The AK and M-4 – Tools of the Trade for Security Contractors
Sure, I know what you are thinking; “we need another AK ‘VS’ the M-4 debate like we need another round of prohibition”. But out of the zillions of articles and YouTube vids out there I have never seen one that specifically addresses the pros and cons of running the AK-47 and M-4 in the unique environment of International non-permissive environment Private Security Contracting. Also, this is NOT a “VS” article; it is more a comparison of both the weapons systems based on my experiences running both as a Security Contractor.
On my first Civilian Contracting gig I carried an old ass M16A2 that was so fucking big if I ran out of ammo I could probably use it as a Bō Staff. It also didn’t come with a sling so I had to make one out of 550 cord, duct tape and a luggage strap (something I did for years until John over at Original S.O.E. was generous enough to shoot me one of his Single Point Slings).
The second gig I ran an AK, third an M-4. Both of these gigs were a bit strange because ‘officially’ we were not authorized to carry firearms (strange contract stuff like that happened back in the day) so we didn’t carry our weapons around with us on base, only out on missions and had zero range or training time.
The Forth gig was unique because I was issued both an AK and an M-4, so it was my choice of what weapons system I wanted to run based on the mission or task. I also spent a lot of time as a Tactical Firearms Instructor to TCN’s (Third Country Nationals), Local Iraqis, Brits, Aussies and Americans. So I spent a substantial amount of time on the range discussing the preferences between the M-4 and AK with Operators from five continents, from peaceful 1st world countries where you can’t even buy firearms, to the world’s shittiest 3rd world war torn hell-holes where you can buy AK magazines and baby wipes at the same store.
On my latest gig running the roads in Iraq I run a Yugoslavian Zastava M92, it is basically a Shorty AK with a 10” barrel and an under-folder stock. This is my favorite AK variant I have used so far.
So after using the AK and/or the M-4 as a security contractor under a variety of operational environments for a bit over a decade I am going to throw together my opinions on the pros, cons and issues I have experienced from both weapons systems.
So I grabbed this limited edition knife n’ gun combo offered as a collaboration between Emerson Knives and Spike’s Tactical. More info on both these companies here:
So as you all know, I love these two companies. Spike’s is always coming up with interesting new stuff and the folks there at Spike’s in Apopka, Florida are top notch. I’ve had the chance to meet AJ a handful of times and work with the Spike’s team on a number of occasions as well. All I can say is that these folks are as good as people get.
As for Ernie Emerson; the man is a legend. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the man and his family on a number of occasions and they are a top notch group. Ernie himself is a great guy and even if he wasn’t a knife maker or business owner, he’d still be one of those kinds of guys you’d want to trade lies with over a pint on any given day.
That said, you know I don’t pull punches on reviews and I always give raw and personal reviews of the gear I swing. I will judge this combo pack as follows:
- Initial Impression
- Fit n’ Finish
- Cost/Benefit Ratio
- End User Comments and Notes
- Overall Impression
Security Contractors Bubba G. and Friend in Iraq Packing AK's
My bro did a great overview of humping the AK in International Security Contracting so in this article I wanted to go over some of the issues one will run into when using an AK on contracts overseas, specifically in Iraq.
Unlike most other contractors I am fortunate enough to be in a unique position where I am able to fire thousands of rounds through an AK here in Iraq every week due to the generous range time allotted to my team. Believe it or not most contractors are lucky to get range time a few times a year.
I know some guys over here that have not fired their weapons in way over a year and some who have never even fired the rifle they were issued. I am sure it sounds crazy to some of the folks reading this, but to the old hands in contracting who are reading this you are probably saying “yep – just like that”.
Before I started contracting in Iraq I really didn’t have much experience with the AK outside of some AK’s I owned and didn’t shoot much [I actually bought them as an investment]. And on my first couple of gigs in the Middle East I mostly carried and M4, so when I started working in Iraq this time around the AK was a relativity new weapons platform to me.
So after a shit-load of time training, humping and shooting the AK in Iraq I have noted several operational quirks that folks who are planning to hump an AK in Iraq should know about.
I asked my bro Bubba G. to write up a quick overview of some of the “less common” rifles we have in the Team DVM Armory. We use most of these rifles for training classes we run, the occasional stateside gig and for collection purposes [and the impending zombie apocalypse Bubba swears will happen].
We left out more common rifles like AK’s we own because you all have been there and seen that, plus these are a bit more interesting than another AR review. This is actually the first of a series of articles on the gear we have tucked away at the Team DVM HQ.
If you would like a more detailed review on any of the rifles below just let us know in the comments.
I am guessing if you are reading DVM you already know about the all-time greatest fictional gun ever used in a movie – the M41-A Pulse Rifle.
I first saw ALIENS when I was a kid all I could think after watching it was “I want a Pulse Rifle, Flamethrower and Sigourney Weaver is sexy as a Motherfucker”
For those of you who didn’t see the post about this over on Soldier Systems last December – a company called LAGE Manufacturing made a real M41-A Pulse Rifle based off of the one from ALIENS.
The original M41-A Pulse Rifle made for the movie was actually a 45. Thompson and a Remington 870 shotgun (with SPAS-12 parts) wrapped in a shell to make it look cool.
The movie M41-A Pulse Rifle was the standard issue rifle for the US Colonial Marines, it fired 10mm caseless, light armor-parsing explosive rounds with a 20mm pump action grenade launcher underneath.
If you are a contractor, it won’t be long until you have in your hands one of the most infamous rifles ever to spring forth from the dark recesses of human ingenuity. THE AK-47.
When it comes to assault rifles, there are few competitors with a more basic design. The AK and its modernized form the AKM are bound to be pointed in your direction sooner or later if you’re working the Red Zone.
It’s best to get acquainted with this system early on, and master its manual of arms. You WILL be seeing a lot of this rifle when wandering the contract circuit or 3rd world. This rifle and its millions of unlicensed reproductions litter most of the battlefields around the globe.
You know the story, you’ve seen it in the hands of every photo op of a bad guy with a flag being waved in the air, or in the hands of some jungle bound insurgent waiting to snatch the life from the unwary, and now it resides in the armories of every private military company as well.
Now, you’ll notice a curious difference between AKs fielded by contractors and those being run in stock form by crazy militants, dedicated insurgents, and Chechen vest bombers. A Contractor’s AK will invariably have modifications courtesy of any number of aftermarket accessory companies that are intended to enhance not only the cool factor but utility of the rifle.
Author and his FN FAL wile on operations in the red zone
There is no golden conex full of high speed low drag toys for most contractors working the mean streets of Baghdad or taking on the Mountain Apes in the crags of some Hindu Kush type shithole, but there are gems out there if you look hard enough. The FN FAL is just such a gem given you are lucky enough to score one in your AO.
The FAL has been around for a while and is a true Battle Rifle chambered in 7.62x51MM that has a real fight stopper reputation in a .30 Cal package not some assault rifle cartridge or new wave round that is touted as the next big ‘man-killer.’
The 7.62x51MM fielded by the FN FAL is a tested cartridge also found linked in 200 roundbelts next to the popular M240G machine gun or in the internal magazines of many a sniper rifle. The FN FAL is an old school rifle and round that fills a serious niche in combat arms.
The FAL I use in my professional endeavors was a captured weapon recovered from the hands of Saddam’s old regime and is a platform with some new twists and turns mounted on it to update its utility.
