As a former infantryman myself, my immediate guess for the tubes on the barrels was to keep dirt and mud out of them. We'd use condoms when it was soggy outside, for the same reason. Then, we didn't have lots of free, narrow-diameter cardboard tubes provided to us either. And we weren't in a war. And just for the record, every soldier, no matter where they are, turns into McGuyver when they need something they aren't issued.
The AK-74 type also has a Muzzle Break not a Flash Hider. The muzzle flash is quite pronounced on an AK-74 and can not only ruin natural night vision with a flash, it makes sense to try and hide it from the enemy as much as possible. And it has a tendency to blast people next to you.
This. They appear to be common used flare tubes, of the type you will commonly see attached to soviet chest rigs. And in case you never knew what those funny wooden tubes on soviet chest rigs are, yes, they are hand flares.
People are probably confusing the melting varnish with cosmoline still being present in the wood on surplus rifles. Cosmoline will become liquid again in hotter temperatures and seep out of the wood and looks like varnish.
I bought an AKM a long time ago. It was absolutely saturated with cosmoline, it took quite a bit of cleaning to remove it all. The varnish I never had an issue with
Yes. It absolutely works as advertised, that’s why all of my examples came to me in good condition. I’m just saying that after properly removing it I have seen no ill effects from using this preservative
@@yyz4761 Yeah I bought a surplus Mosin Nagant years back. When I got it, it was absolutely covered in Cosmoline like they dipped it into a barrel of it.
The paper tubes are not just cardboard. It is a phenolic tube. Paper impregnated with Phenolic resin. Very tough, strong & moisture resistant for their puropose.
I had sort of assumed it was an improvised flash hider, and had always wondered how the cardboard didn't get shredded by the muzzle blast! An improvised dust cover makes a lot more sense.
Same, after seeing a few of these on random pictures/videos over the years I figured it might be an improvised or non mass issued blast diffuser to prevent the 74's concussion from deafening fellow soldiers in urban environments or small fighting positions when ear protection wasn't really a consideration... Or possibly to keep debris thrown from the large side blast from giving away your position... I never knew it was just a cardboard tube with thin aluminum cut off a rocket booster that would get instantly shredded being used as a protective muzzle cover 😂 This was a great video, I think this channel will be growing quickly soon! 👍
I had the same issue. Best way to fix it is with sunlight and wipe it down with acetone. The acetone will remove and protection the wood has so when the original coating is gone, use bioled linseed oil to protect the wood adterwards.
We did something similar to our rifles. At first we used the readily available condoms, but soon found that medical gloves held the best. We’d put the middle finger down the barrel and the thumb over the sites. Then used the pointer and index fingered to tie a square knot. Then we left the pinkie out because we were some posh MFs.
In my experience, the muzzle device on the Ak-74 redirects the gas sideways and it makes it unpleasant for people around the shooter, maybe they put the shell around the muzzle to make it a bit more pleasing for their fellow soldiers around them especially in close quarters and maybe kicking up less dust in addition to being a protector from dirt
1 shot would blow the tube apart. If you watched the video you'd know that it was put on to keep dirt from getting caked on in the brake. You think any Russian soldier ever thought " I put little tube on gun for your safety"? Haha hell no
That wasn't the varnish, that was cosmoline. Varnish doesn't have the ability to liquefy, the moisture went away when it dried after being applied. Varnish coming off would be crystalline
It was definitely the cosmoline. When they pack them long term they get completely slathered wood and all, not just the steel parts. You need to cook it out of the wood. The oven technique as mentioned above works well, but may contaminate your oven. The other way, if you live in a hot enough place, is to stick the wood parts into a black garbage bag and hang it out under the sun for a day. Try to get back to it before it the day starts to cool, then give the warm parts a wipe down with a hot soaked rag.
@juanblanco7898 it does stink and women will be mad. But I lay foil down as a drip tray and clean the oven afterwards with some dollar store oven cleaner
Just an FYI: finger cots (rubber finger covers used in restaurants by cooks with bandaged fingers) can be bought in packs of like 100-300 for pretty cheap on Amazon and work as pretty durable barrel covers. I've seen them used plenty while hunting.
Seriously, "old school fix" Condoms.. used by soldiers for near on a century now...They used to be an "issue item" back in the day. Put one in a sock and it becomes a 1 litre water bottle as well...
The other thing about putting the tourniquet on your rifle stock is that very often, it'll be your buddy tourniquetting you, rather than self-application. So any random soldier who finds you bleeding needs to be able to find your tourniquet in a hurry. For this reason, a lot of military organizations favor (officially or unofficially) a standard, visible location. (IIRC it used to be common for American soldiers to wear the old delta tourniquets around the neck.) If you get shot, I can run over, grab your rifle, get the tourniquet off, and stop the bleeding without needing to dig through your pockets.
A former Soviet military member informed me (many!) years ago that one of the other reasons for the tube on the end of the the AK-74 variants was that some of the propellants used in the earlier lots of ammo were mildly corrosive and extremely unpleasant to smell so the tube kept the back blast from the flash dissipater/muzzle break from causing nausea and headaches.
@JohnSmith-tr8bt I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on that point. I shot a good amount of 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R, and a fair amount of early 5.45x39 that had a very nasty odor and was mildly corrosive (i.e. clean your rifle immediately after shooting). Most of the time it was a case of mercury fulminate in the primer, but nonetheless nasty.
For us using the G3, we had plastic caps to place over the flash hider. Used those all the time unless when shooting. You can fire the gun with those attached.
The M16/M4 also has a plastic muzzle cap can prevent any dirt from entering from the muzzle, but if you forgot to remove it, there was no problem shooting through it.
You mentioning that reminded me that there was one in an SA80 cleaning kit (officially), but was never used, as it fell off easily, and you got billed if you lost it.
Cool. I doubt they would use their improvised cheek pieces as IFAK gear after wrapping them around the stock. They would use the one(s) in their IFAK or attached to their rig , it would take too long to unwrap it and apply it off the stock, plus as you said, it would be weakened and it takes a LOT of torque to stop a arterial bleed out. In the US Marines, we used condoms over our rifle and support weapon muzzles. Grunts always come up with "improvements" to the issued gear.
2 was the standard for the soliders back then im pretty sure, 1 on stock 1 in ifak pouch with pressure bandage, yep smart to carry 2-3 i carry 3 personally @@SSN515
It does not take long to unwrap, neither is it weakened beyond usable condition. They are made of very sturdy rubber, it barely stretches when mounted on rifle (or at least it should not be). It will, ofcourse, deteriorate over time, being exposed to elements and all (which is expected to happen), but not due to wrapping per se.
I already knew about the tourniquet, and I’d assumed the paper on the muzzle device was similar to how US soldiers put condoms over the muzzles of their rifles to keep dirt and water out of the barrel. Thank you for confirming that for me.
Electrical tape was used for magazines and handguards for grip and ammo count. If you ran out of ammo you would strip the blue tape off and then you would know it wasn't fully loaded. Electrical tape can be used to tie magazines together or add a flashlight. Also electrical tape has other uses for field operations. Why "blue"? because it was the common color of electrical tape. I don't know if they did this but, if your spring for your AK goes out. You can use the elasticity of electrical tape to wrap around the Charging handle and the front of the rifle and it will cycle rounds. If you have a gun, buy electrical tape. Maybe not Blue though.
@@pizzarollking4397 blue is also commonly used because a lot of guys like the color and it's one of those things "in the cool" if they cared about anything else other than it looking cool they'd be using green duct tape. Same reason they use the colored tape in Pakistan and Afghanistan
The factory varnish would never get sticky unless someone at the factory bought cheaper varnish and pocketed balance for himself which would obviously never happen in russia
soneone has never worked with cosmoline before. It is not as much a varnish as it is storage grease. It took about 3 days of sitting in the sun for it to "sweat" out of the wood
@@kevinfitzpatrick5949 Ive been through my fair share of rifles caked in comoline. Ive owned enough russian trash to know that you are always rolling the dice when it comes to quality. It should be a national embarrassment for them that China produces a better product
The metal stocks got super hot on the AKS-74 rifles in the desert, which made it difficult to aim the weapon. According to my dad, this is the primary reason why they did it.
Concerning "swallowtail" This is simply the name for a dovetail joint in, for example, german- i suspect it's similar in russian? It's just the name machinists have for securely matching grove- and- blade joints with inclined sides. Some guns (airguns? ) have 11mm dovetails on top for sights, picatinny rails are similar in 22mm.
Yes, thanks for this explanation) As far as I understand, in English it is correct to say dovetail, but a dove bird is about the same as a pigeon (as I understand it). In Russian, we use the word swallow tail ("ласточкин хвост")
We used condoms to keep our barrels clean and you'd initially get strange looks from medics when a platoon of soldiers in the field smiles at them and asks for a lot of condoms.
I can't believe untying a tourniquet you've probably had to tie off to get it to stay goof enough isn't easier than just reaching into your pocket? Or even better have it on your battle dress in an easy to grab place by left or right hand!. Great content none the less and love the channel.
I think that in the first place was the reason for increasing the convenience of the butt. But, on the other hand, during the shock of being wounded in battle, a soldier may lose his bearings. Pouches, fasteners.. you need to remember where the tourniquet is and all that. I think that in this sense, "I saw in front of my nose and immediately took it off" could have worked better
I just heard a podcast with a Spetsnaz veteran. He mentioned that in Chechnia he mostly shot at muzzle flashes as both sides hid pretty well. So my guess is that the tube is an improvised flash suppressor.
pink rubber band is a old school turnaquite or how it spelled and the "paper tube" is the package of a flare put on the barrle to stop dirt and dust from entering the barrle
I've seen lots of such improvised things in the fields. They may look like makeshift solutions, but they work! Later on weapon experts add these solutions to the weapons and gear so that soldiers get more prepared and comfortable. You may look at Vietnam and Iraq wars and find out that even high-on-budget SpecOps use such add-ons and "field tuning" on their gear.
I was a US Army armorer, and now I am a wood worker. A varnish does not have to melt to become sticky, and varnished wood left in hot temperatures and direct sunlight can become slightly adhesive to the touch. This is very uncomfortable on the cheek. I own no firearms with wooden stocks - too high maintenance.
@@RTFLDGR The US military 'stepped away' from wood many years ago. Polyamide 6.6 with 20% glass fiber is used for most firearms. Polyamide 6.6 is a polymer that falls under the Nylon class of products. It has good dimensional stability and resistance to heat. The addition of glass fiber, probably 20% by weight, increases dimensional stability and strength. Wood is beautiful, but it's fragile and high maintenance. I have repaired several wood-stocked rifles, a few of which were dropped on their butt plates resulting in some serious damage.
American soldiers in the Gulf War did something similar to the tubes. Since they were all issued condoms, they put them on the muzzles to keep dust and sand out of the barrels.
Correction: 3:08 Chinese AK Norinco Type 56 (especially ones made in 1970s) is better quality than that of AK-47 from the Soviet Union era - I have both, and always in the market for another good Norinco rifle. It has folding bayonet lug under the barrel (many of the US marketed one have this "needle" removed) ,with better barrel in my opinion, and if you are lucky, you can find milled receiver version. If both are from the 70~80s, both don't have threaded barrel - Russian version from 80s do have thread - a crude one though. But many in the market has custom threads for both Type-56 or Ak-47. Personally, they are both the same - but Type-56 is NOT a cheap copy of AK-47. It is essentially the same quality and finish - but with improved parts. (BTW, ironically, the best AK in the world is made by Poland and Bulgaria for the US market - with milled and forged receivers with high grade molib metals + chrome lined barrels etc etc...a bargain at $2500).
i dont think the rail is nicknamed "swallowtail". A swallowtail is a type of connection (primarily from woodworking) and the rail is using this type of connection to attach optics.
Hello tovarisch Every seems to over complicate the tourniquets use. The stocks are slippery in most environments especially the steel folding stocks, applying the tourniquets to the stocks helps your cheek grip while firing. Without the tourniquets it is difficult to maintain a cheek weld
One other reason (I don't think this reason is official but it is depend on my opinion) is, when fighting in winter condition, cold metal will likely stick to human skin and probably hard to remove without pouring water on where the metal stick to your skin, try to remove it with force will wounded your cheek skin
These are inexpensive but practical field modifications by veteran troops. Russian leadership may be questionable, but the individual Russian should never be underestimated as a soldier.
@@AndRei-yc3tithen why did a tiny 3rd world country like Ukraine manage to stalemate the Russian military for over a year, with no end in sight, neverending sanctions, china is openly disparaging Russian equipment and won't or can't send chips to Russia. Their armata tank was supposed to be having military parades in Kiev by now, instead they've never been seen in combat and India is still waiting for modern tanks Russia was supposed to send them ages ago
> tourniquet could be applied more quickly Wrap tourniquet around stock and try apply it, then just lay it into pocket and try apply it. What would be faster? Feel the difference.
Oh the good-old M-16 "THE JAMMER" thus the plunger. Every toilet needs a plunger. Out of 100 soldiers 25 of them are put out of action by the "jammer" so then they grab an AK-47 from the dead enemy. Not any better today.
It is said to be varnish but how much is water added by patriotic factory managers for dacha? Or did they apply it the Soviet way? Even the photo you used showing the varnish had chipped varnish from the garbage quality control in Rus
Another aspect of the AK74 muzzle brake, although VERY effective @ further taming the already weak 3 or so ft Lbs recoil, concerning the 5.45x39 cartridge on full auto, that original brake design possesses a fault due to the bright/large muzzle !>>FLASH
Thank you very much for your addition!) I would like to add that when I served a few years ago, we fired first from a PKM machine gun, and then from an AK-74. It was the first time, and we were quite young, so we were sure that PKM is a scary loud thing. But we were all surprised by the fact that after firing from the PKM, when we took the AK-74, almost all of us had ringing in our ears immediately after the first shot from the AK, while the machine gun was very quiet and with low recoil
@@casperarms No worries my friend, its fun 'ta bounce knowledge, experience, personal points of view & unique perspectives off each others brains, Ive learned quite a bit of credible info & have had many a query answered from simply B.S'n back n' forth in the YT comments section... -Every once inna while you'll attract one or two combative goons, D-Bagz or BozosOfTheFirstOrder, but thats the overall price of admission within online forums yes? THICK skin, or a stout sense of humor def helps. Along with not feeding zee trollz!..;) . Oh dude, in 100% agreement on that!...HA! "I hear ya, oh wait?..WHAT?!..Say AGAIN please Sir, a little LOUDER next time"...;) High velocity rounds, anything breaking that crucial FPS velocity barrier when shot simply HURTS, I mean physically HURTS, then they tend to gather close friends & goes on to further HARM 'yo ears!...;) ANY fired caliber breaching/going above the supersonic 1,125 FPS range WILL induce permanent hearing damage decibel wise if not wearing ear-pro. UN-fired rounds are MUCH quieter though!...~Who Knew right? -Un fired sub-sonic loads doubly so!...HA! 5.45 hurts, however my 5.56/223 reloading handloads, when maxed out powder/case capacity wise REALLY put the !ZAP! on ya w/o ear pro!...OUCH! (NOT advisable, ya gots only two ears for LIFE friend, treat 'em well;) -55 grain 5.56x41 outtve an 20" barreled AR15 is doing 3,300FPS +/-... -Standard RUS milsurp 7N6-AP 53 grain 5.45x39 does around 2,800-2,950 FPS I just DONT shoot 5.45/5.56 w/o ear pro EVER.. However when I shoot my 18" barreled AR10/7.62x51 with 168 grain loads, Its rather pleasant to fire w/o any ear-protection at all?! It doesnt hurt whatsoever, but that doesnt mean Im not doing hearing damage w/every shot. WEIRD, as 168 grain loads are usually pushing 2,500-2,650 FPS... I have built from scratch/all component parts, all 12 of my AR's now. (Dont laugh, I used to poke fun @ dudes who owned more than 3 AR15's...HA!..Im addicted, guess I love the process/custom builds?) Most are 5.56cal, two are 308cal AR10's & two are 5.45x39 (My FAVE caliber) One 5.45 is a 16" inch barreled AR15 carbine, the other is a 10.5" AdamsArms short-stroke piston operated 5.45 AR15 pistol..(LOVE it BTW;) Ive also got a 'Zastava AK M85NP' 9.5" barrel, I'd gotten for $550 back in 2016. Whats in the U.S is whats HERE for GOOD. Not importing them anymore.. Closest thing to an AKSU74/Krinkov we can get in states, but its chambered in 5.56/223 & runs any standard AR15 clipazine! (Its got a cool, riveted on magwell adapter, $aved big $$ on mag re-fit costs if it didnt have that AR15 magwell adapter) -I just recently fabricated a left hand side safety for that AK that you can easily operate with your right hand thumb, w/o breaking dominant hand pistol grip. Its pretty sweet! Im REALLY surprised no designs, nor aftermarket patents exist for such?! I own 5 or so AR15 pistols, all w/short barrels -7" thru 13.5" inches & one AR10 pistol/7.62x51/.308 10" barreled beauty (really kindve STOOPID for efficiency, but it was a fun 'Budget' build & its LOUD & obnoxious. I'd thought I did it 'cheap' turns out it was all together 1500$ @ the end!?) Now short barreled AR15's those GET VERY LOUD if running brakes/comps of ANY sort, mine run linear compensators/'blast Cans' to send noise n' concussion >>down-range>> UKR forces/soldiers have been doing same. Just IMAGINE letting off a string of FA fire w/one of those AK74 brakes in a narrow-azz trench?!...YIKES! Your fortunate bud, the PKM/Pecheneg or "Krasavchik" as the Ichkerians/Chechens called 'em, is hands down my FAVE LMG. They just WORK & are as "Light" as it gets compared to other so called "Lite Machine Guns" What military ya serve in if ya dont mind me asking? European Compulsory 2 to 4 year duty? Take 'er easy man, sorry for loooooong reply...;) ~Creighton, or Huron, or Rose, or whatevah..;)
I couldn't see that the pink strips were tourniquets from the Soviet kits, but I figured it was something to make the stocks more comfortable or reinforce a shoddy latch on the folding stock trunnion. As for the "Cardboard tubes." As soon as I started playing the video I could notice they were shiny. So either a metal tube or lacquered paper tube. First idea was either to be a muzzle flash suppressor, or even a sound suppression type device. Back in WW2, BEF figured out that if they wrapped a wet cloth or towel around the front end of the barrel of their Sten machine guns. It made them sound even more loud. More like someone burst into the house or street with a bren gun instead of a submachine gun.
Трубки нужны исключительно для защиты дульной части ствола оружия от грязи, пыли, воды. До боя ещё надо дожить, а вот матушка природа хочет убить тебя всегда. Ровно по этой же причине во Вьетнаме солдаты надевали презервативы на М16/М14.
I agree, it's true) Although I personally sometimes like to do beautiful tuning on AK in the style of AK “Alpha”, but over the years I realized that the classic AK-74 in wooden furniture looks cooler than any tuning
@@mail-qh2qc In one of the Russian films about the war in Afghanistan ("9th company"), a soldier was given a weapon with a crooked barrel, and forced to sign for it and accept it as new. And it was in the 80s, when everything was much better in the army than in the 90s. Then the soldiers shot just anywhere, many did not even know how to do zero on AK. I just want to say that no one cared how much the tube could affect zero in AK, because it's damn nuclear physics for those 18-year-old untrained Russian boys who were sent to fight in Chechnya
I don't believe you. 5.45 Doesn't recoil very heavily. I seriously doubt that Russian soldiers were putting "Jazzercize" weights on their stocks to reduce felt recoil. Link or pic or single reference to this alleged practice would be most appreciated. (You won't be able to provide one)
Four months late but here we go; Afghan valleys are 1000m above the sealevel. And you dont fight for the valleyfloors, you fight for dominant heights, often 3000m or more above sealevel. Wounds that would be minor in a European setting, could very much be fatal at such heights where the air is thinner, with lower oxygen levels. So all soldiers had tourniquets on their rifles, ready for use if they were injured. The evacuation of wounded soldiers in the mountains could take time, making the situation worse. Later in the war In afghanistan, the Soviet army started sending more medical personel with their soldiers, going as far as giving battalions their own surgeon with ER so that wounded soldiers could be treated immediatly.
I guess they where not issued condoms lol Hot or cold steel can be very uncomfortable. I have seen paracord wrapped around stocks also, and used as a makeshift sling.
It is a horrible idea, actually. Paracord rubber does not like direct sun, so your fancy stock improvement in critical moment can very well fail to save your life.
@@heyhoe168 I did not say its a good idea, I could not stand thhe feeling of paracord on my face, I've seen quite a few makeshift slings but one time I learned the hard way not to mess with a modification, it was a milled AK type 3 looked a little worn but internals looked great and was clean but it had this filthy rag tied tight around the front handguard so I took it off as I did not see any reason for it to be their as the hand guards where in good condition, it shot just fine but after some mags when it started to get hot I felt a sharp burn on my hand. Not the end of the world but it took me my surprise, the plywood handguard had one of those reinforcing screws that gets sanded down before finishing that you usualy only see on the stocks, never seen it on a front handguard before but the heat from the barrel transfered nicely to the screw and then my hand.... I could kind of see it as a hazing tactic but it looked like it came like that from the factory god knows what year. In Pakistan they wrap brightly coloured reflective tape around a lot of weapons, brass tacks in the wood and all types of carved out and engraved decorations, none of it has any use it's just to decorate it, if people ask why they did not use rubber tourniquets on the MP40 or PPS43 natural rubber was in short supply and the synthetic or stuff made with a plant like dandilions while maybe OK for tyres that most probably lasted half as long I'm sure tourniquets where made with natural rubber.
That was exactly what I assumed it was for. It's common sense put to use... I miss when we used to have common sense. I'm not sure where it went, but it's rare, now.
Brother, Im ex-SADF, seen plastic melt under the African sun. You think 100c is not possible? Go leave your rifle in the sun awhile, see if you can pick it up. Ask your veterans from Angola 🍻🇿🇦👍
0:05 and 0:15 are immediately recognizable as spent flares and a tourniquet and understood by anyone who knows military stuff, "strange paper tubes" and "pink stripes" is on par with "shoulder thing that goes up". 😆 1:25 - it's DOVETAIL 🤣
I was not talking about the official name of the “dovetail” mount, but about what Soviet and Russian soldiers always called it. They always called him “swallowtail”
@@casperarms That's literally a Russian word for dovetail, an official one. It's typical for people to translate words into English literally, without consulting a dictionary
@@Conserpov The name dovetail translates into Russian as the tail of a pigeon ("хвост голубя"). None of the Russian military has ever called this mount that. It is everywhere and always translated as the swallow tail ("ласточкин хвост"). This means that the Russian military simply incorrectly translated dovetail and started calling it swallowtail. The official common name of this attachment is dovetail, but the Russians call it swallowtail
In my experience as a Russian soldier and a person who can watch a video and gather knowledge from it, the pink wrap is because the AK gets cold and needs cuddles and the reason soldiers drink tea is when dinosaurs evolved into birds. Your welcome for my 40 years of fighting for your freedoms, I'm not 13, and I'm a smart TH-cam commenter who watched a video (not this one, not recently, but some time before)
I thought the red bands were an improvised cheek rest which they were in one aspect and the tube was to make the rifle sound like the enemy's rifles confusing the enemies as to who was shooting during combat. The Americans had a device they used on the front of the barrels of the M16's that would make them sound like AKM's when fired. It was used during the Vietnam War by Special Forces, Not sure wht the name was and cannot find much info on it.
"The Americans had a device they used on the front of the barrels of the M16's that would make them sound like AKM's when fired. It was used during the Vietnam War by Special Forces." This is a commonly-repeated myth based on a real device. During the Vietnam War, certain US special operations groups used the XM177, also known as the CAR-15, which was a carbine version of the M16. The M16 has a 20" barrel, the CAR-15 has a 10" (XM177E1) or 11.5" (XM177E2) barrel. But shortening the barrel meant that the muzzle flash and report were much louder. The muzzle flash and some of the sound from any firearm are from part of the propellent from each round burning after it's exited the barrel, and the shorter the barrel, the more powder burning outside, and the greater the flash and the louder the sound. Because this was such a problem with the XM177, a device called a "moderator" was created for the carbine. It measured 4.5 inches long, looked a bit like a small suppressor, and was based on an earlier 3.5-inch moderator designed for a previous experimental M16 carbine. The effect of the moderator was to significantly reduce the flash and report, making the XM177 sound more like the longer-barreled M16. It did NOT make it sound like a Kalashnikov rifle, or at least if it did, it wasn't by design. As I said at the beginning, this is a myth - one created by people who didn't fully understand why the moderator was made, and what it did.
I believe you are Correct, I check and cannot find anything on it changing the sound to match the sound of another rifle that is a credible source. I heard this from some Army Guys back in the early 80s and it sounded logical. I Thanks again for the FACTS.@@denaldouglas8293
A dove bird is about the same as a pigeon, isn't it? If so, the Russians have never called the side rail "dovetail", the correct translation is "swallowtail" ("ласточкин хвост")
@@casperarms in the context of mechanical connection, the correct term is, in fact, dovetail, even if the literal translation may differ you are missing the point, because it's not just a side rail, its a type of mechanical joint
As a former infantryman myself, my immediate guess for the tubes on the barrels was to keep dirt and mud out of them. We'd use condoms when it was soggy outside, for the same reason. Then, we didn't have lots of free, narrow-diameter cardboard tubes provided to us either. And we weren't in a war.
And just for the record, every soldier, no matter where they are, turns into McGuyver when they need something they aren't issued.
The AK-74 type also has a Muzzle Break not a Flash Hider. The muzzle flash is quite pronounced on an AK-74 and can not only ruin natural night vision with a flash, it makes sense to try and hide it from the enemy as much as possible. And it has a tendency to blast people next to you.
yeah, my father served on the Soviet-Iranian border and they used condoms to cover barrels from from dust
This. They appear to be common used flare tubes, of the type you will commonly see attached to soviet chest rigs. And in case you never knew what those funny wooden tubes on soviet chest rigs are, yes, they are hand flares.
You would use condoms on everything...🇷🇺
ok. but fuk Z army and their pink stocks. I am not American. just saying.
People are probably confusing the melting varnish with cosmoline still being present in the wood on surplus rifles. Cosmoline will become liquid again in hotter temperatures and seep out of the wood and looks like varnish.
I bought an AKM a long time ago. It was absolutely saturated with cosmoline, it took quite a bit of cleaning to remove it all. The varnish I never had an issue with
@@yyz4761 Packed with cosmoline is usually a good thing
Yes. It absolutely works as advertised, that’s why all of my examples came to me in good condition. I’m just saying that after properly removing it I have seen no ill effects from using this preservative
@@yyz4761 Yeah I bought a surplus Mosin Nagant years back. When I got it, it was absolutely covered in Cosmoline like they dipped it into a barrel of it.
Yep and it worked great. Probably didn’t have a spot of rust on the thing
The paper tubes are not just cardboard. It is a phenolic tube. Paper impregnated with Phenolic resin. Very tough, strong & moisture resistant for their puropose.
Very interesting, how did you know this? Just curious
@@rooknadobecause you can look up what the Russian flare tube is made from.
I had sort of assumed it was an improvised flash hider, and had always wondered how the cardboard didn't get shredded by the muzzle blast! An improvised dust cover makes a lot more sense.
Same, after seeing a few of these on random pictures/videos over the years I figured it might be an improvised or non mass issued blast diffuser to prevent the 74's concussion from deafening fellow soldiers in urban environments or small fighting positions when ear protection wasn't really a consideration... Or possibly to keep debris thrown from the large side blast from giving away your position... I never knew it was just a cardboard tube with thin aluminum cut off a rocket booster that would get instantly shredded being used as a protective muzzle cover 😂 This was a great video, I think this channel will be growing quickly soon! 👍
Purple band - is rubber bandage for blood stopping.
Paper tube - is casing from signal rocket. Cause AKSU has awful muzzle brake.
My finnish capture mosin gets sticky in places even at room temperature. Its the cosmoline. It soaks into the wood stock.
I had the same issue. Best way to fix it is with sunlight and wipe it down with acetone. The acetone will remove and protection the wood has so when the original coating is gone, use bioled linseed oil to protect the wood adterwards.
Get some linseed oil mixed with beeswax on it
We did something similar to our rifles. At first we used the readily available condoms, but soon found that medical gloves held the best. We’d put the middle finger down the barrel and the thumb over the sites. Then used the pointer and index fingered to tie a square knot. Then we left the pinkie out because we were some posh MFs.
That sounds way worse than a rubber but i feel you
In my experience, the muzzle device on the Ak-74 redirects the gas sideways and it makes it unpleasant for people around the shooter, maybe they put the shell around the muzzle to make it a bit more pleasing for their fellow soldiers around them especially in close quarters and maybe kicking up less dust in addition to being a protector from dirt
The muzzle blast will rip that thing to shreds
There is a brake .
When there are bullets hitting right and left of you, you wont even notice a bit of gas blowing in your direction
It was only a 6:33 min video. He explained why they were used. No need to guess.
1 shot would blow the tube apart. If you watched the video you'd know that it was put on to keep dirt from getting caked on in the brake. You think any Russian soldier ever thought " I put little tube on gun for your safety"? Haha hell no
I had many old soviet arms that were armory refurbished and the varnish did indeed soften and became sticky in hot sunny weather in the field.
That wasn't the varnish, that was cosmoline. Varnish doesn't have the ability to liquefy, the moisture went away when it dried after being applied. Varnish coming off would be crystalline
@@ColinMor-fj3qcbake the wood in an oven at 200*f for 30- 60 minutes. That should be long enough to get the cosmo to seep out. God I hate cosmoline
It was definitely the cosmoline. When they pack them long term they get completely slathered wood and all, not just the steel parts. You need to cook it out of the wood.
The oven technique as mentioned above works well, but may contaminate your oven. The other way, if you live in a hot enough place, is to stick the wood parts into a black garbage bag and hang it out under the sun for a day. Try to get back to it before it the day starts to cool, then give the warm parts a wipe down with a hot soaked rag.
@@dickfitzwelliner2807 Doesn't this contaminate the oven with technical oil, chemical fumes and stuff?
@juanblanco7898 it does stink and women will be mad. But I lay foil down as a drip tray and clean the oven afterwards with some dollar store oven cleaner
Just an FYI: finger cots (rubber finger covers used in restaurants by cooks with bandaged fingers) can be bought in packs of like 100-300 for pretty cheap on Amazon and work as pretty durable barrel covers. I've seen them used plenty while hunting.
Seriously, "old school fix" Condoms.. used by soldiers for near on a century now...They used to be an "issue item" back in the day.
Put one in a sock and it becomes a 1 litre water bottle as well...
Noice, yeah I steal them from work all the time
We used condoms :D
thats a bloody wonderful idea!
Tape or medical condoms are much cheaper, that’s what government contractors are using!
The other thing about putting the tourniquet on your rifle stock is that very often, it'll be your buddy tourniquetting you, rather than self-application. So any random soldier who finds you bleeding needs to be able to find your tourniquet in a hurry. For this reason, a lot of military organizations favor (officially or unofficially) a standard, visible location. (IIRC it used to be common for American soldiers to wear the old delta tourniquets around the neck.) If you get shot, I can run over, grab your rifle, get the tourniquet off, and stop the bleeding without needing to dig through your pockets.
все верно.
A former Soviet military member informed me (many!) years ago that one of the other reasons for the tube on the end of the the AK-74 variants was that some of the propellants used in the earlier lots of ammo were mildly corrosive and extremely unpleasant to smell so the tube kept the back blast from the flash dissipater/muzzle break from causing nausea and headaches.
i call bs or he seems to be an idiot. it was just water/dirt ingress protection, they where not open at the end.
@JohnSmith-tr8bt I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on that point. I shot a good amount of 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R, and a fair amount of early 5.45x39 that had a very nasty odor and was mildly corrosive (i.e. clean your rifle immediately after shooting). Most of the time it was a case of mercury fulminate in the primer, but nonetheless nasty.
For us using the G3, we had plastic caps to place over the flash hider. Used those all the time unless when shooting. You can fire the gun with those attached.
Those are still handed out for the G36 sometimes.
The M16/M4 also has a plastic muzzle cap can prevent any dirt from entering from the muzzle, but if you forgot to remove it, there was no problem shooting through it.
@@kutter_ttl6786 Same goes for literally everything placed over the end of a barrel.
You mentioning that reminded me that there was one in an SA80 cleaning kit (officially), but was never used, as it fell off easily, and you got billed if you lost it.
Cool. I doubt they would use their improvised cheek pieces as IFAK gear after wrapping them around the stock. They would use the one(s) in their IFAK or attached to their rig , it would take too long to unwrap it and apply it off the stock, plus as you said, it would be weakened and it takes a LOT of torque to stop a arterial bleed out. In the US Marines, we used condoms over our rifle and support weapon muzzles. Grunts always come up with "improvements" to the issued gear.
its a backup tq if you need a 2nd one on bad wound or big leg
@@tylerfreal6472 OK. Thanks, I didn't know how Russia did it. We usually carried 2 or three in combat, anyway.
2 was the standard for the soliders back then im pretty sure, 1 on stock 1 in ifak pouch with pressure bandage, yep smart to carry 2-3 i carry 3 personally @@SSN515
It does not take long to unwrap, neither is it weakened beyond usable condition. They are made of very sturdy rubber, it barely stretches when mounted on rifle (or at least it should not be). It will, ofcourse, deteriorate over time, being exposed to elements and all (which is expected to happen), but not due to wrapping per se.
@@ФеофанЭтополедолжнобытьзаполне That’s true, but the combination of Afghani sun and aging rubber led many to fail and crack when needed; in the 80s.
I already knew about the tourniquet, and I’d assumed the paper on the muzzle device was similar to how US soldiers put condoms over the muzzles of their rifles to keep dirt and water out of the barrel. Thank you for confirming that for me.
Always love more AK lore.
Don't forget the Blue tape too lol.
Cuz it looks cool
@@mehe1158 blue means good luck
Electrical tape was used for magazines and handguards for grip and ammo count. If you ran out of ammo you would strip the blue tape off and then you would know it wasn't fully loaded. Electrical tape can be used to tie magazines together or add a flashlight. Also electrical tape has other uses for field operations. Why "blue"? because it was the common color of electrical tape. I don't know if they did this but, if your spring for your AK goes out. You can use the elasticity of electrical tape to wrap around the Charging handle and the front of the rifle and it will cycle rounds. If you have a gun, buy electrical tape. Maybe not Blue though.
@@pizzarollking4397 blue is also commonly used because a lot of guys like the color and it's one of those things "in the cool" if they cared about anything else other than it looking cool they'd be using green duct tape. Same reason they use the colored tape in Pakistan and Afghanistan
It was to tell who’s Russian and who’s Ukrainian
The factory varnish would never get sticky unless someone at the factory bought cheaper varnish and pocketed balance for himself which would obviously never happen in russia
Obviously. It is the workers *paradise* after all.
soneone has never worked with cosmoline before. It is not as much a varnish as it is storage grease. It took about 3 days of sitting in the sun for it to "sweat" out of the wood
It was, indeed, impossible in USSR. How do you imagine sneaky buying cheaper materials, when there is NO MARKET?
@@heyhoe168 no market for you doesnt mean no market for everyone. The USSR was far from a classes society where everyone had to live by the same rules
@@kevinfitzpatrick5949 Ive been through my fair share of rifles caked in comoline. Ive owned enough russian trash to know that you are always rolling the dice when it comes to quality. It should be a national embarrassment for them that China produces a better product
The "stripes" you're referring to on the stocks are tourniquets. If anyone has played Tarkov it's the esmarch.
NO WAY! UNBELIEVABLE! you so smart! you playing tarkov? You are the greatest person ever then
@@sevaseva5178 Reddit tier.
@@sevaseva5178 wow you must be a really a - no life- no firend havi'n piece of......
the guy at 2:09 - the pain of being left eye dominant while being right handed
good eyes lol
Now that’s very interesting and unheard of. I never saw images of those on the AK rifles before. This is new to me.
The metal stocks got super hot on the AKS-74 rifles in the desert, which made it difficult to aim the weapon. According to my dad, this is the primary reason why they did it.
Outstanding information here! I'm always excited to learn new AK lore.
Thank you!❤ I will continue to work to tell you more about this weapon, and not only)
Concerning "swallowtail"
This is simply the name for a dovetail joint in, for example, german- i suspect it's similar in russian?
It's just the name machinists have for securely matching grove- and- blade joints with inclined sides. Some guns (airguns? ) have 11mm dovetails on top for sights, picatinny rails are similar in 22mm.
Yes, thanks for this explanation) As far as I understand, in English it is correct to say dovetail, but a dove bird is about the same as a pigeon (as I understand it). In Russian, we use the word swallow tail ("ласточкин хвост")
We used condoms to keep our barrels clean and you'd initially get strange looks from medics when a platoon of soldiers in the field smiles at them and asks for a lot of condoms.
Same reason US spec ops troops put their tourniquet on the rifle stock,so it's close at hand when you in the shit.
I could see it also being put there to suppress the clanking of folding the stock
Wrapped around the METAL stock makes firing more comfortable against the cheek especially in winter and hot summers
I can't believe untying a tourniquet you've probably had to tie off to get it to stay goof enough isn't easier than just reaching into your pocket? Or even better have it on your battle dress in an easy to grab place by left or right hand!.
Great content none the less and love the channel.
I think that in the first place was the reason for increasing the convenience of the butt. But, on the other hand, during the shock of being wounded in battle, a soldier may lose his bearings. Pouches, fasteners.. you need to remember where the tourniquet is and all that. I think that in this sense, "I saw in front of my nose and immediately took it off" could have worked better
I just heard a podcast with a Spetsnaz veteran. He mentioned that in Chechnia he mostly shot at muzzle flashes as both sides hid pretty well. So my guess is that the tube is an improvised flash suppressor.
pink rubber band is a old school turnaquite or how it spelled and the "paper tube" is the package of a flare put on the barrle to stop dirt and dust from entering the barrle
I'm gonna take a wild guess at the pink stripes on the stock before watching the video. I bet they're esmarch tourniquets
I've seen lots of such improvised things in the fields. They may look like makeshift solutions, but they work! Later on weapon experts add these solutions to the weapons and gear so that soldiers get more prepared and comfortable. You may look at Vietnam and Iraq wars and find out that even high-on-budget SpecOps use such add-ons and "field tuning" on their gear.
I was a US Army armorer, and now I am a wood worker. A varnish does not have to melt to become sticky, and varnished wood left in hot temperatures and direct sunlight can become slightly adhesive to the touch.
This is very uncomfortable on the cheek. I own no firearms with wooden stocks - too high maintenance.
"too high maintenance" LoL! woodworker too? wtf? Step away from woodstock rifles, son. You cannot handle the responsibility. ;-)
@@RTFLDGR The US military 'stepped away' from wood many years ago. Polyamide 6.6 with 20% glass fiber is used for most firearms. Polyamide 6.6 is a polymer that falls under the Nylon class of products. It has good dimensional stability and resistance to heat. The addition of glass fiber, probably 20% by weight, increases dimensional stability and strength.
Wood is beautiful, but it's fragile and high maintenance. I have repaired several wood-stocked rifles, a few of which were dropped on their butt plates resulting in some serious damage.
@@RTFLDGR Technology marches on, kid.
@@perihelion7798 там не дерево а оружейная фанера идёт.
@@truggvi5346 Maybe in some cases, but military weapons used solid wood.
Exactly what I was thinking except I didn't realize it was a tourniquet.
Always wanted to know why the pink or blue. Can’t fucking wait.
Where do you get your stock footage that features training and others?
Why did Russian Soldiers Install Paper Tubes and Pink Stripes on AK? IDK So they can be more easily identified on "Grinder"?
American soldiers in the Gulf War did something similar to the tubes. Since they were all issued condoms, they put them on the muzzles to keep dust and sand out of the barrels.
Correction: 3:08 Chinese AK Norinco Type 56 (especially ones made in 1970s) is better quality than that of AK-47 from the Soviet Union era - I have both, and always in the market for another good Norinco rifle. It has folding bayonet lug under the barrel (many of the US marketed one have this "needle" removed) ,with better barrel in my opinion, and if you are lucky, you can find milled receiver version. If both are from the 70~80s, both don't have threaded barrel - Russian version from 80s do have thread - a crude one though. But many in the market has custom threads for both Type-56 or Ak-47. Personally, they are both the same - but Type-56 is NOT a cheap copy of AK-47. It is essentially the same quality and finish - but with improved parts. (BTW, ironically, the best AK in the world is made by Poland and Bulgaria for the US market - with milled and forged receivers with high grade molib metals + chrome lined barrels etc etc...a bargain at $2500).
For real, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.
Thank you for these videos. Very great content.
Thank you!)
i dont think the rail is nicknamed "swallowtail". A swallowtail is a type of connection (primarily from woodworking) and the rail is using this type of connection to attach optics.
I gotta wonder if that's where the Afghanis got the habit of wrapping their AKs from.
Hello tovarisch
Every seems to over complicate the tourniquets use. The stocks are slippery in most environments especially the steel folding stocks, applying the tourniquets to the stocks helps your cheek grip while firing. Without the tourniquets it is difficult to maintain a cheek weld
One other reason (I don't think this reason is official but it is depend on my opinion) is, when fighting in winter condition, cold metal will likely stick to human skin and probably hard to remove without pouring water on where the metal stick to your skin, try to remove it with force will wounded your cheek skin
These are inexpensive but practical field modifications by veteran troops. Russian leadership may be questionable, but the individual Russian should never be underestimated as a soldier.
@@AndRei-yc3tithen why did a tiny 3rd world country like Ukraine manage to stalemate the Russian military for over a year, with no end in sight, neverending sanctions, china is openly disparaging Russian equipment and won't or can't send chips to Russia. Their armata tank was supposed to be having military parades in Kiev by now, instead they've never been seen in combat and India is still waiting for modern tanks Russia was supposed to send them ages ago
@@AndRei-yc3ti Kyiv in 3 days 😂
> tourniquet could be applied more quickly
Wrap tourniquet around stock and try apply it, then just lay it into pocket and try apply it. What would be faster? Feel the difference.
I added my own cheap clear coat to AK forward grip, after 200 rounds I caught fire on the lane.
Years ago of course
We had plastic caps for our M16A2 barrel when I was deployed to Iraq. Condoms have also been known to be used to cover the end of a rifle barrel.
Wow, I didn't know about that) It will be necessary to look for information, it is interesting)
Oh the good-old M-16 "THE JAMMER" thus the plunger. Every toilet needs a plunger. Out of 100 soldiers 25 of
them are put out of action by the "jammer" so then they grab an AK-47 from the dead enemy. Not any better today.
It is said to be varnish but how much is water added by patriotic factory managers for dacha? Or did they apply it the Soviet way? Even the photo you used showing the varnish had chipped varnish from the garbage quality control in Rus
The tube acts like condoms for ARs in the jungle of Vietnam.
The tq around a metal buttstock will also keep you having to put your cheek against very cold or very hot metal
Interesting and informative. Thank you.
Very informative video, thank you!
Like most things in the combat arms of the military. One smart guy comes up with a good idea and within months everybody is doing it.
Im goign to make a guess that the pink wrap was used as ID to avoid being shot, and also to give the soldier a cheek weld.
these field expedient solutions are always fascinating to me.
Another aspect of the AK74 muzzle brake, although VERY effective @ further taming the already weak 3 or so ft Lbs recoil, concerning the 5.45x39 cartridge on full auto, that original brake design possesses a fault due to the bright/large muzzle !>>FLASH
Thank you very much for your addition!) I would like to add that when I served a few years ago, we fired first from a PKM machine gun, and then from an AK-74. It was the first time, and we were quite young, so we were sure that PKM is a scary loud thing. But we were all surprised by the fact that after firing from the PKM, when we took the AK-74, almost all of us had ringing in our ears immediately after the first shot from the AK, while the machine gun was very quiet and with low recoil
@@casperarms
No worries my friend, its fun 'ta bounce knowledge, experience, personal points of view & unique perspectives off each others brains, Ive learned quite a bit of credible info & have had many a query answered from simply B.S'n back n' forth in the YT comments section...
-Every once inna while you'll attract one or two combative goons, D-Bagz or BozosOfTheFirstOrder, but thats the overall price of admission within online forums yes?
THICK skin, or a stout sense of humor def helps. Along with not feeding zee trollz!..;)
.
Oh dude, in 100% agreement on that!...HA!
"I hear ya, oh wait?..WHAT?!..Say AGAIN please Sir, a little LOUDER next time"...;)
High velocity rounds, anything breaking that crucial FPS velocity barrier when shot simply HURTS, I mean physically HURTS, then they tend to gather close friends & goes on to further HARM 'yo ears!...;)
ANY fired caliber breaching/going above the supersonic 1,125 FPS range WILL induce permanent hearing damage decibel wise if not wearing ear-pro. UN-fired rounds are MUCH quieter though!...~Who Knew right?
-Un fired sub-sonic loads doubly so!...HA!
5.45 hurts, however my 5.56/223 reloading handloads, when maxed out powder/case capacity wise REALLY put the !ZAP! on ya w/o ear pro!...OUCH! (NOT advisable, ya gots only two ears for LIFE friend, treat 'em well;)
-55 grain 5.56x41 outtve an 20" barreled AR15 is doing 3,300FPS +/-...
-Standard RUS milsurp 7N6-AP 53 grain 5.45x39 does around 2,800-2,950 FPS
I just DONT shoot 5.45/5.56 w/o ear pro EVER..
However when I shoot my 18" barreled AR10/7.62x51 with 168 grain loads, Its rather pleasant to fire w/o any ear-protection at all?!
It doesnt hurt whatsoever, but that doesnt mean Im not doing hearing damage w/every shot. WEIRD, as 168 grain loads are usually pushing 2,500-2,650 FPS...
I have built from scratch/all component parts, all 12 of my AR's now. (Dont laugh, I used to poke fun @ dudes who owned more than 3 AR15's...HA!..Im addicted, guess I love the process/custom builds?)
Most are 5.56cal, two are 308cal AR10's & two are 5.45x39 (My FAVE caliber)
One 5.45 is a 16" inch barreled AR15 carbine, the other is a 10.5" AdamsArms short-stroke piston operated 5.45 AR15 pistol..(LOVE it BTW;)
Ive also got a 'Zastava AK M85NP' 9.5" barrel, I'd gotten for $550 back in 2016. Whats in the U.S is whats HERE for GOOD. Not importing them anymore..
Closest thing to an AKSU74/Krinkov we can get in states, but its chambered in 5.56/223 & runs any standard AR15 clipazine! (Its got a cool, riveted on magwell adapter, $aved big $$ on mag re-fit costs if it didnt have that AR15 magwell adapter)
-I just recently fabricated a left hand side safety for that AK that you can easily operate with your right hand thumb, w/o breaking dominant hand pistol grip. Its pretty sweet! Im REALLY surprised no designs, nor aftermarket patents exist for such?!
I own 5 or so AR15 pistols, all w/short barrels -7" thru 13.5" inches & one AR10 pistol/7.62x51/.308 10" barreled beauty (really kindve STOOPID for efficiency, but it was a fun 'Budget' build & its LOUD & obnoxious. I'd thought I did it 'cheap' turns out it was all together 1500$ @ the end!?)
Now short barreled AR15's those GET VERY LOUD if running brakes/comps of ANY sort, mine run linear compensators/'blast Cans' to send noise n' concussion >>down-range>>
UKR forces/soldiers have been doing same. Just IMAGINE letting off a string of FA fire w/one of those AK74 brakes in a narrow-azz trench?!...YIKES!
Your fortunate bud, the PKM/Pecheneg or "Krasavchik" as the Ichkerians/Chechens called 'em, is hands down my FAVE LMG. They just WORK & are as "Light" as it gets compared to other so called "Lite Machine Guns"
What military ya serve in if ya dont mind me asking? European Compulsory 2 to 4 year duty?
Take 'er easy man, sorry for loooooong reply...;)
~Creighton, or Huron, or Rose, or whatevah..;)
@@creightonleerose582 chill stuff brother have at gosh
@@creightonleerose582 love ya
2:09 is he shooting right handed while looking thru the sights with his left eye?
No, it's just this angle)
"So called cheek pads...."
Sounds like comfort was unheard of in the USSR.
pink tourniquet can't be used after being exposed to sun and heat, so now it's for drip and aiming comfort only
I couldn't see that the pink strips were tourniquets from the Soviet kits, but I figured it was something to make the stocks more comfortable or reinforce a shoddy latch on the folding stock trunnion.
As for the "Cardboard tubes." As soon as I started playing the video I could notice they were shiny. So either a metal tube or lacquered paper tube. First idea was either to be a muzzle flash suppressor, or even a sound suppression type device. Back in WW2, BEF figured out that if they wrapped a wet cloth or towel around the front end of the barrel of their Sten machine guns. It made them sound even more loud. More like someone burst into the house or street with a bren gun instead of a submachine gun.
Трубки нужны исключительно для защиты дульной части ствола оружия от грязи, пыли, воды. До боя ещё надо дожить, а вот матушка природа хочет убить тебя всегда. Ровно по этой же причине во Вьетнаме солдаты надевали презервативы на М16/М14.
You were wrong! Watch the video.
They're used shells repurposed for dust covers.
@@RobinTheBot he literally said what the author said in the video.
@@RobinTheBot You’re the one who’s wrong today
the paper tubes sound like the condoms that US soldiers would put over their barrels in the Desert Storm era
That was 6.5min of 20sec of information
But there were some nice video fragments, so there's that..
An avtomat doesn't need modification
I agree, it's true) Although I personally sometimes like to do beautiful tuning on AK in the style of AK “Alpha”, but over the years I realized that the classic AK-74 in wooden furniture looks cooler than any tuning
indeed comrade@@casperarms
@mail-qh2qc the difference the tube would cause on a 3-5 MOA rifle would be negligible unless you put it in a sled.
@AK.102 It's true, the presence of tuning allows you to increase efficiency, and often it doesn't look very attractive)
@@mail-qh2qc In one of the Russian films about the war in Afghanistan ("9th company"), a soldier was given a weapon with a crooked barrel, and forced to sign for it and accept it as new. And it was in the 80s, when everything was much better in the army than in the 90s. Then the soldiers shot just anywhere, many did not even know how to do zero on AK. I just want to say that no one cared how much the tube could affect zero in AK, because it's damn nuclear physics for those 18-year-old untrained Russian boys who were sent to fight in Chechnya
ok i dont know about the weather getting to 200 degrees but ur rifle do get hot especially firing in the heat in full auto.
The leaking varnish thing comes from the surplus market. Cosmoline will drip off the stocks of surplus comblock stocks and handguards.
Listening interesting things about arms never gets old, like Russian soldiers 🎉
Amazing video very informative!
0:10 can someone tell me whats the name of the helmet?
Many of the stock bands were actually weighted to reduce recoil. Used Lead pellets and many simply used wrist weights.
I don't believe you. 5.45 Doesn't recoil very heavily.
I seriously doubt that Russian soldiers were putting "Jazzercize" weights on their stocks to reduce felt recoil.
Link or pic or single reference to this alleged practice would be most appreciated. (You won't be able to provide one)
You’re just making stuff up now? C’mon man that’s not even true
@@BatCaveOz You’re spot on, no Jazzercise for the Russians haha
Four months late but here we go; Afghan valleys are 1000m above the sealevel. And you dont fight for the valleyfloors, you fight for dominant heights, often 3000m or more above sealevel. Wounds that would be minor in a European setting, could very much be fatal at such heights where the air is thinner, with lower oxygen levels. So all soldiers had tourniquets on their rifles, ready for use if they were injured. The evacuation of wounded soldiers in the mountains could take time, making the situation worse.
Later in the war In afghanistan, the Soviet army started sending more medical personel with their soldiers, going as far as giving battalions their own surgeon with ER so that wounded soldiers could be treated immediatly.
I guess they where not issued condoms lol
Hot or cold steel can be very uncomfortable.
I have seen paracord wrapped around stocks also, and used as a makeshift sling.
It is a horrible idea, actually. Paracord rubber does not like direct sun, so your fancy stock improvement in critical moment can very well fail to save your life.
@@heyhoe168 I did not say its a good idea, I could not stand thhe feeling of paracord on my face, I've seen quite a few makeshift slings but one time I learned the hard way not to mess with a modification, it was a milled AK type 3 looked a little worn but internals looked great and was clean but it had this filthy rag tied tight around the front handguard so I took it off as I did not see any reason for it to be their as the hand guards where in good condition, it shot just fine but after some mags when it started to get hot I felt a sharp burn on my hand.
Not the end of the world but it took me my surprise, the plywood handguard had one of those reinforcing screws that gets sanded down before finishing that you usualy only see on the stocks, never seen it on a front handguard before but the heat from the barrel transfered nicely to the screw and then my hand....
I could kind of see it as a hazing tactic but it looked like it came like that from the factory god knows what year.
In Pakistan they wrap brightly coloured reflective tape around a lot of weapons, brass tacks in the wood and all types of carved out and engraved decorations, none of it has any use it's just to decorate it, if people ask why they did not use rubber tourniquets on the MP40 or PPS43 natural rubber was in short supply and the synthetic or stuff made with a plant like dandilions while maybe OK for tyres that most probably lasted half as long I'm sure tourniquets where made with natural rubber.
Grunts are brilliant.
I think it is more that they have a lot of time thinking about this when on guard duty etc. 😄
Thanks, Casper Arms.
wait till you find out about dry condoms and tennis/nerf balls
Pretty interesting with the flare tubes, I heard of US troops putting condoms on the end of their M16 rifles in Vietnam for the same reason
That was so they wouldn't catch stds
04:33 what kind o BTR is this?
As far as I understand, this is a communications vehicle (command and staff vehicle or KShM) called the R-149 MA1 based on the BTR-80
Spotting a Pink tourniquet a sniper"s DREAM.
Not really) Just try to see something like this from a distance of at least 600 feet
@@casperarms So You Are A SNIPER??
@@irishseven100 I'm just a guy who has eyes with which I tried to look into optics
If anyone knows where I can find the full picture that's at 2:28 PLEASE let me know
Russia Beyond - Weapons the Soviet Army used in Afghanistan
That was exactly what I assumed it was for. It's common sense put to use... I miss when we used to have common sense. I'm not sure where it went, but it's rare, now.
Brother, Im ex-SADF, seen plastic melt under the African sun. You think 100c is not possible? Go leave your rifle in the sun awhile, see if you can pick it up.
Ask your veterans from Angola
🍻🇿🇦👍
They pre ordered and got a free gun skin
Interesting how soldiers invented their own arsenal in the mists of brutal war.
Soldiers during WW2 put condoms over the end of their barrel on their rifles
That's only for comfortable grabbing gun. Same as a Brazilians tribe wrapped their's machetes head with tyres tube .
They also did this in chechen war with blue colored tape
Nice one, interesting history!
Everytime this stretchy tourniquet is used, someone slowly bleeds to death
White stripe would turn a button to the hardest button to button
Dude, you sound so much like HaiX
🤣🤣
The tourniquet is probably a mark of vetrancy.
No, the tourniquet was also used by Ukrainian soldiers. You can find photos from the time of the ATO since 2014
Didn't know about this; Good information.
the nickname is dovetail :) at least in the English understanding of the rail
0:05 and 0:15 are immediately recognizable as spent flares and a tourniquet and understood by anyone who knows military stuff, "strange paper tubes" and "pink stripes" is on par with "shoulder thing that goes up". 😆
1:25 - it's DOVETAIL 🤣
I was not talking about the official name of the “dovetail” mount, but about what Soviet and Russian soldiers always called it. They always called him “swallowtail”
@@casperarms
That's literally a Russian word for dovetail, an official one. It's typical for people to translate words into English literally, without consulting a dictionary
it's just so a wider audiance understands the title bro calm down
@@danielforst9985
Still funny
@@Conserpov The name dovetail translates into Russian as the tail of a pigeon ("хвост голубя"). None of the Russian military has ever called this mount that. It is everywhere and always translated as the swallow tail ("ласточкин хвост"). This means that the Russian military simply incorrectly translated dovetail and started calling it swallowtail. The official common name of this attachment is dovetail, but the Russians call it swallowtail
In my experience as a Russian soldier and a person who can watch a video and gather knowledge from it, the pink wrap is because the AK gets cold and needs cuddles and the reason soldiers drink tea is when dinosaurs evolved into birds.
Your welcome for my 40 years of fighting for your freedoms, I'm not 13, and I'm a smart TH-cam commenter who watched a video (not this one, not recently, but some time before)
I thought the red bands were an improvised cheek rest which they were in one aspect and the tube was to make the rifle sound like the enemy's rifles confusing the enemies as to who was shooting during combat. The Americans had a device they used on the front of the barrels of the M16's that would make them sound like AKM's when fired. It was used during the Vietnam War by Special Forces, Not sure wht the name was and cannot find much info on it.
"The Americans had a device they used on the front of the barrels of the M16's that would make them sound like AKM's when fired. It was used during the Vietnam War by Special Forces." This is a commonly-repeated myth based on a real device. During the Vietnam War, certain US special operations groups used the XM177, also known as the CAR-15, which was a carbine version of the M16. The M16 has a 20" barrel, the CAR-15 has a 10" (XM177E1) or 11.5" (XM177E2) barrel. But shortening the barrel meant that the muzzle flash and report were much louder. The muzzle flash and some of the sound from any firearm are from part of the propellent from each round burning after it's exited the barrel, and the shorter the barrel, the more powder burning outside, and the greater the flash and the louder the sound. Because this was such a problem with the XM177, a device called a "moderator" was created for the carbine. It measured 4.5 inches long, looked a bit like a small suppressor, and was based on an earlier 3.5-inch moderator designed for a previous experimental M16 carbine. The effect of the moderator was to significantly reduce the flash and report, making the XM177 sound more like the longer-barreled M16. It did NOT make it sound like a Kalashnikov rifle, or at least if it did, it wasn't by design. As I said at the beginning, this is a myth - one created by people who didn't fully understand why the moderator was made, and what it did.
I believe you are Correct, I check and cannot find anything on it changing the sound to match the sound of another rifle that is a credible source. I heard this from some Army Guys back in the early 80s and it sounded logical. I Thanks again for the FACTS.@@denaldouglas8293
siderail is called dovetail, and it's not a nickname
A dove bird is about the same as a pigeon, isn't it? If so, the Russians have never called the side rail "dovetail", the correct translation is "swallowtail" ("ласточкин хвост")
@@casperarms in the context of mechanical connection, the correct term is, in fact, dovetail, even if the literal translation may differ
you are missing the point, because it's not just a side rail, its a type of mechanical joint
@@CodyBi Yes, I understand that this is a type of attachment that goes far beyond the limits of use in AK)
Awesome video
Thank you so much!!!🤗😘
Could have also mentioned how absolutely useless the rubber ones are compared to the western proper C-A-T's.
the most important thing is that the Russians don't forget the black package... there will be somewhere to pack it🤣