall down after being shot.) The position furthest down will fire 1 round per trigger pull/release cycle. If in a "middle" position ("full auto"-normally not available in the USA), it will fire until you release the trigger or you run out of rounds in your magazine.
I pray that God will bless those who risk themselves to protect the innocent, oppose tyranny, and free the oppressed.
Note: overly simplistic info, but these were things that bothered a friend of mine when she shot her first AK rifle after immigrating from India. (Zero firearms training)
I keep checking your prices, and unfortunately they are too high to place orders. I don’t mind paying fair or even a little more to support your videos, etc… but I can’t throw money away, no matter how good your videos are. Much respect.
10:48 where is the 250 m for battle setting comes from?
The 7.62x39 122 grains at 2346 ft/s AKM on setting "3/П" has maximum elevation of the trajectory above line of sights at 31 cm (12.2"). So a torso sized target can be hit with belt buckle hold from 0 to 300 m (328 yards).
On setting "2" it is 10 cm (3.9"). So head sized target, chin hold or so, from 0 to 200 m (219 yards).
The 7.62x39 AKM leaf sight is calibrated for 7.9 gram bullet flying 715 m/s (122 grains at 2346 ft/s).
To check if your ammo is compatible with the leaf, shoot 4+ shot groups with every leaf setting at 100 m (109.4 yards) with the same point of aim. Measure the distance from point of aim to average point of impact of every group. It should be as follows:
1 - 0 cm, 2 - 10 cm (3.9"), 3/П - 25 cm (9.8"), 4 - 44 cm (17.3"), 5 - 68 cm (26.8")
To have better idea about the trajectory google "таблица превышений акм/ак-74" (table of elevations above point of aim for akm/ak-74)
The 5.45 leaf sight is calibrated for 3.4 gram bullet flying 900 m/s (54.5 grains at 2953 ft/s).
1 - 0 cm, 2 - 5 cm (1.97"), 3 - 13 cm (5.1"), 4/П - 24 cm (9.45"), 5 - 37 cm (14.6")
Great video. But, the first thing you do before you take the steps to clear it, is point the muzzle towards a safe direction, and the you can now safely takes the steps to clear it.
Good for you guys! Good looking out for your fellow man
you need to cover shooting a Group and adjusting the sights. then practicing going from low ready to sight alignment.
Some people just have the right presentation and personality to be a teacher.... and it's this guy right here
Never clicked on a video so fast..
hooooah! great upfront focus on safety! most excellent video
Great instructor. Thanks for the many tips that makes your rifle handling safer
Thank you Chris!!! This is a great video that really explained everything I needed to know. Hope you have a great rest of your day and be safe.
The AKV-521 innovated and revolutionized a platform like probably no gun ever did. Such a shame what's going on today.
Including links to moving and shooting may be useful. It's difficult, but a lifesaver for any viewers who can only access two-way ranges.
Thank you for the informative video. I will be picking up on first AK in few days.
I don’t own an AK and never had the urge to own one but I thought the video was well made and informative. I thought the segment covering the use of a sling was great. Do you have a video dedicated to sling recommendations for an AR? If not, please consider doing one.
Thanks! I'm having a military lesson this year, this is helpful
“It’s so easy even a child could use, and they do”
About time lol go down the rabbit hole Chris! There's tons of ways to customize AKs now.
I enjoy the down to earth approach of this channel.
"The AK does not have a bolt hold open feature so you have to manually hold it open." Or just flip up the safety why the bolt is open and you will unlock the 'bolt hold open feature' lol
THIS...is the Ukrainian Army training video handed out to the resistance
In English no less...
Definition of virtue signaling
Chris, I enjoy your demonstrations very much. I would like to add one thing to this demo. Just because you hear a click, doesn't always mean you are empty. You could have a malfunction albeit a light primer strike or defective round. It would be wise to check the chamber before reloading a new mag and charging a new round.
"Treat all guns the same way you would treat a loaded gun" what a concisely worded take on an old standard
You forgot rule 5. If you ever find your country being invaded by angry Chechens find proper cover and point the noisy end at the enemy.
Thank you for mentioning lefted handed operation.
Thank you Chris and lucky gunner for making these great concise videos.
Great helpful video. Thank you. Now I need a military discount for ammo from y'all
Also, the magazine check is something we learned to do with every combat weapon and any weapon with a protruding magazine
good video! thank u so much. now I can use AK.I didn't have much time, but I'm glad I did.
Thaks Chris, that's a ton of helpful and well articulated info. Looking forward to shooting my recently inherited (and never fired) MAK 90
I bought an American made AK a few years back and the safety has a cut out for locking the bolt back....love it. Although its stiff as hell and I rarely use it.
You can loosen up the safety by pulling it outwards. If it becomes too loose you can pull your dust cover and push the safety up and push it back the other way. Repeat until you have adjusted it to your liking.
Can we get a review of the Sig P365 380
technically speaking, most AKs actually do have a bolt hold-open feature
you just hold the charging handle in the rearward position and pull the trigger to lock it into place, kinda weird but it works on every AK i've tried it on
always good to review the basics
Remarkable demonstration. thank you very much. I learned a lot of things.
Thank you for making this video. Very educational. May any new AK47 owners stay safe and find their target well. 💙💛🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💙💛
AK-47
@@ratagris21 lol typo
This is pure gold
Couldn't care less about the AK, but I like your videos and I always pick up some useful info even when the subject is outside my area of interest.
Came here to learn before my father takes me to the shooting range for the first time so i impress him 😂😂