A couple people had expressed interest in this topic, and I have a bit of extra time for a couple days, so here goes:
Bona fides: I am a former infantry NCO and sniper, hunter, competitive shooter, reloader, hobby gunsmith, sometimes firearms trainer and currently work in a gun shop, mostly on the paperwork/compliance side. Back in the day, was a qualified expert with every standard small arm in the US inventory circa 2003 (M2, 4, 9, 16, 19, 249, 240B, 21, 24, 82 etc.), and today hang around the 75th percentile of USPSA classifications. I've shot Cap-and-Ball, Trap and Sporting Clays badly; Bullseye and PRS somewhat better and IDPA/USPSA/UML/Two-gun with some local success. Been active in the 2A community since the mid-90s, got my first instructor cert in high school, and have held a CPL for almost twenty years now.
I certainly don't claim to be an expert in every aspect of firearms, there's huge areas that escape my knowledge base, but if you've got questions I'll do my best to answer.
Technical questions
Gun control proposals for feasibility
Industry
Training
Wacky opinions
General geekery
Some competition links (not my own) just for the interested.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=U5IhsWamaLY&t=173
https://youtube.com/watch?v=93nEEINflXE
https://youtube.com/watch?v=utcky0zq10E
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Notes -
Fun post!
Do you wear armor while training? What are your thoughts on armor and do you have any recommendations? I've been looking at Apex and Highcom ceramic plates.
I have been thinking about buying a new gun and was looking at something on the AK platform. Do you have any recommendations? The one I was zeroing in on is the PSAK-47 GFS. If I wanted to move up a level, what would you recommend?
I do wear armor while training sometimes. I usually shoot at least one 2GAC match a year, in the armored division, and I'll train in armor during the run-up to that match. The rest of the time, no. I wear my old military SAPI vest and MICH.
Don't really have any recommendations on civilian-available armor, I haven't looked into it.
As to AK-pattern guns, let me make a recommendation that you find one in 5.56 or similar, because the formerly cheap and easily available Russian ammo is banned now, and it is quite hard to find 7.62x39 or 5.45. You can see my comment below on PSA, decent range toys, not serious duty guns. If you want a good AK, your best bet is a time machine to the mid-90s or a custom build from a reputable AK-specific shop. Best out of the box will be the Galils and Valmets, but they're a pretty long way from a standard AK, and relatively expensive.
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