Translated by John Baum
12” X 18” 91 pages
Price $75 including shipping
Available from:
John Baum
5678 State Rt. 45
Lisbon, Ohio 44432
From the very beginning when early settlers to the American colonies began making their own firearms Americans have had a long tradition of building their own guns.
The most famous example was crafted by immigrant German gunmakers who created the famed Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifle. During the American Revolution a large proportion of the firearms used to wrest independence from the tyranny of the British were made by small gunmakers in the colonies often consisting of just one or two gunsmiths. That tradition lives on today and may someday prove essential to the individual’s liberty and survival. It won’t be single shot flintlocks that save them though. In this modern age it will take modern rifles.
Of these the Russian AK47 is the most numerous and widely distributed. Simple, reliable, and peasant proof, it has a well proven track record after countless conflicts worldwide. In Vietnam, many soldiers considered it superior to the M16. It always seemed to work no matter what and it had none of the jamming problems that plagued the M16 in Vietnam.
While the .223 bullet of the M16 deflected and broke up on jungle vegetation the 7.62X39 AK47 shot through the cover to the soldier on the other side. The .223 bullet fired by the M16 had negligible knock down power, a problem that persists to this day for its Taylor Knock out Value is an insignificant 6. The 7.62X39 Russian more than doubles the Taylor Knock Out Value to 12.5 which is far more effective. Even today the Ak47 remains more reliable in combat conditions than the M16 or its current variant the M4 carbine.
Now the original Russian blueprints have been translated and made available to the American public making it possible for them to build an AK47 accurately to Russian Mil-Specs. The prints are spiral bound so that each page will lay flat in use. This could be vital information someday and having a set of these plans stashed away could be critical even if you personally lack the skills to use them for there are always others that have those skills but without blueprints they cannot build effectively. In these turbulent times preparedness means more than just stockpiling food.
The old saying “Knowledge is power” rings true and having blueprints to make effective modern firearms is knowledge of the first water. These plans are more than just projects for a machinist. They are blueprints for survival. We are not talking about merely assembling an AR15 from commercially available parts, we are talking about building a modern assault rifle from scratch and there are a lot of scenarios where that is the only way to get one.
At this point it is proper to also point out that the original WWII Rock Island Arsenal production drawings for the M1 Carbine are also available from John Baum for $100 including shipping as previously reported in an earlier review.
These blueprints are clearly printed with everything a machinist needs to make the parts. They also can give the user of any AK47 a much better understanding of his rifle. The size of the blueprints is 12′ X 18” in order to keep the prints information large enough to read easily. These, like the M1 carbine blueprints previously reviewed, are best kept spread out flat in the bottom of a drawer in a chest of drawers as they sure don’t fit in a book case. If you have an AK47 these drawings will also enable you to make any spare parts that you need to the original Russian Mil-Specs.
Blueprints of firearms are more than just projects for machinists and those wanting the odd spare part as needed. They can be essential information in an uncertain future. Having them can be vital.—Jim Dickson
