Reply #19: I have seen some US troops use AKs on occasion

[derby378]

This probably started in 2004 with the bullet shortages, when NATO rounds were in short supply but Warsaw Pact 7.62 rounds were everywhere. I think Poland equipped the Iraqi government with a number of AK-74-style Tantal carbines, so US troops had plenty of time to get acquainted with AK rifles out of sheer necessity. Commanders tried to discourage the troops' use of AKs instead of AR-series M4s and M16s, because the sound produced by an AK-series is markedly different from that of an AR-series, and they had enough problems with friendly-fire issues (re: Pat Tillman) to deal with.