Afghan army gets Canadian C7 rifles
It seems the Afghans are moving to the AR platform, along with the Georgians.
After a frustratingly long three-year wait, the fledging Afghan National Army finally has a new weapon in its arsenal: the Canadian C7 rifle.
Some 42 boxes of surplus weapons arrived at the ANA base just up the road from Kandahar Airfield last week, Brig.-Gen. Gul Aqa said Wednesday in an interview with The Canadian Press. And training is already underway. Aimed at replacing the Afghan army’s old Soviet-era AK-47s in order to bring the force’s fire power capabilities in line with that of NATO countries, the Canadian rifles are a welcome addition, Aqa said. “They’re very modern and new weapons and the C7 is a real necessity for the ANA,” he said through a translator. He said the AK-47s often jam, leaving soldiers vulnerable to enemy fire. “It’s the difference between old and new.”
It’s a project that’s been in the works for several years.
The C7 rifle
Hat Tip: The Western Star
[...] Added Georgia, who are adopting the M4 and Afghanistan who have been given C7 rifles. [...]
The ak-47’s are jamming too much? the ak 47 is by FAR
The ak-47’s are jamming too much? the ak 47 is by FAR more reliable than our own m-4’s the ak has ALWAYS been more reliable. After having recently served in afghanist and having worked with the afghan national police as well as the afghan national army, I have to say that the comments from the afghan general are bullcrap. Yes he probably made those comments but the afghan army’s ability to be truthful I have personally found to be unreliable. just what we need now the taliban and other insurgents getting BETTER weapons because half the police and army forces are working with the insurgents
The problem with the afghanistanian AK47:s is probably that theyre getting quite old. Consider that probably many of these guns were produced more than 60 years ago, lied in stockpiles for 40 years until the soviet breakdown and were then smuggled to middle eastern conflict zones by gunrunners and has since constantly been used in extreme enviroments. Its a wonder theyre still in one piece.
The problem is not the design of the AK:s, its the age of the rifles themselves.
“It’s the difference between old and new.”
I strongly believe that the canadian c7s are better then soviet ak-47’s, which were made in the world war two era. In my opinion they are buying very good guns.
That picture above doesn’t show a C7A1. A1s have a flat-top upper receiver. That one has an M16A2 iron sight and fixed carrying handle, and to my knowledge Diemaco/Colt Canada hasn’t ever produced such a thing. The C7A2 shown is becoming the Canadian Army’s new standard service rifle, the Regular Force is mostly converted, and it sounds like the Reserve will start receiving theirs in September. They aren’t new production, just remanufactured from older models. I know that the one I was carrying this summer had an 87AA serial number (indicating 1987 manufacture). The ANA rifles are the original C7/Colt Model 715 rifles – with A1 style sights. In the pictures I saw they simply had the usual stamping of a Maple Leaf, “CANADIAN FORCES CANADIENNE” and the Canadian serial numbers marred/etched out and new serial numbers ANAXXXXXXX.
the C7A1 model has a weaver rail is almost always fitted with the elcan optical sight. the plain jane C7 is most closely akin to the M16A1E1 which has the carrying handle with recessed iron sights. the A2 has the heavier barrel and collapsible butt stock of the C8 (M4) but still retains the weaver rail w/ sight and is still completely universal as far as receiver/bolt/trigger mech parts goes and all C7 models have capability to fit the M203
Yeah, couldn’t help cracking a smile when I read the “…the AK-47s often jam,…”. My “go to gun” is 7.62×39 and NOT made out of aluminium thank
you.