Is an AK-47 really strong?

Question

I want to get my boy a AK-47. Hes 10 years old and his big for his age but i`m still not sure.

Answer 1

it doesn't kick and not hard to shoot

Answer 2

Is the AK-47 really strong? As in durable, the answer is: "Yes." As in too strong for a 10 year old as in: "Will it shoot too far, will it get him into mayhem?" Well, it is not a toy and it is probably not a good idea to get him one.

If he is asking for an AK-47 it probably is because he's been watching too many movies or talking to the wrong kids about how 'cool' the AKs are.

Practically the 7.62x39 AK round is ballistically comparable to the old .30-30 lever action. For what application would you buy a .30-30 for a 10 year old? Is he going hunting? He's better off with a hunting rifle that can be fitted with optics. Ruger makes the Mini 30 in the same caliber as the AK-47 and it is more of a hunting rifle than the AK. Also, Marlin makes a very nice lever action .30-30 that can be fitted easily with a scope.

Hope that helped.

H

Answer 3

There are certain curiosities in society that I find amusing. One of them is the use of cognitive biases to filter information. Cognitive biases make people reach false conclusions like pit bulls are mean and will kill, black people live in the ghetto, people of Hispanic origins are in the country illegally, welfare recipients are lazy, and in this case, AK-47s are illegal and BAD!!

Most AK-47s are based on the 7.62x39mm cartridge. This is a very mild recoiling cartridge (about 7 ft-lbs) that is capable of killing deer sized game at shorter distances (150 meters or so…it is capable of killing father than that, but I wouldn’t try it personally).

The AK-47s are cheap to shoot with the amount of surplus ammo around. They are a fine military rifle. If you break one down, you'd be amazed at its simplicity.

Would I give one to a 10 year old boy? By age 7, I was shooting a 25-06 bolt action rifle, which has almost twice the recoil of the 7.62x39mm. The rifle might be a little awkward for a 10 year old to shoot, but he should have no problems shooting it from a rest of some sort.

Personally, I would probably opt for getting your son a 22 rimfire to start out with to learn good shooting habits. They are cheap rifles and extremely cheap to shoot.

Once your son learns good shooting habits, I would graduate him to a high power rifle. Personally, I think an AK-47 is something to add to the collection and not really for practical use (like I said, it can kill deer sized game. If it is all you have already, great, but there are many other rifles that will do a better job). Personally, I would start the boy out on a 243 Win bolt action or an old 30-30 lever action. Other good choices might be a 257 Roberts (kind of hard to find), a 6.5x55 Swede, 6mm Rem, 35 Rem, or a 44 Mag rifle.

If you absolutely must get your kid a military rifle, go for the M1 Carbine if you are worried about the AK-47 being too much

Answer 4

I'd say the best you should get him is a Air Gun(Pellet Gun). An AK-47 for starters is too much no matter what the age is. Plus, air guns are cheaper/less dangerous, and maintenance cost is less than an actual gun. A ten-year-old wouldn't really bother to take apart an AK-47 to clean it. All you really need to clean an air gun is inside the barrel. The AK-47 would also cost alot in ammunition. 0.177 Caliber Pellets are about $6.00 USD for 500 rounds. As for a AK-47, 7.62 × 39mm rounds can cost over $155.00 USD for 500 rounds. The first link is my source for the 7.62 × 39mm ammunition and the second (below the first link) is for the 0.177 caliber pellet round. I recommend you get your son a good quality air rifle for now. When he turns twenty-one or eighteen (depends on where you are from) it is your choice to get him a rifle. Either way I don't really thing your son would need an AK-47. Any semi-automatic or bolt action would work fine.

Answer 5

If he's an experienced shooter and well trained and supervised, he can handle one of the semi-auto AK clones. 7.62x39 is not that powerful of a round.

For all the readers out there, there are actually very, very few AK-47s in the US and those that have them have expensive federal licenses and background checks. There are many AK Clones that are semi auto. Real AKs are selective fire which means they can shoot full auto.

If he's a new shooter, get him a .22 rifle to learn the basics of shooting and safety. From there I would move to an SKS before an AK, but that's your choice.

For all the people out there who are afraid of guns and people who keep them...there are an estimated 300 Million firearms in the US. and 99+ a good percentage have never nor will never be used in crimes.

Answer 6

If you are a responsible firearm owner I do not have a problem with you buying an AK clone that you will let your sun shoot. My question is has he shot a firearm before? Has he been taught firearm safety? The fact that you used the term "AK-47" leads me to believe you are not all that in formed about firearms. Is your son able to understand that it will not legally be his rifle until he turns 18 years old? Instead of an AK type firearm how about a Ruger 10-22 and if it must be of an AK type take a look at the Saiga rifles, search the web for RAA Saiga and you will find a link for Russian American arms.

Answer 7

The kick is light and similar to a 30-30. I don't understand the negative reaction to an ak-47. There are much worse options and is perfectly legal. The first suggestion is to obviously get a .22 rifle. If that has been done, then perhaps an SKS or a saiga. . The SKS or saiga is going to be a heavier frame and will soak up more recoil.

Answer 8

If you are dead set starting him out with an intermediate caliber like the 7.62x39, I recommend you start him out with an SKS.

Way cheaper. And stay away from the high cap magazines.

Start him out with a 20 guage shotgun or something similar. Shot shells loose velocity faster. He is less likely to shot someone unseen a half mile away.

You should take a firearm safety class together and you should keep a lock on the firearm when its at home.

Miketyson26

Answer 9

unless by big, you mean mature, and like over 5', then i would say no. that would be a bad idea. not only could he not handle shooting it, but im guessing he couldn't be responcible with it, unless you are willing to stand there holding the gun up for him. it is not a good idea to hand a child a gun that is bigger than he is, and say go shoot.

the ak47(7.62x39mm) is not that powerful, but for a 10 year old, it is alot. i suggest buying him a nice .22, maybe even a youth model. my friends little brother got a .22 for christmas. i believe hes 12. he has a single shot bolt action youth model. it weighs about 2 pounds, and is very short. teach him how to shoot that before considering a centerfire rifle. make sure you are there to show him how to shoot.

shoot safely, and pass on fun.

Answer 10

It's a high velocity powerful rifle with a fire select lever I wouldn't trust a 10 year old to be careful enough with.It packs a punch and when it hits something its going to take it down.I'd think twice before Iet a 10 year old fire one let alone use one for hunting.I would get him a more basic gun.

Answer 11

Are you sure. What do you look like, I want to check the PICS at the post office.

Man, you gotta be out of your tree. You want to but your 10 yr old an ak47. First it is against the law. Second, even with a folding stock it is probably bigger than he is.
You say he is big for his age. How about his maturity, for that matter what about yours?

Why don't you give this some real good thought.

By the way I am an NRA Member and have plenty of weapons. I am also happy to say that I would never but a 10 yr old an ak47.

There are plenty of gun safety courses around, some very reasonably priced. You should take one to find out how dangerous your idea is.